False Flags and Conspiracy Theories
- Chapter 1 – False Flags
- Chapter 2 – Conspiracy theories
- Chapter 3 – KAL Flight 007 and TWA Flight 800
- Chapter 4 – The 9-11 Attacks
- Chapter 5 – The Death of Osama bin Laden
- Chapter 6 – Project Bacchus
- Chapter 7 – US Bird Flu Outbreak
- Chapter 8 – UK Foot and Mouth Outbreak
- Chapter 9 – And a Few More
False Flags and Conspiracy Theories
Where you can see the anthrax letters sent to senators in 2001. Source
False Flags and Conspiracy Theories E-BOOK
No listing such as this would be complete without a genuine conspiracy theory, and we are fortunate to have one. For background, Project Bacchus was an exceptionally secret project by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency intended to see if it were possible to construct a biowarfare facility – specifically to produce anthrax – “in a foreign country“, using off-the-shelf equipment and doing so without arousing suspicion or being discovered. It seemed obvious the CIA wanted to produce such facilities in foreign countries and disperse the anthrax, leaving the local government without a clue as to how it happened. However, the “official story” was that this was an attempt to learn if foreign terrorists on US soil might be able to accomplish such an effort. But, if this were really the case, there would have been no need for the extreme secrecy. [1] [2]
In any case, the “scientists” did manage to find an abandoned building where they could work without scrutiny, and they did manage to build their mini anthrax factory and produce several kilograms of anthrax. Part of what turns this story into a conspiracy theory is all the inconsistencies in the story, and how the official narrative changed with each new discovery and revelation of details. Part of the initial story was that the scientists produced not a biological pathogen but merely a few kilograms of a harmless pesticide. [3]
Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War (video with the authors of this book). Source
The project was discovered and revealed by New York Times reporters Judith Miller, Stephen Engelberg and William J. Broad. [4] Shortly after this, they published a book containing further details. The book, Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War that also covered Bacchus’ two sister projects, Clear Vision [5] and Jefferson, [6] which also came to light at about the same time. The book attracted much attention. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] It is available for download on archive.org. [12]
This is where things become interesting. First, the original stated purpose would have to be fraudulent – the idea that “foreign terrorists” might be able to enter the US, build an anthrax factory, and distribute the pathogen among the population. It might as well be stated bluntly that a few disaffected Uzbeks with AK-47s and big ambitions might well be able to enter the US, find a suitable location, and maybe construct something, but how would they obtain the seed anthrax needed to begin production? You can’t make anthrax from sunshine and dandelions; you need the actual pathogen. Can you picture foreign terrorists walking into Fort Detrick and saying, “Good morning. We would like to buy a few pounds of anthrax, please.”? On the other hand, if they brought the seed anthrax with them, they would have no need to build a factory, would they? They needed only enough to mail a few letters. And if all I want to do is to poison a few US senators and the Editors of the New York Times, why not just mail the letters from whatever country I’m in? Why go to all the trouble and expense of coming to the US and building a factory for something I can conveniently do from my home in Geneva? And with much less risk. The original stated purpose may appear superficially plausible, but, with a bit of thought, the entire idea is ridiculous.
Envelopes and other artifacts from the 2001 anthrax attacks are on view in “Behind the Badge: The U.S. Postal Inspection Service” at the National Postal Museum. Courtesy of the FBI. Source
Project Bacchus ran in 1999 and 2000, and news of it escaped confinement and was revealed to the public on September 4, 2001. It was only a few days later that a series of letters containing anthrax spores were delivered through the mail to various locations in the US, addressed to two senators, several news media offices, and various other public locations. The attacks resulted in five deaths, 17 illnesses and a nationwide scare.
Naturally, the FBI launched an investigation into the attacks, which apparently became one of the largest and most complex investigations in the agency’s history. After a lengthy investigation, The FBI concluded that Dr. Stephen Hatfill, an American physician and biological weapons expert, was the sole culprit who perpetrated the attacks. He became the subject of extensive media coverage, he lost his job, his home was repeatedly raided, his phone tapped, he was apparently under surveillance for years. In 2008, after seven years of harassment, the government officially exonerated Hatfill of any involvement in the anthrax attacks and settled with a $5.8 million payment. [13] [14] It should be noted that the courts railed against the FBI for their incompetent and malicious investigation, saying that no one should have been subjected to such an obvious personal atrocity for seven years.
“This 2003 photo provided by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases shows Dr. Bruce E. Ivins, a bio-defense researcher at Fort Detrick, Md., participating in an awards ceremony.” Source
Having failed with Hatfield, the FBI then decided the culprit was Bruce E. Ivins, a scientist at AMRIID, the Fort Detrick source of all the highly-weaponised anthrax in the US. However, Ivins conveniently committed suicide before the FBI had a chance to prove their case or to indict him. [15] The “overdose of pain killers” is not as good as MOSSAD’s “surprise heart attack”, but we must work with whatever tools we have available. I should note here that apparent suicides are much too plentiful in the US whenever such an event would be politically expedient. Think of Gary Webb, who was about to reveal evidence connecting the CIA to extensive cocaine-dealing in the US, and who conveniently “committed suicide” a day before he was to reveal his evidence – the only man in history to have committed suicide by shooting himself in the head twice. Or think of Steve Kangas, or Karen Silkwood. Or, for variety, think of Pat Tillman who was accidentally killed by “friendly fire” in Afghanistan. We don’t normally think of “friendly fire” as including three closely-grouped shots to the forehead at close range, but then this is America and maybe things are different here. [16]
The FBI investigators claim to have concluded that Ivins had the means, motive, and opportunity to carry out the attacks, had been in possession of the various strains of anthrax used in the letters, and had a grudge against the United States government. But immediately, various scientists and media reporters dismissed the FBI claims against Ivins, stating they were not only inconclusive but possibly fraudulent. [17] [18] To make matters even more interesting, “it was determined that the spores in the letters were derived from a batch of the Ames strain of anthrax that had been created and maintained at USAMRIID”. Now we know where the “terrorists” obtained their seed anthrax for their factory.
Destruction of the anthrax archive. Source
Then, to assist in the “post-mortem” investigation, the FBI and the CDC gave permission to destroy the Iowa anthrax archive. This was not only described as “an enormous surprise”, but it served to make further investigation impossible since the crucial evidence had been destroyed. Of course, the case was then never solved. What a surprise.
The media and many people connected the anthrax attacks with 9/11, which served immeasurably to smoke up the room. However, a few others who were paying attention, made different connections. First, the actual scheme seems to have been an experiment to determine (1) if a small anthrax lab could be built in absolute secrecy, but more importantly (2) to disperse that pathogen and determine whether it could be traced back to that secret lab, or to Fort Detrick or Dugway where the seed originated. And that would require, despite the exposure by the New York Times reporters, the “terrorists” to still distribute those anthrax letters and see if the secrecy would hold. However, the public exposure of the plot required a change in plans – to find someone to blame. Thus, Hatfill and Ivins were chosen as the sacrificial lambs to take away the focus from the CIA and/or military – and Project Bacchus. And, for seven years, it seems to have accomplished precisely that: everyone forgot about the CIA and their mini-anthrax lab, and focused on two innocent men until the story was old news and no one cared any more. And the “suicide” provided closure to the story.
The conspiracy conclusion of course is that the CIA not only manufactured the anthrax but also distributed it through the letters. In case you are tempted to say, “They would never do that”, there is no shortage of real examples of the US government (and other governments) deliberately staging terrorist activities to further political aims. Think of Operation Gladio the US sponsored in Europe, causing multiple terrorist attacks, and killing a great many people, simply to frighten European populations into electing Right-Wing governments. [19] This is real, and there are many other such examples. You may recall Operation Northwoods, [20] where the CIA wanted to fill an American airliner with college students on holiday, send the aircraft off-course near Cuba, shoot it down, then use that as an excuse to declare war on Cuba. It was only President Kennedy’s infuriation that prevented this from actually taking place. The US military, the CIA, and the US government establishment itself, have never had much hesitation in killing American civilians or anyone else if a desired political aim could be thereby achieved. That’s reality, and you have to live with it. I don’t know the truth of this, but it is certainly the kind of thing the US military and CIA would do, proven by the fact that they have done similar things on many occasions in the past.
As further proof, let me remind you of the callous and obscene nature which has always pervaded the US government: Kodak’s discovery of radiation:
Kodak began receiving customer complaints about fogged film, the cause of which was quickly traced to corn husks from Indiana that Kodak used as packaging material for its film. A Kodak physicist discovered that all corn husks were heavily contaminated with radioactivity. After this, the US government agreed to secretly provide Kodak with advance information on all future nuclear tests, including “expected distribution of radioactive material in order to anticipate local contamination”. Unfortunately, the population were not provided with the same ‘advance notification’ as were Kodak’s corn husks, the people not being relevant to corporate profits. The victims now tell us, “In fact, the Government warned the entire photographic industry and provided maps and forecasts of potential contamination. Where, I ask, were the maps for dairy farmers? Where were the warnings to parents of children in these areas? The Government protected rolls of film, but not the lives of our kids. Why did they do that when they had all the information about hot spots and fallout, and yet they did not warn the people of this country about the dangers inherent in radioactive fallout? Why has the government withheld information until now?” It is reprehensible that our citizens were intentionally exposed to radioactivity and yet those who knew remained silent – even in the face of evidence that said if we provided treatment and information early, we might alleviate suffering or prevent diseases.” We really must pity these Americans who, despite the overwhelming evidence, cannot bring themselves to accept the truth that their government didn’t inform them of the radioactivity because they were the guinea pigs in the tests. The painful deaths of those millions of children were not accidents from above-ground nuclear tests; they were the purpose of the tests. [21]
Nevertheless, this is a good conspiracy theory. You decide.
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Mr. Romanoff’s writing has been translated into 32 languages and his articles posted on more than 150 foreign-language news and politics websites in more than 30 countries, as well as more than 100 English language platforms. Larry Romanoff is a retired management consultant and businessman. He has held senior executive positions in international consulting firms, and owned an international import-export business. He has been a visiting professor at Shanghai’s Fudan University, presenting case studies in international affairs to senior EMBA classes. Mr. Romanoff lives in Shanghai and is currently writing a series of ten books generally related to China and the West. He is one of the contributing authors to Cynthia McKinney’s new anthology ‘When China Sneezes’. (Chap. 2 — Dealing with Demons).
His full archive can be seen at
https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/ + https://www.moonofshanghai.com/
He can be contacted at: 2186604556@qq.com
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NOTES
[1] Project Bacchus
https://medium.com/@harihshramm114/project-bacchus-248b9f27ff86
[2] Project Bacchus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Bacchus
[3] Secret project manufactured mock anthrax
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2001/oct/26/20011026-030448-2429r/
[4] Next to Old Rec Hall, a ‘Germ-Making Plant’
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/04/world/next-to-old-rec-hall-a-germ-making-plant.html
[5] Project Clear Vision
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Clear_Vision
[6] Project Jefferson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Jefferson
[7] Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War
https://www.amazon.com/Germs-Biological-Weapons-Americas-Secret/dp/0684871599
[8] Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germs:_Biological_Weapons_and_America%27s_Secret_War
[9] Review of GERMS: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/review-of-germs-biological-weapons-and-americas-secret-war-56399043/
[10] Weapons of mass hysteria: Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/oct/20/highereducation.news1
[11] Germs: Biological Weapons and America’s Secret War
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/germs.htm
[12] Germs: Biological Weapons And America’s Secret War
https://ia800102.us.archive.org/17/items/GermsBiologicalWeaponsAndAmericasSecretWar/Germs_%20Biological%20Weapons%20and%20America%27s%20Secret%20War%20-%20Judith%20Miller%20%26%20William%20J%20Broad%20%26%20Stephen%20Engelberg.pdf
[13] The Wrong Man
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/05/the-wrong-man/308019/
[14] Scientist Is Paid Millions by U.S. in Anthrax Suit
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/washington/28hatfill.html
[15] Man suspected in anthrax attacks said to commit suicide
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/01/world/americas/01iht-02anthrax.14950820.html
[16] Police State America, Volume 2
https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Police-State-America-Volume-Two.pdf
[17] New Evidence Adds Doubt to FBI’s Case Against Anthrax Suspect
https://www.propublica.org/article/new-evidence-disputes-case-against-bruce-e-ivins
[18] Suicide of Anthrax Scientist Raises Questions
https://www.science.org/content/article/suicide-anthrax-scientist-raises-questions
[19] Operation Gladio: CIA State-Sponsored Terror
https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/politics/11167/
[20] Operation Northwoods — Targeting Terrorism Against American Citizens
https://www.bluemoonofshanghai.com/politics/11675/
[21] How Kodak Discovered the Atomic Bomb
https://fstoppers.com/historical/how-kodak-discovered-atomic-bomb-114260
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