Ricin in the Senate

This is disturbing if true - but let's not forget that we've had several scares like this, both in Iraq and in the United States, which have not panned out:

Preliminary tests on a white, powdery substance found in the mailroom of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist indicate the presence of the deadly substance ricin, a Homeland Security official said Monday.

A U.S. Capitol police spokeswoman said the department is investigating the matter but would not comment on the substance found, saying only that preliminary tests were positive for a "hazardous substance."

The substance is to be tested further at the Army research laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

The Homeland Security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said those results could be back as soon as Tuesday.

Authorities said people should stay clear of the south side of the fourth floor of the Dirksen Senate Office building.

CNN notes a fascinating story about a Bulgarian dissident who was murdered by a ricin pellet, fired from a gun hidden in an umbrella, in 1978. (Note to conspiracy theorists: the assassination took place on September 11, and the dissident had just left a building called "Bush House". No word on whether any Zionists were in the area.)

Posted by damian at February 3, 2004 08:58 AM