Friends Blame FBI for Suicide; Bin Laden's Driver Found Guilty
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Right now we're combing through hundreds of pages of documents just released by the Justice Department about its almost seven year investigation into the anthrax attacks. And they detail the government's case against Dr. Bruce Ivins, the Army's biodefense researcher who killed himself last week as federal prosecutors were about to seek an indictment against him. Among the government's claims against Ivins, he had anthrax spores with genetic mutations identical to the anthrax used in the attacks; he gave false samples to investigators; and just days before the attacks he sent an e-mail warning that Al Qaeda followers -- and I'm quoting now -- "have anthrax and sarin gas," using language similar to that used in the actual anthrax letters that were mailed out. But there are still serious questions about the tactics the FBI used in the investigation of Ivins. Some of his supporters blame them for his suicide. CNN's Brian Todd is working that part of the story for us. Dramatic information. What are you picking up -- Brian?</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, federal officials deny claims from Ivins' attorneys and others that the stress of this investigation led to his death. But we are learning new information about how they may have dealt with Ivins' family.</s>TODD (voice-over): It's not clear what Bruce Ivins' children could have offered federal authorities in their investigation of him, but a source with knowledge of the anthrax case tells CNN federal agents offered Ivins' 24-year-old son the $2.5 million reward for information about his father and showed his twin sister pictures of the anthrax victims and said, "Your father did this." The source says Ivins was very upset last November after the FBI searched his home and questioned his children. Ivins' former colleague, Jeffrey Adamovicz, says Ivins gave him similar accounts.</s>JEFFREY ADAMOVICZ, FORMER COLLEAGUE OF BRUCE IVINS: One of the statements that he relayed to me that his children were, in fact, told by the FBI agents that were doing the interview that their father was a murder. And that, I could tell, greatly disturbed Bruce, as it would anybody.</s>TODD: As federal officials presented evidence they believe implicates Ivins in the 2001 anthrax attacks which killed five people, they also defended their tactics with them.</s>JEFFREY TAYLOR, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The notion that somehow these people were coerced or abused by the agents or the lawyers is categorically false. These agents handled themselves professionally, responsibly and with great respect for Mr. Ivins and for his family. And I would say the same thing about the prosecutors in this case.</s>TODD: Authorities say Ivins, an Army biodefense researcher at Fort Detrick in Maryland, committed suicide last week as they were about to charge him with the anthrax attacks. His lawyer says Ivins wasn't involved. The attorney and Ivins' former colleagues tell CNN they think the pressure of the investigation led to his death. Federal officials have said they don't believe that. But former colleagues have told us federal agents hounded Ivins and his family. And "The Washington Post" quotes a scientist who worked with Ivins saying agents once confronted him while he was shopping with his family and said, "You killed a bunch of people."</s>TODD: Our source with knowledge of the case says Ivins was a former alcoholic who had resumed drinking for much of this year because of how upset he was with all of this. Again, FBI officials deny they were harassing Bruce Ivins or his family -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: A lot of our viewers will remember Dr. Steven Hatfill. He was publicly identified by the Justice Department, what, some six years ago -- it's almost seven years ago -- as a person of interest in this case. Recently, they exonerated him and gave him some $6 million as part of a settlement. But I want to play this clip, Brian, of what he said at the time when he was publicly accused of being a person of interest in this case. Listen to this.</s>STEVEN HATFILL, FORMER GOVERNMENT SCIENTIST: My girlfriend's home was also searched. She was manhandled by the FBI upon their entry, not immediately shown the search warrant, her apartment was wrecked while FBI agents screamed to her that I had killed five people and that her life would never be the same again. She was terrified by their conduct, put into isolation for interrogation for eight hours.</s>BLITZER: All right, did they ever answer that specific charge from Dr. Hatfill?</s>TODD: They've never answered those specific charges, Wolf. But they did settle with Steven Hatfill about six weeks ago in the entire resolution of that case involving him. They settled with him for nearly $6 million.</s>BLITZER: Now, having said all this, Ivins, I take it, himself has acknowledged, before he committed suicide, that he was in a very troubled state of mind for some time.</s>TODD: That's right. And that comes out in some of these documents that we just got today. They cite e-mails from Ivins to a friend eight years ago where he talks about getting "incredible paranoid delusional thoughts," being "eaten alive inside." Now, that's more than a year before the anthrax attacks even took place. Those, of course, don't prove his guilt. But, clearly, Bruce Ivins had some mental health issues dating way back.</s>BLITZER: Brian, thanks for that update. Brian Todd working the story. Another important story we're following -- the verdict is now in the Guantanamo Bay military trial of Osama bin Laden's former driver. The charges included providing material support to a terror organization in the September 11th attacks. The verdict -- guilty on five counts. But on the more serious charge of conspiracy to aid a terror organization, the verdict is not guilty. CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, reports from Guantanamo Bay.</s>JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Salim Hamdan's face fell into his hands and he wiped his eyes as the jury of anonymous military officers pronounced him guilty of supporting terrorism, even as it cleared him of conspiracy to murder. Hamdan will face life in prison after the jury found him guilty of what the judge described as essentially supporting Osama bin Laden by serving as his personal driver, bodyguard and weapons courier. In a statement, the chief prosecutor called Hamdan "a career Al Qaeda warrior pledged to ensuring the personal security of Osama bin Laden years before the September 11th attacks up until the minute he was captured heading toward the battlefield." But human rights advocates pointed to the other verdict -- the finding that Hamdan was not guilty of conspiracy to murder innocents -- as evidence the charges were too extreme for even a military jury to accept. Lawrence Morris</s>BEN WIZNER, ACLU ATTORNEY: This is not a fair system. This judgment will be appealed. But I would say that there is no appeal from the judgment of history. And it won't be kind about these proceedings.</s>MCINTYRE: The Pentagon argued that Hamdan had "a vigorous defense that resulted in his acquittal on some charges." In a statement, a spokesman said: "These proceedings should show the world that we are committed to providing detainees with due process."</s>MCINTYRE: And, Wolf, the trial now moves into the sentencing phase. And Hamdan faces a potential life in prison on these charges. Of course, the irony is even if he had been acquitted, he would face a potential indefinite incarceration because the U.S. government still considers him an enemy combatant -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre is on the scene for us at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Thanks, Jamie McIntyre. Let's go back to Jack. He's got "The Cafferty File" -- Jack.</s>JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: While you're paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, think about this. Iraq could end up with an $80 billion surplus thanks to its oil exports. $80 billion. Remember how we were told by our illustrious president that Iraq's oil had money would pay for the war? You remember that, bunky? We've spent $700 billion of our money, including almost $50 billion, to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure. We haven't seen a dime of their oil money for our efforts. U.S. auditors report Baghdad had a $29 billion budget surplus between 2005 and 2007. And with the price of crude just about doubling last year, well, that surplus this year could breach $50 billion -- grand total right around $80 billion. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to pour money into Iraq for reconstruction, repairs to their oil infrastructure, electricity, water, security. And, you know, maybe some of that's fair. We did blow a lot of it up. How much has Iraq spent repairing their own stuff in the last three years? Well, that would be less than $4 billion. Senator Carl Levin says it's inexcusable for U.S. taxpayers to foot the bill for projects the Iraqis could pay for themselves. Duh. Of course, Congress -- the Democrats now control Congress -- Congress continues to approve one spending bill after another for President Bush's war, despite the Democrats' promise to end the war's funding in 2006. Carl Levin is one of those Democrats. Here's the bureaucratic explanation for the screwing the American taxpayer is getting. The Treasury Department says the U.S. is working with Iraqis to fix the issue and they believe "progress is being made." What a joke. Progress as Iraq writes the United States checks. That's progress. Here's the question: What should be do done about Iraq's potential $80 billion oil surplus? Go to CNN.com/caffertyfile and post a comment on my blog -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Jack, thank you. Two very important interviews we're working on this hour for you. A top Obama supporter and potential vice presidential candidate, the Virginia governor, Tim McCain. He's standing by live. And the author of a new bombshell book accusing the White House of what could be impeachable crimes, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Ron Suskind. Also, an illegal drug grown by illegal immigrants on U.S. government land -- stand by for that story. Plus, an Olympic gold medalist barred from Beijing -- his visa revoked at the very last minute. Stay with us. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.