Jewish World Review March 30, 2006 / 1 Nissan, 5766

Anthrax libel case and media responsibility

By Tucker Carlson

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | The Supreme Court ruled on a libel case brought by a former Army scientist named Steven Hatfill. Hatfill is suing the New York Times, claiming that the paper named him as the man behind the 2001 anthrax mailings that left five people dead. According to the court, Hatfill's suit against the Times can go forward, and that's probably a good thing.

But it's not enough. Hatfill may have been libeled by the press. He was certainly smeared by the U.S. government. Then-attorney general John Ashcroft called Hatfill a "person of interest," which as any TV watcher knows, is merely a euphemism for "the guy who did it."

Except in this case, it's not at all clear that Hatfill did do it. The government has never provided any evidence that he   —   or anyone else for that matter   —   was connected to the attacks. Instead the Justice Department destroyed Hatfill's life through innuendo. "Steven Hatfill once worked in Zimbabwe. Did you know there was once an anthrax outbreak in Zimbabwe." That sort of thing.

Hatfill was fired from his job, ostracized by his friends, followed at close range by a team of FBI agents as he tried to go out to dinner. And in the end, he was never charged with anything.

And the worst part is, nobody noticed. The anthrax murders remain unsolved, but we in the press have moved on to Natalie Holloway and other crimes. But Steven Hatfill hasn't moved anywhere. He remains stuck where he was four years ago, in an endless limbo of disgrace and suspicion.

It's time to end this story. The government ought to charge Steven Hatfill with killing five people, and explain how and why he did it. Or the rest of us in the press and in the government ought apologize to him. Profusely.