Suspicious Powder Sent To French, Austrian, Uzbekistan Consulates

Anthrax Scare: 
 
NEW YORK — Envelopes containing
suspicious powder were sent to three
foreign consulates in Manhattan on Monday,
but initial tests suggested the mailings
were a hoax, police officials said.

A field test done on the powder sent
the Uzbekistan Consulate came back negative
for Anthrax or any other dangerous substance,
New York Police Department spokesman
Paul Brown said.

Envelopes containing a powder were also sent
to the French and Austrian consulates.

All three envelopes had Dallas, Texas, postmarks,
and at least one contained a note
referencing al-Qaida, Brown said.

The potential threat prompted an emergency
response from federal and local authorities,
including hazardous material units that
decontaminated employees of
the consulates who handled the envelopes.

"The FBI is working with the NYPD to determine
the origin of these letters," said Richard Kolko,
spokesman for the FBI's New York Office.

"Our field office will follow all leads
to locate the sender."

Telephone calls to the consulates went
unanswered or were not immediately returned.

Link here
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J-L K
Sent from Kigali, Rwanda