Anthrax expert stands by her claim

A biological weapons control expert yesterday refused to back down from her claim that the FBI has a prime suspect in last autumn's deadly anthrax letters episode, despite strenuous denials by the bureau.

She speculated that FBI agents might still be building their case against the suspect and possible accomplices.

"They're probably collecting evidence, so I can understand they'd want to deny that they have a specific suspect," said Barbara Hatch Rosenberg, director of the Federation of American Scientists' Chemical and Biological Weapons Program.