I just realized what all the Anthrax scares are about...

[palad]

Last night on my way home, I was listening to an NPR news story on the most recent anthrax mailing, and it hit me. These mailings aren't hitting a serious number of people, and those people are very aware of what is going on. So what is the point? Consider this: every time a letter arrives with anthrax in it (or suspected), the authorites are starting to move in a predictable manner -- quarantine, decontamination, and treatment. What if there is a terrorist organization that is sending these letters out to build up information on response patterns? After a few weeks, when health authorities are really getting in the swing of things, this organization uses its information to strike: perhaps to bomb a treatment center, or something worse. Not only would they kill a large number of civilians, but people would start to think twice before seeking treatment, if they realized they might be blown up just by going to the doctor's.

Then again, maybe I'm just paranoid...

 

[jpsj82]

isn't that what happened in Africa before the embassy bombings. the terroist called in fake bomb threats to watch what exactly happened in responce.

 

[TheDingo]

I wouldn't say people would be afraid of going to the doctor's, but they might try to take down an integral part of our "clean up procedure" to slow or stop groups trying to help in a mass bio-terror attack.... :::shiver::: thats a scary thought.

 

[Tauren]

I think you are just getting paranoid. This country is too large and their are too many people trained to handle these situations.