Balancing fear and vigilance

The US postal service is sending out millions of cards on how to handle suspect packages

		BBC News Online's Kevin Anderson in Washington

US officials dealing with the anthrax scare and other security threats are walking a fine line between encouraging vigilance and restoring confidence.

As the number of confirmed anthrax infections rose, Homeland Security director Tom Ridge has held several news conferences outlining the steps taken to secure the public health.

The government is pouring money into strengthening its defences against bio-terrorism and reviewing contingency plans across the nation.

But some have complained that the government is keeping people on edge by putting the nation on alert with general, unspecified threats.

The press has been withering in its criticism of the House of Representatives for shutting after anthrax was discovered at a Senate office.

The response

"Lately the American people are hearing a lot about potential anthrax threats, and our government is taking every step possible to protect them," Mr Ridge said at a press conference on Friday.

Mr Ridge and other members of the administration outlined the efforts the government is taking, including:

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency is sending teams across the country to review their abilities to respond to an act of bio-terrorism.
• The US postal service will be sending cards to every home and business, some 147 million addresses, telling them how to deal with suspicious letters and packages.
• The Department of Health and Human Services sent a $1.5bn request to Congress to bolster local response to incidents of bio-terrorism, increase the national pharmaceutical stockpile and accelerate and increase the production of smallpox vaccine.

  Smallpox is seen as a potentially deadly bio-weapon. The disease is considered eradicated, as a case has not been seen since 1977.

  For that reason, most people have no immunity to the disease, and an outbreak could quickly spread.

• Environmental Protection Agency director Christie Whitman tried to allay fears that a deadly chemical or biological agent could be introduced into the public water supply. "I want to assure people, that scenario just can't happen," she said.

  She said that security had been increased at the nation's reservoirs and public water facilities, and it would take large quantities of a chemical or biological agent to contaminate an entire water supply.

Wimps!

But despite efforts of the government to exude confidence, officials still walk the fine line of encouraging increased vigilance while also rebuilding the shaken confidence of the nation.

The FBI was criticised a week ago for putting the nation on highest alert based on general, unspecified threats.

Speaker Dennis Hastert rebuked for closing House

But the greatest public criticism has been reserved for the House of Representatives, which decided to close after an anthrax-laden letter was discovered at a Senate office building on the other side of Capitol Hill.

The Senate, whose majority leader Tom Daschle was targeted by the attack, decided defiantly to remain in session.

The media was withering in its criticism of the House of Representatives and its leader Dennis Hastert.

"We need to toughen up. Shame on Speaker Dennis Hastert for closing the House of Representatives because of the anthrax scare," wrote Thomas L. Friedman of the New York Times.

The New York Post had only one word for the House: Wimps! The headlined screamed from the tabloid's front page.

A day later, a Post employee was found to have the less dangerous cutaneous form of anthrax.

Post editor-in-chief Col Allen said she was fine and responding to treatment.

He told a press conference: "She's in the office right now, she's working, she's in good shape."