Posted on: Monday, January 14, 2002

EDITORIAL
Anthrax hoax cannot be treated lightly

Since there was no real harm done and it turned out to be a hoax, there might be some sympathy with the idea of going easy on a Honolulu woman who recently mailed phony anthrax letters to three police stations.

But U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo is absolutely correct to treat the hoax letters as seriously as if they truly had contained anthrax.

In today's climate, a fake threat can have as much terrorizing effect as a real one. And that is the insidious nature of terrorism: It relies on fear and intimidation.

Once a handful of genuine anthrax letters were mailed and received, it empowered every hoaxer out there to create precisely the same impact of fear and disruption.

Fake or not, mailing letters that purport to contain anthrax is an act of terror and must be treated as such.

There might be room for tempering justice with mercy, if the woman is found guilty, depending on her mental state and the circumstances of the particular case.

But the only protection we have against terrorist threats — real or fake — is to take them equally seriously.