Blow to Psyce

One person has died after anthrax exposure, compared to more than 5,300 who perished in the hijacking attacks on New York and Washington. But whoever is behind the recent anthrax scares — and there is no known connection with the Sept. 11 attacks — is inducing confusion and psychological distress — a good definition of terrorism. In an ABCNEWS poll released Tuesday, 65 percent said they were worried about the anthrax situation, with a third saying they were worried a "great …

…reality, experts say, the typical American's risk of dying from an anthrax-laced letter is minute. There is a much better chance of dying in a car crash, as an estimated 40,000 Americans do every year. "Rationally, this is absurd," says Milton Schwebel, a Rutgers University professor emeritus and terror psychology expert. "One person has died. We're at war, this is very little. The terrorists have been very effective in undermining our morale and that's a pity."