The Challenge of Biological Terrorism: When to Cry Wolf, What to Cry, and How to Cry It
...the fact remains, however, that anyone approaching the subject of bioterrorism still has to be extremely careful about "crying wolf." The fact a threat exists does not define the kind of response that is needed, the priority it should be given, and the level of investment in time, expertise, and money that is required. It is all too easy to "cry wolf" in a post-9/11 world, but the risk of biological terrorism is only one more risk among thousands of other risks that affect human society.

Triage is just as essential an element of counterterrorism as it is of medicine and public health policy. In a world where car and truck bombs can kill over 100 people without warning on a crowded street, and where there are so many other competing priorities for government action, one has to be extremely careful about giving any given threat priority over the others, and even more careful about what to call for in terms of public policy. The years since 9/11 have shown that it is far easier to throw money at a problem than it is to solve one, and it is far easier to focus noisily on the worst case than it is to produce credible risk assessments...