Chicago Mayor Daley criticizes terror warnings
Crain's Business Chicago
November 15, 2002
Mayor Richard M. Daley is not too pleased with the way the federal government issued general warnings to four cities, including Chicago, about possible terrorist threats to hospitals.
The mayor said the warnings were "so vague, no one knows what it is." He questioned where the federal sources are getting their information, saying "maybe they're talking to Martians."
The mayor's remarks came the day before the FBI issued a new alert, warning Friday that al-Qaida may be planning a "spectacular" terrorist attack aimed at damaging the U.S. economy and inflicting major casualties. The White House said Americans should remain vigilant, although it left the alert status unchanged.
Mayor Daley says that, for the billions of dollars the United States is spending on homeland security, the federal government has "to be more specific" when it issues warnings.
When the federal government informed the Chicago Police Department about the possible threat, the police relayed that information to the Chicago Health Department, which contacted hospitals in the area, Mayor Daley said.
Yesterday, Northwestern Memorial Hospital was busy evaluating the potential threat, but few other area hospitals took substantial steps outside their normal safety routines.
A spokeswoman for the Illinois governor's office and Department of Homeland Security, said authorities are not taking any added measures as a result of the FBI alert, the credibility of which the White House said was "very low." |
