Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is busy trying to rally support in Florida, one of many big states with primaries in the coming weeks. He didn't really focus on the Iowa caucus (where he placed fifth - after Ron Paul) or New Hampshire (so he claims; he managed to place 4th, ahead of Ron Paul) and flew out of the Granite State before the polls were closed.
His poor showing in the first two political showdowns makes his Wall Street Journal opinion column all the more interesting. Today, Giuliani outlines "A blueprint for homeland security" in "The Resilient Society". And yes, September 11 gets name-checked a number of time in the 3500+ word essay. Here's part of it:
One reason New York City was able to withstand the 9/11 attack was that we were prepared to meet 21st-century security threats. As mayor of New York, in the spring of 1996, I established the Office of Emergency Management. We drilled and planned for various threats--anthrax, chemical weapons, hurricanes and airplane crashes. And while we didn't anticipate the specific scenario of 9/11, the constant practice, and the relentless follow-up from actual emergencies, certainly helped in its aftermath.
Huh. Let's review our interview with FDNY Deputy Chief Jim Riches, who emphasized, "[There were n]o drills at WTC from 1993 to 9/11/01. Radios failed in 1993 and again in 2001. Command center at 7 WTC. No unified command, No interoperable radios FD and PD. 911 operators telling people in South Tower to stay put even before plane hit South Tower, yet FD commanders at scene were calling for its evacuation."
ThinkProgress also tackles the inconsistencies between Giuliani's column the other reports. And in related Republican presidential race news, Mitt Romney is pulling ads from South Carolina, where the primary is January 19. The Republican candidates are debating in SC on Thursday.
