- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One
of eight secret U.S. government staging areas poised to respond to a
biological
or chemical attack ferried 50 tons of supplies to New York hours after
the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center, according to a Sunday
broadcast
report.
-
- Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said
nine tractor-trailers filled with 50 tons of vaccines, antibiotics, gas
masks and ventilators -- also known as "push packages'' -- were
dispatched
to New York after civilian aircraft hit the skyscrapers.
-
- "We were able to move these push packages ... within
hours. We were able to move (them) from where they were stored into the
city of New York within seven hours,'' Thompson told CBS News' "60
Minutes'' program in a report to air Sunday night.
-
- As it turned out, it was neither a biological nor a
chemical
attack, and the trucks returned to their secret staging area.
-
- "I think that shows you that if it happens, we're
ready,'' Thompson said. "We're ready to perform.''
-
- The staging areas nationwide also are charged with
transporting
medical personnel specially trained to treat victims of biological attacks,
the report said.
-
- "We have 7,000 doctors and medical assistance teams
throughout America -- 7,000 medical personnel that are ready to go,''
Thompson
said.
-
- He said the government is prepared to take care of any
contingency, any consequence that develops from any biological or chemical
attack.
-
- "I have three kids and tonight I'm telling them
that they are safe. And my granddaughter who is less than 2 years old is
safe as well.''
-
- Copyright © 1999 Reuters Limited.
All rights reserved.
-
-
- MainPage
http://www.rense.com
-
-
-
- This
Site Served by TheHostPros
|