OMEN
06-24-2006, 09:15 PM
CHICAGO: Tourists lined up to take in the view atop America's tallest office building on Friday and workers went to their desks inside as usual despite news that the Sears Tower was the target of a foiled terrorist plot.
"The possibility (of an attack) will always exists, you can't stop living," said Terrie Coles, 52, office manager for an engineering firm, as she headed inside the 110-story building.
"I just hope and pray that people are doing their jobs to keep us safe," she added, but "I'm skeptical the plot even existed."
Pam Emrick, 43, a Nuclear medicine supervisor visiting from Cincinnati, confessed to feeling "a little uncomfortable" as she waited to go to the sky deck on the 103rd floor. But she said large groups of people had already gone in and "It makes me feel like I'm overreacting."
Tim Curto, 50, a commercial real estate agent passing by the building, said "Chicago escaped the terror attack because the information flow between the agencies is better today ... there's people today that try to mimic (previous attacks) but I'm not sure if they're capable of doing it."
Chicago Police Superintendent Phil Cline told reporters "there never was any credible threat to the Sears Tower at all," from what federal officials called a Miami-based "home grown terrorist cell" plot that had pledged loyalty to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda but was still early in its planning stages.
Of the seven men arrested only one, Narseal Batiste, had a record in Chicago where he was arrested in 1993 for misdemeanor criminal property damage, Cline said.
Barbara Carley, managing director of the building, told a news conference that federal investigators have "never found evidence of a credible plot against the Sears Tower that has gone beyond talk." It remains 80 percent rented, she said.
The tower at 442 metres was the world's tallest office building when completed in 1973, a title it held for 25 years. It is now the third tallest.
Olivia Davis, 25, a paralegal walking past the building. said: "I'm happy... I really couldn't handle another terror attack."
But law clerk Sean Borders, 34, said the situation remains scary because "We don't have a lot of security in the city. On a scale one to 100, I'd say the country has improved security by 15 per cent."
http://stuff.co.nz/inl/images/masthead/reuters.gif
"The possibility (of an attack) will always exists, you can't stop living," said Terrie Coles, 52, office manager for an engineering firm, as she headed inside the 110-story building.
"I just hope and pray that people are doing their jobs to keep us safe," she added, but "I'm skeptical the plot even existed."
Pam Emrick, 43, a Nuclear medicine supervisor visiting from Cincinnati, confessed to feeling "a little uncomfortable" as she waited to go to the sky deck on the 103rd floor. But she said large groups of people had already gone in and "It makes me feel like I'm overreacting."
Tim Curto, 50, a commercial real estate agent passing by the building, said "Chicago escaped the terror attack because the information flow between the agencies is better today ... there's people today that try to mimic (previous attacks) but I'm not sure if they're capable of doing it."
Chicago Police Superintendent Phil Cline told reporters "there never was any credible threat to the Sears Tower at all," from what federal officials called a Miami-based "home grown terrorist cell" plot that had pledged loyalty to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda but was still early in its planning stages.
Of the seven men arrested only one, Narseal Batiste, had a record in Chicago where he was arrested in 1993 for misdemeanor criminal property damage, Cline said.
Barbara Carley, managing director of the building, told a news conference that federal investigators have "never found evidence of a credible plot against the Sears Tower that has gone beyond talk." It remains 80 percent rented, she said.
The tower at 442 metres was the world's tallest office building when completed in 1973, a title it held for 25 years. It is now the third tallest.
Olivia Davis, 25, a paralegal walking past the building. said: "I'm happy... I really couldn't handle another terror attack."
But law clerk Sean Borders, 34, said the situation remains scary because "We don't have a lot of security in the city. On a scale one to 100, I'd say the country has improved security by 15 per cent."
http://stuff.co.nz/inl/images/masthead/reuters.gif