New York Doctor Warns About Nation's Failure to Prepare for Terrorism

$6 Billion Missing and Threats Widen to Infectious Disease Attacks

May 10, 2003
By: Dave Rogers

"We are woefully unprepared to deal with terrorism."

That's Dr. Peter Salgo, speaking May 7 at the Tri County Business Expo at Saginaw Valley State University. His well-attended presentation was sponsored by Covenant Health Care.

Worse than our lack of preparation, according to Dr. Salgo the United States government has spent $6 billion, supposedly on preparations against terrorism, but no one can trace what happened to the money. There is no concrete evidence that the funds were spent wisely or even on any purpose which could provide protection for the American people.

Salgo should know. He was near ground zero on September 11, 2001, when the jetliners hit the twin towers at the World Trade Center.

He is a physician and a medical school professor as well as a national media correspondent.

In fact, from his office window at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, Dr. Salgo could see the towers burning. Instantly, he knew that catastrophic event would utterly change the political and psychological landscape of the nation.

Salgo and his medical staff prepared hospital emergency rooms and waited for the casualties to come streaming in. What happened? Nothing. There were no casualties. Almost everyone in the twin towers had died. Columbia Presbyterian, and most other hospitals in mid-town Manhattan, remained empty, unused. There was not even a need for many morgue teams. The nearly 4,000 people in the towers were gone. "Vaporized," as Salgo brutally puts it.

The body count from 9-11 was not all that high, as terrible as it was, Salgo said. "That isn't what terrorism is all about," he exclaimed. "Terrorism is about fear, creating the fear of loss of life."

Terrorists have in the past wanted to be heard. That was the reason for their actions. Now, Dr. Salgo says, the intent of terrorism is much worse. "These people don't want a seat at the table. They want us gone. They don't care. They think we're from Satan and we are everythingthey despise. That makes them extra dangerous."

Is 9-11 the worst thing that can happen to New York City? To the United States? Not at all, says Dr. Salgo. Terrorists can bring highly infectious disease such as smallpox here. "We could have millions of victims within days," he warns. This would devastate New York City, and Saginaw."

Where did the money go that was supposed to be for preparations against terrorism? "It was put into the general fund budget and went to local, state and municipal governments to help keep tax rates low," stated Dr. Salgo. "Where are the decontamination rooms? Like the tobacco money, it's gone."

The danger in this situation is clear, he said, noting that just 64 cases of West Nile virus "completely paralyzed health care in the U.S."

He concluded: "We're simply not getting it done. The government has to protect us. The first step is to find out where the money went. You here have a responsibility. Do one thing for yourself. Form a political action group. Six billion dollars is missing. Tell them you're mad as hell and you're not going to take it any more. Otherwise, we may not get past the next five years."