NSW: More to do as Sept 11, Bali anniversaries loom: Giuliani
By Toni Allan
SYDNEY, Aug 21 AAP - The only way to get through the upcoming September 11 and Balibombing anniversaries was to use them as a reminder of the things that remain to be done,former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said today.
"The only advice I can give ... is you're never going to take the pain of it away,"
Mr Giuliani told journalists in Sydney.
"People are going to feel it, so it's not useful to pretend that it's going to go away with time.
"Use it, like so many of the families have done, to do something positive.
"Figure out how we can protect society better, how we can come together to resist terrorism,how we can reduce some of the desires to be involved in terrorism.
"We have to focus on it as countries, as cities - we have to be prepared for it, andwe have to use the horrible loss of life as a reminder to us of the things we have todo."
Mr Giuliani metamorphosed from controversial mayor to Time magazine's 2001 Person OfThe Year following the attack on New York City's Twin Towers.
He was speaking in Sydney ahead of his appearance at tonight's $700-a-plate fundraiserfor the Westmead Childrens Hospital and Mission Australia, organised by the Lion NathanFoundation.
And while happy to discuss his emotions in the wake of September 11, Mr Giuliani wasalso keen to discuss his current business interests: a bestseller book entitled Leadership,and his consulting business, which focuses on emergency preparedness, public safety andleadership during crises.
"It's very hard, even today, to think back on it and describe to you all the emotionsthat come back," he said.
"Sometimes anger; sometimes great anguish because of all the friends I lost; sometimestremendous feelings of frustration.
"And concern about the future; is it going to happen again ... where, when, what canwe do to prepare better for it?
"I keep trying to concentrate on what we can learn to reduce the risk of this happeningagain, and if it does happen, what kind of emergency plans, what kind of evacuation planscan we have in effect that will be even better than the ones that existed then."
With his bout of prostate cancer behind him and a new wife in Judith Nathan, it isclear that the private sector is unlikely to hold Mr Giuliani's interest forever.
"Having written a book, I know that you don't know the next chapter until you actuallywrite it," Mr Giuliani said.
"So I don't know what the next chapter of my life is gonna be.
"I'll run for office again.
"I don't know when, where, how (but) ... in a few years.
"Would I like to have a go at the Senate? We'll see."
AAP tma/nf/was/de
KEYWORD: GIULIANI
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