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It's a sultry summer morning in Chicago, Passengers are packed in the close quarters of a commuter train bound for the Chicago Loop. Everyone dozes in the steamy heat. But when the train lurches to an unscheduled stop, the conductor's announcement brings everyone to full attention. All passengers must exit the train, due to police action in the Loop. Commuters will have to find alternate transportation to their final destination.
"Must be having another parade," one disgruntled man observes." What concerns most people is the personal inconvenience.
But in the Loop, police struggled to contain frenzied citizens crowded around barricades at the Thompson Center, a landmark government building housing 60 state agencies and four thousand employees. A terrorist threat had brought local traffic to a standstill.
A suburban man with a history of mental illness drove his car through the Center's handicap access door, crashing into the lobby's information booth. He exited his vehicle and calmly announced, "I am a terrorist. I am a Smart bomb. God told me to do this."
Witnesses reported that the crash sounded like a bomb exploded. They also stated that the building's security officers were disorganized and obviously unfamiliar with, or unaware of an emergency plan. No alarm was sounded. Chaos reigned as panicked guards shouted from the lobby and lower floor levels to evacuate.
The Thompson Center is a strategic choice for a bombing attempt. Besides housing government offices, it is located across the street from City Hall, and diagonally from the Daley Center, a 26 floor building containing municipal and state courtrooms, as well as many city agencies. The building is a hub to the El trains and also links the city's underground pedestrian walkways.
Security measures were surprisingly inadequate. Only the Daley Center has metal detectors, which may be circumvented by any uniformed person or anyone claiming to be an officer of the court. Some of the buildings have large cement flower boxes near the entrances - more for aesthetics than security.
The three government buildings share a 42-person security force, none specifically trained in emergency procedures. A review of the city's precautionary measures indicates a complacency of security. In a metropolitan city...