Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 4 Num 345 Thu. May 20, 2004  
   
International


Giuliani to testify before 9/11 panel


Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, whose steady, reassuring presence after the Sept. 11 attacks led some to dub him "America's mayor," was no stranger to prickly public confrontation during his years as head of City Hall.

That experience may come in handy Wednesday, when Giuliani could be forced or feel compelled to defend the work of his most trusted aides before the Sept. 11 commission.

On Tuesday, his deputies were publicly challenged over what some panel members said were long-running problems with the city's emergency response systems.

"The mayor's prepared to present the facts tomorrow," said his spokeswoman Sunny Mindel, adding he is "very sympathetic and empathetic" to the families of the 2,749 people killed at the World Trade Center.