Chicago, IL – Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday there’s no way Chicago police officers would spy on Muslims or conduct surveillance operations in their communities like those carried out by New York officers in that city and neighboring New Jersey.
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“We don’t do that in Chicago and we’re not going to do that,” Emanuel said in his first public comments about the operations since The Associated Press reported the NYPD in 2007 eavesdropped on Muslims in Newark, N.J., and put them under surveillance.
Emanuel also said he has “a thousand percent” confidence in the leadership of current Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who was the Newark police chief at the time.
Emanuel said he talks with McCarthy every day and that the two did discuss the AP’s story on Thursday morning. But Emanuel, whose office said McCarthy did not discuss the Newark operation with the mayor before he was hired, suggested Thursday’s talk was focused on keeping McCarthy focused on running Chicago’s department.
“He knows the policies here and he abides by those policies,” Emanuel said. “What happened in Newark and New York years ago is something else. What we do here in Chicago is different.”
McCarthy told the AP on Wednesday that the NYPD notified him as a courtesy that it was sending plainclothes officers into Newark but that Newark police officers did not participate in the operation. McCarthy’s spokesman, Melissa Stratton, said the superintendent was not available for comment Thursday.
One Chicago-area Muslim leader said the Muslim community wants McCarthy to speak about the issue, both to assure Muslims that such an operation has not been implemented in Chicago and that the superintendent does not condone such activities.
“We are sending him a letter today to request clarification on his position,” said Ahmed Rehab, who heads the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Rehab also said he’s been encouraged by McCarthy’s stance since he came to Chicago.
“He’s supportive of our civil rights work,” Rehab said, noting McCarthy had previously sent him a letter praising Rehab’s group.
Rahm proved during his tenure with Obama’s White House that he cares more about Muslims than he does about Jews. It’s a shame he was elected mayor of Chicago. Let’s hope he’s defeated next election, along with Obama.
Thank you Mr. Mayor. The terrorists now heard what you said. We know that the only reason you said it at all was to appease certain people. Couldn’t you at least have told them privately! The terrorists, like the rest of us, follow the path of least resistance.
Rahm Emanuel to Al Qaeda: Please come here! We won’t bother you.
I can’t understand this animosity towards Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who happens to be the first Jewish Mayor of Chicago. I’d rather have him in office, than someone like the former Mayor Richard Daley (Sr.), who in 1968, shouted to Sen. Abraham Ribicoff (at the Democratic National Convention), “Sit down, you filthy Jew”. The latter was witnessed by Yitzchak Rabin, who was Israel’s Ambassador to the USA, at the time.
There has to come a time from our coward politicians to stop pandering to the Muslims. Not all Muslims are terrorists, but most terrorists are Muslim.
They should know that they’re being watched, so they should oust the extremists. Lets not forget their celebrations within the USA and abroad as the towers collapsed.
Liberal PC Fool……….
Gee, I wonder where the Muslim terrorists may strike next? Maybe Chicago? Nobody is watching you!
Thanks for giving all the terrorists a heads-up, Rahm!
Chicago, good luck.