May 5, 2006 11:01 pm US/Central
Mayor Daley Headed To China
(CBS)
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Mayor Richard M. Daley is due to return from his Middle East trip on Monday, but he won't be back for long.
As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, the mayor is headed to China to find out about possibilities for hosting the Summer Olympics.
Daley said Friday night he feels Chicago stands a very good chance of being chosen to host the summer games in 2016. He says he also wants to see what China is doing to prepare for the 2008 games.
The trip has received the final go-ahead, and the International Olympic committee has agreed to come to Chicago next week to talk about the city's bid.
"We'll be meeting with the Olympic committee in Chicago (in) regards to the 2016 Olympics, especially just getting the lay of the land," Daley said in Israel Friday.
Also on the mayor's agenda in China, he said Friday night, is a plan to lure Chinese teachers to Chicago Public Schools, and win business for the Midwest by hosting a China Expo in Chicago.
As for the focus of his current Middle East trip – security – Friday seemed to have the most impact. It concerned the psychological component of disaster planning.
"That's one aspect no one looks at," Daley said. "You know, we want to do bricks and mortar; want to get everything back, but the psychological damage to victims' families and those that are injured and killed and the surrounding community is a role that we have to look at differently."
Daley has invited Dr. Nati Laor, the emergency response chief of Israel, to Chicago to talk about it.
An especially emotional moment for the mayor came Friday as he toured the Jewish holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem.
"Going through that, the memorial itself, and then coming out and seeing children's memorial was very emotional; just an emotional thing," he said.
Children also seemed to be a recurring theme this week.
"Anytime you looked at a child in the desert or in the city, you just see the sparkle in their eyes, so young, so pure, without all the problems that the adults have created," the mayor said.
But there were also light moments. It was clear that the mayor and his wife genuinely enjoying themselves. They were seeing things they had wanted to see for a long time and experiencing local customs, but drawing a line.
When Levine asked Daley if the trip would end without seeing the mayor on a camel, Daley replied, "I think so," with a laugh.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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