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King Buckwheat Has Arrived!!

Mike

Well-known member
As Belgium's capital and host to the EU and Nato, Brussels is used to deploying heavy security when big names pop by. But US President Barack Obama's visit on Tuesday will strain the city like never before with €10m (£8.4m) of Belgian money being spent to cover his 24 hours in the country.

The president will arrive on Tuesday night with a 900-strong entourage, including 45 vehicles and three cargo planes. Advance security teams orchestrating every last detail have combed Brussels already, checking the sewers and the major hospitals, while American military helicopters were last week given the green light for overflights. The city hosts at least four EU summits a year, with each of these gatherings costing €500,000 in extra police, military and transport expenses. "But this time round, you can multiply that figure by 20," said Brussels mayor, Yvan Mayeur.

The city's four-stage security scale will be raised from two to three during the visit, Obama's first to the country. A tight cordon will surround The Hotel, the 27-storey former Hilton in the Toison d'Or shopping district where the president will spend the night.

Belgium itself is mobilising 350 police and military on motorbikes to secure the president's routes to EU and Nato summits on Wednesday, while a convoy of nine US helicopters will take Obama to an American first world war cemetery.

After landing at Wevelgem aerodrome, a phalanx of 30 armoured cars will take Obama to the cemetery where – accompanied by Belgium's King Philippe and Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo – he will tour the battlefield and lay a wreath.
 

jigs

Well-known member
I do not want to see an American President killed...... HOWEVER, HYPOTHESIS ....

if Obama were to be assassinated in another nation, like Belgium, who is really an ally, or not a nation you think of as a threat to US interests...
what would be the public outcry?? other than the obvious, "crap, no Bidin is in charge???"

with the amount of cash they spend to protect the US president over any other heads of state.... are we SURE he is safe? they are bringing in a LOT of other people to "help" protect him..... there are a lot of cracks in a huge massing of extra help....

just curious how long ago they began checking out all this "extra" help....

seems to be a lot of holes in a situation like that...
do we go over and run through their security, and tell them how to do it??
 

loomixguy

Well-known member
It's my understanding that the Secret Service, etc., job is to isolate and insulate. There is no way the extra outside help could be properly vetted (gee, that's kind of funny when you think about it...) in a short amount of time. Other than other heads of state, the closest people are our people.

That's not to say that all threats can be neutralized, but our guys do a damn fine job in less than ideal circumstances and situations. You will never totally eliminate threats, but they do what they can to minimize them.

Do you suppose the cost of this trip was brought up to deflect scrutiny on the big trip to China with the First SheMan, her "mother", and the 2 daughters? It was my understanding that any US press was excluded from the trip....but the reports from other news sources concerning their trip, and especially their behavior, are less than flattering.
 

Tam

Well-known member
Well if the Secret Service is sent ahead to assure the President is safe they need to fire the guys that did the security check at the Mandela Memorial Service when they did not check out the Translater that was standing right beside Obama. :wink:

What I don't understand of this trip is why in the h*ll does he need to take 900 people on a one day trip with him? :roll: Is he taken them so In the video feed he can place them in the front rolls to cheer for him so it looks to the minions back home that he is still loved and adore by the world? :roll:

ANd about Moochelles trip if it is not national business and the press is not allowed to cover it then is Barak flipping the bill for it? As I doubt a hotel room that is over $8000 a night is in the FAMILY BUDGET.
 
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