Posted on 11/21/2004 7:42:15 AM PST by The Wizard
Just announced: The USSS demanded that Metal detectors be used for ALL entering dinner tonight, and the Chile President *Didn't want to subject his guests to that* so they scaled back the meeting to those already "swept"
I'm sure others wiil add details
The one we're in now.
I know the WH comment line is (202)456-1111.
It's not hard to enter Chili from other countries like Argentina, Paraguay, etc. I have read some articles about terrorists being at liberty throughout Paraguay, with freedom of movement.
I say that President Bush should dictate his security, or say his good-by's by phone, from Air Force One.
A bunch of bad people roam around in SA.
That is what I was thinking. Remember Jack Ryan in Clear and Present Danger when the American contingent went to Columbia and amid the incountry security they were all shot up. Bush needs to come back to the U.S.A. and now.
"yeah, hi, I'd like to make a comment. GET MY PRESIDENT THE HELL HOME!!!!"
Sorry - I didn't mean that you didn't make sense. I meant that the events that occurred didn't make sense.
Having trouble with English today for some reason.
Praying for protecting angels to stand guard over W and Laura.
Dear Lord, please keep watch over your faithful servant George W. Bush.
God speed W.
mornin' neighbor! [sip]
I'm recovering from a long drive yesterday! I was in your general area for a bit. :-)
I agree with your assessment. Methinks it's about time to send the Marines in to be W's bodyguard along with SS. I'm not certain the Chilean president cares about whether he insults the US or not. I think he needs to be shown how we protect our own!
I'm with ya!
The dinner tonight has been cancelled, granny. The Chileans were balking at security measures for the dinner.
(See post 26 link http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/11/21/104630.shtml .)
"The dinner planned for Bush and 200 others by Chilean President Ricardo Lagos was reportedly scrapped after Chile was unwilling to accept security measures sought by the U.S. Secret Service, including a demand that all guests pass through metal detectors."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now I'm really creeped out.
Maybe I am joining the tin foil crowd, who knows.
200 Guests is not an outrageous number of people to walk through a metal detector....damn, how many people walk through one on a daily basis in an airport?
The agent involved in the entry scuffle--is it a coincidence he was the lead agent?
On the plus side...When protecting the life and safety of the President of the United States, the Secret Service Agents are the best and are on top of things.
He was head of security, and one would think they had security details all worked out well in advance of this visit.
I'm not big on conspiracy theories but................Do you think the separation of a member of the President's security detail could have been done on purpose?
I really hate to think this way. Nonetheless....{/Tingling of Spidey-sense}
By Alan Clendenning in Santiago
November 22, 2004
AN elaborate state dinner tonight for US President George W. Bush was scrapped after US and Chilean officials failed to agree on security measures at the presidential palace, Chilean media reported.
The decision came last night only hours after Mr Bush intervened in a confrontation and pulled his lead secret service agent away from Chilean security officials who barred his bodyguards from entering a dinner for 21 Pacific Rim leaders.
Mr Bush and Chilean leader Ricardo Lagos instead were to hold an informal working dinner tonight following the close of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, leading Chilean newspaper El Mercurio reported today.
White House deputy press secretary Claire Buchan confirmed the dinner had been downgraded to a working dinner, but did not provide additional details. The White House had been calling the originally planned event a "social dinner".
"There are always issues that are worked out with the host government," White House press secretary Scott McClellan added. He declined to discuss the matter further, referring reporters to the Chilean government.
The newspaper, citing high-level Chilean sources, said Chile was unwilling to accept security measures sought by the US secret service for today's official dinner in Santiago's ornate presidential palace.
The measures included a demand that all guests for the official dinner pass through metal detectors at the La Moneda palace, but the demand was rejected by Lagos, the newspaper and radio reports said.
Chilean media said the state dinner had been planned for 200 guests. About 20 will attend the working dinner, to be held in Lagos' private dining room in the same building.
Last night, several Chilean and American agents got into a shoving match outside the cultural centre where the dinner was held.
Mr Bush and his wife, Laura, had just posed for pictures on a red carpet with Mr Lagos and his wife, Luisa Duran.
As Bush stepped inside, Chilean agents closed ranks at the door, blocking the president's agents from following. Stopping for more pictures, Mr Bush noticed the commotion and turned back. He reached through the dispute and pulled his agent from the scrum and into the building.
The president, looking irritated, straightened his shirt cuffs as he went into the dinner.
He won't come back early, I bet.However, they cancelled the dinner for 200
and made it a working dinner for 20 instead.
I just hadn't heard that he was endorsed by Castro, that's all.
First the SS agents being strong-armed out, now this. This smells to high heaven.
That's what I'm not grasping. Could totally be me being stupid.
If everything was all worked out, how and why was the agent stopped? After he was stopped, how does Bush reach into a crowd of scuffling people (even if they had all been vetted and didn't have weapons, he could still have gotten hurt)?
Where were the other agents, and why did they let him do that?
I'm not trying to be obtuse, but it just seems all wrong.
I believe the Chilean operatives inferred that they had obtained secure environs beyond the point where they refused admission of the head of the U.S. security people. At this point President Bush had to return and demand admisssion into the room of dignitaries and guests. It is too uncontrolled to allow the president in a room where everyone, and I mean everyone, is not thoroughly inspected and the president has his personal protection. If the host country has objections, fire up the engines on the big blue jet airplane and have it escorted safely back to U.S. airspace.
This shows that those of us who considered the security fiasco of the Chilean security services barring USSS to enter with the president a very disturbing incident were right, to be concerned.
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