Posted on 11/22/2004 9:40:22 PM PST by kattracks
White House officials were still shaking their heads in disbelief yesterday that President Bush personally had to rescue a U.S. Secret Service agent from angry Chilean security officials Saturday night.
"This is a pretty big deal," said a senior White House official, who called the incident a "melee."
"I mean, the guy who was supposed to be guarded had to rescue the guy who was supposed to be guarding him."
The official expressed astonishment that Chilean security officials had stopped the No. 2 agent on Mr. Bush's security detail from accompanying the president into a meeting with another world leader, an unprecedented public breach of security arrangements agreed upon in advance.[snip]
In contrast to Chile, which rejected Secret Service protocols, Colombia ceded control of 15,000 of its troops to the United States when Mr. Bush visited there yesterday. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe also agreed to allow heavily armed U.S. Navy forces to patrol the waters around Cartegena in rubber boats.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
111..Good post!
The Secret Service always works out security arrangements in advance with the host country for presidential visits. Always. It is not something new, unusual or unexpected. Every other country on the face of the earth knows that, under American law, the Secret Service guards the presidential party and accompanies them everywhere.
This article (and others) makes the following points quite clear:
1. The Chileans did know in advance that Secret Service agents would accompany the President and First Lady into the building where the dinner was to occur.
2. A Chilean force was waiting at the doors to the hall. As soon as the President and First Lady stepped inside, the Chilean force deliberately moved across the doorway, thereby separating both the President and First Lady from their security. The Chilean force deliberately, and obviously with advance plans to do so, blocked the Secret Service detail from entering. They quite easily and successfully separated the President and First Lady from their security details. (NOTE: Each principal being protect has his/her own detail.)
3. There are no other "full details" necessary to recognize that this was a massive security breech initiated by the Chileans. It is highly unlikely that the Chilean force stationed in front of those doors blocked the American agents on their own, without advance approval from Chilean higher ups. The question is why did they do this? Wounded pride cannot possibly be the reason, because presidential security protocols are the same no matter what nation hosts the visit. It isn't as though Chile were singled out for some kind of extra security measures.
Now, ask yourself these questions:
What if the actions of the Chilean agents signaled the start of a coup? Or a hostage-taking? Or an assassination attempt against any of the world leaders present in that building?
Or, what if their actions were a deliberate attempt to test the presidential detail and determine weaknesses in their coverage? Seems to me, if this was the real purpose, the Chileans succeeded quite brilliantly.
In any case, if 9/11/01 and subsequent events have taught us nothing else, we should at least understand by now that the world can be a very dark and dangerous place. I, like most FReeprs, applaud GWB's willingness to personally come to the aid of his agent. BUT THIS WAS STILL A DANGEROUS SECURITY BREACH -- and plenty of evil eyes have seen one flaw in presidential security coverage. I hope with all my heart that the top guys at the Secret Service will move quickly to correct that flaw.
If I understand your argument correctly, I agree with you to this extent: There unquestionably was a flaw in the security arrangements. Whatever the reason for it, the fact is the Chileans showed just how easy it is to separate the President of the United States from his Secret Service guards. Whatever the reason for it, that flaw in how they guard him must be fixed.
Thanks!
A plausible scenario. Another one: The Chileans never agreed to the SS's demands, reports to the contrary notwithstanding. Presumably, they had argued back and forth all day. The SS figured they would not be challenged and could shoulder their way in anyway. The Chileans, for whatever reasons(take your pick) were not going to allow the U.S. to push 'em around. Gamesmanship on both sides? What would have happened if cooler heads had not prevailed?
In any case, if 9/11/01 and subsequent events have taught us nothing else, we should at least understand by now that the world can be a very dark and dangerous place. I, like most FReeprs, applaud GWB's willingness to personally come to the aid of his agent. BUT THIS WAS STILL A DANGEROUS SECURITY BREACH -- and plenty of evil eyes have seen one flaw in presidential security coverage. I hope with all my heart that the top guys at the Secret Service will move quickly to correct that flaw.
Agree wholeheartedly. The sight of "W" reaching into the crowd and extracting his #2 SS guy from the melee is something that will stick with me forever. I worry for "W". He has inherited an America, abetted by the able assistance of the worldwide media, that is hated by virtually all the rest of the world. Even amongst our neighbors we don't have true friends; the socialist loving Canucks are continually biting at our heels, and Mexico....
But all of that is for another discussion, eh?
FGS
FGS
I agree with MEG33. You are quite anxious to "blame America".
It has been consistent in your posts.
First the Secret Service thing and then the metal detector thing.
Something is rotten in Chile.
Really??..I could not tell by your statements...Now it is the SS that is wrong and just tried to blow right by after they were not able to reach an agreement.
Then you would also be wrong. But that won't stop you from swallowing whole the "explanations" from the Whitehouse and the SS. There is too much at stake for them to be completely, er, forthright in their disclosures. I don't blame them for that. It's a good thing in their profession. We don't need to know what really happened. All we can hope for is this may have been a learning experience that will help them keep our president(my ex-governor) safe.
FGS
You gotta understand something here MEG, we don't know why it happened. Deal with it. Another thing, your crystal ball or whatever it is you use to insert culpability into my statements is not functioning properly. Almost not worth responding to. But it's getting me out of some chores, so all is not lost.
FGS
I agree..we are done.
If this were a movie (ala Independence Day where a president personally flies a fighter jet) there would be cheering.
Bush obvioiusly walks the walk.
The girly men of the Media can't deal with it or even comprehend it.
If you had been observant before starting your insulting tirade you would have noticed the quotes around the comments and my sarcasm which followed.
You would have also seen kattracks' response in which it was clear that he/she got what was I saying, which you failed to do. The person that needs to lay off is you.
Yes, and then post a duplicate of that post. LOL. :-)
Not to mention that I have been carefully watching this particular agent for a full year. He was with the President in Baghdad and since then I pay close attention to him both in videos and in pictures.
In fact I have even posted those thoughts about this agent maybe a month ago. He loves and respects our President. It is very obvious everytime I have seen him. He would not leave anything to chance.
You wish to trust Chile. I will put my faith in OUR guys whose only responsibility is to protect the President.
This is NOT a detail that would ever have been left out.
Think about it (but you probably won't ), this was the entrance into a very big event. The entire thing was very choreographed, as you can see from all the videos.
It was not left out of the arrangements.
You wish to trust Chile. I will put my faith in OUR guys whose only responsibility is to protect the President.
BTW, he is my ex-governor also. What does that have to do with anything?
Our POTUS Secret Service bodyguards were deliberately seperated from him in an obviously pre-planned and equally obviously juvenile maneuver by Chilean government officials.
Fortunately for Chile, I am not the individual in charge of diplomatic retalliations, er..relations.
Dr. Rice will handle the eventual final outcome of the "investigation of the incident".
I trust her judgement in these matters.
You, OTOH, I consider a wanker. :^)
FGS
Is this a news flash or what? I haven't seen anyone dispute this point; certainly not me. Whether it was "obviously juvenile" or something more sinister is something history may flesh out.
You, OTOH, I consider a wanker. :^)
Hmmm, Webster didn't have a definition for wanker. Maybe it's just as well ;^)
FGS
You are a very unpleasant person.
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