Posted on 05/11/2005 2:12:10 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
May 11, 2005 -- The Secret Service is investigating a report that a grenade was tossed near President Bush while he was speaking to a crowd in the former Soviet republic of Georgia — a potentially lethal security breach — but the device didn't explode and no one was hurt.
Georgian officials said a possible hand grenade was thrown within 100 feet of a stage where Bush was giving a speech yesterday in Freedom Square in Tblisi, the capital.
The device hit someone and fell to the ground.
A Georgian security officer removed the device without incident, the Secret Service said, adding that it was unaware of any disturbance until it was informed about the incident by local police.
The report didn't come in until after Bush left Georgia and there was no rush to remove him from the scene, where he got a hero's welcome from the crowd.
He and the first lady arrived back at the White House last night.
Adding to the confusion in Georgia, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Guram Donadze, denied there was any grenade to mar Bush's triumphant visit and told The Associated Press: "This is an absolute lie. This did not occur."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Thank the Lord that the "device" did not explode.
I thought I heard ABC radio news say the device was inert...not sure though. The new day may bring new details or just more confusion.
Hopefully.
Baghdad Bob Lives!
( I don't know whether the grenade story is T or F, but the wording is definitely BB's.)
It might be interesting to think a second about what would happen if Bush were killed.
Clearly Cheney would be President. Not sure who he would make VP, but politically there would be little difference, other than a welcome, if only minimal, further movement to to the right. In light of such an assassination, the nation would clearly rally around the flag and we could probably make some changes to truly strengthen America.
Historically, Bush's legacy would slowly become legend vis a vis Kennedy, but without the cheating on his wife. His choices would be hailed as milestones to be celebrated and the time of his Presidency and a time when America clearly established a "permanence (only God is truly permanent) to its power and benificence. Cheney would just be the caretaker. If he was President, however, the idea of running for Pres in 2008 might not seem so difficult then.
Now, this might happen anyway, but as a young man, W. might have a lot of time post-Presidency to screw things up. I really do wonder what he will do after the fact.
I don't want it to happen, but speculating on the historical consequences of such an event is still amusing.
The presidential limo is armored better then a stryker,but it is good it didnot go off.
I do not find it "amusing." Regarding his post-presidency, the President will retire to his ranch, visit with friends, do some bass fishing, and watch baseball. He might get involved with some charity work. I do not see him nibbing in to his successor's business, making public comments a la Carter, or getting any kind of public recognition except perhaps awards from the grateful people of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Sounds like you think he is lazy.
You don't think a relatively young man with the type of prestige and experience of a former President should do more with his late 50s and 60s than bass-fishing and talking with friends?
Just because he does not have an office does mean that he does not have a purpose in life anymore.
What a warped view.
By the way, maybe it was not obvious that I don't mean amusing as in funny ha ha, but rather an intellectually stimulating exercise.
When he leaves office he will be in his early 60's. I would imagine that he will take the same path as his father, who wouldn't be in the news very much except for his son's presidency and the tsunami effort. Former President Bush does a lot of charitable work and speaking engagements, but one rarely hears about them.
I'm still reeling at your post, and cannot find an appropriate response.
I can tell you what else W won't be doing when he leaves office.
He won't be making highly publicized speeches telling his audience that he doesn't need a tax cut!
The thought of being in a position to retire to a ranch to enjoy one's family doesn't sound a bit lazy to me.
If the report turns out to be false, as the Georgians are claiming, I'd be inclined to suspect that somebody in the press decided that they'd much rather report a grenade attack than the 250 to 300 thousand cheering people who attended the President's speech.
>>>>I'm still reeling at your post, and cannot find an appropriate response.<<<<
Why? Its just a "What if" scenario. Historians play them all the time. The Pentagon and CIA love them.
The Secret Service is going to be investigating where the story came from, I am sure.
I'll bet that they found hair & scalp skin on the device, where it had crashed into someone's head.
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