Posted on 11/28/2009 1:02:58 PM PST by Schnucki
WASHINGTON: This time, the picture is the story. After the Secret Service insisted that US president Barack Obama was never endangered by a security breach that allowed a couple to crash his first state dinner, the White House has released a photo showing that not only did the pair get close to Obama, they actually shook hands and talked to him.
The revelation underscored the seriousness of the security breach and prompted an abject apology from the Secret Service.
A White House spokesman said that the couple, Michaele and Tareq Salahi of Virginia, met and shook hands with the president and the first lady in the receiving line in the Blue Room, as the Obamas greeted each of their 400 invited guests on Tuesday night before moving to a tent on the South Lawn for dinner. That disclosure coincided with a statement from the director of the Secret Service, Mark Sullivan, saying that his agency was “deeply concerned and embarrassed” by the events. Secret Service officials said the agency wanted to interview everyone connected with the episode, including the Salahis, and had not ruled out criminal charges.
Secret Service on Friday acknowledged that its officers never checked whether the two were on the guest list before letting them onto the White House grounds. The Salahis were not on the guest list and should have been barred from entering last Tuesday’s dinner on the White House South Lawn for the Prime Minister of India, said Sullivan.
“Although these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of screening, they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely,” Sullivan said. “That failing is ours.”
Looks like all points are mute - Obama’s known the woman since at least 2005. Another post has a picture of the two of them together.
Yeah I just saw that on Fox. They also had two lawyers arguing over possible charges.
Theres more to this story.
I don’t know, but this just seems unbelievalbe to me. After all, it’s the job of the SS to protect the pres so why on earth would they allow just anyone in? And then why would the WH post photos of the meeting on their website? When did the WH crew know these guys were gate-crashers, how did they find out, and why didn’t they just keep it under wraps instead of broadcasting how easy it is to violate security? It sounds to me like a set-up for the SS. But maybe that’s just me being very, very skeptical about everything this administration does.
I kinda figured it was an Obama team cockup... looked up the SS Director after it happened, given his background he didn’t seem the type to make such a stupid mistake.
They should have the SS where they were at Treasury and not pu them under HS.
Actually she may have been doing her job. I read last night that the Salahi's have know Obama for five years. Maybe this whole scandle was designed to take the heat off the GW scam. Interesting that we only find out about the Slahi's connection to Obama on Saturday night.
I can’t believe the Indian security folks were too pleased by this...
I doubt he is.
Well - read about that connection this morning.
So, you could be right, Diversion.
Could well be.
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