PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY

[Stanley]

PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY

22 January 2005

I noticed yesterday that at least one UK reporter noted with incredulity that ‘manhole covers had been welded shut’ in Washington as part of the security preparations for the Inauguration. I’m afraid he was displaying his ignorance as to what is seen as normal security measures whenever the President appears in public.
I was in Northfield in Minnesota in 2000 during Bill Clinton’s last year as President. He came to Carleton College as the guest at Commencement, the US equivalent of our degree day. For five weeks beforehand the town and the surrounding area was treated to close aerial surveillance by helicopter and a large C35 transport plane no doubt loaded with electronic equipment and cameras. Large four wheel drive vehicles with smoked glass windows circled the roads on the campus and men in suits, despite the hot weather, were seen all over the college. A few days before the event the heavy gang moved in and welded shut all the doors in the access tunnels under the college which carried the pipes and cables for services. All manholes were welded shut. The number of men in suits increased.
The Presidential flight for the visit consisted of ‘US One’ the presidential 747, another 747 for press/security and a C-17 Globemaster III, the largest transport plane the air force operates containing armoured limousines and the presidential helicopter. When US One landed at Twin Cities the President transferred to his helicopter and was flown to a small airfield near Dundas close to the college. This private airport had struggled on for years with two telephone lines despite repeated requests to Ma Bell for more capacity. In the weeks before the President arrived, 20 extra lines were installed.
The President was met at the airport by an armoured limousine and driven to the College. Every road junction and intersection was guarded by State Police and National Guard. At the College, a security cordon had been set up and there was only one entry. Every person was questioned, searched and put through a metal detector. The whole place was crawling with the men in the suits and dark glasses. I found out afterwards that the reason for the suits was to conceal the armoury of automatic weapons they were carrying.
I was leaving Northfield the day he was due to speak and I had to take my bags to a friends house the night before because the house where I stayed was inside the security cordon. My point is that these precautions were only the ones I observed, I am certain that there would be more. As my plane took off from Twin Cities the pilot pointed out the presidential planes parked on a remote corner of the airfield. If this level of security was seen as necessary five years ago for a visit to an obscure mid-west college just think of what would be done in Washington last week.

22 January 2005

[PanBiker]

I will tell you of my close encounter with the 43rd POTUS, one George W Bush.

It was back in 2004, I had ridden down to Leamington Spa on my 1100 Pan European motorbike, stopped overnight at the house share our Dan had with his uni mate Jim. I scooped him up and by 6am the next day we were making for the pirate ferry at Folkestone to get us across the channel for the internet and email pre booked bargain sum of £29.00, £120.00 cheaper for a bike and two passengers than any of the other channel crossing carriers.

It was the 60th anniversary of D Day and it was the 4th of June. I had to book 3 different Eurocamp sites for the 4 days and 3 nights we had planned for the trip. All other types of accommodation was booked up, free gratis to veterans of the campaign. Once on the fast ferry we were in Boulogne 40 minutes after setting off, out of the port and turn right for Normandy eventually arriving in Ouisterham.

We started at Pegasus bridge and the Merville Battery and made our way down in turn to the British and Canadian beaches, codenamed Gold, Juno and Sword. Our first campsite was about 20 miles inland from Bayeaux. Second day we looked at the multinational cemeteries around Bayeaux and the various monuments and museums along the way. Second campsite was 60 miles inland. We decided to visit the American beaches on the 6th. It was a nice run up to the coast and we arrived in Aromanches late morning. It was exceptionally busy and we visited the remains of the Mulberry B Harbour on the beach. This was the British one that landed thousands of tons of supplies, men, equipment and vehicles on the days after the beaches were secured. We found a small cafe in the town and had lunch with some of the veterans of the campaign.

After lunch we were making our way out of Arromanches, to travel on to the American sector beaches Omaha and Utah. I was climbing up a fairly steep hill out of the town to get to the main road. Second gear, well spaced in a line of traffic, 20 mph or so, two up, two panniers and a top box loaded. As I reached the crown of the hill I met an Apachie attack helicopter hovering directly above the road at about 50 feet, I was staring down the multiple barrels of two mini guns and various cannons and trying not to drop the bike in the down draft.. Pilot saw my predicament and did a vertical climb to about 100ft and then slid it sideways away from the road below to allow me to pass I accelerated past to rejoin the cars in front. Checking my wing mirrors I saw him slide back and drop down to his original station. 100 yard ahead coming the other way we saw a line of large limo's one, two three, all with men in black, the third one was open topped and had two guys with automatic weapons one sat on each rear door . The next one had tinted windows and stars and stripes pennants on each front wing, this was G.W, Bush, on his visit to the celebrations. The three cars behind were a mirror of the ones in front, open top with the machine gun guys, then two closed full of suits. We couldn't help also noticing the suited guys mingling with the spectators at each side of the road.

Later that day we visited the cemetery at Coleville sur Mere which holds the fallen from Omaha and Utah beaches. Like our Commonwealth cemeteries it is immaculately kept, perfectly manicured grass between the thousands of white crosses. I think President Bush had visited before us as we noticed various restricted area signs being taken down in the vicinity while we were there.

Our last day half day was spent at Point du Hoc above Utah beach and the vacated gun emplacements that the US Rangers found after scaling the cliffs. After a bit of lunch we made our way back up the coast to Boulogne to catch our £29.00 channel crossing on the pirate ferry back to the UK.