Posted on 11/20/2004 4:13:02 PM PST by wjersey
Edited on 11/20/2004 7:38:20 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
I am sure this incident will be examined behind closed doors to make sure they have contingencies and no such thing will ever happen again, while let it be just a small story, which fades away, publicly.
Is the video available on the web? Do you have a link?
I would appreciate it, if you would post it.
The president is heading to that bastion of peace and tranquility known as Columbia next. Much prayer for his safety and that of those with him.
"Much prayer for his safety and that of those with him."
I agree. He needs our prayers, and we don't know how our prayers may be keeping him safe.
About 3-4 months before 9/11 Russia & China signed a military alliance. Just before and during 9/11 Russia was conducting bomber exercises in the Atlantic Ocean, near the US and also in the Artic. These bombers had added fuel capacity. After the 9/11 attack, President Bush called Putin and told him to cancel the exercise. He did. However, what if the 9/11 attacks were successful in decapitating our government? Do you think Putin would have stilled cancel the nuclear bomber exercise or gone for the kill?
There has not been any mention in the media or anywhere else but you of an attempt on the President's life. Are you an alarmist?
You come by way of?
OK, update: I forgot Chile voted against takin' care of bidness in Iraq. The relationship has been strained in the last few years.
One thing to remember is that the First couple were inside that foyer with Chilean President Lagos and his wife. The Chilean guys were protecting THEIR Prez from assasination too. It was a miscommunication. W saw the altercation, went over to the group and said "they're with me" ... end of altercation. This storyline unfolds every night in the doorways of trendy nightclubs. ;^)
But even if Chile officially is a friend -- in S. America there are many corrupt officials, drugs, terrorists...
The mantle has been passed to him.
Nope. A pretty nice country, with some of the nicest people in the world. (But they ARE fasttalkers.)
The Chileno press says that the U.S. Secret Service were in the wrong. The security arrangements have been set for a long time, and every world leader knew that security was supposed to enter through another door. Whatever. Here's the article if anyone is interested:
El propio Presidente de EE.UU, George W. Bush, debió intervenir en un incidente entre sus escoltas e integrantes del dispositivo de seguridad chileno, durante su ingreso a la cena de gala en la Estación Mapocho, ayer en la tarde.
La situación se produjo ante la mirada del Presidente Ricardo Lagos y de las primeras damas Luisa Durán y Laura Bush.
El hecho ocurrió instantes después del ingreso de Bush y de su esposa al recinto. Tras saludar al Presidente Lagos y su señora, las dos parejas cruzaron el umbral. A sus espaldas, los agentes de seguridad chilenos -carabineros- bloquearon el acceso, siguiendo el protocolo: sólo los jefes de Estado accedían por el ingreso principal.
Ello generó un inmediato intercambio de palabras con los norteamericanos -miembros del servicio secreto-, que pugnaban por entrar. El incidente fue subiendo rápidamente de tono, mientras Bush y Lagos conversaban, sin darse cuenta de lo que ocurría a sus espaldas.
Cuando Lagos invitaba a Bush a seguir, éste se percató de lo que ocurría. De inmediato volvió hasta la puerta para intervenir, mientras el Presidente Lagos caminaba junto a Laura Bush. Luisa Durán observaba lo que sucedía.
Bush se acercó al grupo y estiró su brazo derecho entre los chilenos. A punta de tirones hizo ingresar a uno de sus acompañantes, que no cesaba de intercambiar palabras con los policías.
Luego, el Presidente de EE.UU. se encaminó hacia Lagos, quien le hizo un gesto con la cabeza. Siguieron adelante con el evento.
Afuera, en tanto, el tumulto seguía. Los escoltas se daban tirones y empujones. El momento más álgido se vivió cuando dos de ellos se trenzaron en un forcejeo, en que uno tomó al otro por el cuello. La calma sólo regresó instantes después.
La evaluación
Tras el incidente, al interior de Carabineros se entregó total apoyo al equipo de seguridad chileno. Ello, pues estaba previamente acordado -en un estricto protocolo- que el punto de acceso sería usado sólo por mandatarios. Los efectivos de seguridad tenían asignada otra vía de ingreso.
La situación -se indicó- estaba en cierto modo prevista: no era descartable que los agentes de Bush intentarán entrar. Por eso, se vio actuar a carabineros de uniforme, que estaban asignados a tareas de reacción inmediata para contener a los estadounidenses. De hecho, en las imágenes de TV se aprecia el rol cumplido por el coronel Samuel Cabezas, quien hacía labores de enlace con el personal de EE.UU.
Fuentes de la plana mayor creada por Carabineros para la cumbre Apec adelantaron que no se haría una investigación por los hechos.
El general director de Carabineros, Alberto Cienfuegos comentó: "No lo llamaría un incidente" y que la situación era propia de cuando hay que resguardar a un líder. "No damos privilegios a ningún Presidente respecto de otros", dijo.
El ministro secretario general de Gobierno, Francisco Vidal, comentó: "Cuando nos comprometemos a hacer algo lo cumplimos".
Tras el hecho, la comitiva de seguridad de Bush permaneció a casi 100 metros, por el costado sur de la Estación Mapocho.
En el gobierno el manejo de Carabineros se evaluó positivamente. La razón: al menos desde hace seis meses se habían acordado las condiciones de seguridad del evento. Ese plan, se indicó, no fue respetado por los norteamericanos, que trataron de entrar sin permiso.
Well since I have been here since the beginning of this thread I can't be a late arriving alarmist but we don't know if this was just macho, territorial stuff, a test or a foiled attempt. All are possibilities. If it was a set up GB could have saved himself by stepping away though.
Could you translate please?
The incident is concerning, but there were apparently some USSS on the inside of the room, and Bush wasn't completely separated from protection.
would kerry have called for a UN meeting to discuss letting the secret service guy in?
Oh, absolutely. There definitely is a security concern. Our guys have to be vigilant, and able to protect the President.
I'm just saying, let's not start calling for bombing sorties over Santiago. They're a pretty good country (in a hemisphere of pretty screwed-up nations). In fact, I hope we take a step or two (or twenty) in the direction of Chile's Social Security privatization, which has been a HUGE success.
By next month, perhaps...
nevermind... I misread that article I linked to. But I'd bet there were some agents inside the room - and that they'd been there since before the president arrived.
I don't know that for a fact, but I'd lay some reasonable $$ on that.
Pray tell what part of what I said is silly?
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