Posted on 11/22/2008 3:16:02 PM PST by bruinbirdman
It's what every tyrant needs and now, apparently, so does the President of Russia: a team of food tasters to check against the risk of poison in the kitchen.
Dmitri Medvedev brought two with him for last week's European Union-Russia summit, sending them down into the kitchens of the grand Palais Sarde in the southern town of Nice - where they were officially described as "doctors".
Startled French security officials revealed that everything the Russian president eats, drinks or tastes must be sampled first by his personal testers - even if it is the finest French cuisine.
"A paranoid Medvedev takes over the capital of the Cote d'Azur," mocked the Nice Matin newspaper, asking whether the president was worried that someone would dress his salad with Polonium.
The Russian state is widely blamed for plotting the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the former KGB officer who was poisoned with Polonium-210 in London, two years ago this weekend.
A Kremlin source confirmed that the president always travels with at least one taster, who checks ingredients but not prepared food.
The president's security advisers – there were 23 in total – also refused an offer from the French EU presidency of chauffeur-driven cars, instead using three cargo aircraft to ship in 17 of their own armour-plated limousines, Russian-made Zils. Russian vehicles also go everywhere with the president, the Kremlin source said.
The Russian secret services attempted to screen everyone along the route of the president's motorcade in Nice and the town's deputy mayor was told to provide his CV before President Medvedev would agree to visit the town hall.
That excursion was delayed after a mysterious black box riveted to an outer wall was discovered. The visit was only allowed to go ahead after agents satisfied themselves that it was in
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The Tsar’s butt-boy is showing some extreme paranoia. It’s not as if Medvedev is visiting Britain... the French cuisine sould be survivable. Except Medvedev has p*ssed of his master and fears some radiation.
sort of like having Hillary as your Vice President.
About the only situation that could be worse would be putin as successor.
Hitlery WILL be VP before long, just watch.
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