Sun, 16 Nov 2003
Friendly requests
The Guardian is running a report today on discussions between
the Home Office and the White House on security requirements
for George W. Bush's visit to the UK this week.
According to the
report
the following requests were made by the White House:
- The entire London underground railway system to be shut
down for the duration of the visit (apparently in response to
fears that suicide bombers might hijack a tube train and blow
it up under the President's feet)
- That US military aircraft, including helicopters and
ground attack aircraft, be allowed to patrol London's
airspace
- That 250 Secret Service agents, including snipers, who
will be travelling with the President be granted diplomatic
immunity from prosecution in the event they shoot and kill
civilians (whether deliberately or by accident)
- That the Presidential security detachment should include
units armed with miniguns
(read: high cyclic rate machine guns)
- Closure of a large chunk of central London (to the point
where Cabinet staff are being advised to "work from home" for
the duration of the visit, if possible)
It appears that the final demand is actually going to be
granted, at least in part. As for the others ... well, I am
pleased that helicopter gunships and heavy machine guns manned
by evidently-paranoid security personnel with diplomatic
immunity won't be featuring on the streets of London, but
words fail me when I try to describe how I feel that the
request was even made in the first place.
Heads of state are subject to random attack from time
to time, and Bush does have legitimate security
concerns. But if the White House is so worried about his
safety from the members of the public of his closest ally,
why doesn't he stay at home? And what does this say
about the state of the trans-Atlantic relationship?
Hint: on Wednesday I'll be on the Edinburgh anti-war demonstration.
I can do no less.
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posted at: 12:24 | path: /politics | permanent link to this entry
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