Over the years I have read a fair few articles discussing Presidential security in the USA; the Secret Service men, the motorcade, the Beast and all that but I am not sure I understood the extent of the measures involved. At least, until now, according to the Washington Post…and I have no reason to disbelieve them.
When President Obama goes to sub-Saharan Africa this month, the federal agencies charged with keeping him safe won’t be taking any chances.
Hundreds of U.S. Secret Service agents will be dispatched to secure facilities in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. A Navy aircraft carrier or amphibious ship, with a fully staffed medical trauma center, will be stationed offshore in case of an emergency.
Military cargo planes will airlift in 56 support vehicles, including 14 limousines and three trucks loaded with sheets of bulletproof glass to cover the windows of the hotels where the first family will stay. Fighter jets will fly in shifts, giving 24-hour coverage over the president’s airspace, so they can intervene quickly if an errant plane gets too close.
The elaborate security provisions — which will cost the government tens of millions of dollars — are outlined in a confidential internal planning document obtained by The Washington Post. While the preparations appear to be in line with similar travels in the past, the document offers an unusual glimpse into the colossal efforts to protect the U.S. commander in chief on trips abroad.
Washington Post
Depending upon your own particular attitude to personal safety and your perception of risk…this whole palaver would either make you feel very secure or very, very fearful.
A little bit of cost/benefit analysis might be in order, as well. The USA is running the largest deficit in its history and can ill afford the expenditure, whereas there is absolutely no shortage of wannabe mediocre Presidents.