Ring of steel as Bush sworn in

[emad]

Julian Borger in Washington
Friday January 14, 2005
The Guardian

A few square miles of central Washington will be transformed into an armed camp next week as the biggest security operation in the city's history is mounted for President Bush's inauguration.
When Mr Bush and his vice-president, Dick Cheney, are sworn in for the second time on the steps of the Capitol building at midday on Thursday, the US government will be at its most vulnerable. Just about every member of the executive, Congress and the supreme court will be in the same place.

To protect them, 6,000 police officers, 2,500 soldiers and hundreds of secret service officers will flood the area around Capitol Hill and Pennsylvania Avenue, the route of the inaugural parade, scanning the expected 750,000-strong crowd of supporters and protesters.

Air traffic into the city will be restricted, replaced by fighter jets and Black Hawk helicopters.

The outgoing homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge, overseeing the last grand event of his career, promised it would be the most secure ceremony in history.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1390087,00.html

[greyfox]

1. He'll need every inch of it, too

because this world - and MANY here in the citizenry - HATE his lying, deceiving, arrogant, drunken huts....

[Bozita]

2. excellent article

good post!

[emad]

4. Gritty Brit paper that has always loathed Dumbo...

[Bozita]

6. Whatever happened to the USA edition?

A couple of years ago, they were getting the operation set up.

Never heard anything more.

[seabeyond]

3. isnt it fun to be so popular with a mandate????? n/t

[ladjf]

5. The story says it all. If Bush weren't so universally reviled

all over the world, the security measures wouldn't be necessary.

[bikebloke]

7. More fences and jersey walls everyday

I cycle into work, seeing more and more blocked off with fences and walls. The city center has turned into a Berlin Wall.

Hey folks, just keep chanting "freedom" and "liberty" and everything will be fine and dandy.<sarcasm>

[flordehinojos]

8. Why all the darn ring of steel security? THE WORLD IS SUPPOSED TO BE SAFER

WITHOUT SADDAM HUSSEIN. ISN'T BUSH PART OF THE WORLD? AREN'T HE AND HIS IDIOTIC CABINET SUPPOSED TO BE SAFER WITHOUT SADDAM HUSSEIN?
are bushco and his shills lying again? do they for a fact know that we have fallen into graver danger since he invaded/occupied iraq?
HOW IRONIC!

Edited to add, I just tried the link to the article twice and keep getting a, "this page cannot be displayed" sign.

[riverwalker]

9. Carter walked a mile and a half

in his inaugural parade, and didn't need inaugural security that rivals a small country's entire defense force.