Prospect of Barack Obama show causes UK to clear its decks

Prospect of Barack Obama show causes UK to clear its decks

With an entourage of 500 staff, an armour-plated limousine and a fleet of decoy helicopters, America's new president will arrive for his first visit to Britain amid huge razzmatazz on Tuesday for the G20 summit. But it will be his closed-door meetings with world leaders that are likely to prove the most significant of the trip

Barack Obama

Barack Obama makes remarks renewable energy in Washington. Photograph: Gerald Herbert/AP


Britain will get its first chance to see Barack Obama this week when a White House cavalcade - complete with armoured limousines, helicopters, 200 US secret service staff and a six-doctor medical team - sweeps into the UK.

Obama will fly into London for his first visit to the UK as president of the United States on Tuesday to take part in the G20 summit in the capital's Docklands area. He will not be travelling light.

More than 500 officials and staff will accompany the president on his tour this week - along with a mass of high-tech security equipment, including the $300,000 presidential limousine, known as The Beast. Fitted with night-vision camera, reinforced steel plating, tear- gas cannon and oxygen tanks, the vehicle is the ultimate in heavy armoured transport.

In addition, a team from the White House kitchen will travel with the president to prepare his food. As one official put it: "When the president travels, the White House travels with him, right down to the car he drives, the water he drinks, the gasoline he uses, the food he eats. America is still the sole superpower and the president must have the ability to handle any crisis, anywhere, any time."

US security teams have already carried out three visits to prepare for Obama's first official visit to Britain. The first was a "site survey", the second a "pre-advance visit" which was carried out to pick sites that the president would visit. Finally there was the "advance trip", which took place last week. Its purpose was to set up equipment, sweep venues for electronic bugs, test food for poison and measure air quality for bacteria.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/29/obama-london-visit-uk-g20

is this typical of how US leaders travel abroad?
....must say, I've never paid attention before.
How do they get the car and helicopters over there?

For cars and helos, I assume they have C-5's or some humongous military plane to transport the big stuff.

I remember reading that W never used a restroom abroad, instead relying on his own porta-potties. Figured he didn't want anyone analysing his shit and finding out what drugs he was on.

:o

Has to spend millions again because of this international show. Why doesn't the G-20 countries foot part of the security bill?