What does a trip to India cost the taxpayers?

Huge security for Bush at Shannon

A £200,000 (302,504 USD) security operation was in place overnight at Shannon Airport as nothing was being left to chance ahead of the anticipated stopover of US President George Bush.

Up to 500 gardai, army personnel and airport police were involved in what was the biggest security operation at the airport since President Bush's brief visit to Ireland for an EU-US summit in June 2004.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=680952

On his way to lunch in Afghanistan...


President George W. Bush and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan share a working lunch Wednesday, March 1, 2006, at the Presidential Palace in Kabul during a stop by President Bush en route to India. White House photo by Eric Draper.

Bush's security stuns Indians

The Indian security establishment is having a harrowing time providing support to the American personnel responsible for United States President George W Bush's security in India.

Besides Air Force One -- in which the President travels -- more than a dozen aircraft will arrive in New Delhi from the US and different parts of world.

More than 700 personnel -- including American security forces -- are being flown in. Some with Bush, and some even from other countries.

Three presidential helicopters -– which are equipped with cutting edge landing systems that help them operate in near zero visibility -– have been flown in by cargo carriers in a disassembled state. They are being put together piece by piece.

Bush's security team reaches Hyderabad

The 150-member team with seven truckloads of security equipment arrived here in a special aircraft and quietly checked into a five-star hotel: ( http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/home.do )

The American president, who is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi March 1, will spend about five hours here March 3 before flying to Pakistan.

http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=13896

A multi-layered security for President G W Bush

New Delhi: A multi-layered security ring comprising US security officials, paramilitary commandoes and Delhi Police personnel will protect US President George W. Bush when he visits the national capital from Wednesday.

A team of US Secret Service agents and officials from the Homeland Security would form the proximate ring along with commandos drawn from the Special Protection Group and National Security Guards.

Officials from the US Homeland Security Department had taken charge of three floors at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel, which would be home to the president and his delegation for three days.

Hi-tech electronic gadgets, including jammers, explosive detectors, an elaborate communications suite have been installed at the hotel, which would be a 'mini White House' during the visit.

Delhi prepares for Bush; entire Maurya Sheraton booked

"All the 600 rooms of the hotel have been booked by the Americans accompanying Bush on his maiden visit as the President," sources told PTI in New Delhi on Sunday.



Fortress Sheraton getting ready to welcome President Bush

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14149502

No fly zone over fortress Hyderabad on Friday

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1638730,001302100000.htm

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for his visit to the Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, and to the Purana Qila

http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/27/stories/2006022719310100.htm

Tens Thousands of Indians Protest Bush Visit

NEW DELHI -- Tens of thousands of Indians waving black and white flags and chanting "Death to Bush!" rallied Wednesday in New Delhi to protest a visit by President Bush.

Surindra Singh Yadav, a senior police officer in charge of crowd control, said as many as 100,000 people, most of them Muslim, had gathered in a fairground in central New Delhi ordinarily used for political rallies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030100337.html

This hardly scratches the surface. Ancillary economic disruption to small business, public transportation. The team of barbers, tailors, cooks, military personnel etc. etc. The cost to local law enforcement agencies. Contractors to weld storm sewer covers to their drainpipes. Etc. etc. etc.

All of which will be billed directly to the local government(s) to flip the bill.

When the King* came to Rochester, New York to peddle his Social Security Reform Package at a local high school, the 3 hour visit cost the taxpayers nearly $100,000. I realize that moving a President internationally can be an undertaking, but this exceeds anything that can be rationalized.

This is in the innerworkings of a paranoid man on the run...

But not THIS dangerous. This positively STINKS of fear! But what on earth could he have done in the world to make him so afraid?

a 'surprise visit'?

If he's made that many enemies, it's time to let him face the consequences.

This is totally unreasonable.

"visited" us. German tax payers had to pay the bill. Half the region was literally shut down, people couldn't go places. People weren't allowed to open the shutters of their windows. On American orders, not because the German government was afraid. US SHARPSHOOTERS sitting on GERMAN ROOFS. Apart from everything else - I'll never forgive your country those sharp shooters on MY roofs.

I know, I was there to protest the mass murderer. Just 40 miles from my home - took us half a day to get there.

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Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

sarcasm aside, this man should stay in 4x cell to save us not only tax dollars....

has been shot/killed on US soil, by an American...

this seems really extreme and paranoid.

But then, republicans love to think of themselves as a misunderstood, mistreated righteous minority constantly persecuted for being correct, so of course extreme paranoia is the rule of the day.

Looks like he's trying to bankrupt the entire world. NO man is that important.

Your 'free' credit report comes from presumably underkept servers in India. Cutting corners with costs; they'll cut corners in one area so why would they add costs anywhere else? It still reduces profits and profits is the modus operendi of our society.

Oh, before the grammarnazis get riled up, my final use of the word "profits" is singular and accurately so.

and I certainly wouldn't advise any Head of State to travel without adequate security. However, a great deal of this is pomp and circumstance to satisfy Bush's over-inflated ego and to impress the residents of the host country with his importance. Nothing but preening and strutting his stuff.