I've just been readin about President Obama's visit to the UK

[Saltire]

and all the security measures it involves.
200 secret service staff,
doctors carrying pints of blood
someone with nuclear missile launch codes
A £250,000 arour plated car, complete with rocket propelled grenades and night vision glasses, and capable of sheltering the President from a chemical attack

He will be arriving at Stanstead on Air Force1, and ferried to the US ambassadors residence in a helicoper, accompanied by 15 identical decoy helicopters.
All manhole covers and drain covers in the city have been bolted down and bins removed etc.

and on Wednesday he goes to visit Queenie.And it got me wondering 2 things

1. Surely Queenie won't be subject to the very (and IMO OTT) security measures "sorry your majesty, you can't put your wheelie bin out it's been removed".

secondly. I know there are laws in this country about shooting peopple, and police and military have to abide by them as well. So, if a crazed guman, or indeed a man carrying a toy gun (or woman carrying them before I get pounced on) decided to wander along the streets of london, near the President, can his security people just shoot the person? or do they ahve to, as I've seen in this country, tell them to drop the gun first?
Anyone know

lol
interesting question. i know that on the grounds of a foreign embassy the rules of that country apply. so when he is at his embassy his guys can do as they please. also ambassadors have diplomatic immunity against the laws of the uk (they argue it even covers the congestion charge) so maybe that would apply to all his people.

I don't know, but I'm scared one of these terrorist freaks will try or succeed in killing him.

It is a worry, as he will be a target. Maybe I should write to the White House and ask them. or maybe not, I'd go on a CIA watchlist and it would do DH's military no end of good

I'm more worried about bombs than guns.

I mean, just remember that assassin in that film Traffic, how he said preferred bombs to guns because there's too great a survival rate with guns.

I also heard on the news that he doesn't have to stop at traffic lights! I thought we all had to obey them, even the Queen, as the rhyme goes.

The Sultan of Brunei doesn't obey lights either - I've seen him and his entourage plough through that massive junction at the bottom of Kensington Church St.

I can imagine he'd be a target, too, Pennies.

So obviously being either rich or president of a "super power" makes you above the law. As artichokes said though, ambassadors have diplomatic immunity, but surely the same won't apply to secret servicemen and women, surely they can't jsut shoot someone ( I mena I know they can in the USA) over ehre because they think they have a gun or if they do have a gun.

Clinton came to Vietnam while we were there and he was staying in a particular hotel. The General Manager and all his senior staff were lined up to meet and greet Clinton and as the General Manager was Irish he wanted to present Clinton with a Claddagh pin. Stuck his hand in his pocket (without saying what he was doing) to get the pin and about 4 guns were trained on him in seconds!!!

I think they're most concerned with bombing.

And that goes for all the leaders attending the conference.

I remember when Bush/Clinton (can't actually recall which one it was ) visited the UK many years ago. I was driving home from work and waiting to cross A4/M4 when these motorbike outriders suddenly blocked off the road.

Minutes later a cavalcade of cars (mostly those huge miniature buses four wheel drives Americans so love) came past. Took ages as there were about 20-30 of them, all identical and probably flown in specially for the visit as well as all the motorcyclists blocking off the road on the path ahead so that they did not need to stop anywhere.

Was a huge show of protection and organisation.

Said to dh at the time, how ridiculous it was just for one man. He pointed out that he was probably teh most powerful man in the world and so shoul be protected to that level

Friend of mine works at Excel. Don't envy her having to be there {scared emoticon]

miniature buses

I don't know why Airforce1 had to alnd at Standstead - think of teh disruption it would cause, could it not have landed at Mildenhall/Lakenheath/UK airbase

Mind you. I'd love a look around it