16.11.03
British gov't rejects preposterous White House requests for Bush visit
It turns out that Bush wanted a lot more than just his own personal "vibe zone" for his visit to London:
I suppose we can gather from all of this that Bush does not put too much faith in British security. If I were one of these masculine American chickenhawks, I would be deeply embarrassed and ashamed that my president both thinks poorly of the security services of the US's most trustypuppy-like follower ally and seems to have lost some of the bravura he displayed in that 9/11 documentary with regard to attacks from "tinhorn terrorists".
But I guess that the Bushian "bring it on" philosophy only applies to the lives of other people.
It turns out that Bush wanted a lot more than just his own personal "vibe zone" for his visit to London:
Home Secretary David Blunkett has refused to grant diplomatic immunity to armed American special agents and snipers travelling to Britain as part of President Bush's entourage this week.No, Mr. Bush, you can't play with the "mini-gun" in London.
In the case of the accidental shooting of a protester, the Americans in Bush's protection squad will face justice in a British court as would any other visitor, the Home Office has confirmed.
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The White House initially demanded the closure of all Tube lines under parts of London to be visited during the trip. But British officials dismissed the idea that a suicide bomber could kill the President by blowing up a Tube train.
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Demands for the US air force to patrol above London with fighter aircraft and Black Hawk helicopters have also been turned down.
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The Americans had also wanted to travel with a piece of military hardware called a 'mini-gun', which usually forms part of the mobile armoury in the presidential cavalcade. It is fired from a tank and can kill dozens of people. One manufacturer's description reads: 'Due to the small calibre of the round, the mini-gun can be used practically anywhere. This is especially helpful during peacekeeping deployments.'
Ministers have made clear to Washington that the firepower of the mini-gun will not be available during the state visit to Britain.
I suppose we can gather from all of this that Bush does not put too much faith in British security. If I were one of these masculine American chickenhawks, I would be deeply embarrassed and ashamed that my president both thinks poorly of the security services of the US's most trusty
But I guess that the Bushian "bring it on" philosophy only applies to the lives of other people.
