Reuters reports that a team of Australian TV comedians drove a three car motorcade (complete with motorcycle outriders) straight through three security checkpoints in the center of Sydney. The Gateway to Australia is currently hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group forum, where 21 world leaders are gathering amidst what was thought to be tight security. Embarrassed police reacted with a predictable combination of derision and misplaced anger. "Whilst I enjoy like everyone else a good laugh, this isn't funny" local police Superintendent Dave Owens told reporters. "I'm very angry that such a stunt like this could be pulled." Well, that's what you get when you deploy decoy motorcades to confuse terrorists. Anyway, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer claimed the stunt proved the security arrangements worked. "They presumably were … aiming to humiliate a lot of well-known people. The point is they were in any case arrested." Uh, I think the point is that the security arrangements were a dismal failure. The fake Osama Bin laden drove within meters of the hotel where President Bush will be staying; close enough to destroy the building with one– never mind three- car bombs.
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On the other hand, it’s refreshing to see that even cops are not paranoid at all times. Granted, they may be paid to be, but still…
While I understand heightened security measures for summits with tempting targets, some daily controls and security amount more to keeping people paranoid rather than actually ensuring their protection. Given that diabetes, heart attacks, cancer, and car accidents kill many more people than terrorism, it would be time to re-think our priorities. And as protection against terrorism goes, to allocate our resources properly. I drive by Newark port and airport almost daily, and it’s obvious that not all the cargo can be inspected. With the presence of so many freeways, oil refineries, and other sensitive infrastructure nearby, that would be potential for a disaster, and ought to attract more security resources.
Are you at least going to tell us what kind of cars they drove?
Two Yukon XLs and a Holden (Commodore?).
A horribly wasted opportunity, if you ask me.
Man, Homeland Sicherheitdienst is gonna be all over my ass…
proscriptus: see you at Gitmo.
“proscriptus: see you at Gitmo. ”
Uh-Oh…
I think that GWB will have some more “quip” material after this recent junket…
frankly i thought it was hysterical.
I wonder if this administration would have the audacity to wall off the center of american city to do that. I would hope that someone would do something.