Stupid Latins
November 24th, 2004 at 2:07 pm by David FarrarAs many would have read, President Bush had to rescue one of his secret service agents from the idiots which make up Chilean security.
This will probably put his approval rating at home up by 5% or more.
The US Secret Service plan presidential trips down to the last detail. There are no vague areas. When Clinton came for APEC, we had visits from them over a year beforehand.
The Chileans were, to be blunt, being hot headed Latins who think that protecting people is some sort of game of oneupmanship. It was obviously totally deliberate, pre-planned, and stupid.
The Secret Service are required by law to be with the President, no matter where he is in the world. Their job is to block the bullet if need be. The Chileans would have agreed to this well in advance of APEC and to renege on their word is shameful. Their local media should be attacking their own Government, not Bush for doing the sensible thing and using his authority to directly intervene.
Rather ironic that the Chilean security officials were trying to be macho and assert their authority, and instead they just ended up looking like idiots.
No tag for this post.
November 24th, 2004 at 2:18 pm
For what it’s worth, it’s not everyday that one sees an American president single-handedly rescuing one of his secret service agents from the clutches of the once-feared Chilean security services.
Vote:November 24th, 2004 at 2:31 pm
Yep – Bush looked good – one of those media moments that tends to define the man nicely – a bit like Reagan and his debate against Mondale when he cracked a joke about Mondales relative youth and inexperience.
And you can imagine someone like Kerry or Clinton desperately trying to ignore the squabble outside for fear of bad publicity, instead of Bush’s take no sh*t attitude in seeing what the problem was and retrieving his agent.
Vote:November 24th, 2004 at 3:24 pm
I support your sentiments but to be fair, I’ve read reports that suggest each guest was allowed one member of their security detail. The agent Bush retrieved may or may not have over that number. Your point is still valid though, since clearly the US would have decided a long time ago exactly how many agents they needed, and the Chileans would have agreed to some such number a long time ago as well (otherwise Bush would not have come).
Vote:November 24th, 2004 at 4:47 pm
Once they step off US soil, the US secret service doesn’t have any jurisdiction – so the Chileans are perfectly within their rights to demand that they provide policing in their own country, rather than gringos.
I dunno why the Americans are so frightened that their president will get shot – they’ve got 200 million alternative candidates, many of whom might make a better job of it.
Vote:November 24th, 2004 at 5:04 pm
Rich – that is a red herring. The Chileans were not within their rights. They would have agreed with the US that the Secret Service operates in their country when Bush is there. It is a *condition* of having the US President visit. If they do not want him to attend, they do not have to agree.
You seem to advocate that it is not a bad thing to kill elected officials you do not agree with? Usually the first sign of intolerance.
Vote:November 24th, 2004 at 9:48 pm
I am surprised that the Chilean ‘security’ didn’t get themselves shot. I imagine Bush was looking for any excuse to break the monotony, sorry, diplomacy!
Vote:November 25th, 2004 at 7:24 am
ABC are reporting that the US was, indeed, trying to exceed the one-bodyguard-per-diplomat quota that had been agreed on months ago. (I don’t know why David decided to link to the ‘Moonie Times’, which is the GOP version of Soviet era Pravda.)
Vote:November 25th, 2004 at 8:44 am
Dim, improve your wit and actually read the story. Not even a single bodyguard was allowed in with Bush. Bush didn’t rescue a SECOND bodyguard, nope, the FIRST.
Vote:November 25th, 2004 at 11:32 am
Aaron , now who is living inside others heads?
“And you can imagine someone like Kerry or Clinton desperately trying to ignore the squabble outside for fear of bad publicity, instead of Bush’s take no sh*t attitude in seeing what the problem was and retrieving his agent.”
And where else are you imagining yourself to be. At APEC, at the Auckland City Council……
Vote:Its so sad .
November 25th, 2004 at 12:28 pm
I don’t agree with killing elected officials. Unlike Bush and his lot, I don’t agree with purposely killing anyone unless they appear to be about to kill someone else.
I do think that the god like status accorded to the US president is odd. Given that US presidents arrogate to themselves the title of “Commander In Chief”, shouldn’t they display some military style heroism – maybe not “charging the enemy guns”, but possibly going to a foreign country with only the local cops to protect you.
I read this today:
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=55356
- seems the US president will soon be having to make a few cap in hand visits – hopefully they will let him keep his guards when he goes to see the “Gnomes of Zurich” for a bailout…
Vote:November 25th, 2004 at 1:31 pm
‘Dim, improve your wit and actually read the story. Not even a single bodyguard was allowed in with Bush. Bush didn’t rescue a SECOND bodyguard, nope, the FIRST.’
My wit is fine thanks Berend. As I said in my post, it’s strange that David would quote a source as notoriously unreliable as the Washington Times. Like I said, it’s a mouthpiece for the Republican party, not a respected media source. The more reliable ABC news is reporting that Chileans are complaining that Secret Service DID breach protocol. Here’s an excerpt.
‘Officials in Chile, which enjoys good relations with the United States and a new free trade agreement, said Bush’s guard broke rules set out ahead of time that only one bodyguard could walk into the Saturday dinner with each leader.
“Bush’s guard did not respect the rules of the game,” said Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker, in a television interview on Sunday night.’
Vote:November 26th, 2004 at 12:13 pm
Whatever the background – I was impressed by Bush’s action – he’s a doer not a talker…
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