November 22, 2004
STEP ASIDE, GAUCHOS:
Spats Over Security Roil Summit in Chile: After Saturday Scuffle, State Dinner Canceled as U.S. Demands Screening (Mike Allen, November 22, 2004, Washington Post)
Bush and the first lady walked into the beaux-arts banquet hall, and Chilean officers, who appeared to be waiting for the moment, stepped in front of Trotta, blocking him from entering.U.S. officials said Chilean police had been chafing for a week about a demand by Secret Service agents that they control the president's space, even when he was on sovereign turf. Now, it was payback time.
In the fracas that ensued, amid a flurry of half nelsons, one Secret Service agent wound up jammed against a wall. "You're not stopping me! You're not stopping me! I'm with the president!" an unidentified agent can be heard yelling on videotape of the mayhem.
It took Bush several minutes to realize what was happening. The president and the first lady walked on through the door onto a big red carpet, looking relaxed. They greeted Lagos and his wife, Luisa Duran. "You want us to pose here?" Bush asked Lagos with a grin, and they turned to face a wall of flashes.
Then Bush either realized he was missing something, or he heard the commotion. The president, who is rarely alone, even in his own house, turned and walked back to the front door unaccompanied, facing the backs of a sea of dark suits. Bush, with his right hand, reached over the suits and pointed insistently at Trotta. At first the officials, with their backs to him and their heads in the rumble, did not realize it was the president intervening. Bush then braced himself against someone and lunged to retrieve the agent, who was still arguing with the Chileans. The shocked Chilean officials then released Trotta.
Trotta walked in behind Bush, who looked enormously pleased with himself. He was wearing the expression that some critics call a smirk, and his eyebrows shot up as if to wink at bystanders.
Bush adjusted his right cufflink and muttered something to Lagos, took the first lady's arm and headed into dinner of grilled fish.
The incident was played scores of times on satellite channels viewed around the summit. Conversations about it quickly overwhelmed talk of formal summit business, which is focused on such issues as development, trade and investment.
Chilean journalists were critical of Bush's actions. Marcelo Romero, a reporter Santiago's newspaper La Cuarta, said: "All of us journalists agree that President Bush looked like a cowboy. It was total breach of protocol. I've seen a lot of John Wayne movies, and President Bush was definitely acting like a cowboy."
Christian Chandia from Radio Agricultura said: "Unfortunately all the news will be about the security incident and fighting terrorism, but nothing to do with what happened here at the APEC summit."
U.S. officials took a light-hearted view of the events. White House press secretary Scott McClellan chuckled about the Saturday evening incident. "The president is someone who tends to delegate," McClellan said. "But every now and then, he's a hands-on kind of guy."
On Saturday night, a few dozen American journalists crowded into the network's transmission room to watch various tapes showing the altercation from different angles, with cheers erupting when new versions arrived.
If this had happened in October he'd have won all 50.
Posted by Orrin Judd at November 22, 2004 12:00 AMU.S. President George W. Bush, center left, reaches in to the crowd for his Secret Service Agent who was blocked from entering the Estacion Mapocho Cultural Center for the APEC Summit dinner, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2004, in Santiago, Chile. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)
Funny how often when there's a security problem like this, there's a Cassius Chaerea, Carl Weiss, Jack Ruby or Sirhan Sirhan lurking in a passageway nearby.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at November 22, 2004 12:31 AMRaoul,
This incident is mostly being played as another example of Bush's Texas machismo, but there's an interesting post on Power Line tonight which speculates exactly the same thing as you.
Posted by: Ed Driscoll at November 22, 2004 12:57 AMIt's odd that foreigners apparently believe that "cowboy" has a negative connotation in America.
Posted by: Michael Herdegen at November 22, 2004 1:37 AMWho is the man that would risk his neck
For his brother man?
BUSH!
Can you dig it?
Who's the cat that won't cop out
When there's danger all about?
BUSH!
Right On!
They say this cat Bush is a bad mother
SHUT YOUR MOUTH!
I'm talkin' 'bout Bush.
THEN WE CAN DIG IT!
He's a complicated man
But no one understands him but his woman
GEORGE BUSH!
The Daily Telegraph also had this nugget:
Chilean guards were also involved in a shoving match with Chinese bodyguards accompanying President Hu Jintao at the Apec summit, successfully preventing the Chinese guards from following their head of state into a meeting with Mr Lagos.
---
I agree it was a breach of protocol, but on which side??
Posted by: Sandy P at November 22, 2004 2:00 AMPerhaps this is a good reason for the President to adopt a time zone rule. (Texas time)
It is pretty astounding that the exact rules pertaining to security arrangements, including who could be where and under what circumstances, weren't worked out long in advance. It's not exactly like summits are something new and we're all on a learning curve.
Posted by: Peter B at November 22, 2004 6:56 AMThe follow-up to this -- that the Chilean officials scuttled the planned large dinner Sunday night rather than have the guests submit to passing through metal detectors as sought by the Secret Service -- adds to the strangeness of the story, and makes it sound like rather than Bush's lone action at the door, it was the Chileans who were trying to play some sort of macho cowboy politics at the APAC summit, probably for domestic consumption to show the U.S. who was boss of this affair.
Posted by: John at November 22, 2004 9:13 AMAnybody know where this video is on the Internet?
Posted by: pchuck at November 22, 2004 9:37 AMEvidently, to the WaPo reporter, 8-10 seconds is equivalent to "several minutes".
Posted by: jim hamlen at November 22, 2004 9:44 AMThe Telegraph said they're also pissy because of Allende and we're not paying enough attention to them after 9/11.
How did they vote in the UN again????
Posted by: Sandy P at November 22, 2004 10:36 AMpchuck-- The Daily Recycler's got it: www.dailyrecycler.com.
Posted by: Timothy at November 22, 2004 11:26 AMThe only bad thing about this is, I now have to admit that the movie "Air Force One" isn't as unrealistic as I thought.
Bob:
Yes, but both Bush and Kerry (probably) could have flown the plane as well.
Now Clinton, perhaps he could charm some female terrorist somewhere.
Posted by: jim hamlen at November 22, 2004 1:45 PMJim:
Wasn't that a SNL skit, a crack crime-fighting team of ex-presidents?
Posted by: mike earl at November 22, 2004 3:03 PMIt's that certain swagger that . in Texas, they call,"walking."
Posted by: Lou Gots at November 22, 2004 4:23 PMThis is from a fellow Chilean:
From: 12thharmonic blog
I am a Chilean citizen but read your paper daily. Most of us here in Chile share your views and that of like online papers such as Truthout, Whatreallyhappened, Commondreams, etc.
Bush´s visit to Chile has left – so far – most of us chuckling because of the overkill in the security measures taken by his entourage, which is also disproportionate to those of the other leaders. By far. Especially in a town almost empty because of the three day weekend.
Two Jumbos filled up with secret service people; 40 (yes, forty) cars in his caravan including two limos just alike so to inspire doubt as to which one he´s in, a huge ambulance, ominous looking vehicles with 6 antennaes; Two planes (Awacs); 200 9mm weapons introduced into the country; Snipers galore; An entire hotel cut from all contact to the exterior for blocks around it; Bush sneaking in and out of tunnels and back entrances: he even refused, and was the only one to do so, to receive honors in the square in front of La Moneda, our government house, because he would have had to walk 80 yards to get inside the latter.
The gala dinner that was scheduled for tonight (Sunday 21st) and was to be hosted by our president with an attendance of 250 ministers, government people, and big Chilean entrepreneurs was cancelled by my president due to the insistent requirements of the US Secret Service (SS?) to check everybody bodily for arms with metal detectors and such. Since we did not want to subject our people to such manhandling the dinner is going to be a smaller affair of 20 people. Hours before this happened, before Bush was to arrive to the CEO Summit, everybody had to leave the room (from all 21 countries, mind you) so the SSs could check seat by seat with detectors and dogs.
Then he made his grand entrance after ignoring the host of the Summit, a Chilean, and read a speech titled “Peace and Prosperity in the World.” Of course the irony of it was not lost on us, simple spectators, or the press. All this to great applause, half of it real, and half of it pre-taped.
As for the fracas that your paper mentions, reading the news article one may think that Chilean secret service and police just interfered without reason. The truth is that the protocol indicated (and this was made known weeks ago) that each leader was to go inside the dinner place with only one bodyguard. They all complied, except Bush, that tried to enter with six. Of course five were stopped.
Some papers said Bush had “imperial airs.”
I think he was hiding as usual.
Unless we're involved, Chile's leaders are safe. The American President never is.
Posted by: oj at November 25, 2004 10:24 PMGuachos are from Argentina. Huasos are from Chile. If you Americans are going to diss us Chileans, at least do your research!!
"they're (Chileans) also pissy because of Allende and we're not paying enough attention to them after 9/11.
How did they vote in the UN again????"---- Sandy P
^^^ So if you Americans are allowed to generalize us as guachos who are pissy b/c of Allende then are we Chileans allow to generalize you Americans as... well, IGNORANT ARROGANT PIGS
Hooray for generalizations and stereotypes!!!
Posted by: bellababyblu at November 27, 2004 4:33 AMAllende was a favor--you could at least be grateful.
Posted by: oj at November 27, 2004 6:48 AM