Claude Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 I don't post this in the political forum, because I don't know if Couw reads it. Anyway, it isn't meant to be a political thread. I've read incredible articles about the security measures in the german city of Stralsund for George Bush's visit today. Maybe John - who lives in Stralsund if I'm correct - can give a first hand account. Germans locked down for Bush visit Allan Hall, Berlin July 13, 2006 EAST Germany is sealed off again with barbed wire, tanks, warships and fighter planes. It is not the return of communism but the arrival of President George Bush that is giving Germany a taste of the Iron Curtain once more. The security concerns surrounding the World Cup pale compared with the ring of steel and firepower thrown up to protect Mr Bush in a country where 84 per cent of the population loathe him. Mr Bush is visiting Mecklenburg-Vorpommern where Chancellor Angela Merkel has her constituency. Relations between Washington and Berlin were plunged into the diplomatic deep freeze over the war in Iraq. They thawed after socialist leader Gerhard Schroeder was ousted by the conservative Dr Merkel in November. Mr Bush is visiting Dr Merkel on the way to the G8 summit in Russia. But nothing is ever simple when the most powerful individual in the world also ranks among the most reviled. Security operation costs have already soared from a budgeted £8 million ($A19.7 million) to £16 million, and they continue to rise. A planeload of Secret Service agents arrived last week to co-ordinate Operation Ironclad — the codename of the operation to protect Mr Bush. Stralsund, the Baltic coastal town known for its herrings and biting cold winters, resembles the armed camp it was during 40 years of the Cold War. About 40 tonnes of barbed wire have been erected around the hotel in nearby Heiligendamm where Mr Bush is staying. Welders have sealed 400 drain covers in case bombers plant explosive devices in them. Another 1200 manhole covers in a 16-kilometre radius from his hotel have been treated similarly. During the Cold War the Baltic Sea was a no-go zone dominated by security forces determined to stop people fleeing to the West. Until tomorrow night it is out of bounds inside a radius of about 80 kilometres. Boats risk being gunned out of the water by 11 naval speedboats, 15 patrol boats and 28 high-speed inflatables. Fishing boats and pleasure craft have been ordered to stay at anchor. In the middle of the old town of Stralsund, where Mr Bush will dine with Dr Merkel today, all residents have had to move their cars to a special area 11 kilometres from their homes. The police are running a special bus service for residents to and from their cars. But when they are in their homes from midday they are prisoners until nightfall. They are forbidden to open windows, walk outside or receive visitors. About 12,000 police are on duty — four times more than were at the 64 World Cup games. Several hundred of them are SEK marksmen trained by Britain's SAS and sited on rooftops and other strategic points. Social democrats in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, whose national party rules in coalition with Dr Merkel's conservatives, have declared Mr Bush an unwanted visitor. They have organised anti-Bush demonstrations for his visit, but they will get nowhere near the man they hate. http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/german...2637740850.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Sounds like they need to bring this guy out of mothballs to direct festivities.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couw Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 it's crazy here I tell you. We are living about 3 km from the city center and all the streets around our place are a no parking zone as well. All kinds of half hearted explanations for that about demonstrations running through the streets and you don't want to give these guys any cars they can top over and set on fire. I mean, it's not the G8 yet! Whatever, it means 10.000 people have to move their cars very far away and then return by shuttle bus -- they didn't use the closerby parking lots of a large mall, because [you guessed it] that is too costly. This leads to absurd situations where people tomorrow morning have to take the shuttle bus to their car, pick up their kids at home, drive them to school, park the car, take the shuttle bus to work and vice versa in the evening. Sure it's only one day and all that, but people here seriously aren't waiting for this kind of shite. Local television brought a poll in which over 60% of the people stated that Bush was NOT welcome. Over 80% said that this is too much of a hassle to go through. Of course the 12.500 police officers are all buying cups of coffee, newspapers, bagels and smoked fish and so are the plenty media folks, but that will not make up for the losses of this town that is thriving on tourism and now missing out on at least 24 hours of income. And those losses are not accounted in the bill of plenty million euros all this theatre already costs. Lots of good things could have been done with that money in a region with 20% unemployment -- a fact which will undoubtedly will not be shared with the curious president. And whatever the positive effect of this visit, it will not bring that money back in. This city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is featured in all the tourism books on Germany, so no one needs Bush to visit and put it on some map. All that jazz about the money sounds cheap, but in this federal union, the federal state of Mecklenburg Vorpommern has to foot the bill for all the extra security. A big problem if you know it's the poorest state of Germany. Angie has been a bit like the elephant she looks like walking into the china of MeckPomm. She forgot to inform the prime minister, then she forgot to invite the prime minister, she didn't offer monetary help (a political decision, but I won't go into that), she forgot to think up that it would be so costly to make Stralsund a high security place -- compared to that Heiligendamm is a piece of cake: throw some NATO wire around the hotel et voilà -- and all counter demonstrations will be blocked from Bush's view. The perfect world we live in to show off to those who are curious what has changed in the former East. Well, it has become much better, but there are still plenty problems and sometimes it's worse than it used to be. Anyhow, it was a gas walking through town today counting police officers and looking at the real scary guys with the suits and the darks glasses and the big hand guns and the thingies in their ears and the laptop computers in the trunk of their black Mercedes cars with the dark tinted glass. Also nice to see a bunch of tourists stepping out of a police vehicle: obviously undercover folks that went to mingle, lots of fun trying to identify them among the normal tourists: they are not old (like many a tourist), they are not young (like many a kid starting summer vacation this week), they do not have any children with them and they don't drink beer. The latter gave them away big time. Oh and big ass helicopters circling the town in search of ... what? also: fighter jets looking for real fast terrists and bombs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couw Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 more whack shit they welded shut all canalisation manhole covers in the "red zone". Took five guys: two welders, two police officers, one bloke with a list and a pencil. Today they were trooping around town again checking on all the welds and seals. Crazy I tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Stralsund? Damit!! Why couldn't I be part of that security detachment??? I've got the shades, the guns and the correct beer stein to help blend right in! .......plus, I can spot any would be assailant in disguise who's lying in wait behind a bush 200 metres away!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couw Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 the correct beer stein to help blend right in! ah man, that thing is just for toorists, no one actually drinks from it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man with the Golden Arm Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 (edited) ... and they don't drink beer. The latter gave them away big time. & time to start sending R some photoshop freelance jobs! and I heard these guys were allowed to come for dinner? Edited July 12, 2006 by Man with the Golden Arm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 (edited) ah man, that thing is just for toorists, no one actually drinks from it! Ay, caramba!!! You've gotta get away from those University garden parties, babe, and start hangin' with the proletariat in the beer halls like I do! Edited July 13, 2006 by Son-of-a-Weizen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted August 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 (edited) The federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the german federal government are now fighting about who has to bear the costs of Bush's and Merkel's "grill party" in Stralsund - 14.65 million Euro (= 18.7 million dollar). Edited August 24, 2006 by Claude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 The federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the german federal government are now fighting about who has to bear the costs of Bush's and Merkel's "grill party" in Stralsund - 14.65 million Euro (= 18.7 million dollar). think of the costs of all the people who had to keep their shops closed that day and stuff... never liked grill parties terribly much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Stralsund? Damit!! Why couldn't I be part of that security detachment??? I've got the shades, the guns and the correct beer stein to help blend right in! .......plus, I can spot any would be assailant in disguise who's lying in wait behind a bush 200 metres away!!! Love the hat! Hey wait a minute, that's..... Aw, you crazy guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 ah man, that thing is just for toorists, no one actually drinks from it! Ay, caramba!!! You've gotta get away from those University garden parties, babe, and start hangin' with the proletariat in the beer halls like I do! So, is Mr. C saying he drinks with a straw from the bottle or can instead of using the stein? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Does the cop has his out off to collect donations in it? "Hey kids don't look directly into the light, but tell your old man to drop a Euro or two in the hat" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swinging Swede Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Did you know that Stralsund belonged to Sweden 1648-1814? It was part of the province Swedish Pomerania. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 So they (Sweden) should cover part of the cost, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Does the cop has his out off to collect donations in it? No. Just getting ready to change into his Manhole Surveillance Man costume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 They bronzed a union guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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