The Bush/Royal Family Security Scandal

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-11-19 02:14pm

Anyone been following this today? The world's most powerful man, his wife, Colin Powell along with Condoleeza Rice are in Buckingham Palace with, of course, most of the major members of the Royal Family. Yet, despite the biggest security operation ever put into motion, a Daily Mail reporter was able to work in the palace as a servant setting the tables the Queen and President would sit at and eat.

What if this guy had carried poison or a small explosive device? He could have wiped out key figures from the two most influential Western nations in a single incident. The VIPs here should count themselves lucky this reporter wasn't a suicidal maniac, because not even the 750 security personnel, the private SAS guards, the armoured as hell motorcade and escorted helicopter transport could save them had this been any different.

To say this is embarrassing is an understatement.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-11-19 03:07pm

Honestly, it's not as big a scandal as it would seem. Presumably said reporter was clear of the warning flags the Secret Service (and whatever it's British counterpart is) look for when hiring people. So while it is embarrasing to have a reporter hired, it's hardly like suicide bombers and poison weild lunatics lurk around every corner.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-11-19 03:32pm

So, what becomes of this guy now? Should he, and will he be charged with something? Fined? What? Isn't sneaking into Buckinham Palace at the very least tresspassing, or illegal entry?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-11-19 03:44pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote: To say this is embarrassing is an understatement.

And I thought you guys were wishing it was the real thing, to be rid
of both Bush and Blair....but OTOH, can we say President Cheney?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-11-19 03:46pm

That's what I love about America; a clearly defined chain of sucession, so
that in case lots of people in our government die, we can have a president
in no time at all, nevermind he was Agriculture Secretary a day ago.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-11-19 04:30pm

MKSheppard wrote:That's what I love about America; a clearly defined chain of sucession, so
that in case lots of people in our government die, we can have a president
in no time at all, nevermind he was Agriculture Secretary a day ago.

Better than nothing.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-11-19 05:19pm

Almost certainly this guy had to go through a security screening before reaching that room. So the worst he could have done was try and find a kitchen knife and stab someone. Which might possibul kill one person, maybe.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-11-19 05:53pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:Almost certainly this guy had to go through a security screening before reaching that room. So the worst he could have done was try and find a kitchen knife and stab someone. Which might possibul kill one person, maybe.

Or, in the case of the president, give him a pretzel.

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2003-11-20 12:20am

Apparently, it's the polices job to make sure he had no criminal background and the job of Buckingham Placae to make sure he's a suitable candidate.

Just cos he hasn't gotten a criminal record doesn't mean he couldn't have been a suicide bomber or alike. It would've been something to talk about if he had been...

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2003-11-20 09:46am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Anyone been following this today? The world's most powerful man, his wife, Colin Powell along with Condoleeza Rice are in Buckingham Palace with, of course, most of the major members of the Royal Family. Yet, despite the biggest security operation ever put into motion, a Daily Mail reporter was able to work in the palace as a servant setting the tables the Queen and President would sit at and eat.

What if this guy had carried poison or a small explosive device? He could have wiped out key figures from the two most influential Western nations in a single incident. The VIPs here should count themselves lucky this reporter wasn't a suicidal maniac, because not even the 750 security personnel, the private SAS guards, the armoured as hell motorcade and escorted helicopter transport could save them had this been any different.

To say this is embarrassing is an understatement.

Just a small nitpick. It was a Daily Mirror reporter called Phill Harris.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-11-20 10:47am

Ah, my bad. They all seem the same to me now.

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-11-20 10:48am

If he worked for the Mirror he probably was out to kill Bush.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-11-20 04:59pm

Well...they have to hire SOMEONE to wait tables...

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2003-11-20 07:14pm

TheDarkling wrote:If he worked for the Mirror he probably was out to kill Bush.

Nah, just out to kill rumours that the Queen eats kids for breakfast

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-11-20 08:35pm

Dorsk 81 wrote:Just cos he hasn't gotten a criminal record doesn't mean he couldn't have been a suicide bomber or alike. It would've been something to talk about if he had been...

True, but a reason is generally required to block people like that from being considered. You can't rule it out 100% in any case (don't start the sophilist BS about 100%) but if there's no reason at all to consider him suspicious then it's merely embarrasing they hired a reporter, not threatening.

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2003-11-20 08:40pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Dorsk 81 wrote:Just cos he hasn't gotten a criminal record doesn't mean he couldn't have been a suicide bomber or alike. It would've been something to talk about if he had been...
True, but a reason is generally required to block people like that from being considered. You can't rule it out 100% in any case (don't start the sophilist BS about 100%) but if there's no reason at all to consider him suspicious then it's merely embarrasing they hired a reporter, not threatening.

Yea, but the point is, it shouldn't have been embarrasing. If the people at Buckingham Palace had done their job it wouldn't have been. A news reader on ITV/ITN (I can't remember what they call themselves now) went to google and typed in the guys name and it was on the first page of results that the guy was a reporter!

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-11-20 09:04pm

Dorsk 81 wrote:Yea, but the point is, it shouldn't have been embarrasing. If the people at Buckingham Palace had done their job it wouldn't have been. A news reader on ITV/ITN (I can't remember what they call themselves now) went to google and typed in the guys name and it was on the first page of results that the guy was a reporter!

It's embarrasing but saying he could have been a "suicide bomber or alike" is taking paranoia way over the edge.

Worlds Spanner · Post by **Worlds Spanner** » 2003-11-20 09:36pm

Would you have them have no help?

They have to hire SOMEONE for this stuff.

This "story" is no different from pointing out that some guy who's one of the Palace chefs could have killed someone.

Really. Suppose that this story was an op-ed from a member of the staff. What happened is identical.

They need people, someone wants the job, he represents no security risk, so they hire him.

And since he DIDN'T kill anyone, this is actually an example of the system working.

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2003-11-20 11:13pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Dorsk 81 wrote:Yea, but the point is, it shouldn't have been embarrasing. If the people at Buckingham Palace had done their job it wouldn't have been. A news reader on ITV/ITN (I can't remember what they call themselves now) went to google and typed in the guys name and it was on the first page of results that the guy was a reporter!
It's embarrasing but saying he could have been a "suicide bomber or alike" is taking paranoia way over the edge.

True. But with the incompitant staff at the Palace not even being able to search google to look for a subjects suitability, they probably wouldn't be able to recognise a suicide bomber if they walked up to them with a big bomb strapped to them and a sign saying "Will Bomb For Food".

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-11-21 12:01am

Dorsk 81 wrote:True. But with the incompitant staff at the Palace not even being able to search google to look for a subjects suitability, they probably wouldn't be able to recognise a suicide bomber if they walked up to them with a big bomb strapped to them and a sign saying "Will Bomb For Food".

You will really want this guy to be a terrorist don't you? And you realize that no reasonable employer is going to use google as a background check? You're just trying to make a mountain out of an anthill here.

Dorsk 81 · Post by **Dorsk 81** » 2003-11-21 12:15am

Stormbringer wrote:
Dorsk 81 wrote:True. But with the incompitant staff at the Palace not even being able to search google to look for a subjects suitability, they probably wouldn't be able to recognise a suicide bomber if they walked up to them with a big bomb strapped to them and a sign saying "Will Bomb For Food".
You will really want this guy to be a terrorist don't you? And you realize that no reasonable employer is going to use google as a background check? You're just trying to make a mountain out of an anthill here.

Ok, ok, granted no employer would use google for a background check, that was just to show how easy it was to find out about this guy.
I'm just saying it could have been soooo easily avoided.

I wouldn't have objected if he had been

I saw Bush say that "I can see that freedom of speech is alive and well" or some crap, after passing some protestors and thought "what an arogant prick"

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

The Bush/Royal Family Security Scandal

The Bush/Royal Family Security Scandal

Re: The Bush/Royal Family Security Scandal

Re: The Bush/Royal Family Security Scandal