The Presidents in town. Are his men packing heat?
Discussion
Talksteer said:
Quite some time ago I was walking around Belgium packing an assault rifle, a GPMG, a rocket launcher and a motar. Not at the same time.
At no point was I arrested and it wasn't because I was so highly tooled up....
The legal terms are a visiting forces act. Presidential security fall under this classification, as do the US forces at the USAF bases in the UK.
However the US security teams have no powers of arrest or even to direct traffic. Thus the security operation will be commanded by UK police with the secret service being the last line of defence.
In the US it's the same deal for the UK diplomatic protection teams.
I'm not sure that a 'visiting forces' exemption is what they use. There's an exemption for them in the Firearms Act, I think. At no point was I arrested and it wasn't because I was so highly tooled up....
The legal terms are a visiting forces act. Presidential security fall under this classification, as do the US forces at the USAF bases in the UK.
However the US security teams have no powers of arrest or even to direct traffic. Thus the security operation will be commanded by UK police with the secret service being the last line of defence.
In the US it's the same deal for the UK diplomatic protection teams.
Edited by Talksteer on Tuesday 26th April 23:21
The Secret Service aren't the military though, they are civilian, as far as I'm aware so I don't think that that exemption applies.
hidetheelephants said:
The Firearms Act basically says you need a letter from the Home Secretary for section 5 firearms, so I suspect that's mostly what's involved.
I don't think so as you also need a firearm certificate to make your possession lawful (or have some other lawful reason for possession such as being an RFD). The S-Service aren't UK resident though so can't get them. There are visitor's permits but I doubt the police will have issued a load of them to the S-Service guys and I'm not sure they can even be granted for section 5 stuff even with HO Section 5 authority. Vaud said:
That seems only to apply to the armed forces of a country though, the military. The Secret Service is not part of the US armed forces (military) as far as I'm aware. They are civilian.As the Pres is head of the US armed forces I suppose that might have something to do with it. Although, his recent visit wasm't for military purposes, I don't think.
Vaud said:
Using wiki? Would wiki stand in court?funkyrobot said:
Petrus1983 said:
Obamas security detail are heavily armed, this is standard procedure and has been for quite a while. The Secret Service has ZERO faith in any foreign agency, as such (and at great expense) all is handled 'in house'.
Why is it called The Secret Service if we all know about it?
Greenmantle said:
Back in 1992 I joined Perot Systems.
The hiring manager was a Good Ole Boy called Jerry who was full of stories.
It just so happened that the same year Ross Perot was running for President and his bodyguards were told to hand in their Uzi's for some American manufacturer. The sole reason for this was more rounds per second. Basically these guys didn't care about Collateral Damage.
Wonder if "The Donald's" bodyguards have the same policy?
John
I'd expect The Donald's men to have knuckle dusters and baseball bats. The hiring manager was a Good Ole Boy called Jerry who was full of stories.
It just so happened that the same year Ross Perot was running for President and his bodyguards were told to hand in their Uzi's for some American manufacturer. The sole reason for this was more rounds per second. Basically these guys didn't care about Collateral Damage.
Wonder if "The Donald's" bodyguards have the same policy?
John
I remember reading somewhere that during one of W's visits to Britain his crew had to be gently talked out of bringing a minigun along.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/16/terroris...
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/16/terroris...
Edited by bloomen on Friday 29th April 17:40
b
hstewie said:
What the hell would they be expecting to use that on, other than collateral damage?hstewie said:
bhstewie said:
The Punisher has one of them...and a few Bond badguys.hstewie said:FourWheelDrift said:
bhstewie said:
What the hell would they be expecting to use that on, other than collateral damage?hstewie said:Well that, or a riot. Which kinda puts paid to the notion of the nut jobs in the States that feel the government should be afraid of the people, as Washington or whichever Founding Father it was that said it.
Four thousand people breaching a barricade and charging towards whatever callsign Obama is? fk you all!
Four thousand people breaching a barricade and charging towards whatever callsign Obama is? f
k you all! Halb said:
Sway said:
Only scenario I can imagine issues are the huge events (like a State Funeral) where dozens of HoS are in attendance. When QE dies I can't imagine many Heads of State who wouldn't attend, even when they outwardly hate some of the other attendees...
Hadn't considered that event. I suppose they'll all come out of the woodwork for that. The logistics of it, possibly unprecedented? It's not like Kyoto or Bilderberg.Would seem a recipe for disaster/misunderstanding, having four, five or more individual bodyguard teams utterly dedicated to their 'principle' and zero f
ks for anyone else.Sway said:
Surprised no-one has expanded on how the bigger affairs work - maybe not to the scale of QE State Funeral, but perhaps Mandela's or Kyoto/Bilderberg?
Would seem a recipe for disaster/misunderstanding, having four, five or more individual bodyguard teams utterly dedicated to their 'principle' and zero fks for anyone else.
I don't think the option of bringing your own armed personal protection is extended to every country.Would seem a recipe for disaster/misunderstanding, having four, five or more individual bodyguard teams utterly dedicated to their 'principle' and zero f
ks for anyone else.In that case, QE's funeral, who'd get the special service?
UN Security Council permanent members would be a shoe in I think, everyone else covered by us?
Hundreds of thousands on the streets, no chance of things like 'sterile zones' bigger than a couple of dozen feet, tons of emotion on display (grief and anger can often look the same).
Lots and lots of headache tablets being dished out to the security services for sure!
UN Security Council permanent members would be a shoe in I think, everyone else covered by us?
Hundreds of thousands on the streets, no chance of things like 'sterile zones' bigger than a couple of dozen feet, tons of emotion on display (grief and anger can often look the same).
Lots and lots of headache tablets being dished out to the security services for sure!
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