The Coconut Conspiracy UPDATE: $200M of Crazy
Pentagon dismisses India armada claim as “absolutely absurd” and “comical.” White House mouthpiece Robert Gibbs shoots down $200M per day price tag. Oh that whacky Indian media.
This from ABC News:
Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell did not shy away from dismissing reports that appeared in Indian media outlets, such as the Press Trust of India and the television network NDTV. The Press Trust of India is that country’s largest news agency.
Morrell told reporters he was making an exception to the practice of not discussing Presidential security details to shoot down the reports.
“I will take the liberty this time of dismissing as absolutely absurd this notion that somehow we were deploying 10 percent of the Navy — some 34 ships and an aircraft carrier — in support of the president’s trip to Asia,” said Morrell at today’s Pentagon briefing. “That’s just comical. Nothing close to that is being done.”
…..
The Indian media reports also say security for the Presidential trip will cost $200 million a day. Morrell “there’s been a lot of creative writing that’s been done on this trip over the last few days. I’ve seen other reports with some astronomical figures in terms of what it costs to take these trips. I don’t know the cost. We don’t speak to the cost.” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs was blunt in his characterization of the cost reports, “this trip doesn’t cost $200 million a day.”
Coconuts, however, appear to remain a viable threat to presidential security.
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Picking back up on President Obama’s reported $200 million-per-day jaunt to India, a fleet of no less than 34 warships has been deployed to safeguard The Chosen One, according to this report from The Times of India:
Communications set-up, nuclear button, a fleet of limousines and majority of the White House staff will be in India accompanying the President on this three-day visit that will cover Mumbai and Delhi.
He will also be protected by a fleet of 34 warships, including an aircraft carrier, which will patrol the sea lanes off the Mumbai coast during his two-day stay there beginning Saturday. The measure has been taken as Mumbai attack in 2008 took place from the sea.
You’d think that a veritable armada of warships would be enough on the safety front but, really, what good is an aircraft carrier against a sneak attack of, say, deadly coconuts. Problem solved, reports The Telegraph UK:
But as well as the usual security measures that come with welcoming a a visiting dignitary, Indian authorities have decided to go one step further, by removing all natural threats to the president as well.
All coconuts around the city’s Gandhi museum, one of Mr Obama’s stops in the city, are being taken down.
…
“We told the authorities to remove the dry coconuts from trees near the building. Why take a chance?” Mani Bhavan’s executive secretary, Meghshyam Ajgaonkar, told the BBC.
Last week American security officers inspected Mani Bhavan and its surroundings along with other places the president is likely to visit.
Every year in India people are injured or even killed by falling coconuts.
You seriously cannot make this stuff up. And if you did, nobody would believe you.
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