Obama Books Taj Mahal Palace
The whole frickin’ thing; all 570 rooms, along with its entire banquette hall and restaurant, plus hundreds of more rooms at other luxury hotels throughout Mumbai, to better accommodate the enormous entourage and security detail that will be accompanying The Chosen One on his trip to India next month. This from The Times of India:
To ensure fool-proof security, the President’s team has booked the entire the Taj Mahal Hotel, including 570 rooms, all banquets and restaurants. Since his security contingent and staff will comprise a huge number, 125 rooms at Taj President have also been booked, apart from 80 to 90 rooms each in Grand Hyatt and The Oberoi hotels. The NCPA, where the President is expected to meet representatives from the business community, has also been entirely booked.
The officer said, “Obama’s contingent is huge. There are two jumbo jets coming along with Air Force One, which will be flanked by security jets. There will be 30 to 40 secret service agents, who will arrive before him. The President’s convoy has 45 cars, including the Lincoln Continental in which the President travels.”
Since Obama will stay in a hotel that is on sea front, elaborate coastal security arrangements have been made by the US Navy in consonance with the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. “There will be US naval ships, along with Indian vessels , patrolling the sea till about 330-km from the shore. This is to negate the possibility of a missile being fired from a distance,” the officer said.
The President will be accompanied by his chefs, not because he would not like to savour Indian cuisine, but to ensure his food is not spiked.
OK, I get the need for the massive security detail; the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack ended with a siege of the Taj Mahal Hotel. Fine. But let’s weigh by what all predictions will be the astronomical cost of this venture against any possible benefit the latest leg of the Obama World Outreach Look At Me Tour will reap. In sum, very little, aside from another ego boost for Obama and the First Lady, who apparently will be keeping it real with the prostitutes of Mumbai:
Adding to the Obamas’ busy schedule is Michelle’s likely visit to Kamathipura, where she will meet commercial sex workers on the invitation of an NGO. The highprofile visit is likely to inconvenience the citizens, as there could be a complete clampdown on traffic on some main roads of south Mumbai and sanitisation of buildings flanking them.
What? She couldn’t find any ‘sex workers’ in D.C.? I hear Congress is ugly with them.
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