Obama will fly into London for his first visit to the UK as president of the United States on Tuesday to take part in the G20 summit in the capital's Docklands area. He will not be travelling light.

More than 500 officials and staff will accompany the president on his tour this week - along with a mass of high-tech security equipment, including the $300,000 presidential limousine, known as The Beast. Fitted with night-vision camera, reinforced steel plating, tear- gas cannon and oxygen tanks, the vehicle is the ultimate in heavy armoured transport.

US security teams have already carried out three visits to prepare for Obama's first official visit to Britain. The first was a "site survey", the second a "pre-advance visit" which was carried out to pick sites that the president would visit. Finally there was the "advance trip", which took place last week. Its purpose was to set up equipment, sweep venues for electronic bugs, test food for poison and measure air quality for bacteria.

The entourage

Apart from the 200 secret service personnel who will follow Obama on his European tour, the president's entourage will also include representatives of the White House Military Office, the White House Transportation Agency, the White House Medical Unit, the Marine Corps Helicopter Squadron, the State Department Presidential Travel Support Service, the US Information Agency, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service and the Customs Service.

In addition, there will be staff from the White House kitchen ready to turn out a quick burger should the president suddenly feel peckish.

Michelle Obama will have eight of her own staff, including a secretary, a press officer and bodyguards. And Obama's personal aide Reggie Love - called by the president "the kid brother I never had" - will be at hand to provide pens, Nicorette gum, throat lozenges, tea or even aspirins

Guardian Uk

Is this routine procedure for American presidents? Or it just seems noticeable now

Is Obama under more attack than say G Bush?


Is the crew this much to advice Obama with his economic and foreign policies

_{i noticed he had longer pauses than usual when discussing the economy}

@topic,

I don't think the crew is a big deal. I bet it is just as large as any ever used by a former sitting president of the US. What I'll just like to know is this: how many teleprompters accompained him on the trip?

Clinton came to Nigeria with 1000 during Obj rule.

no difference. Watch the documentary on Airforce 1 during the Bush era . . . same large entourage most of which are actually advance security teams.

Tayo-D:

@topic,

I don't think the crew is a big deal. I bet it is just as large as any ever used by a former sitting president of the US. What I'll just like to know is this: how many teleprompters accompained him on the trip?

Not enough or perhaps they got the plugs wrong, his speeches weren't flowing as they were back home
not that he could use them anyway, he had to answer random questions

his Korean missile speech is the routine prepared speech

if only Bush had used teleprompters, he wont have made so many gaffes.

davidylan:

no difference. Watch the documentary on Airforce 1 during the Bush era . . . same large entourage most of which are actually advance security teams.

Bingo.

People tend to forget that. Also thanks to what some will perceive as "bad America's foreign policy", the President is obviously a target for several groups and people around the world.

During the Clinton era, I worked in an art gallery where Clinton paid a visit. His men took control of everything and talked to our security men like they are running kindergarten. Also a few people where vetted to work on that day. Those men who look after him just have "shot and ask questions later" written all over them. Having said that, they look professional but with a hint of "Assassin mode" on their faces.

@Davidylan,

if only Bush had used teleprompters, he wont have made so many gaffes.

Maybe, but at least he wasn't so hung up on teleprompters that he becomes a wreck without them as recorded by the British press recently.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/03/g20-barack-obama-nick-robinson-question

Tayo-D:

@Davidylan,
Maybe, but at least he wasn't so hung up on teleprompters that he becomes a wreck without them as recorded by the British press recently.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/03/g20-barack-obama-nick-robinson-question

he's not my father . . . so i dont care.
I think he needs to wean himself off the teleprompter though . . . the presidency isnt about fancy speeches to be honest.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsYF7ARj7-8[/flash]