Dealing With Explosives
"The President believes that all of us who travel abroad represent our country, and the people of the United States need to behave with the utmost, the highest levels of integrity and probity. If, in fact, it turns out that some of the reported allegations are true, he will be angry about that." White House press secretary Jay Carney
Not angry enough - at least in public, to rail in disgust at an unseemly display of misbehaviour on the part of those tasked as security professionals and specialists entrusted to protect their president while projecting an aura of respectable intelligence - to embarrass the U.S. Secret Service department which has embarrassed itself by its undisciplined and loutish behaviour.
Because, after all, this is the security branch that the First Family of America must depend upon for its safety and security. Carefully balancing an attitude of concern over the unfortunate occurrence with a statement that clearly indicates respect for agents who have been trained and who have sworn to selflessly risk their lives in protection of their president.
"They put their lives on the line. And it's a very, very difficult job. And [Mr. Obama] acknowledges that and appreciates it".
And, in turn the Secret Service has been quick to assure the public that their president's safety was never compromised as he attended last week's Summit of the Americas meeting in Colombia. Nonetheless an enquiry is required and is scheduled to be undertaken into the conduct and performance of those agents involved.
Each of whom was possessed of a secret itinerary outlining President Barack Obama's schedule during his visit to Cartagena for the summit meeting. These were agents who were sent to the meeting site prior to the start of the meeting as an advance team meant to secure the area.
These were trained professionals from a wealthy privileged country entering a country with an emerging economy that has been historically wracked with the violence of conflicting drug cartels.
They engaged the professional services of Colombian women, inviting the women to accompany them back to their Caribe Hotel from the discotheque where they met, for pre-summit partying. The women had no idea who these confident men were, what they represented, and they agreed to a price for their services. It was when one of the women, a 24-year-old single mother was upset that the event unravelled.
She had informed the agent who asked for her services that it would cost him $800, and he agreed. The following morning he gave her $30. She argued with him, causing a fuss, calling out to a friend, bringing two Colombian police and a security guard stationed in the hotel to the scene. They became involved, suggesting she be paid the full agreed-upon price. She was eventually paid $225.
The women had their own sense of dignity; they were escorts, not common prostitutes. "You have higher rank. An escort is someone who a man can take out to dinner. She can dress nicely, wear nice makeup, speak and act like a lady. That's me." She and her friend were obviously high-end escorts, they just happened to come across customers who were of the belief they could run roughshod over Colombian women; prostitutes, after all.
And they were specialists in their field, trained to spot snipers, and to expertly deal with explosive situations. And, like the specialists they are, they created their very own explosive situation.
Labels: Human Relations, Political Realities, Security, Sexism, Social-Cultural Deviations, United States
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, April 18, 2012
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