Taking it seriously

The Times has an article by Hannah Strange about the President's security on his trip to Trinidad:

Belying its reputation for gun crime and gang violence, the Trinidadian capital Port of Spain is little more than a sleepy backwater, boasting low rise candy-coloured buildings nestled between verdant hills and the Caribbean sea. That was until the Obama show came to town. With soldiers, Secret Service, and fighter jets in tow, the US President’s entourage swamps the town of 130,000 people which, for months, has given its everyday existence over to the staging of the Summit of the Americas.
In the biggest security operation the former British colony has ever seen, the town has been put on virtual lockdown with whole swathes cordoned off and businesses closed. Troops have been brought in from Caricom, the regional bloc, along with other nearby national forces including the Sandhurst-trained Guyana Defence Force.
The US military has a strong presence, too, with troops and equipment flown in to ensure the safety of the most powerful man in the world. In all, some 5,000 specially trained security personnel line the town’s streets, while out at sea, military patrol boats brought in from the Bahamas and Barbados guard against any maritime threat.
US and Trinidadian officials have denied claims in the local press that the Pentagon has stationed fighter jets on an aircraft carrier offshore or on the nearby island of Tobago. But officials in Washington acknowledge that the US military is playing an active role in the special Joint Interagency Multinational Task Force headed by the Trinidad and Tobago government.
Felipe Noguera, the Summit’s communication director, confirmed to The Times that there would be a sizeable US military presence on the island, but insisted that they would remain under the direction of the Trinidad and Tobago military. Security advisers from countries as far afield as Israel would also be working with authorities, he said.
US fighter jets are on standby on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, some 400 miles to the west. A US advance team arrived last week to scope out the town and officials have described themselves as “very satisfied” with the security arrangements. They will take no chances with Mr Obama’s safety: he will travel at all times in the rocket-proof armoured limousine known as The Beast, transported to the island in the belly of one of the 25 planes and military craft carrying the delegation.
Mr Obama will arrive in Trinidad shortly before the opening ceremony at 5pm local time on board Air Force One. Among the 26 crew and 76 passengers on board the Boeing VC-25 will be the President’s personal physician and medical team, bringing along a supply of Mr Obama’s blood in case he needs emergency treatment.
The entire 380-room Hilton Trinidad hotel has been given over to the US delegation, which includes Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State. The government has taken over two cruise ships, the Caribbean Princess and Carnival Victory, for the accommodation of other delegations and the media.
Locals have been warned that life in the capital and its suburbs will grind to a standstill during the event, with lengthy traffic jams the norm, and whole zones inaccessible by foot or car. Many have complained about the spiralling cost of the summit— at around $160 million, according to local press, double what was initially estimated— and the effect on an urban infrastructure strained almost to breaking point by the arrival of 34 government delegations and up to 2,000 members of foreign media.
During a security dry-run last week, scores of motorists called local radio stations complaining of having to sit in the scorching sun for hours while the exercise was in progress. And the practice was not entirely successful, throwing up at least one major lapse in security. According to local press, the person playing the role of the Belizean Prime Minister was taken to the wrong airport terminal and left stranded in his aircraft for almost an hour before being handed over to police officers.
Summit organisers anticipate demonstrations before and during the conference, with several groups warning they will stage protests over Trinidad’s high crime rates, poor socio-economic conditions and the price tag of the event itself. Security forces will also be working to keep at bay the gang violence which mars the tranquility of Trinidadian life, and which last year claimed over three hundred lives.
It has yet to be decided whether Mr Obama will make a public appearance in the town in which, despite the disruption surrounding his presence, he remains immensely popular. Locals sporting I love Obama t-shirts have already been thronging the entrances of the Hilton and the waterfront Hyatt Regency which is to host most of the events, hoping for a glimpse of the newly-elected leader.

Rico says if they have to do this for Trinidad, what are they going to do in a real country?