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CNN Live At Daybreak
Security Tight for President Bush's Visit to London.
Aired November 18, 2003 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the threat of an al Qaeda attack along with angry protests, security is also tight for President Bush's visit to London.
Let's head live to London and CNN's Robin Oakley -- good morning, Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And it certainly is the toughest security that we've ever seen for any visiting leader in Britain. When Vladimir Putin of Russia came in June, there was nothing like this degree of security. There will be 15,000 policemen on the streets of London while the president is here. They've tripled the number from only 4,000 or 5,000 that they were planning originally to cover this visit, and that is partly because of the al Qaeda threat.
It's not a threat specifically directed, we understand, to the president's visit. London has been on a very high alert for some weeks now. But the conjunction of that threat and the president's visit has certainly led them to take no chances.
And, of course, big demonstrations are expected here against the war in Iraq and the president's policy on that. And the marchers have now been given permission to march down Whitehall, close to Downing Street, where the prime minister, Tony Blair, and the president will be meeting on Thursday.
So there is a huge security effort going on to make quite sure that the president is kept safe while the right of British protesters to demonstrate is still mentioned. The police here are saying it's not part of their job to spare the president embarrassment -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, many Britons are complaining that too much security is being provided. Is that really fair?
OAKLEY: Well, I think given the degree of the threat, most people would reckon that you've got to take every precaution on the visit of a U.S. president who is such a major target for terrorists. But, of course, there are all the usual grumbles, from taxi drivers and people going about their business in London who fear that there's going to be gridlock in the capital. In fact, the police are promising us they're going to keep it to a minimum and that they're just going to close down roads for a while, as the president's motorcade passes.
But there is some degree of irritation. But at the same time, although there is some opposition to President Bush's policies, he is here as the representative of the American state. Most people in Britain are pretty pro-American, traditional allies in war time. American culture, American food popular here. And a poll this morning showed 62 percent seeing America as a force for good in the world and in the same poll 43 percent reckoned that the president's visit was a good thing. Only 36 percent were against it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Robin Oakley reporting live from London today.
Read about the president's visit and the heightened security arrangements on our Web site. The address, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 18, 2003 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the threat of an al Qaeda attack along with angry protests, security is also tight for President Bush's visit to London.
Let's head live to London and CNN's Robin Oakley -- good morning, Robin.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And it certainly is the toughest security that we've ever seen for any visiting leader in Britain. When Vladimir Putin of Russia came in June, there was nothing like this degree of security. There will be 15,000 policemen on the streets of London while the president is here. They've tripled the number from only 4,000 or 5,000 that they were planning originally to cover this visit, and that is partly because of the al Qaeda threat.
It's not a threat specifically directed, we understand, to the president's visit. London has been on a very high alert for some weeks now. But the conjunction of that threat and the president's visit has certainly led them to take no chances.
And, of course, big demonstrations are expected here against the war in Iraq and the president's policy on that. And the marchers have now been given permission to march down Whitehall, close to Downing Street, where the prime minister, Tony Blair, and the president will be meeting on Thursday.
So there is a huge security effort going on to make quite sure that the president is kept safe while the right of British protesters to demonstrate is still mentioned. The police here are saying it's not part of their job to spare the president embarrassment -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, many Britons are complaining that too much security is being provided. Is that really fair?
OAKLEY: Well, I think given the degree of the threat, most people would reckon that you've got to take every precaution on the visit of a U.S. president who is such a major target for terrorists. But, of course, there are all the usual grumbles, from taxi drivers and people going about their business in London who fear that there's going to be gridlock in the capital. In fact, the police are promising us they're going to keep it to a minimum and that they're just going to close down roads for a while, as the president's motorcade passes.
But there is some degree of irritation. But at the same time, although there is some opposition to President Bush's policies, he is here as the representative of the American state. Most people in Britain are pretty pro-American, traditional allies in war time. American culture, American food popular here. And a poll this morning showed 62 percent seeing America as a force for good in the world and in the same poll 43 percent reckoned that the president's visit was a good thing. Only 36 percent were against it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Robin Oakley reporting live from London today.
Read about the president's visit and the heightened security arrangements on our Web site. The address, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
