World-Leader-Class Security

The Clinton Global Initiative is held at this location and this week because this is the week that leaders of countries from around the world gather to attend the United Nations General Assembly.  You probably know that President Bush addressed the assembly yesterday.  And you might have seen some news about Iranian President Ahmadinejad being in town.  So President Clinton takes advantage of this to bring many of these leaders to his conference.

When you have a number of world leaders in town there are vast security concerns.  You have to worry about terrorists.  Then you have to keep Bush and Ahmadinejad apart.  Then you have to keep Bush and the Cubans apart.  You have to keep Bush and Hugo Chavez away from each other.  (Chavez didn't show up this year but last year's address was memorable.) 

Yesterday I took a walk in the area around the UN building.  Block after block is lined with police officers and vehicles.  Intersections are blocked by dump trucks filed with sand.  Every intersection has a police presence.  Everywhere you see police, people with "Secret Service" jackets, black Suburbans with tinted windows and really strange-looking antennas all over them, and license plates that say "US Government" are everywhere.  And there are the black Suburbans with tinted windows and signs saying "Zimbabwe Press" or "Ethiopian Government."  Also there are black Suburbans with tinted windows and no apparent government connection driven by large men with earpieces.  The middle lane of the FDR highway, which passes under the UN building, is blocked by a dozen police cars, accompanied by black Suburbans with tinted windows.  Even stores are lined with security men with earpieces.  Barnes and Noble had three or four, looking at me.  (I decided not to browse the section of book on how to construct bombs.)

While I was walking a press gaggle passed buy, big hurry, cameramen walking backwards, microphones on booms pointing into the center of the group, everyone running up the street.  A few minutes later a woman ran up, asked, "Did the Secretary General pass this way?" and ran down the street.

I passed a homeless looking guy with dreadlocks, riding a brand-new bicycle, with an earpiece, looking very observant.  He was talking to his wrist.  I'm serious.  I think he was part of the security.  Or crazy.  Or perhaps he was just swept up in the moment.

Getting into this conference involves passing through a security detail with metal detectors. A background check was required to receive press credentials.  Outside, the street is partially blocked off, so cars can not come down the lane closest to the building.  The building is lined with police.

So security is very tight here, and necessarily so.