Question

[Gold9472]

From www.cooperativeresearch.org (http://www.cooperativeresearch.org)

September 10, 2001: President Arrives at Longboat Key Resort; Tight Overnight Security Includes Surface-to-Air Missiles
At 6:30 p.m., President Bush arrives at the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key, Florida. [Sammon, 2002, pp. 13; Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/10/2002] He is in Florida as part of a weeklong effort to place a national spotlight on education and reading, and visited a school in Jacksonville earlier in the day. [ABC News, 9/10/2001; Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville), 9/10/2001] In preparation for the president’s visit to the resort, all guests have been cleared out of the building “to make way for the invasion of White House staffers, aides, communications technicians—even an antiterrorism unit.” Overnight, snipers and surface-to-air missiles are located on the roof of the Colony and adjacent structures, to protect the president. “The Coast Guard and the Longboat Key Police Department manned boats that patrolled the surf in front of the resort all night. Security trucks with enough men and arms to stop a small army parked right on the beach. An Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) plane circled high overhead in the clear night sky.” [Sammon, 2002, pp. 13 and 25; Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/10/2002] Whether this is a typical level of security for a presidential visit, or is increased due to recent terror warnings, is unstated.

Is there evidence that "surface-to-air missiles" are always put on the roof of where the President stays or was this a rarity?

[Gold9472]

Mid-July 2001: More G-8 Summit Warnings Describe Plane as Flying Bomb
US intelligence reports another spike in warnings related to the July 20-22 G-8 summit in Genoa, Italy. The reports include specific threats discovered by the head of Russia’s Federal Bodyguard Service that al-Qaeda will try to kill Bush as he attends the summit. [CNN, 3/2002] Two days before the summit begins, the BBC reports: “The huge force of officers and equipment which has been assembled to deal with unrest has been spurred on by a warning that supporters of Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden might attempt an air attack on some of the world leaders present.” The attack is called off.

[b]July 20-22, 2001: During G-8 Summit, Italian Military Prepare Against Attack from the Sky
The G8 summit is held in Genoa, Italy. Acting on previous warnings that al-Qaeda would attempt to kill President Bush and other leaders, Italian authorities surround the summit with antiaircraft guns. They keep fighters in the air and close off local airspace to all planes. [Los Angeles Times, 9/27/2001] The warnings are taken so seriously that Bush stays overnight on an aircraft carrier offshore, and other world leaders stay on a luxury ship. [CNN, 7/18/2001] No attack occurs. US officials at the time state that the warnings were “unsubstantiated” but after 9/11, they will claim success in preventing an attack. [Los Angeles Times, 9/27/2001]

Other than those two reports that cite protection from the skies, does anyone know of anymore? Previous Presidents, etc...?

[simuvac]

I see where you're going with this....

[Gold9472]

I see where you're going with this....

Where's that? If you mean the obvious... that I'm trying to figure out if the precautions they took in Florida are considered normal, or if they were special for just that occasion, leading us to believe they were aware that something was about to happen, then you would be right.

[simuvac]

Yep.

Probably tough to determine with any certainty.

But perhaps in combination with the Pentagon generals cancelling their flighton Sept 10, and Ashcroft's use of a private jet, you could show some kind of foreknowledge.

[Gold9472]

Foreknowledge is really easy to show... I'm trying to show that they actually took precautions to protect themselves BECAUSE of the foreknowledge...

[simuvac]

Foreknowledge is really easy to show... I'm trying to show that they actually took precautions to protect themselves BECAUSE of the foreknowledge...

I wonder if a FOIA request could reveal "instructions" for Bush's protection during the summit?

[Gold9472]

I wonder if a FOIA request could reveal "instructions" for Bush's protection during the summit?

I don't know the first thing about FOIA's. I wish someone that did tried one for this kind of info.