Security tight for Powell's arrival<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The visit of high-ranking American officials to Indonesia always
\nmeans equally high levels of security, and it was no different
\nwhen U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived here on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Barely did Powell step foot on Indonesian soil and it seemed
\neverywhere he went became a kind of U.S. territory. Indeed some
\nlocal media wondered whether they'd ever get a chance to meet him
\nat all, with only several press photographers authorized to take
\npictures of his arrival at Halim Perdanakusuma airbase.<\/p>\n
True to form, Powell alighted heavily guarded by U.S. Secret
\nService agents.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot take pictures because they already have accredited
\nphoto and television crews covering the visit and only several
\ndesignated media are allowed to enter the airport,\" an annoyed
\nphotographer said.<\/p>\n
About 30 secret service agents have already been here for one
\nweek to prepare for the retired general's visit.<\/p>\n
With his arrival at the Jakarta Convention Center on Thursday
\nafternoon, the agents acted as if they were on home ground.<\/p>\n
\"You guys have to stay behind this line, even when there is no
\nactual line over here, just consider this as an imaginary line.
\nAs long as you stay behind the line we are okay,\" an agent said
\nto journalists.<\/p>\n
Irritated by this \"instruction\", one journalist made a
\nsarcastic comeback, \"Yes, an imaginary line with barbed-wire.\"
\nThe agent was not impressed.<\/p>\n
Powell will be in Jakarta for two days to attend the ASEAN
\nRegional Forum (ARF) and is set to have a bilateral talks with
\nhis Indonesian counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan
\nWirayuda, on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
To prepare the visit, the secret service agency brought along
\nspecial dog-handlers and cleared out an entire floor at the Mulia
\nHotel in South Jakarta where Powell's officials are to stay the
\nnight.<\/p>\n
The agents also requested partitions be placed at the top of
\nthe stairway in the hotel so people couldn't see into the U.S.
\narea.<\/p>\n
\"This is not a special request. They just asked us to follow
\ntheir standard procedures for security. No journalists are
\nallowed to go near Powell. He has his own cars and procedures.
\nBut there's nothing extraordinary in this,\" an official in
\ncharge of protocol told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The official acknowledged there could be problems using mobile
\nphones during the ASEAN meeting, because American agents were
\nplanning to jam all mobile signals for security reasons.<\/p>\n
\"But this is still being arranged,\" he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/security-tight-for-powells-arrival-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }