Thread: Obama in Darwin

Police converge on Darwin for Obama visit
Wed Nov 16 2011

Scores of police from around Australia will be in Darwin on Thursday to help provide security for the visit by US President Barack Obama.

NT Police Deputy Commissioner Shayne Maines said the security crackdown was unprecedented for the Northern Territory and would involve 190 interstate and federal police and an unspecified number of other security personnel.

"Police and security services are taking this very seriously," Mr Maines said.

"The White House has confirmed that this is not a public visit and as such there are no allocated public viewing points at any stage," he added.

He said people living on The Esplanade, where Mr Obama will travel when visiting the USS Peary memorial, needed to be mindful of the way they behaved on their balconies during the event.

"There is a heightened security around the venue, and I would just ask people to use common sense and behave appropriately," Mr Maines said.

As well as the police presence, 12 F/A-18 Hornets will be deployed to monitor security from the sky.

Homeless people who commonly sleep along The Esplanade have been urged to move on ahead of the visit.

NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson said the security of the president was paramount and exclusion zones around where he was travelling would be in place.

Mr Henderson told reporters he was disappointed there would not be a designated area for locals to see Mr Obama while he was in Darwin.

He said he had made a formal request to the White House a couple of weeks ago for such an area to be available, but due to security reasons and time constraints he had been turned down.

Mr Obama is due to fly into Darwin at 3.45pm (CST) and leave at 5.55pm.

news.ninemsn.com.au

Obama insured against crocodiles in Australia


US President Barack Obama waves as he arrives on Air Force One at Fairbairn Airport in Canberra on November 16, 2011.
Photo by AFP

SYDNEY: US President Barack Obama is expected to receive a warm welcome in Australia Wednesday, but just in case the reception is wilder than expected a firm has offered him insurance against crocodiles.

Obama will be the fifth US president to visit close ally Australia, and his flying two-day visit will take in the staid capital Canberra as well as the Northern Territory town of Darwin, in the heart of “Crocodile Dundee” country.

Local firm TIO has snapped up the opportunity to insure the high-profile visitor, issuing a him with a Crocodile Attack Insurance policy which will pay out Aus$50,000 (US$50,870) if the president is fatally attacked by a reptile.

“It’s a unique product for a unique environment and we’re excited to be issuing one of these policies for Obama as a memento of his time in the Territory,” chief executive Richard Harding said.

The company, which has been providing crocodile cover for more than 20 years, hopes to present a framed copy of the policy – which features a menacing photo of the deadly predator – to Obama in Darwin on Thursday.

An average of two people are killed each year in Australia by salt water crocodiles, known locally as “salties”, which can grow up to seven metres (23 feet) long and weigh more than a tonne.

In June, park rangers harpooned a monster 4.5 metre croc at a waterhole northeast of Darwin where it had been terrorising fishermen.

It was one of nearly 200 of the man-eaters trapped in the territory in the first half of the year.

dawn.com

follow from someone who was involved


When he flies into the RAAF base in Darwin he'll move to Hanger 32 to speak to the press. The seating (bleachers) are 6 sets of hydraulic seats provided by the DARWIN NORTH ROTARY CLUB. We have to take it down on Sunday.

Upon these seats will be placed the asses of the worlds press.

The hanger, in which you could easily fit a 747 is being fitted ( last tuesday night) with a monumental A/C system for the 20 or so minutes BO will be there.

The lighting and sound rig would put a Floyd concert to shame.

cheers

you can quote me


thanxs kermit

Does his mere presence qualify for an automatic Darwin Award?

He came, he saw, he charmed the NT
November 17th, 2011


US President Barack Obama waves goodbye to the Territory before taking off for Bali on Air Force One.
Picture: MICHAEL FRANCHI


Obama mingles with Territory troops at the RAAF Base, Darwin.
Picture: BRAD FLEET

US President Barack Obama has departed the Territory after spending half an hour greeting troops in an aircraft hangar at RAAF Base Darwin.

US President Barack Obama was given an extraordinary Territory welcome by Australian troops.

More than 1500 defence force men and women cheered wildly as he strolled into an aircraft hangar at RAAF Base Darwin.

The atmosphere was pure NT dash.

Mr Obama had dispensed with the tie and jacket he wore in Canberra.

After being introduced by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard, he said "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!''

Your Say

"I must say i had a "woteva" attitude to Obama's visit to the NT today, it was all worth it to see the pride on the faces of the people that shook The Presidents hand during the service on the Esplanade and the RAAF Base (I loved the jacket and tie-less look) today. It bought a tear to my eye to see a person with so much power in this world of ours bring such sheer and utter joy to the faces of the lucky ones who were personaly touched by this proud moment in this historic moment in the NT. "

Pam

And he got a thunderous reply: "Oi! Oi! Oi!''

The President thanked Australian troops for their service in Afghanistan and other war zones.

He said Australians and Americans have stood together on the battlefield since World War I.

"We have a commitment to stand together through thick and thin, no matter what,'' he said.

The US leader has now flown to Bali where he is to attend an ASEAN summit.

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama hugged a crying Larrakia woman during a visit to the USS Peary memorial in Darwin.

The President and Prime Minister Julia Gillard travelled to the USS Peary memorial on The Esplanade, Darwin, to lay a wreath and pay their respects to the American sailors killed during the sinking of the ship.

The president then met a group of civilians, including survivors of the Bombing of Darwin, and shook their hands.

The Larrakia woman, Mary Cubillo Lee, lost her father during the Bombing.
She cried when the President gave her a hug.

People were hanging out of the balconies, some shouting ''Obama''.

The President spent about 15 minutes at the memorial before being driven to his next stop to address Territory troops at the RAAF Base Darwin, Winnellie

The US leader had touched down in Darwin 15 minutes late as parts of the city were under lockdown.

He was greeted by a party of people, including Prime Minister Julia Gillard, NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson, NT Administrator Sally Thomas, Indigenous elder William Risk, and US Consul General in Melbourne, Frank Urbancic.

He spoke briefly to the party before jumping into the armoured black Cadillac.

The motorcade then sped off to the memorial service.

ABOUT 2000 people - troops and community leaders - gathered in an aircraft hanger at RAAF Base Darwin to greet the US president who spoke about 5pm.

Nearly all members of the public were casually dressed. Darwin Mayor Graeme Sawyer and Alice Springs Mayor Damien Ryan were not allowed to wear their mayoral robes.

Parliamentary Speaker Jane Aagard was hoping President Obama would sign an NT News paper hat, which she would send to her brother and sister-and-law who live in America.

Businessman Mick Burns was hoping Mr Obama will sign a crocodile skin, which would then be sold for charity.

ntnews.com.au

Only to be expected, Oz brown nosing the US.

He wouldn't have been as welcome in NZ!

The real reason for US presence in Oz is to get hold of the iron ore and uranium.

The US moving its mulitary into Pacifica is a very unwelcome move.

There's no way the pacific nations can be defended militarily by the presence of a few thousand troops in OZ or even realistically threatened by Chinese naval powers.

Oz is gonna be a nice target for China though.

I don't think the Pacific Islands need USA to clear out greedy Chinese.

As much as they like to flaunt their wealth in the Pacific and attempt tp manipulate local markets and businesses, local anger against them has driven them out in the past, didn't need an army, mate.

USA wasn't there either.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Does his mere presence qualify for an automatic Darwin Award?

Richly deserving of one indeed...