Rs150-crore security system to keep watch on Obama

world’s most sophisticated surveillance system will be used for the security of US president Barack Obama when he visits Delhi.

The system, codenamed C4Eye, has been imported from Israel at a cost of approximately Rs150 crores. It had a bit of a rough run at the beginning — flopping on debut at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony on October 3. This caused a flutter and angered Union home minister P Chidambaram. Later, the system did its job at all important venues during the Games.

The security apparatus has the capacity to ‘Command-Control-Communicate-Coordinate’ 36 surveillance cameras at the same time. These cameras can be installed at various places of strategic importance and can be monitored from control rooms at the Delhi police headquarters.

However, the Obama visit will be an acid test for the C4Eye system, since it has never been used during VVIP visits, let alone a US president.

The cameras have been installed in consultation with top American officials who have been taking care of the minutest security details of Obama’s trip. The US president’s security team has been on the job in Delhi for the past three months, leaving nothing in the hands of Delhi Police or other agencies.

More than 1,500 security personnel have been flown in from the US to be deployed during Obama’s visit to Mumbai and Delhi. This will be in addition to thousands of security personnel from Delhi Police and paramilitary forces who will provide peripheral, traffic and other security arrangements.

US securitymen will take over Taj Hotel in Mumbai a week before Obama lands there. They will be at the ITC Maurya Sheraton from November 2. Obama’s staff will bring food items and chefs from the US to make sure everything is fool-proof.

An officer connected with Obama’s security said it’s now part of the US president’s travel mandate that everything is brought in special jets wherever he travels in the world. Obama’s contingent will be largest ever and will fill up only Maurya but neighbouring Taj too. The president will travel in Air Force One. His contingent, comprising US businessmen and officials, will come in two jumbo jets.

Plus, there will be four cargo planes and two security jets. The president will travel in cars specially flown from the US and specially-designed keeping his security needs in mind. When Obama is in Mumbai, ships and vessels from the Indian Navy, the US Navy and the Coast Guard will patrol up to 330km of the seashore to prevent any attack.

(source:dnaindia.com)

Obama with young voters

Arrival of Obama in 

Wisconsin, to

campaign among 

young voters

President Obama arrived in Wisconsin Tuesday afternoon, hoping that the warmth of a college-style pep rally will offset the political chill of the upcoming midterm elections.

Obama arrived on Air Force One from sunny New Mexico, grabbed a navy blue windbreaker to fight off the Midwestern autumn chilliness. But his real message comes later Tuesday at a Madison rally where he will try to bring back the enthusiasm among college students and other voters who helped propel him into the presidency.

The Madison trip is the first of series of appearances on college campuses before the Nov. 2 election. The Obama camp is hoping to reenergized as many as 15 million Americans who were first time voters in 2008 to help Democrats keep control of Congress.

Most polls show Republicans running strongly with the hope of capturing at least 39 more seats to win control of the House.

Though Democrats and Republicans are almost equally matched in voter registration, most polls show Republicans more enthusiastic about their candidates, especially the new group that won nominations with the help of the “tea party” movement.

Obama left the tarmac and headed to the University of Wisconsin where he will deliver what aides have indicated will be a rousing speech on a campus that was solidly in his camp in 2008.

The GOP needs a net gain of 10 seats to win control of the Senate and have target a Wisconsin senator who faces a tough reelection race.

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) was initially expected to miss the event, but tweeted this afternoon that he was “proud to join President Obama at my alma mater.”

The three-term senator is trailing in his re-election bid to businessman Ron Johnson.A new Fox News/Pulse Opinion Research poll released on Tuesday showed Johnson with a 52% to 44% lead.

The same survey also put Obama’s approval rating in the state at just 41%, with 53% disapproving of his job performance.

“I think the president is concerned that if he can’t win here, he’s got big time problems,” said Reince Priebus, chair of the Wisconsin Republican Party. “He’s not a net positive for Democrats in Wisconsin, he’s a net negative. … Then again, where else is he going to go?”Michael A. Memoli, of the Tribune Washington Bureau contributed to this report.

(source:ky3.com)