Ring of steel as Bush sworn in

[rodeodance]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1390087,00.html

Ring of steel as Bush sworn in

Julian Borger in Washington
Friday January 14, 2005
The Guardian

A few square miles of central Washington will be transformed into an armed camp next week as the biggest security operation in the city's history is mounted for President Bush's inauguration.
When Mr Bush and his vice-president, Dick Cheney, are sworn in for the second time on the steps of the Capitol building at midday on Thursday, the US government will be at its most vulnerable. Just about every member of the executive, Congress and the supreme court will be in the same place.

To protect them, 6,000 police officers, 2,500 soldiers and hundreds of secret service officers will flood the area around Capitol Hill and Pennsylvania Avenue, the route of the inaugural parade, scanning the expected 750,000-strong crowd of supporters and protesters.

Air traffic into the city will be restricted, replaced by fighter jets and Black Hawk helicopters.

The outgoing homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge, overseeing the last grand event of his career, promised it would be the most secure ceremony in history. .......