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Washington diary: On Air Force One Washington diary: On Air Force One
(about 7 hours later)
By Matt Frei BBC News, WashingtonBy Matt Frei BBC News, Washington
Barack Obama has crossed the Atlantic and once again the world marvels at how an American president travels.Barack Obama has crossed the Atlantic and once again the world marvels at how an American president travels.
The president's plane is closely guarded - or is it?The president's plane is closely guarded - or is it?
It is the modern equivalent of a royal procession in deferential times, projecting power, bleating with pomp and circumstance.It is the modern equivalent of a royal procession in deferential times, projecting power, bleating with pomp and circumstance.
Instead of elephants, sedan chairs and Praetorian Guards, there are enough helicopters, planes and secret service agents to invade the host country.Instead of elephants, sedan chairs and Praetorian Guards, there are enough helicopters, planes and secret service agents to invade the host country.
I once went to Istanbul with the president and they shut down one of the world's busiest cities.I once went to Istanbul with the president and they shut down one of the world's busiest cities.
"Don't leave the hotel without a secret service escort," a worried woman from the State Department told me. "It's dangerous out there!""Don't leave the hotel without a secret service escort," a worried woman from the State Department told me. "It's dangerous out there!"
I snuck out like a truant schoolboy with my friend Alec Russell, who then worked for the Telegraph. We braved the bombers, kidnappers and assorted enemies of freedom to find carpets and kebabs and came back to the hotel in one piece.I snuck out like a truant schoolboy with my friend Alec Russell, who then worked for the Telegraph. We braved the bombers, kidnappers and assorted enemies of freedom to find carpets and kebabs and came back to the hotel in one piece.
Onboard pleasuresOnboard pleasures
Security concerns are taken to elaborate and extravagant heights.Security concerns are taken to elaborate and extravagant heights.
On a trip to Africa, the president's security entourage was bigger and packed more firepower than the armies, air-forces or navies of any of the countries that were hosting him, with the possible exception of South Africa.On a trip to Africa, the president's security entourage was bigger and packed more firepower than the armies, air-forces or navies of any of the countries that were hosting him, with the possible exception of South Africa.
The White House press corps travels in its own jumbo jet, chartered mostly from United Airlines. The stewardesses are like seasoned nannies dealing with naughty but polite charges. On that trip, the White House press corps travelled in its own jumbo jet, chartered from United Airlines. The stewardesses were like seasoned nannies dealing with naughty but polite charges.
On board, you are freer to enjoy the pleasures of flying than you would be on a normal United flight. For instance, you can pour yourself a glass of wine, standing next to the door, even while the plane is taxiing. You can rebel if you do not like the choice of movies (we watched Bend It Like Beckham six times, by popular request). On board, we were freer to enjoy the pleasures of flying than you would be on a normal flight. For instance, you could pour yourself a glass of wine, standing next to the door, even while the plane was taxiing. You could rebel if you did not like the choice of movies (we watched Bend It Like Beckham six times, by popular request).
When you are not being fed something to chew on, you are being spoon-fed something to write about by the administrationWhen you are not being fed something to chew on, you are being spoon-fed something to write about by the administration
You can roll oranges down the aisle without getting told off, have a pillow fight or - on one occasion - blindfold the commander of the US Seventh Fleet, who was hitching a ride on the press charter because his own plane had broken down in Ankara. You could roll oranges down the aisle without getting told off, have a pillow fight or - on one occasion - blindfold the commander of the US Seventh Fleet, who was hitching a ride on the press charter because his own plane had broken down in Ankara.
We played seat roulette with him - you pick a seat number out of a bag and the winner gets the collected cash - which he seemed to enjoy.We played seat roulette with him - you pick a seat number out of a bag and the winner gets the collected cash - which he seemed to enjoy.
Although you are on a different plane from the president, you are subject to rigorous security checks. As a member of the press, although you are on a different plane from the president, you are subject to rigorous security checks.
You are inside the bubble and once you leave the bubble, which extends from your plane to your hotel, to the bus that ferries you from one to the other, you become - in secret service vernacular - "unclean".You are inside the bubble and once you leave the bubble, which extends from your plane to your hotel, to the bus that ferries you from one to the other, you become - in secret service vernacular - "unclean".
You need to be thoroughly swept before you can re-enter the bubble - it is the secret service equivalent to entering holy orders.You need to be thoroughly swept before you can re-enter the bubble - it is the secret service equivalent to entering holy orders.
One of the odder features of the bubble is that you are constantly being fed. Wherever you go a buffet awaits, as if journalists cannot function without a constant, intravenous feed of food. Perhaps they cannot.One of the odder features of the bubble is that you are constantly being fed. Wherever you go a buffet awaits, as if journalists cannot function without a constant, intravenous feed of food. Perhaps they cannot.
I once almost destroyed my laptop in Munich by dripping the cognac cream sauce of an excellent duck breast into it, while trying to write a story.I once almost destroyed my laptop in Munich by dripping the cognac cream sauce of an excellent duck breast into it, while trying to write a story.
Impenetrable security?Impenetrable security?
When you are not being fed something to chew on, you are being spoon-fed something to write about by the administration.When you are not being fed something to chew on, you are being spoon-fed something to write about by the administration.
The bubble is also defined by an editorial firewall. I still remember the perplexed face of the President of Uganda at a meeting with George W Bush, when the only questions being asked by the White House press corps concerned reports that the US administration had massaged the intelligence about Iraq's attempts to buy yellowcake [a uranium concentrate] from Niger for a possible nuclear bomb.The bubble is also defined by an editorial firewall. I still remember the perplexed face of the President of Uganda at a meeting with George W Bush, when the only questions being asked by the White House press corps concerned reports that the US administration had massaged the intelligence about Iraq's attempts to buy yellowcake [a uranium concentrate] from Niger for a possible nuclear bomb.
"Yellowcake?" a Ugandan journalist asked. "Sweet yellow cake?""Yellowcake?" a Ugandan journalist asked. "Sweet yellow cake?"
It was on the same trip that we had one of the stranger encounters, undermining the notion that the bubble is a cocoon of impenetrable security.It was on the same trip that we had one of the stranger encounters, undermining the notion that the bubble is a cocoon of impenetrable security.
I had travelled the last leg of the trip on Air Force One, which was, it turned out, less enjoyable than the press charter once the novelty had worn off.I had travelled the last leg of the trip on Air Force One, which was, it turned out, less enjoyable than the press charter once the novelty had worn off.
OBAMA'S EUROPEAN TRIP Tuesday: Arrives in LondonWednesday: Mr and Mrs Obama breakfast with the Browns at 10 Downing Street; Mr Obama holds talks with Gordon Brown; meets Russian and Chinese presidents, David Cameron, and the QueenThursday: G20 summit; Mr Obama will also meet the Indian PM, the South Korean president and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia during the dayFriday: Departs for Strasbourg; meets French president; holds town-hall meeting; visits German Chancellor in Baden-Baden, returns to StrasbourgSaturday: Attends Nato summit in Strasbourg; departs for PragueSunday: Attends EU-US summit, departs for AnkaraMonday: Departs Ankara for US Q&A: G20 Summit Inside Obama's security bubble OBAMA'S EUROPEAN TRIP Tuesday: Arrives in LondonWednesday: Mr and Mrs Obama breakfast with the Browns at 10 Downing Street; Mr Obama holds talks with Gordon Brown; meets Russian and Chinese presidents, David Cameron, and the QueenThursday: G20 summit; Mr Obama will also meet the Indian PM, the South Korean president and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia during the dayFriday: Departs for Strasbourg; meets French president; holds town-hall meeting; visits German Chancellor in Baden-Baden, returns to StrasbourgSaturday: Attends Nato summit in Strasbourg; departs for PragueSunday: Attends EU-US summit, departs for AnkaraMonday: Departs Ankara for US Q&A: G20 Summit Inside Obama's security bubble
There were only 10 of us, cooped into the aft of the plane, a mile from the president, somewhere between the back loos and the missile-deflecting chaff dispenser.There were only 10 of us, cooped into the aft of the plane, a mile from the president, somewhere between the back loos and the missile-deflecting chaff dispenser.
The movie menu was severely limited by the President's choices: a Vietnam War film, a Western and, oddly, a French film.The movie menu was severely limited by the President's choices: a Vietnam War film, a Western and, oddly, a French film.
We did have steak for breakfast and we were allowed to use metal cutlery on the understanding that if we tried to use an egg spoon in anger we would be shot dead by half a dozen agents before we even made it to the door.We did have steak for breakfast and we were allowed to use metal cutlery on the understanding that if we tried to use an egg spoon in anger we would be shot dead by half a dozen agents before we even made it to the door.
We had just flown in from Pretoria and I now found myself outside a small bungalow where the Presidents of Uganda and America were exchanging niceties and presents, doing a live interview for the BBC News Channel.We had just flown in from Pretoria and I now found myself outside a small bungalow where the Presidents of Uganda and America were exchanging niceties and presents, doing a live interview for the BBC News Channel.
Suddenly, I heard someone scream hysterically behind me.Suddenly, I heard someone scream hysterically behind me.
I looked round and saw an African gentleman agitate wildly before he was pounced on by a posse of secret service agents. With quiet efficiency they folded him into a squirming human bundle as if they were displaying a clever contortionist trick. The man was carried away like a large UPS parcel and arrested.I looked round and saw an African gentleman agitate wildly before he was pounced on by a posse of secret service agents. With quiet efficiency they folded him into a squirming human bundle as if they were displaying a clever contortionist trick. The man was carried away like a large UPS parcel and arrested.
Paranoid securityParanoid security
It turns out that he had been a stowaway on the press charter. Without any credentials or even a passport, this resident of Soweto had taken the bus to Pretoria that morning, crept on to the heavily guarded air-force base where the presidential fleet was parked and snuck on to the press jumbo, without anyone even noticing.It turns out that he had been a stowaway on the press charter. Without any credentials or even a passport, this resident of Soweto had taken the bus to Pretoria that morning, crept on to the heavily guarded air-force base where the presidential fleet was parked and snuck on to the press jumbo, without anyone even noticing.
He sat in row 32 in the economy section, minding his own business, careful not to misbehave like the rest of the press corps. He had hoped to be going to Washington or New York, assuming that this was the final destination of the presidential entourage. So Entebbe, Uganda, must have come as a disappointment.He sat in row 32 in the economy section, minding his own business, careful not to misbehave like the rest of the press corps. He had hoped to be going to Washington or New York, assuming that this was the final destination of the presidential entourage. So Entebbe, Uganda, must have come as a disappointment.
His unnoticed breach of the bubble made a mockery of all the paranoid security arrangements. The entire press corps was subjected to a gruelling three-hour security sweep and the feverish attentions of a litter of eager sniffer dogs.His unnoticed breach of the bubble made a mockery of all the paranoid security arrangements. The entire press corps was subjected to a gruelling three-hour security sweep and the feverish attentions of a litter of eager sniffer dogs.
Finally, we were all allowed back on to our home in the sky. The captain came on the intercom: "I sincerely apologise ladies and gentlemen about the incident with the stowaway.Finally, we were all allowed back on to our home in the sky. The captain came on the intercom: "I sincerely apologise ladies and gentlemen about the incident with the stowaway.
"We shoulda known he wasn't one of us - he was the only one who ate the spinach frittata without complaining.""We shoulda known he wasn't one of us - he was the only one who ate the spinach frittata without complaining."
Matt Frei is the presenter of BBC World News America which airs every weekday on BBC News, BBC World News and BBC America (for viewers outside the UK only).Matt Frei is the presenter of BBC World News America which airs every weekday on BBC News, BBC World News and BBC America (for viewers outside the UK only).
Update: In an earlier version of this story, Matt Frei may have inadvertently given the impression that incidents he described that happened during his time travelling with President George W Bush were actually current events. This was not his intention.
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