Red faces as NZ leader gets frisked

[rooboy]

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark was frisked at Sydney Airport for explosives in an incident that has embarrassed the Australian Government.

Despite having a NZ security officer with her, Miss Clark was pulled out of a queue on October 28 and given a body scan with a new explosives detection device to make sure she was not a bomb-carrying terrorist, The Age has learned.

Senior Australian Government sources said the incident was an embarrassment. It was not regarded as the right way to treat the leader of Australia's close ally, they said.

"You won't be surprised to hear the New Zealand Prime Minister was not found to be carrying any explosives," a spokesman for Transport Minister John Anderson said.

The Government sources said: "It was a bit silly to frisk the New Zealand Prime Minister. We would expect her to be recognised by airport security staff."

A senior adviser to Miss Clark said the NZ security officer accompanying his Prime Minister was "a bit upset" that she was being scanned for explosives.


http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/23/1069522472954.html

[R Hickey]

1. If New Zealand can have a leader named Clark, why can't we?

Perhaps if Ms. Clark had been a General too, this never would have happened.

There seems to be quite a contrast in the way that New Zealand's elected Prime Minister travels, and the way our SCOTUS-selected living-God traveled on His trip to England.

I know Clark's only going to Dubui, but when Ms Clark is visiting England, does she get to stay at Buck Palace, and if so, how many helicoptors is she allowed park in the Queen's flower garden? Also, how many square miles of downtown London does PM Clark get to shut down when she visits the Queen?

[izzie]

2. Well also 90% of the world most likely does not hate her.

Look at it this way, US is about 5% of world pop. About half who can vote do and about half of those who voted for this Bush did so, it means the worlds is being held in fear of us by someone who is pretty well down on being liked. He has to travel in a bubble.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Sounds like what happened to Gore a while back...

...but they actually KNEW who he was.

Intimidation in all of its finest forms.