Dublin on high alert for summit

[happynewyear]

Henry McDonald, Ireland editor
Sunday April 25, 2004
The Observer

Ireland is to mount the largest security operation since independence for next weekend's May Day European summit in Dublin.
The centre of the Irish capital will be transformed into a virtual fortress as police and troops seek to protect delegates at the ceremony marking the accession of 10 new countries into the EU.

The centre of the Irish capital will be transformed into a virtual fortress as police and troops seek to protect delegates at the ceremony marking the accession of 10 new countries into the EU.

The Observer has obtained details of the unprecedented attempt to prevent a terrorist attack and/or widespread street disorder at the historic EU meeting. Measures to combat the threat of an al-Qaeda strike or the threat by anti-globalisation protesters include:

· The deployment of 7,000 gardai, including 2,000 transferred from rural areas into central Dublin.

link to the rest of this story:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1202834,00.html

[MichaelHarris]

1. wow

I was in Dublin a few months ago and that would be one hard city to police. twists and turns everywhere, not to mention beautiful women.

The beautiful women part doesn't have anything to do with security I just thought I'd throw that in.

[happynewyear]

2. well I'm figuring it this way

If they capture anyone, they can always lock them up in the Dublin Castle conveniently located in the center of town.

I agree, its filled with many twists and turns and has the Shannon River running conveniently through it as well.

Ah, the possibilities.

Who'd ever think it would come to this in the old country?

baldearg

[MichaelHarris]

3. After 10 days there

I realized we have alot of "fences to mend" across the pond. I love Ireland it was almost easier to say I'm Canadian sometimes.

[happynewyear]

4. not good no doubt

It is too bad it has come to this I'd say. I know people in Ireland weren't thrilled with Reagan. However, I'm afraid our current leader has finished the American image off sadly.

In many cases, I believe they dislike Bush and not so much the American people. I can only hope this is true.

It is difficult to adopt a new ethnicity and pretend I'd think. :shrug:

[MichaelHarris]

5. I don't

remember the street name but there's alot of clubs on it, I was using the phone and a couple of guys came up and gave me a hard time. I'm a pretty big guy so I let it go. The girl with them came back and apologized.

[happynewyear]

6. was this recently?

I haven't been there in quite sometime now. I know Clinton was almost worshipped; JFK = a saint.

Sorry to hear about this. Good thing you got away. :(

[MichaelHarris]

7. In October

it was no big deal, both of them together couldn't weigh no more than a buck 30. It was nice that the girl came back and apologized. We have family there but in one of the smaller towns.

[fearnobush]

8. I was in Dublin, Spring of 2002. So was Clinton and the city was one

galactic traffic jam. They really love him over their and despite what your pro-life Irish American relatives may say, Ireland is perhaps the most anti-Bush member of all the EU. In 2002, It seemed as though everyone viewed Bush as the selected idiot king who stole the election and who allowed 911 to occur out of pure ignorance. The right wing side of my family say they can't figure it out, why Ireland hates Bush so much. I tell them, "you should listen to the people of ancestry, they know because they have fought oppression for over a thousand years".

[riverwalker]

9. madman and his crazy war

was the talk in all the pubs when I was there in October before the war. They knew it was coming, probably before most Americans did.