Local police beef up base security ahead of Obama visit

[unhappycamper]

Local police beef up base security ahead of Obama visit
By Charlie Reed, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, November 12, 2009

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Japanese police are swarming U.S. military bases in Japan ahead of the arrival of President Barack Obama in Tokyo on Friday.

The Japanese National Police and coast guard are augmenting American security forces at all bases in mainland Japan and Okinawa, according to a statement from U.S. Forces Japan.

About 16,000 officers from the National Police Agency have been assigned to the security detail for the president’s two-day visit and for the 20th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Akihito on Thursday, a police spokeswoman said Tuesday.

While some officers are working on the bases, others have set up checkpoints just outside the bases to monitor vehicle and pedestrian traffic for suspicious activity. Force Protection Condition Bravo was implemented Tuesday at all U.S. bases in mainland Japan and Okinawa, military officials said. It is the second lowest of a four-level threat scale applied daily at all military installations.

At Yokota, just 25 miles from downtown Tokyo where Obama will meet with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, police could be seen outside the perimeter of the base near the airfield Tuesday. Shipments of equipment and supplies associated with the presidential entourage have been arriving at the base, although it is unclear whether Obama will fly into Yokota or a commercial airport, Yokota spokesman Maj. Christopher Watt said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66023

[monmouth]

1. Sad to say but our President is probably safer there than here....n/t