ROD BREWER
US President Barack Obama will touch down in Brisbane tomorrow along with a huge presidential entourage rivalled only in size by that of Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz.
During his last presidential visit in 2011, Obama arrived with an entourage of 500 people as well as 200 secret service staff, a personal chef and the high ranking military official who carries America’s nuclear codes.
Obama and his crew will travel to Australia with a fleet of airplanes including the presidential jet Air Force One.
Upon arrival, the President will be escorted to his hotel and subsequent G20 Leaders’ Summit in ‘Cadillac One’ otherwise known as ‘The Beast’.
The Beast has been described as a tank on wheels and boasts a number of classified security features.
Some of the Cadillac’s better known built-in redundancies designed to protect its presidential cargo include night vision, puncture resistant tyres and an on-board presidential blood bank containing the President’s blood type.
Earlier this week The Australian newspaper revealed that the Federal Government had received a request to demolish a roundabout near the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus, ahead of a presidential speech to be held there this Saturday.
Apparently this was because the Presidential driver would have to slow down to navigate The Beast through the roundabouts.
Though the American Government offered to pay for the destruction and ultimate rebuilding of the roundabout, Australian officials denied the request.
Many of the world’s leaders are set to arrive in Brisbane this Friday although possibly with fewer in their retinue.