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Security breached: Intruder gets into White House

Ockham

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Yahoo News / AP said:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Secret Service is coming under intense scrutiny after a man who hopped the White House fence made it all the way through the front door before being

President Barack Obama and his daughters had just departed the White House on Friday evening when an intruder scaled the north fence, darted across the lawn and into the presidential residence, where agents nabbed him. The security breach triggered a rare evacuation of much of the White House, with Secret Service officers drawing their guns as they rushed staffers and journalists out a side door.

For the Secret Service, the incident was a devastating episode that prompted fresh questions about the storied agency and its ability to protect the president. The Republican Party's Jason Chaffetz, who chairs the House of Representatives' subpanel on national security oversight, called it "totally unacceptable" but said the incident was just one of a string of security failings on the Secret Service's watch.

"Unfortunately, they are failing to do their job," Chaffetz said. "These are good men and women, but the Secret Service leadership has a lot of questions to answer."
"Was the door open?" he added incredulously. The Secret Service said the incident would be carefully reviewed to ensure proper protocols were followed.

The man in jeans and a dark shirt who scaled the fence appeared to be unarmed, but ignored commands from officers to halt, Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said. He was tackled just inside the doors of the North Portico, the grand, columned entrance that looks out over Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue. A search of the suspect turned up no weapons.
The Secret Service identified the suspect as Omar J. Gonzalez, a 42-year-old man from Copperas Cove, Texas. He was charged with unlawful entry into the White House complex and transported to a nearby hospital complaining of chest pain. Attempts to reach Gonzalez or his relatives by phone were unsuccessful.
Although it's not uncommon for people to make it over the White House fence, they're typically stopped almost immediately and rarely get very far. Video from the scene showed the intruder sprinting across the lawn as Secret Service agents shouted at nearby pedestrians to clear the area.

Security breached: Intruder gets into White House

Fence jumpers are nothing new - what is new is that this guy actually got INTO the White House. Incredible since the SS are on duty 24/7/365 and have been for decades to prevent just such an occurrance from happening. Just think - this guy could have had a dirty bomb or C4 strapped to him or a biological weapon and got INTO the White House because of failed Secret Service. I saw on CNN that there is now a full sweep of the grounds to make sure this guy didn't drop something - like a weapon or biologic. This is a WTF moment.
 
It most certainly is a "WTF moment"! This is NOT suppose to happen. I can understand some crazy getting through security at a public speaking event or rally of some kind, but not at the White House. Totally unacceptable.
 
Security breached: Intruder gets into White House

Fence jumpers are nothing new - what is new is that this guy actually got INTO the White House. Incredible since the SS are on duty 24/7/365 and have been for decades to prevent just such an occurrance from happening. Just think - this guy could have had a dirty bomb or C4 strapped to him or a biological weapon and got INTO the White House because of failed Secret Service. I saw on CNN that there is now a full sweep of the grounds to make sure this guy didn't drop something - like a weapon or biologic. This is a WTF moment.

Maybe under the Obama administration the WH is adopting an "open borders" policy...;) (Tongue in cheek there)....
 
The secret service seems to be going to hell lately. Not impressive.
 
They evacuated the Entire White House to top it off.....all for one intruder. BO had left the building too. Just think if BO would have been there. If he is afraid he will get hurt in a basketball game.....he would have panicked and split in 4 different directions over something like this. Just sayin.
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Bumping up your thread Ockham.
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Secret Service says they know how to stop fence jumpers. Maybe they should let BO know this info for Border Security.


Why the Secret Service didn’t shoot the White House fence-jumper.....

The small army of Secret Service agents guarding the White House carry a wide range of weapons and get training on how to repel sophisticated armed assaults – so why did no one shoot the intruder who jumped the fence on Friday and got all the way to the mansion’s doors?

Officials inside the storied agency describe astonishment and embarrassment that no one tackled the suspect — identified as Omar J. Gonzalez, 42, of Copperas Cove, Texas — before he reached the grand columned entrance that looks out at Pennsylvania avenue. But they also defend the decision to hold their fire. “This wasn’t a military-style assault. He had no bag, no backpack, no visible weapons. And from the early reports from the officers he seemed to be mentally disturbed,” one insider told Yahoo News. “I know how to stop fence-jumpers,” the insider said. “We close Pennsylvania Avenue to pedestrians completely and we put barbed wire on top of the fence.” “But that’s not reasonable,” the source added. “We want Americans to be able to come up to that fence line and take pictures and have fun and enjoy it.”.....snip~

Why the Secret Service didn
 
It most certainly is a "WTF moment"! This is NOT suppose to happen. I can understand some crazy getting through security at a public speaking event or rally of some kind, but not at the White House. Totally unacceptable.

No security system is 100% inpenetrable.
 
The secret service seems to be going to hell lately. Not impressive.

Irs become more challenging for them to give a rip. Is it really surprising they are more interested in getting drunk and whoreing ?
 
Reports indicate that the intruder was Ted Cruz. He figured it was the only way he could ever get into the White House. And his parents had experience in sneaking into places.
 
Reports indicate that the intruder was Ted Cruz. He figured it was the only way he could ever get into the White House. And his parents had experience in sneaking into places.

Don't give up your day job.
 
Security breached: Intruder gets into White House

Fence jumpers are nothing new - what is new is that this guy actually got INTO the White House. Incredible since the SS are on duty 24/7/365 and have been for decades to prevent just such an occurrance from happening. Just think - this guy could have had a dirty bomb or C4 strapped to him or a biological weapon and got INTO the White House because of failed Secret Service. I saw on CNN that there is now a full sweep of the grounds to make sure this guy didn't drop something - like a weapon or biologic. This is a WTF moment.

The Presidential race gets longer and longer. This is a little early by anyone's standards. 2016 is the year you are suppose to make the run for the White House....
 
No security system is 100% inpenetrable.

Exactly why building a billion dollar fence across the Mexican border would be a waste of money. What would make more sense is fining or jailing employers that hire illegals. That would remove the incentive for them to come up here for jobs. Would be a hell of a lot cheaper too.
 
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Irs become more challenging for them to give a rip. Is it really surprising they are more interested in getting drunk and whoreing ?

So what exactly are you implying?
 
Exactly why building a billion dollar fence across the Mexican border would be a waste of money. What would make more sense is fining or jailing employers that hire illegals. That would remove the incentive for them to come up here for jobs. Woukd be a hell of a lot cheaper too.

By that logic, we shouod get rid of the phyisical securiry system around the WH and disband the Secret Service. Do you agree?
 
Maybe under the Obama administration the WH is adopting an "open borders" policy...;) (Tongue in cheek there)....

You, sir, get a like.
 
By that logic, we shouod get rid of the phyisical securiry system around the WH and disband the Secret Service. Do you agree?

Not the same thing and you know it. I wasn't aware of any illegals wanting to get a job at the whitehouse are you?

I was speaking about the illegal immigration issue.
 
Not the same thing and you know it. I wasn't aware of any illegals wanting to get a job at the whitehouse are you?

I was speaking about the illegal immigration issue.

You made it the same thing. Just because there's no way to seal our southern border 100% doesn't mean it's a bad idea to do so. Removing all secirity from the border is as senseless as removing security grom the WH.
 
Maybe under the Obama administration the WH is adopting an "open borders" policy...;) (Tongue in cheek there)....

Yeah, all that security and protection is just fear mongering. ;)
 
You're right. Romney, Gingrich, and McCain would have been a better choice.

That's not what j-mac was implying. He was commenting on the silliness of the post, not on the partisanship.
 
They evacuated the Entire White House to top it off.....all for one intruder. BO had left the building too. Just think if BO would have been there. If he is afraid he will get hurt in a basketball game.....he would have panicked and split in 4 different directions over something like this. Just sayin.
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It only took five posts...
 
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