The Other Shoe

On President Bush's recent trip to South America, the Secret Service had much to be concerned about. First, there was the matter of Chilean security personnel attempting to separate the president from his Secret Service escort.

Now, an even graver threat has been reported to have taken place during that trip:

Marxist rebels had planned to assassinate President Bush last Monday during his four-hour stopover in Colombia to meet President Álvaro Uribe, Defense Minister Jorge Alberto Uribe said Saturday, without offering details or proof.

Call me paranoid, but keep your eye on the little boy with the sideburns and the five o'clock shadow

"According to informants and various sources, we had information indicating that various members of FARC had been instructed by their leaders to make an attempt against President Bush," the minister told reporters, referring to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebel group by its Spanish acronym.

The world is a dangerous place, even more so for an American president in time of war. The Secret Service has a tough job on its hands.

I still consider the incident in Chile very troubling, more troubling, really, than this threat from FARC. It is to be expected that terrorist killers would seek to murder President Bush, but very unexpected for Chile's security forces to act as they did.  Was there more to the incident in Chile than we have been led to believe? Was the separation of the president from his security detail a prelude to an assassination attempt that was foiled by President Bush's refusal to be separated from his bodyguard? 

Matt Drudge would say this story is "developing".

Let's hope not.

-posted by Charlie Eklund 

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