APEC secutiry breach

[Lakie]

THE Chaser comedy crew's Osama bin Laden security prank at APEC has created international headlines.

In the US, the embarrassing security breach, in which the satirists drove a fake motorcade through security checkpoints to close to President George W Bush's Sydney hotel, got mixed reviews.

Some American TV newsreaders raised their eyebrows while introducing the story, while others had smiles on their faces over the stunt, in which one Chaser member dressed as Osama bin Laden.

"A prank by a TV comedy crew has turned into an international incident and it could end up making a laughing stock of the entire (APEC) security machine," a straight-faced Phillip Palmer, a newsreader on America's ABC TV network, said in his report.

"$160 million was spent to keep dignitaries safe, and a convoy of actors got within yards of President Bush's hotel."

CNN, FOX News, NBC and CBS also carried stories showing footage of the Chaser members being arrested.

In Canada, The Vancouver Sun newspaper saw the funny side, despite the Chaser pranksters posing as Canadian officials.

"Aussie spoofsters fly Maple Leaf to undress APEC security," was the headline in the Sun.

Visitors to the nytimes.com site posted their feelings about the Aussie prankster’s audacity.

"Wow,” Adam Klagsbrun said in a comment on the story. “Not only is this funny, but it also really humiliates national (and international) security.”

“This is exactly what great comedy does - it lets reality shine for itself.”

Another reader, “Capital Cat”, said that US comedians wouldn’t dare risk their lives in such a way.

“I presume the reason no American comedy troupe has tried something similar is that the Secret Service would shoot first and ask questions later,” Capital Cat said.

'Lucky it was us and not al-Qaeda'

THE New South Wales Police Commissioner said the Chaser guys could have been shot by snipers during yesterday's APEC stunt, but Julian Morrow has said police were lucky it was just a joke.

Morrow, who was among 11 people arrested yesterday and granted bail last night, said the prank, in which a fake three-car motorcade for Osama bin Laden drove within metres of George W. Bush's Sydney hotel, denied the joke was irresponsible.

"I wouldn't think so. Hard to say ... lucky it was us and not al-Qaeda," he said to the ABC.

The team face up up to six months in jail for the stunt that left police bosses fuming. What do you think their punishment should be?

Chaser team could have been shot

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the team was fortunate not to have been targeted by snipers.

"I'm angry, I'm very angry that this stunt happened, it was a very dangerous stunt.

"The reality is ... (they) put security services in a position where they might have had to take an action no-one would want.

"We have snipers deployed around the city. They weren't there for show, they mean business, that's what they were there for."

ABC TV and the Chaser program's producers, said in a statement last night that the Chaser team had no intention of entering the APEC restricted zone.

They had no knowledge that they had entered a restricted zone, the statement said.

"The motorcade proceeded down Macquarie Street with the permission of police.

"When the Chaser reached the perimeter of what they thought was the APEC restricted zone, they voluntarily turned around.

"The police only detained the Chaser motorcade when it was turning around and after Chas Licciardello emerged from a car dressed as Osama bin Laden."

Enlarge Full details of APEC 2007 in Sydney »

Chasers surprised

A source inside the show has told The Daily Telegraph the team never expected to get so far. The skit had been approved by ABC lawyers but was written in the assumption they would be stopped at the first checkpoint.

Instead they were waved through the first on Macquarie St, then a second, which had sniffer dogs, and eventually stopped themselves at Bridge St.

"As they did Chas got out of a car dressed as Osama bin Laden and said something like 'I'm an important world leader why don't I have a seat at the APEC table?'. Apparently that was the first time the police realised it was not authentic and they swooped in and arrested everybody," the source said.

The ABC statement said the Chaser team members were wearing mock "insecurity" passes, which expressly stated they were a joke.

The stunt exposed an embarrassing and potentially dangerous flaw in the $250 million security measures put in place to protect 21 world leaders, many of whom converged on Sydney today for the start of the APEC summit.

Officers involved in the APEC security operation revealed last night that police manning CBD roadblocks are frequently not told whether motorcades coming toward them are legitimate.

"We're amazed at the lack of communication that allowed this to happen but how are they to know whether a motorcade is legitimate when they're not supposed to stop them and nothing is broadcast over the (police) radio," an officer said.

A NSW Police spokesman last night denied a lack of communications led to the security blunder and said adequate communication systems were in place.

Eleven arrested

The convoy of three black cars, decked out to resemble an official Canadian motorcade, came within metres of the hotel where US President George W Bush is staying, before finally being pulled over by authorities.

Eleven people were arrested, including Licciardello, who sat in the back of one of the cars dressed as Osama bin Laden.

All 11, ten men and one woman aged between 25 and 47, were charged with entering a restricted area without justification.

The charge comes under newly legislated APEC laws that restrict anyone from entering declared zones during APEC.

Authorities had warned there would be a presumption against bail for people arrested in the APEC security zone, but all were granted bail to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court on October 4.

- from AAP and The Daily Telegraph

[Chrispy]

Saw this on the news not long ago tonight.

Chris

[Hellfighter]

you think all that money spent on security you think they will ask for a refund or sue them to get some of the money back from them not doing their job 100% now thats be funny to see as will.

[Grenademan]

The Chaser's have done it this time...

[-Tigger-]

not the first time some1 has managed to get by security.. security might be good 99% of the time, but theres always some1 smarter out there...

[tail_gunner]

That is funny they are just lucky that one of those snipers didn't pop them in the chest or head

[ShArP]

All it takes is 1 second for someone not to be paying attention and BOOM