Washington. A serious threat has been claimed to the security of US President Donald Trump during the NATO Summit. According to the report, US intelligence agencies had received several inputs that Iran had accurate information about Trump's whereabouts in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. It was told that Iranian agents had information up to the floor of the hotel where Trump was staying. Security officials also detected a possible surface-to-air missile threat targeting Trump during this time.
Were there preparations to target Trump with a missile?
The threat assessment was described as so serious that US security officials prepared extraordinary security plans. According to reports, a man was also seen with a shoulder-fired missile in the vicinity of the NATO conference. Also, such information came to light that the plane carrying Trump could be targeted. After this, while making Trump's movement appear normal in public, a plan was made to secretly send him in another plane.
How was Trump secretly evacuated from the airport?
As part of the security plan, Trump was publicly seen boarding the old Air Force One. After this, he was secretly taken out through a catering container inside the airport and flown out of Turkey in a military plane. The original Air Force One, on the other hand, was flown from Ankara to Britain. Many officials including Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, Finance Minister Scott Besant and senior White House aides Stephen Miller and Steven Cheung were present in it.
Were the people sitting in Air Force One aware of the danger?
According to the report, all passengers aboard the original Air Force One were not informed of the full severity of the threat. During a flight from Ankara to Britain on July 8, passengers were instructed to keep the curtains closed. Trump later secretly reboarded Air Force One and appeared in front of the cameras as if he had been on the same plane the entire time. Questions have also been raised among former White House officials regarding this entire action.
Was the step taken for Trump's security right?
Two types of opinions have emerged regarding this security campaign. Some former officials believe that the people present in the plane which was made decoy should have been informed about the danger. At the same time, those defending this decision argue that it was necessary to take extraordinary steps in the event of a credible threat to the security of the US President. Trump later said he followed Secret Service instructions and rejected claims that people on the plane were deliberately put at greater risk.