Paranoia or how to Effectively shut down a city.

Sydney is holding the APEC(Asia-Pacific Economic Forum) from September 8-9 2007. I was thinking of going down to get some photos but there seems to be a general feeling of "STAY AWAY" in big red letters.

Nevertheless, there will be people going for a sticky beak and protests and all other types of things they normally wouldn't be doing if the spotlight wasn't on Sydney for those couple of days. Sunday that would normally be spent in a cafe, browsing a bookshop, nursing a hangover, making love, or mowing the lawn....... seems to hold a certain attraction to some of getting arrested singing Kumba Yah. I think I'll stay away.

Anyway, I did a quick round up to see what I could find on the security measures to look after those leaders in the free world; the word "paradox" comes to mind.

• SOME of Sydney's biggest hospitals will postpone or cut elective surgery for five days during the Asia-Pacific leaders' summit in a health disaster plan being implemented under a veil of secrecy.

• The presence of heavily armed SAS (Specal Air Service) troops could complement unprecedented powers for police to manage security at September's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Sydney. HEAVILY-armed SAS troops could be ordered on to Sydney's streets to maintain control during the APEC summit later this year, a military law expert has warned. This move, which includes orders for the troopers to shoot to kill..........
  

• More than 300 high definition CCTV cameras have been placed in potential terrorist targets in the lead-up to Sydney's APEC Summit, acting Premier John Watkins says. The new cameras bring to 6,400 the total number of cameras watching people using buses, trains and ferries. The cameras, 200 of which use cutting-edge facial recognition technology, have been installed across the city in buses, ferry and train stations

• Three Sydney train stations and sections of the CBD will be shut down for three days in September during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.Three city circle train stations - St James, Museum and Circular Quay - will all be closed for the three days.

• Holiday packages with special deals for various attractions will be used to lure Sydneysiders away from the city during the APEC long weekend.

• Last year the NSW and federal governments declared Friday, September 7, 2007, would be a public holiday for employees who work in the Sydney metropolitan area, to help minimise disruption during the APEC summit.

• Mobile phone calls in Sydney's CBD will be blocked by a sophisticated counter-terrorism measure to prevent bomb attacks during US President George W Bush's September APEC visit.

• Concrete barriers to be set up in Sydney's CBD during next month's APEC meeting are intended to protect world leaders and divert traffic, says the head of the summit's police security command.

• State Transit buses have been converted into "mobile holding cells" to be used during the summit in September.The buses have a regular capacity of about 70 sitting and standing passengers. The conversion has involved placing a panel over the back window, replacing passenger windows with wire mesh and installing what amounts to a mini-prison inside each bus.

• High performance jet skis and rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBS) have been provided by the Howard Government to NSW Police to enhance marine security arrangements for APEC, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock announced today. (There's a harbour exclusion zone apparently)
  

• In a decision branded "pedantic" and "overkill" by recreational flyers, all aircraft - including remote control planes and model helicopters - will be banned within 80km of the Sydney CBD.

• The Australian Defence Force has said it will deploy Black Hawk helicopters, F/A-18 Hornet fighters and naval ships to intercept any aerial and seaborne threats during the conference. The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said a force of 1500 full-time and reserve troops would assist the security operation, which is being overseen by NSW police.