Security nerve center established at secret spot

Security nerve center established at secret spot

www.post-gazette.com

The G-20's top security officials yesterday unveiled their communications hub for the summit, a windowless room of 100 computers that links to electronic eyes and ears all over the Pittsburgh region.

The Secret Service, which is overseeing security plans, asked that reporters not reveal the location of the Multi-Agency Communications Center, or "the MACC," only describing it as a spot outside of Downtown Pittsburgh but still within city limits. ...

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Is having a secret command of communication during the G20 normal? What is it that they are communicating that is both highly secret and G20-related? I'm not too informed on the G20, so if somebody can say if all this is the usual stuff or not, that'd be good. I know that having thousands of national guard troops is a bit much.

www.post-gazette.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by SonicInfinity


In order to coordinate security for various world leaders, it is. I would have been more worried if they hadn't and would have been on the look-out for some sort of incident. But yes it is completely normal.

The G-20 summit participants consist of finance ministers and central bank governors from the following: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States with the European Union making the 20th member.

Also, the Managing Director of the IMF, the World Bank President and International Monetary and Financial Committee and Development Committee chairs participate.

Yeah. Well, these folks are so elite they get all that security.. I wonder what it is they gonna talk about. Well, I 'spoze it's too complex for us type simple eater folks.. They gonna keep us out, make sure we don't get too close, make sure we be keepin' right and straight in line. Not that anyone might be havin' angst to em. They be smarter than us, they know whas right now.. we be takin a listen rightly so. The G(angsta)-20 tells you so.

reply to post by SonicInfinity


This is extremely normal and surprisingly quite a small center for such a big event.

Almost every public event in a mid to large size city in America has either permanent or semi-permanent comm centers setup. In our local community, events such as parades or college football games require these setups.

The centers are a nerve-hub for communications between agencies. Disparate services like National Guard, fire dept, police and EMS may all operate on different communication systems and frequencies, and having comm personnel grouped together allows for both inter-agency face to face communication, and implementation of a system called ICS or Unified Command.

Basically having all the chiefs under one roof helps coordinate responses to what is sure to be a busy event.

reply to post by SonicInfinity


Even though it's questionable to deploy National Guard troops, the more the merrier as far as G20 is concerned. In every G20 summit to date there have been thousands of protesters and violent actions.

While NG is 'technically' deployed for civil safety and NOT law enforcement I don't think anyone is naive enough to think there won't be some skull-cracking.

In a lot of cases it's probably even justified because most of the protesters don't even know what the G-20 is, they are just looking for an excuse to be civilly disobedient jackasses.

Personally I wouldn't announce the G20 locations if I were in charge. I'd hold them in some quiet third-world country where more privacy could be secured while manipulating world finances and repression of the populace.

I would interject that yes, it is a lot about 'security' of the visiting dignitaries, but don't forget what type of a system we live in and operate under.

If you go to protest, they will know you and they will record you.

Communications is important, but so is proactive 'counter-terrorism.'

Can't wait for the puppet show to begin, the security seems to be in place, excellent....



I wonder where that "MACC" might be and what technology it has in store... hm