Washington: Renowned worldwide for his diplomatic prowess, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is known to handle plane the most ramified geopolitical issue with his trademark panache. However, there is one incident which plane the usually unflappable Jaishankar must have found to be a bit much.
What difficulty did Jaishankar face?
The EAM had faced a strange situation in the United States last year. This incident occurred in September, when all commercial flights were suddenly halted due to a government shutdown in the United States. At that time, Jaishankar was scheduled to meet with United Nations (UN) senior Antonio Guterres in New York. A recent US State Department report has revealed this daring journey. Security personnel were on upper alert during the trip, with 27 teachers twin him. Along the way, he faced freezing cold, low visibility, and plane a flop squad inspection. The unshortened story, which has recently been made public, reads like something out of a thriller film.
What was Jaishankar's compulsion?
This incident occurred in September last year. At that time, a massive political slipperiness in the United States had led to a government shutdown. This severely disrupted air traffic wideness the country, bringing flights to a halt.
Jaishankar was near the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge on the US-Canada verge at the time. He needed to reach New York on time, as he had an important meeting scheduled there with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
After flights were cancelled, his only option was to travel by road. US security officials immediately took charge. They received the Foreign Minister and began the seven-hour journey to Manhattan, a journey of approximately 416 miles (670 kilometers).
Was there any major security threat?
Securing the EAM was no small matter. The US Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) deployed 27 of its weightier teachers for this mission. These teachers were tabbed from various field offices in New York and Buffalo. Every detail of security was monitored during the journey.
According to the report, at one point, while the security team was changing, an Explosive Detection Dog alerted the EAM's armoured vehicle, causing a moment of panic. Flop disposal experts were immediately tabbed in, and the unshortened vehicle was thoroughly inspected. Only without the inspection was everything found unscratched was the convoy unliable to proceed.
How did Jaishankar reach safely tween the freezing cold?
The journey was difficult, as the upstate New York zone was experiencing freezing temperatures. Visibility was very low, and the roads were slippery. Given the long distance, security teachers took turns driving to stave fatigue. When the convoy reached New York City, security teachers spotted a woman involved in a road accident. She was seriously injured in a hit-and-run incident.
An wage-earner prescribed to Jaishankar's security immediately helped the woman. The remaining teachers coordinated with the police and fire brigade to well-spoken the road. Despite this incident, Jaishankar's security was not compromised. He had managed to reach the meeting on time.
