In the hours after Donald Trump was shot through the ear by a would-be assassin – an attack that killed a bystander – security experts have reacted in astonishment at the lapse in protection for the former president.
Critics of security failures at Trump’s rally in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, pointed out that the gunman was able to take a firing position in full view of some of Trump's supporters, 150 metres from the former president.
Such a short range is well within the maximum accurate range of the gunman’s suspected weapon, the popular AR-15 rifle, which can accurately hit targets at about 500 metres, especially with scopes that typically provide over four times magnification or higher.
“That’s not a shot that someone should have missed,” a local law enforcement officer at the scene, who did not have authorisation to speak to the media, told The National.
“They’re going to be studying what happened for the next 50 years, same as the Kennedy assassination.”
The suspected gunman, who was killed in seconds by a marksman after firing at Trump, was also pointed out by bystanders as he took position on the roof of building.
Videos showed witnesses shouting to police to alert them of a threat, to no avail.
The Republican Party has called for officials from the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI for hearings soon. The House oversight panel called Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify on July 22.
Blake Hall, a former US army Iraq veteran, noted that the sniper team protecting Trump may have been too close to the gunman, with rifles optimised for shooting targets at long distances.
“The team only has long guns. You generally want a security element co-located with assault rifles that can engage much faster – especially within 300 metres. They couldn’t engage fast enough,” he wrote on X.
Secret Service in spotlight
The responsibility for protecting serving and former US presidents falls to the Secret Service.
According to the official remit of the organisation, in addition to protecting the sitting president, the service also defends “former presidents, their spouses, except when the spouse remarries”, in addition to cabinet members and visiting foreign dignitaries.
“Major presidential and vice presidential candidates, and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election” are also within this category.
A part of this work involves the services’ Special Operations Counter Sniper Team, which went into action on Saturday, killing Thomas Matthew Crooks.
What has worried officials is how many shots Crooks was able to fire before being shot.
The teams – often a marksman and a spotter – are present at events on building rooftops, scanning streets for suspicious activity with binoculars and sniper scopes.
The spotter pays attention to things like wind direction that might influence bullet trajectories to ensure the marksman can fire accurately on seconds’ notice.
According to the Secret Service, they regularly consult “with experts from other agencies in utilising the most advanced security techniques”. Much of their protection efforts for high-profile figures are classified.
Former Secret Service agent Joseph LaSorsa told The National he believes the suspect should never have been given the opportunity to fire at Trump from a roof.
“Obviously they need to make sure they're providing 360-degree protection and what that means is covering all the possibilities,” said Mr LaSorsa, who served in the Secret Service for 20 years during which time he protected presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and both Bushes.
“There should have been agent or a police officer posted on the roof. Having a police officer or an agent on a roof would have prevented what happened.
“More than likely that was a failure. When you have the staff available the preference would be to have an agent or an officer posted on every roof with a vantage point.”
Dan Kaszeta, a Secret Service veteran and associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told The National one focus of inquiry could be a weak link in the co-ordination of the Secret Service and local authorities.
The Secret Service relies on support from local law enforcement agencies but co-ordination can be tricky between police forces.
“The further you go away from a city with a permanent [Secret Service] presence ... you'll end up with a situation where nobody [from the agency] knows anyone and can't herd the cats," Mr Kaszeta said.
Protective bubble
Often, security for the president is described as a giant, protective “bubble”.
Such a tight cordon of protection clearly was not present at Trump’s rally, and investigators will want to know why, and whether presidential candidates and former presidents will receive the same level of protection as the president.
Stephen Moore, an adviser to Trump, told the BBC that “certainly Trump needs more protection – there’s a lot of inquiry now about whether the Secret Service was totally prepared”.
In the long run, providing former presidents with the same level of security as a serving president will be costly.
Mr Biden for example, has an armoured limousine with eight-inch thick armoured doors known as “the beast,” as well as a personal protection team that has its own Secret Service backup force known as CAT – counter assault team.
This team, along with the counter sniper force, are highly elite forces akin to special forces soldiers, often with years of experience, in peak physical condition, having passed a rigorous selection process.
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
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26 UAE teams
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
