Today the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former prime minister of Denmark, visited the University of Edinburgh’s School of Law at Old College to give a landmark address on the future of the War in Afghanistan. Aside from the policy and political nature of his visit, I noted the difference between Mr. Rasmussen’s visit today and the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Philips’ visit to Old College yesterday. Yesterday, HRH Prince Philip, who serves as the Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, arrived at the law school with the normal police motorcade and his usual detail of six bodyguards and a small team of agents who had done advance work. Today, Secretary-General Rasmussen arrives with a full police motorcade, four suburban-assault vehicles, about 40-50 police were around the Old College with police vehicles of all shapes and sizes blocking every street from automobiles around the law school. Secret service agents were milling in every part of the law school and special officers in black uniforms walked along the roofline of the Old College. A protest was organized today outside the large gates of Old College and the view from the windows displayed more reporters with cameras, than protesters holding signs. Thought the evening news seems to be reporting copious amounts of protesters were present – I wonder where they were. Certainly the entire group was not outside the law school, as that was a dismal display if I ever saw one, though maybe it gives credence to Rasmussen’s message to keep troops in Afghanistan. The spoils of hosting a major world leader is the ability of students to snag sandwiches from the buffet table where the reception was located – a very Scottish stunt indeed. The excitement of Prince Philip and Anders Rasmussen has been pretty fun, but a shame neither one of them could make time to chat with the students who study in Old College.
