In search of a room for Clinton

NEW DELHI: An eight-member US team is in the Capital to make advance arrangements for the security and stay of President Clinton and his aides who arrive here on March 20. It has had discussions with a number of Indian security and intelligence agencies. However, the primary task of the team is to look for suitable hotels where Clinton and his teammates can stay.``The Americans were extremely tightlipped about where their President is going to stay,'''' an Indian intelligence source said on Thursday. ``It seems they are yet to finalise the place; we have requested them to expedite a decision,'''' he added. Over the past two days, the team members, security experts all, have visited at least four five-star deluxe hotels in the city which have hosted heads of state in the past. They spent considerable time in these hotels discussing security arrangements with the staff and watching special presentations. They obtained details of facilities offered by the hotels and international awards won by them. The Americans told them that, for Clinton''s stay, the entire security arrangement at the chosen hotel will be taken over by the Americans. ``They were very particular about access control at the hotels and the need to install special scanners to screen visitors and even guests,'''' the source said. The hotel chosen for the US president''s stay will be taken over days in advance to ``sanitise'''' it. For this a much larger team, equipped with sophisticated security gadgets, is expected to arrive here early next month. The US team also visited the international airport where ``security will have to be considerably strengthened. We will be taking certain measures in the next few days following discussions with them,'''' the source added. Indian security agencies, which are also making their own arrangements, have been directed to work in close coordination with the US officials.