BARACK OBAMA TO SWEAR IN AS 44TH US PRESIDENT
armradio.am
20.01.2009 13:07
US President Elect Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony will start at
7 p.m. Yerevan time tonight. It will be opened by the chorus of the
military navy of the United States. It will be followed by prayer,
after which Joe Biden will swear in as Vice-President.
With one hand on the bible used at Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 inauguration,
but not since, Barack Obama will swear to preserve, protect and defend
the US Constitution to the best of his ability.
He will deliver one of the most eagerly anticipated inaugural addresses
in history.
After the ceremony, the new occupant of the White House will wave
goodbye to his predecessor, before joining the new Vice-President and
congressional leaders to feast on pheasant and duck at the traditional
inaugural lunch.
Following that, there will be the inaugural parade and a long, long
night of ball-going for the new First Couple.
Before that, on Monday Mr. Obama paid tribute to Dr King and
urged Americans to work together in "renewing the promise of this
nation." Americans marked the annual public holiday in memory of
black civil rights leader Martin Luther King – on the eve of Barack
Obama’s inauguration.
Obama reflected that Tuesday’s inauguration ceremony would take place
on the same mall where many thousands gathered in 1963 to hear Martin
Luther King’s so-called "I Have A Dream"=2 0speech – in which he
foresaw a day when people would be judged not by the colour of their
skin. For many Barack Obama’s presidency will be the culmination of
Dr King’s dream
Crowds are gathering in Washington DC ahead of Barack Obama’s swearing
in as President of the United States. According to Police data, about
5 million people have arrived in the capital for the inauguration.
Washington is preparing for the ceremony. There have already been
painstaking preparations, with rehearsals for security officials –
not just for the military precision of the ceremony and the parade. At
a US military base in Washington they have been planning for any
eventuality for the past six months.
Along Washington’s waterways the coast guard will be watching from
high speed boats.
Snipers will be positioned on the rooftops near the Capitol building
and along the parade route.
Roads and bridges into Washington will be closed to traffic, with
sniffer dogs on the subway and thousands of armed police, soldiers
and plainclothes agents on the streets.
In total, there will be 4,000 Washington police, reinforced by another
4,000 officers from all over the country. Thousands more National
Guard members have been called in.
That is on top of the 5,000 professional soldiers and sailors who
will be on the ground.
There are 57 different government agencies involved in what has been
declared a "National Special Security Event." And overseeing the
entire operation is the US Secret Service.