G-8 on Guard for Aftershocks, Literally

With so many world leaders in town, it goes without saying that there is massive security at the G-8 here in Italy. But there are some threats officials here simply can’t control, and that’s Mother Nature. The summit is being held in L’Aquila, a city that is rebuilding from a deadly earthquake this past April that killed nearly 300 people and left at least 50,000 homeless. Described as Italy's worst quake in 30 years, it measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, but the shaking hasn’t stopped. The city has been experiencing frequent aftershocks, including one over the weekend that measured a 4.1. That may not be a big deal to folks on the West Coast, but in L’Aquila, a city full of super old buildings, that’s a pretty hefty shake.
 
The summit is being organized by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who originally had wanted to host President Obama and other leaders on a cruise ship off the coast of Sardinia. But after the earthquake, Berlusconi moved the meetings to L’Aquila to help showcase the city’s continued troubles. Leaders will sleep in Army barracks and meet in old police headquarters there. But the frequent aftershocks now have the Italians looking at a contingency plan to airlift Obama and other leaders to Rome if something bad happens. Briefing this morning, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged the Secret Service has a plan, too. And what, pray tell, happens to the White House press corps? Fingers crossed, we’ll be driving to Rome, which is about a 90-minute drive away.