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    Obama visit code-named ‘smart alec’ in Britain

    AP110524119085

    Update: CBS News did some further digging and discovered the Daily Mail was incorrect--the codename was for the entire state visit, not just President Obama. Meanwhile, here is our round up of all of the media buzz around the president's UK visit.

    Do Brits think Barack Obama is a bit of a "smart alec"?

    The label certainly appears to fit in the minds of British police. Scotland Yard, the UK's police force, has given Obama the security codename 'Chalaque' for his visit this week to the United Kingdom, the UK Daily Mail reports. The term is reportedly a Punjabi word meaning someone who is too clever for his own good, according to the newspaper.

    A Punjabi speaker told the newspaper that the word is 'not considered rude', but could be 'mildly offensive'. "It is also said to mean 'cheeky, crafty and cunning'," the paper notes.

    Scotland Yard insiders told the Sunday Times that codewords are randomly generated by computer, "but the paper wondered why officials decided to stick with them, when they could have simply had another word selected that would be less provocative," the paper notes.

    As in Britain, security code names are used in America by U.S. Secret Service to identify high-profile individuals under their protection.

    President Obama's code name at the time of the 2008 election was "Renegade" and Michelle Obama's was "Renaissance." Secret Service code names typically change over time.

    The president and the First Lady on Tuesday travel to Buckingham Palace as guests of Queen Elizabeth. Yesterday, the president's armored car--nicknamed the Beast--got stuck as it tried to leave the U.S. embassy in Dublin.

    Watch the Obamas meeting the queen, Prince William, and Duchess Catherine below:

    (Photo of Obama with the Queen: Tobt Melville/White House pool via AP)

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    273 comments

    • regina  •  9 months ago
      If its a code name Why do we know it?
    • TB  •  1 year 0 months ago
      What does James Bond call him?
    • fiddle  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Nice secret, good thing we all don't know what it is.
      • Ana-P 1 year 0 months ago
        :) people should be smarter.
      • Melissa Redrino 1 year 0 months ago
        Yes. That's true. People should demonstrate how to be smart and passionate. For people like me, all I need to say is just common sense. =)
      • regina 9 months ago
        lthol (laugh the heck out loud ! )
    • Arnie Leibowitz  •  1 year 0 months ago
      what's the point of a code name if it isn't secret?
      • Gem 1 year 0 months ago
        Umm ... they become public after they expire.
      • CRAB... 1 year 0 months ago
        Yes, people, you all seem to think that the secret is as inane---[that's a street-level kind of "stupid '] ---as some of the comments you make. These are id. references for them, & only them to use while in co., Don't worry, he's hadat least 10 "names " since the journey began.
      • tom 1 year 0 months ago
        i agree w/gem
    • Natalie  •  1 year 0 months ago
      I'm getticg sick and tired of stupidity, overly sensitive people, political correctness and just plain bs.
      • Blue Meanie 1 year 0 months ago
        I agree. Political correctness should be wiped off the map. Purged from the collective human mind.
      • Playborn 1 year 0 months ago
        yeah...
      • Nathan 1 year 0 months ago
        It's not about correctness it's about making a statement. They dont respect America but dont realize we've all been americanized lol So they have a diffrent accent but are just as dumb and unawear. Canada is fast on the same track our populations are geting dumbed down so they can controll us better. It's only a matter of time before ppl realise money will distroy us all. They want to keep it as is till the bitter end ;) So if you want to be lazey and not think we will all get killed. If we are willing to step up to the plate and seize and runthings on uncontitional love instead we will be saved IMHO So far it looks like we are running every thing into the ground, and dont batt an eye as long as we have the latest gadget.
        The American dream is fake 95% of ppl cant fully retire. 10% of ppl have 90% of the wealth the rest struggle. It's a con game like the casino the odds are againgst you. But the ppl at the top dont gamble thier game is fixed!
    • sparrow  •  1 year 0 months ago
      I'm wondering why the secret service computer uses Punjabi words!
      • A Yahoo! User 1 year 0 months ago
        Because the moslem computer was down and the British are totally reliant on Mumbai for tech support?
      • CalgarySandy 1 year 0 months ago
        Because India was part of the British Empire and is still a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Because there is a large Indian population in Britain. Because lots of words have been absorbed from the Punjab. I believe the US was recently castigated for using "Geronimo" for Bin Laden. Why would the US use Native American words?
      • Loren Wanhala 1 year 0 months ago
        Perhaps Scotland Yard got a New Delhi computer
    • masterschoice  •  1 year 0 months ago
      FYI ...that was a secret before we knew it...it has already expired. As mentioned, code names change from time to time.
    • Smallz  •  1 year 0 months ago
      I'm a Canadian, so this is a fairly unbiased post, but I'm really starting to despise all of the hate surrounding Obama. It's awful to see a country so set on either being Democrat or Republican, but never anything in between. Any "Republican" will refuse to ever see anything good Obama has done, and that's foolish. He inherited 2 wars, a trillion dollar debt, and a global recession. Stand in his shoes for a couple days and tell me how you would have dealt with that in a two year without increasing the national debt. I'm not telling you you should support him, but I'm trying to let you know that it's time to get out of your Democrat vs. Republican mindset and be thankful that your current president isn't the one who gave you that trillion dollar debt, two wars, and created a security doctrine frowned upon by nmany nations around the world.
    • Betty  •  1 year 0 months ago
      I wonder what the code name was for ex president bush. Now I am sure that would be funny.
    • Piper  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Haha ya gotta love those Brits. Their use of the English language is brilliant.
    • kid o  •  1 year 0 months ago
      You sure it isn't "Barry Santaro?"
    • FAN  •  1 year 0 months ago
      When will Yahoo hire some people that can write, and write clearly? These writers have to be idiotic "hip" fresh out of school college folks. They always start out their articles with the assumption that we, (the readers) already know the facts of a story...Good journalists always gives a "heads up" about an article before they start to explain an update, etc. Not Yahoo...Poor grammer, poor diction, poor syntax...But hey, they are the new young people that follow our modern culture...It doesn't matter how they write or communicate...Yo, yo, yo! What up?
    • Thisguyssays  •  1 year 0 months ago
      well it's better than: Black Guy.
    • FAB MOI  •  1 year 0 months ago
      GIVE IT UP! IT'S ONLY A CODE NAME.... GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • ernie  •  1 year 0 months ago
      The term "Princess Kate" is not correct, she is a duchess.
    • CRAB...  •  1 year 0 months ago
      You guys all sound like jealous JACKASSES! Heads of state visit heads of state constantly, would you kindly stop with the "off with their heads "stuff. The last time the world got rid of "people with crowns ", they did it badly! Witness a Russian forest, circa 1912 [or so]]---- a TSAR, and four of his family members, and wife; know about that, morons,?So-----let them live their lives,try & get a handle on yours.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  1 year 0 months ago
      Its a Hindi word by the way........punjabi word would be "Chlaak"
    • Shashi Singh  •  1 year 0 months ago
      People always want to pick on successful, and smart person. One can throw as many stones at the mountain, it doesn't move-what's this code names?? He is the President and rest have to accept that. He has qualities and class, that's why he is where he is-where are you?
    • acw1972  •  1 year 0 months ago
      i wonder what bush's codeword was.
    • Tim  •  1 year 0 months ago
      He is a great man and president...will turn out to be one of the best considering the mess he inherited. Also he is not full of BS like so many.

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