JERUSALEM – “The Beast” is becoming a burden.
President Obama’s armored Cadillac limo, which was supposed to schlep him around the Holy Land, broke down.
According to Israeli’s Channel 2, the cause of the mishap was a simple error all motorists try to avoid.
“The Americans filled it up with diesel, rather than [gasoline],” the channe quoted a source, which recently scored an interview with Obama, reported – in case there was any doubt that the host government wasn’t to blame.
The Secret Service scrambled today to fly in a backup vehicle. The custom-made car — known as “the beast” — has thick armored plating and other security features. It’s likely there was another presidential limo in Jordan, where Obama is scheduled to visit Friday.
“Secret Service will acknowledge that a vehicle broke down. That’s why we bring extra vehicles, mechanics etc.,” agency spokesman Brian Leary told the Post.
The agency has denied that the wrong fuel was used but didn’t elaborate about what led to the mishap.
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It was a stroke of bad luck for the carefully choreographed arrival here, which featured a walk down a red carpet and warm words from both sides. The car was photographed on a flat-bed tow truck.
The car as drawn attention in the past for its thick steel doors and other evasive and defensive capabilities.
This isn’t the first mishap for the “rolling bunker.”
It got stuck on a ramp at the US Embassy in Ireland during Obama’s 2011 visit.