Hey guys I know this May seem like a stupid question but hey I'll never know the answer unless I ask.

So i recently watched a movie called 'Olympus has fallen' (by the way good movie),

in the beginning of the movie a group of about 40 terrorists all armed blow a hole in the front gate and start engaging in a firefight with the secret service on the lawn, eventually the terrorists defeat the secret service and make inside the White House by blowing the front door open.

So my question is, in Real-Life could this actually happen?

Thanks.

Edited September 20, 201411 yr by ineseri
Added spoiler tags.

Spoilers.

 

Someone getting into the White House and starts shooting? Anything is possible, but highly unlikely. 

The White House is supposedly the most protected building on Earth. While it is possible, it's highly unlikely. The military would be there in 10 minutes if the Police couldn't contain the situation quick enough. It would have to be a massive assault for it to be entirely successful. Olympus has Fallen had a immense amount of flaws in it.

You should put a spoiler alert....

But I Mean, anything is possible... But it is pretty guarded so.

And military response, Would be quick as hell so... Idk.

I heard the response time for the armed forces depends on which branch is being called, for the Air Force is less than five minutes and for the army is 15 minutes maybe I'm wrong but that's what I heard.

Okay so I'm sure some may not believe me but a family member of mine ACTUALLY works for the Secret Service as a part of the Presidential Protection Division, he protected both Clinton and George W Bush and now works in a different portion of the presidential protection division (not the agents directly at the Pres. side)

 

The way he simply puts it is "No one will make it to the house", he obviously cannot discuss any of the security measures they have, but the conviction in his statement as well as what I have seen on a tour of the white house with my Secret Service relative, the protections and countermeasures of that building are immense  

 

I've seen the movie & I also believe the military response time is pretty unrealistic, F16's are stationed nearby at Andrews AFB & are ready on a whim to scramble (considering they are charged with protection of the capital of our nation and the large 'no fly zones' that are accompanied with it) after 9/11 and the military's somewhat disorganization response, I can guarantee today the military would respond with speed and POWER to any kind of an "attack on the homeland"

 

Lastly the movie doesn't cover the Police too much, if you've ever been to DC you might notice the heavy police presence in the city, and to think a band of terrorists would bust into the white house? Hell no. They'd have to do through a few SWAT teams, some fighters from Andrews not to mention ground troops that could be quickly pulled from the Marine Corps base in Quanico Va or the NUMEROUS other military installations in DC & VA

 

lol seriously if terrorists were to attack the US by ground attack, DC would be the STUPIDEST mistake they would ever make

Edited September 21, 201411 yr by RexCramer

Not to doubt the US, but they also said that the Titanic could not be sunk. 

Guys I know the white house's secret security measure

Leonidas

Not to doubt the US, but they also said that the Titanic could not be sunk. 

Yes, but the Titanic was launched early 1911. Comparing a boat to where the President of the United States lives is completely off the charts in my opinion.

No, it's actually entirely reasonable to make the comparison (even though stories that the Titanic was claimed to be unsinkable are apocryphal). The Titanic is irrelevant to ineseri's point. His point was about the nature of certainty - that is, you don't actually find it in the real world, and things that people generally think can't happen because ingenious people have guaranteed that they won't have an unfortunate tendency to happen regardless.

Remember that in 1910, 1911 was the future. In 2117, 2014 will be as far in the past as 1911 is now. The fact that that was the past and this is now is relevant to a few things, but affects a lot less than people tend to imagine.

Yes, but the Titanic was launched early 1911. Comparing a boat to where the President of the United States lives is completely off the charts in my opinion.

A little off topic but I just love how they said 'the titanic is so powerful not even god can sink it' lol

No, it's actually entirely reasonable to make the comparison (even though stories that the Titanic was claimed to be unsinkable are apocryphal). The Titanic is irrelevant to ineseri's point. His point was about the nature of certainty - that is, you don't actually find it in the real world, and things that people generally think can't happen because ingenious people have guaranteed that they won't have an unfortunate tendency to happen regardless.

Remember that in 1910, 1911 was the future. In 2117, 2014 will be as far in the past as 1911 is now. The fact that that was the past and this is now is relevant to a few things, but affects a lot less than people tend to imagine.

While I do completely understand your point, and your point does make perfect sense, I disagree. Certainty is everywhere. If I were to punch a brick wall, I'm for certain that it would hurt. If I were to get shot in the eye, I'm for certain that I'd scream.

Well on to the topic after doing some critical-thinking here's my opoioin:

I do believe that if a similar situation were to happen in real-life like in the movie, I don't think it would work reason being is because even if all the snipers on top of the roof were taken out, there would still be large amount of secrect service agents pouring, as others have said the movie was unrealistic in terms of 'secrect service presence'

But yeah that's my opoioin.

Well on to the topic after doing some critical-thinking here's my opoioin:

I do believe that if a similar situation were to happen in real-life like in the movie, I don't think it would work reason being is because even if all the snipers on top of the roof were taken out, there would still be large amount of secrect service agents pouring, as others have said the movie was unrealistic in terms of 'secrect service presence'

But yeah that's my opoioin.

There would be a massive Police response, almost instantly. The military would be on the way, it would end very quickly.

Why would the military respond? Protection of the President isn't their job, it's the job of civilian law enforcement.

Why would the military respond? Protection of the President isn't their job, it's the job of civilian law enforcement.

He's the commander in chief, supreme officer of the armed forces. According to google

Why would the military respond? Protection of the President isn't their job, it's the job of civilian law enforcement.

It would make sense for the military to respond. The White house is taking heavy fire, and law enforcement is having a hard time containing the violence. Why not send in the military? It's the President of the United States for Christ sake. If our President's life is in immediate danger, why not send the strongest force possible to resolve the issue? The job of the military is to serve our country, and the President. The President is the Commander in Chief of the military. It would only make sense for the military to respond.

Why would the military respond? Protection of the President isn't their job, it's the job of civilian law enforcement.

 

 "... that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." ~taken from the oath of enlistment.

 

In an indirect way, if the white house were under mass assault and lost the initial defense I'm 99% sure that the President would say "help us". And if he didn't, then some random ass officer in some service somewhere, would say to do it. 

 

And you could argue the Marines protect the president since they're already station in and around the white house. Although their official primary duty is to protect only the White House. Secondary duty is safety and security of all inside.

Edited September 21, 201411 yr by Pavelow

 instead of 40 people just use 40 tanks.

A crazy dude jumped the fence a made it inside a few days ago imagine if he had on a suicide vest.