May 25, 2011 11:34 AM

Obama's British code name isn't "Smart Alec"

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
In The News
(Credit: Lewis Whyld - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Over the weekend, British newspapers ran stories suggesting Scotland Yard had given President Obama the codename "Chalaque" -- a Punjabi word the Daily Mail translated as "smart alec" - in conjunction with his state visit to Britain this week. The story was picked up in several places, including Yahoo News and The Drudge Report.

Which is why we're taking some time to quickly point out that it isn't actually true. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson in Britain told CBS News' Tucker Reals that "Chalaque" isn't Mr. Obama's codename but rather "the operational name for the state visit."

And there wasn't a lot of thought that went into the choice. According to the spokesperson, the names for operations are selected "in sequential order from a randomly selected list."

In other words: The British police did not give Mr. Obama a code name meant to "denigrate someone who we think is too clever for their own good," as one Punjabi speaker told the Daily Mail.

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Security forces tend not to come up with derogatory codenames for visiting dignitaries. But that didn't stop a wide variety of news outlets from repeating the story without checking it out.


Add a Comment
by Jdebs May 30, 2011 6:23 PM EDT
Wow CBS, not even being subtle about rushing to his defense are you? The media is fawning over this man the way the UK fawns over its royalty.

In b4 people get sued for saying negative things about him
Reply to this comment
by geosota May 28, 2011 7:47 AM EDT
CBS being a scold over fact-checking? There are readers old enough to remember Dan Rather.
Reply to this comment
by CARTELLINGWINDOWS May 27, 2011 1:02 PM EDT
In the German language the large B is sometimes pronounced as an English "s" sound.

The word Black may read:

slack

In American English a slaker is a lazy person


Black slack lazy,

lazy black Slacker ( President Obama shown wearing black slacks)

Chalaque
Now lets take the words "Smart Alec".. the supposed meaning of the word "Chalaque"

Smart Alec
returning the S in "Smart" to the German B

Bmart Alec

BM A-RT a lec

Bowel movement A-rat a lass lackey
sht on a rat lack ( slackie)
Another read:

Bmart A lec

B martyr Lass lackey

I think this is extremely derogatory..
and then it is scotland yard.. codes are meant to offend to keep the gawkers away.

Publishing the name the way it has been published , IMO: is derogatory and possibly a threat to the American President's life.

to hazelet:
as we are discussing English codes and verbiage:

Touchy,touchy!1 " Touchy" is an English derogatory word referring to the female anatomy.. and would be similar to the word ***** or Kunt in American English. Was that your intent?

As many of the English Common Wealth territories are composed of black and dark skinned people, i am surprised to read of such racism within the English press.

The English normally protect their investments.
Reply to this comment
by RobAla May 26, 2011 7:29 AM EDT
Unfortunately, "Smart Alec" is fitting.
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by justme2012 May 25, 2011 9:41 PM EDT
I adore British Humor!!!!

Good job UK!
Reply to this comment
by Danize May 25, 2011 2:29 PM EDT
Well, does naming the operation itself smart alec really change the gist of it all? If randomly selected, could not they have picked the next more neutral code name?

Combined with President Obama's snub at the royal wedding, (in reality no great loss) it's not unreasonable to conclude some higher up just doesn't like the prez. It all harkens back to the days of creamy complexioned anglo-saxon arrogance. Such a racially based sense of superiority only reveals a paucity of true intelligence and humanity. But then, the Brits are the ones who gave the world social Darwinism, aren't they?
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