Swiss stage high-stakes security display in Davos

Swiss police officers gather outside the Congress Hall in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday. The world's financial and political elite will head this week to the Swiss Alps for 2015's gathering of the World Economic Forum at the Swiss ski resort of Davos.(Photo: Michel Euler, AP)DAVOS, Switzerland — With five miles of barbed wire crisscrossing its pristine, snow-covered mountains and 5,000 soldiers patrolling its pine forests and winding lanes, this tiny alpine town welcomed 2,500 of the world's most influential business, government and social leaders to the opening day of the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.After a terror attack in France earlier this month left 17 people dead and put Europe on edge, the Swiss government's $9 million security program for the five-day conference while subtle, polite and executed with a smile, is also robust and visible.Davos is locked down behind 26 miles of fencing and a no-fly zone that restricts flights from neighboring countries from coming within a 25-mile radius of town without prior authorization. Large groups of soldiers and police flank the town's main street while cameras atop buildings scan for anything amiss. The Swiss Air Force is conducting surveillance flights over the town using helicopters, prop planes and fighter jets, the government said.To enter the restricted zone around the Congress Center where the seminars take place, CEOs, government leaders and media who pass through one of three entrances must undergo airport-level security screening that includes bag X-rays and metal detectors. Event staff required advance registration so the military could conduct background checks on everyone who attends the conference.Inside the zone, access is defined in a hierarchy of high-tech, color-coded badges. Orange badges grant access to public sessions while white passes give access to private events. To gain access to rooms within the conference hall, participants must swipe their badges over a device that brings up a full dossier, including a photograph, for staff to review.Last SlideNext SlideThe government also issues personal badges and car passes to Davos residents who live in the core security zone.World Economic Forum staff won't reveal details of their sophisticated security apparatus but said they work "closely with the Swiss authorities to ensure maximum security," WEF said.The Swiss government calls the Davos conference an "exceptional event" and its parliament gives special approval through a federal decree to cover most of the security costs and deploy the country's armed forces to protect transportation, the two roads that lead to Davos, water supplies, electricity and airspace, the military said.The government notes it will also cover 80% of the costs in the event of an "extraordinary" incident including terrorist attacks and assassination attacks.Contributing: David Callaway, USA TODAY