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| Europe |
| Tests reveal gaping holes in Greece’s Olympic security |
| 2003-09-28 |
| The looming Greek tragedy (continued). Less than a year before the Athens Olympics, failures in Greek security have left the Games vulnerable to terrorist attack, both from conventional bombs and chemical or biological weapons. According to a leaked United States government report, an extensive security dry-run carried out in August exposed a disturbing series of problems. In one test, a woman pretending to be pregnant managed to carry a mock bomb through a security checkpoint in a stomach pouch. In another case, fake explosives were successfully placed on a ferry. "All the big stuff got through," one US security official told The Washington Post, referring to the fake explosives. "If you can get the big stuff through, getting chemical and biological stuff through is no problem." Hundreds of thousands of spectators and athletes are due to flood the Greek capital for the Games, which begin on August 13 next year. The Greek government has insisted that security is its top priority, and that the £370 million budget devoted to safety can be increased. How much of the £370m is going towards promoting World Peace(TM)? Overall, the government has budgeted £3.2 billion for the Games, and, according to George Papandreou, the foreign minister, security spending could reach £600 million by the opening ceremony. This has not allayed fears of some participants, notably from Israel, which reportedly threatened a boycott unless its agents were allowed to protect its athletes. Understandably enough. The Israelis know what the Greeks don’t, and that is, that there those out there who don’t give a flying &@%! for the Olympic Ideal. After initial reluctance to ask for outside help, Greece has set up a security advisory group which includes Britain, the US and Israel. None the less, problems remain. The port of Piraeus, for example, where cruise ships will house organisers, has yet to be secured and consultants fear that it is vulnerable to suicide attacks. In response to critics, Greece is drafting in 45,000 security officers from the police, army and special forces. Anti-aircraft missile batteries, fighter planes and "eye-in-the-sky" radar planes will also be deployed. This week, many agents were put through their paces in Operation Fiery Sword 2003 - a two-day exercise to test updated contingency plans for chemical or biological attacks. The Greek government will doubtless be hoping for a better report card this time around. Time to stop dreaming of "peace", and start preparing for the worst. |
| Posted by:Bulldog |