U.S. officials are "very concerned" about whether Russia is prepared for a possible terrorist attack during the Sochi Games, and they are "on pins and needles when you talk to them," according to NBC's Andrea Mitchell. The officials are "just sort of crossing their fingers that Russia has got this under control." For all the "talk about cooperation" between the U.S. and Russia, this is a "very tense situation." The Washington Post's E.J. Dionne said, "We’re not getting the kind of security information we would like out of the Russians." However, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said he is "quite satisfied" with the level of cooperation between the two nations. McFaul: "The threat assessment has not changed since we’ve been here, and we coordinate very closely with the Russians to share information about anything that might happen. ... We do not have an interest in embarrassing the Russians. We have exactly the same interest with them when it comes to the security of everyone here in Sochi" ("Meet The Press," NBC, 2/9). However, U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), a member of both the House Intelligence and Homeland Security committees, said the Russians are "still not at the same level" as the Chinese, British and Greeks during recent Olympics. King: "They are still reluctant to give intelligence that they feel would allow us to determine their sources and methods, and also there's still a certain amount of pride, I believe, that they feel they can handle a lot of this on their own” (“Face the Nation,” CBS, 2/9). U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in an appearance on "Fox News Sunday" said, "We aren't getting the kind of cooperation that we'd like from the Russians in terms of their internal threats. It means that we're less effective in protecting our people, and that's a frustration" (LATIMES.com, 2/9). Former U.S. Dir of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano discussed Sochi Security on CNN's "State of the Union" and said, "What we've seen and what we've heard ... (it) seems that the level of security is quite appropriate and very good" (TAMPABAY.com, 2/9).
KEEPING A LOW PROFILE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Sonne & Troianovski write Russian organizers "appear to have concentrated on securing a large perimeter around Sochi and keeping to a minimum any show of force in the immediate vicinity of Olympic venues." Fans and journalists entering the Olympic Park or taking Sochi's new rail system "undergo an airport-style security check when entering one of the train stations." The check on Saturday "even included a device to test whether or not the contents of a water bottle were harmless." But after that, there are "few if any checkpoints ahead of the sports facilities, because security personnel have created a connected 'clear zone' that allows people who have already gone through security checks to move fairly easily around the venues." The forces are "confident enough in the security to allow prominent leaders to mingle close to the fans," as when Russia Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev "attended a biathlon event Saturday night." Perhaps the "most noticeable change from past Olympics is the relative lack of visible guns" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/10).
