Russians Urged To Help Prevent 'Terrorist' Attacks Ahead Of 2014 Sochi Winter Games

Less than a month before the start of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic, Russian investigators "appealed to civilians on Tuesday to be more vigilant and help avert the threat of 'terrorist' attacks," according to Gabriela Baczynska of REUTERS. Vladimir Markin, who is a spokesperson for Russia's national Investigative Committee, which answers directly to Putin, said, "You can't just count on the special services and heroic commandos. If our citizens are not ready to be vigilant, and to refrain from the shady business and corruption that create an environment for the terrorist underground, the intelligence services and -- even more so -- the investigators can only ... face the tragic consequences." Markin "did not specifically refer to the Olympics but that is currently the country's main security concern" (REUTERS, 1/14).