Greece Asks For NATO's Help In Olympic Security
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Athens Reaches Out To NATO
For Security Assistance |
With Europe "reeling from the Madrid bombings, concerns continue to mount over Greece's ability to keep this summer's Athens Olympics safe from terrorism," according to Alan Abrahamson of the L.A. TIMES, who noted security was "stepped up at rail facilities throughout Athens" after Thursday's attack in Spain. Also Friday, the Greek government "asked NATO for security assistance — an acknowledgment that" Greece "could not by itself ensure the safety" of the Games. The request had "been in the works for several weeks and was delayed until after last weekend's Greek elections." One senior source who has monitored joint U.S.-Greek military training exercises, including operation "Hercules Shield," said security is "a work in progress, and it's probably going to be a work in progress up until the end of the Games." The exercises have "revealed a 'lot of problems,'" but the source noted that that is "to be expected because the point of these training drills is to reveal vulnerabilities." IOC President Jacques Rogge: "No one can guarantee zero risk. What you can guarantee is that every measure that can be taken has been taken and provided for, and for the rest you can ask me a question at the closing ceremony" (L.A. TIMES, 3/13).
THREAT MATRIX: Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, in a Q&A for TIME's Europe edition, said of asking for NATO's assistance: "This is something discussed and prepared by the previous government, but due to the events in Spain, we felt it was a step most sensible to pursue" (TIME EUROPE, 3/22 issue). NEWSWEEK's T. Trent Gegax reports, "According to one senior Western diplomat in the region, the Games haven't received a credible threat yet. But there has been ominous 'chatter'" (NEWSWEEK, 3/22 issue).
BUILDING BLOCKS: In London, Alan Hubbard noted that Rogge is "already querying why the new [Greek] government still feels it essential" that the steel-and-glass roof planned for the Olympic Stadium designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava goes ahead. Rogge has given Karamanlis a file "listing his greatest worries and a two week deadline to take tough decisions over building delays, especially the roof" (London INDEPENDENT, 3/14).
OPTIMISM: More Karamanlis: "There have been delays. However, at this point there is no time for additional criticism. We are almost five months from the Games, and we have only one goal and responsibility: to make sure that all of us, not just the government, but all Greeks, contribute in order to make good Games and secure Games" (TIME EUROPE, 3/22 issue). But one non-Greek with close ties to the Athens efforts said of the host country's optimism about preparations, "They pretty much have to lie about everything and just hope that most of those lies turn out to be true." Addressing an int'l group of media last week in Athens, IOC VP Kevan Gosper said, "Don't just see how much work there is to be done. Remember how much has already been done" (NEWSWEEK, 3/22 issue).
BOYCOTT RUMORS: NBC's Campbell Brown reported this morning that U.S. Ambassador to Greece Thomas Miller last week said that "if Athens does not beef up security, the U.S. will not send athletes." Brown asked acting USOC CEO Jim Scherr if the USOC was "close to pulling the plug." Scherr responded, "We are not. We have every intention of sending our team. There is nothing that we know now that would keep our team from competing in Athens." Scherr said of preparations for the Games, "We believe that the Greeks have taken extraordinary measures to involve others and prepare for any eventuality" ("Today," NBC, 3/15).
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