Starter's gun for Olympic security

Despite assurances by Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis that the bombs were "an isolated incident which does not affect whatsoever the safety of the Olympic preparation," reports CTV (Canadian TV), the incident only heightened persistent concerns that Greece will not be up to the task of providing safety for the participants and spectators attending the Games.

Security is always in the details, reports the St. Petersburg Times.

The mission to safeguard the Olympics, which begin with [the] opening ceremonies Aug. 13, is more challenging and costly than ever, with a record $1.2-billion being spent on the most complex security plan in the history of the Games.

Close examination of the security preparations to date does not alleviate heightened concerns.

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"Preparations for the Games are said to be behind schedule, hampered by construction delays and other glitches," reports CTV. This concerns US officials because "construction delays may undercut efforts to test security systems ahead of the Olympics."

But construction delays appear to be only the tip of the iceberg, reports the Financial Times.

NATO officials have pointed out a lack of security around the harbor facilities at Piraeus, Greece's main commercial port and jumping-off point for thousands of tourists taking ferries to and from the Aegean islands. 'Every one of these ferries is a potentially unchecked bomb. Hundreds of cars and trucks are being loaded without inspection, let alone a "hello, who are you" questioning of passengers by security operatives,' one NATO official reported last month.

The lack of checks on passengers arriving from the islands has raised fears that attackers could follow the route taken by many illegal immigrants to Greece - a crossing by small boat from Turkey to a nearby Greek island, then a ferry to Piraeus.

Last week's announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that it had taken out "an unprecedented insurance policy, worth $170 million, to protect against the Athens Games being called off because of war, terrorism, or natural disasters," however prudent, did little to ease terrorism and security concerns.

Tom Ridge, the US Secretary for Homeland Security, raised security concerns about possible terrorist attacks with George Voulgarakis, Greece's public order minister, who was visiting Washington on Wednesday, reports the Financial Times.

Greek officials and the Athens Olympic Commitee (ATHOC) counter these concerns by listing the security measures planned or already taken.

The Financial Times highlights some of them:

• ATHOC has chartered cruise ships to provide floating accommodation for 13,500 high-profile visitors - among them heads of state and government, executives of international sponsors and their guests, and members of national Olympic committees.
• A special Olympic security zone along one side of the port, where 12 luxury cruise ships, including the Queen Mary II, the world's most expensive passenger vessel, will be docked.
• Protecting the Olympic zone with a high security fence equipped with sensors, several hundred surveillance cameras, and walk-through metal detectors and X-ray machines to be used by passengers, ships' crews and visitors.
• The quayside will be patrolled by coast guards and police and will have its own command center equipped with state-of-the-art communications. Police will carry out offshore surveillance of the zone from high-speed launches, while the coast guard will be responsible for open-sea patrolling, using new Israeli-built patrol craft equipped with high-tech cannons.
• Underwater security measures include submarine control systems and sea-bed detectors. Mindful of an attempt at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 to attach a bomb to the hull of a ship docked in the port, Greek combat divers have been training to carry out underwater inspections of the cruise ships.

And as an extreme measure to protect atheletes hailing from Britain, Israel, and the United States, the Daily Telegraph reports Greek authorities are preparing to give each of the competing athletes a 24/7 armed guard.

Mark Spitz was the American swimmer who won his seventh gold medal at the 1972 Olympics on the day Palestinian terrorists took 11 Israeli athletes hostage and subsequently murdered them. Spitz suggested last week that the US team might drop out of the Olympics because of fears of terrorist attacks.

At tennis tournaments in Europe, top players said they had no plans to reconsider participating in Athens, reports Eurosport.com. "We know there are some threats at the Olympics, but I don't think the answer is for us not to play," France's Amelie Mauresmo said in Berlin.

In Rome, top-ranked player Roger Federer said terrorism is something athletes are going to have to worry about, although they have been assured security will be exceptional.

Britain's Tim Henman said the bombings were "very disconcerting" but expressed confidence the Olympic Village "will be the safest place to be."

However, reports Eurosport, world number two Kim Clijsters of Belgium admitted at the German Open on Tuesday that security fears contributed to her decision to pull out of the Athens Olympics.

American tennis star Venus Williams admitted her concerns and took a wait-and-see attitude saying she will decide based on her comfort level about her personal safety closer to the actual date of the Games.

Also...
• Q&A: Olympics security ( BBC)
• Q&A: Are the Athens bombs an Olympic warning? ( Timesonline)
• Fear won't keep U.S. at home ( The Arizona Republic)
• History of the modern Olympics ( IOC)
• Celebrities at the Athens 2004 International Olympic Torch Relay ( IOC)

• Feedback appreciated. E-mail Jim Bencivenga .