"I look for the federal government to revisit the public safety plans," said Mitt Romney in an article by The Associated Press. "We will be fully engaged in that process and will make it our highest priority."
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, said security will be discussed by the IOC executive board when it meets next week in Switzerland. He did not specify what areas of security would be examined.
Because the Olympics, scheduled for Salt Lake City, command so much attention and draw so many spectators — from ordinary fans to heads of state — the threat of disaster has long hung over them. Israeli athletes were massacred by terrorists during the 1972 Munich games. More recently, a bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 summer games in Atlanta.
The Games are classified as a national security event by the Federal government. A Presidential Directive designates the Secret Service as the leader in a security effort that involves governmental agencies ranging from the FBI, CIA, INS, and Department of Defense, to local and state police forces.
"That strategy is very straightforward," D. Fraser Bullock, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) told AC&SS. "It is to have a secure perimeter around all of our venues. That's where we invest most of our security assets. We also have law enforcement personnel inside the venue, but that need is less, given a secure perimeter."
Salt Lake City was to be relying on a high-tech security approach. Cameras, metal detectors and sophisticated software were slated to monitor everyone who enters an Olympic event.
Olympic officials have been utilizing the services of Boca Raton, Fla.-based Sensormatic Electronics Corp. and Garland, Texas-based Garrett Metal Detectors to provide high-tech components for securing the Games.
But with the recent developments in both New York and Washington D.C., Romney and others will begin a process of finding ways to curb a suddenly increased threat of terrorism with the Games slated to begin in early February.
The question remains how it is possible to stop every conceivable method of terrorist attack.
"If you’ve got a bomb parked outside a building, you can defuse it. If you’ve got a 767 headed your way, there’s not much you can do," British security expert Roger Davies told The AP.
Airspace above Olympic venues were already to be declared no-fly zones, and were to be patrolled by the U.S. Customs Service with helicopters. But even the increased security measures may not be enough.
"You hire the best experts, spend incredible amounts of time and money and you hope you’ve covered all contingencies," said Billy Payne, head of the 1996 Atlanta Games. "Unfortunately, as we found out ourselves in Atlanta, even one individual intent on creating havoc can sometimes slip through the net."
For more on security at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, read the AC&SS August cover story at the link below:
http://industryclick.com/magazinearticle.asp?magazineid=119&releaseid=6993&magazinearticleid=117485&siteid=24
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