2012 Olympics Pose Daunting Security Risk

(AP)  London faces the largest security challenge since World War II when it hosts the 2012 Olympics, British security minister Alan West said Friday.

West told a London conference that the British capital will almost certainly be at a higher risk of a terrorist attack as an estimated 15,000 athletes, 14,000 coaches and officials and 20,000 media workers arrive for the games.

He said the country's threat level will likely rise to severe - the second-highest rating on a five-point scale - meaning an attack is considered highly likely.

"We are not complacent. We do not underestimate the scale of the Olympics challenge," West told the Royal United Services Institute think tank.

West, a former head of Britain's navy and defense intelligence staff, said the event would be "possibly the greatest security challenge the U.K. has faced since the Second World War."

Since 2001, Britain has invested heavily in anti-terrorism measures, increasing the size of domestic spy agency MI5 and raising the country's security budget to $6 billion.

The minister said a $1 billion fund has been set aside specifically for Olympic security.

West said work since the July 2005 transit network attacks in London, which killed 52 passengers and four suicide bombers, had "made the nation safer, but we are not safe - the threat is still there."

The London bombings came the day after the British capital was awarded the 2012 Olympics.

West said plans to secure the Olympics would reflect changing tactics used by terrorists.

He pointed to the use of boats to launch attacks last November which killed 166 people in Mumbai, India, and methods deployed in Lahore, Pakistan, in March in a gun assault on the Sri Lankan national cricket team.

Britain has installed barriers to defend against car bombs at most sports stadiums, transport hubs and shopping malls, and provided new guidelines on protecting crowded spaces. During the Olympics, police speed boats will patrol the River Thames.

West said that, despite the likely threats, he is confident in plans to secure the London games. If medals were awarded for security planning, Britain "would be on top of the podium wearing a gold," he said.

[olyboy]

Hey, don't worry, Obama says they are not terrorists, their just criminals. Let the police and courts take care of it, just like before 9/11 -- oh, yeah that may be a problem.... but it's not his problem.

[ramos1129]

Although having been selected for the 2016 Olimpics would have been a great honor, Chicago and the USA probably dodged a bullet. Preparing for the events would have cost close to $1 trillion or more with little likihood of recovering that. I live in South Texas, I would have had to spend a lot of money to travel and stay in Chicago (or close by) to attend one or more event. Not worth it.

[Deirle]

LONDON: London faces the largest security challenge since World War II when it hosts the 2012 Olympics, British security minister Alan West said Friday. West told a London conference that the British capital will almost certainly be at a higher risk of a terrorist attack as an estimated 15,000 athletes, 14,000 coaches and officials and 20,000 media workers...
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2200618

[rwsmith29456]

Every Olympic Games held since Munich has been a high security risk.

[frank1560]

As long as it takes place before December 21, everything should work itself out. After that, it won't matter much anyway.

[bubbadubba]

That is three years from now, I am not going to worry about it.
Are we going to have to suffer through this garbage fear mongering for three years?

[vuenbelvue]

I know it is not popular but the time has come to have permanent locations for olympic events. Costs seem to be overwhelming compared to the benefits. I can't imagine what the final bill for the US taxpayer would have been had Chicago landed the last olympics instead of Rio.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

I agree. If the US wants to have it again, go back to Atlanta or another city that has already hosted it and has the facilities to do so again. Building these monstrous venues over and over again is shameful.

[ramos1129]

To vuenbelvue---- You make an excellent point. Probably the best run events were in Salt Lake City and truth be told, no one actually knows if they had a loss or a profit. It really depends as to who you ask as to how they did. I vote for permanent locations.