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IOC says 'yes' to Athens security
23/11/2000 19:50 - (SA)
Athens - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved Greece's security strategy for the 2004 Games but asked for a detailed operations plan to be drawn up as soon as possible, officials said on Thursday.
Athens organisers (Athoc) said an IOC inspection team visiting Greece to overview progress on the Games agreed to their plan to protect the "Olympic family", including the creation of a special Olympics security force.
But the team did not touch on the problem posed by 17 November, the urban guerrilla group which shot dead a British diplomat in Athens in June.
Greece's Western allies have long complained over the lack of progress in catching any members of the leftist group that has killed more than 20 Greeks and foreigners since 1975.
Athoc said Greek police chief Yannis Georgakopoulos presented the IOC team with a plan to co-operate with other countries that have experience in hosting Olympics.
He also described the special force that will include the cream from all of Greece's security forces, and the technology that will be used to monitor security.
"He expressed the will of the government to counter terrorism," one Athoc official said. "But this is not an Athoc issue and we did not discuss it further."
Greece has defended its security record, saying it was co-operating with other countries in catching a very small and elusive group of guerrillas.
"Ahead of the organisation of the 2004 Games communication and co-operation is underway with US representatives and experts from other countries who are knowledgeable in this issue," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas told reporters on Thursday.
He protested at media reports that projected an image of Greece being unsafe. "We all know that Greece is a safe country. At least ... safer than the United States and many countries of the European Union."
- Reuters
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