Athens, Sept 16: Olympic teams can beef up their security with private guards during the 2004 Athens Games, but the latter will not be allowed to carry arms, a Greek Minister said yesterday.
"Every team can have as many escorts as they like, but these people will in no case carry arms -- in no case will they be involved in the security masterplan," Greek Public Order Minister Yiorgos Floridis told private radio station Flash in an interview yesterday. In February, the American Olympic Committee (USOC) said the 600-strong US athletics team will be protected by some 150 special agents with the cost of the operation put at four and a half million dollars.
Greek Government Ministers said Thursday it was standard practice for Olympic teams to be accompanied by their own security officials, adding, however, that the latter would be subject to Greek law.

"Suppose a bus carries foreign athletes. If they have an armed escort, whom Greek police do not know, there will be mayhem," Floridis said.



Greece is drawing up a massive security masterplan for the Olympics, in consultation with a standing, seven-country "Olympic Consultative Group" advising Athens on Olympic security issues.



The group is made up of officials from the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, France, Germany, Spain and Australia.


Bureau Report