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Athens in final stages of preparations for Olympics
Athens, May 20: Top Greek security minister says plans for Olympics are nearly complete.
Athens, May 20: Top Greek security minister says plans for Olympics are nearly complete.
Greece's top security minister says security plans for the Olympic games are nearly complete, with systems and personnell to be functioning as of July 1, as the military tested on Wednesday (May 19) it's latest technology for fighting terrorism during the Olympic Games.
The remote controlled bomb disposal and observation robot, named Theodore is one of two acquired from German Ministry of Defence.
It is used to transport, defuse or destroy explosive ordnances in public spaces, controlled from a 200 metre distance.
The robot, mounted with three mobile cameras, can carry a weight of 100 kilograms. The device was tested in various scenarios including detection and destruction of suspicious packages, bombs and grenades left in public areas, in construction sites, vehicles, and residential areas.
Public Order Minister George Voulgarakis told reporters that security planning is nearly complete, and July 1 is the big date, when all systems and personnell will come into effect; more than a month before the games.
We will have a shield around us, said Voulgarakis. That will include a cache of the most sophisticated equipment systems acquired by the country for the security of the games, as well as 45,000 armed guards and another 25 thousand personnel indirectly involved in security, street security cameras monitored from a command and control centre, fences, radioactive detectors in subways, electronic surveillance systems, coast guard patrols and NATO monitoring of sea and air will all comprise the plan.
Until now eight security exercises have been conducted with a team of international observers, the last drill the previous week, which included scenarios such as kidnappings, highjackings, assasination of public figures, chemical and nuclear threats, and other terrorist attacks.
Voulgarakis said security forces have gone through every preparation and will have some of the best security know-how in all of Europe.
We have one of the most sophisticated security systems technologicallly and we are going to have it permanently. We have created a think-tank, preparing exercises, preparing schedules, preparing task forces, preparing this mechanism which is necessary to combat all the current threats that our world confronts. said Voulgarakis.
In the last weeks Athens has been shaken by a series of small explosive attacks at police stations and banks which caused minor damage, which the government said were carried out by small leftist fringe groups that do not pose a serious threat.
Voulgarakis said such attacks would not interfere with security measures for the Olympics and the regions that need to be protected for the games would be inpregnable.
This was an isolated incident..it can happen anywhere in Europe...They (the recent attacks) are not connected with the Olympic games they will not interfere with the security measures because these venues and those regions are going to be invulnerable. It wont be easy for someone to approach them.
He said it was impossible that suspicious packages could be left at any site before the games without being detected, as part of the full security apparatus that will take effect on July first. The venues will be locked and handed over to security forces, where there will be a full sweep of venues and surrounding regions.
The venue is locked. Then a scanner goes in the venue and scans everything--walls, even the air--from biological agents. Everything is in a very clear position, he said.
The amount Greece is spending on security --one billion dollars-- is unprecedented; higher than any other Olympic games.
Bureau Report
The robot, mounted with three mobile cameras, can carry a weight of 100 kilograms. The device was tested in various scenarios including detection and destruction of suspicious packages, bombs and grenades left in public areas, in construction sites, vehicles, and residential areas.
Public Order Minister George Voulgarakis told reporters that security planning is nearly complete, and July 1 is the big date, when all systems and personnell will come into effect; more than a month before the games.
We will have a shield around us, said Voulgarakis. That will include a cache of the most sophisticated equipment systems acquired by the country for the security of the games, as well as 45,000 armed guards and another 25 thousand personnel indirectly involved in security, street security cameras monitored from a command and control centre, fences, radioactive detectors in subways, electronic surveillance systems, coast guard patrols and NATO monitoring of sea and air will all comprise the plan.
Until now eight security exercises have been conducted with a team of international observers, the last drill the previous week, which included scenarios such as kidnappings, highjackings, assasination of public figures, chemical and nuclear threats, and other terrorist attacks.
Voulgarakis said security forces have gone through every preparation and will have some of the best security know-how in all of Europe.
We have one of the most sophisticated security systems technologicallly and we are going to have it permanently. We have created a think-tank, preparing exercises, preparing schedules, preparing task forces, preparing this mechanism which is necessary to combat all the current threats that our world confronts. said Voulgarakis.
In the last weeks Athens has been shaken by a series of small explosive attacks at police stations and banks which caused minor damage, which the government said were carried out by small leftist fringe groups that do not pose a serious threat.
Voulgarakis said such attacks would not interfere with security measures for the Olympics and the regions that need to be protected for the games would be inpregnable.
This was an isolated incident..it can happen anywhere in Europe...They (the recent attacks) are not connected with the Olympic games they will not interfere with the security measures because these venues and those regions are going to be invulnerable. It wont be easy for someone to approach them.
He said it was impossible that suspicious packages could be left at any site before the games without being detected, as part of the full security apparatus that will take effect on July first. The venues will be locked and handed over to security forces, where there will be a full sweep of venues and surrounding regions.
The venue is locked. Then a scanner goes in the venue and scans everything--walls, even the air--from biological agents. Everything is in a very clear position, he said.
The amount Greece is spending on security --one billion dollars-- is unprecedented; higher than any other Olympic games.
Bureau Report