Greece to allow Israeli armed guards to protect Olympic team

Jerusalem Post ^ | Jul. 21, 2004 | ARIEH O'SULLIVAN

[yonif]

Greece has reportedly quietly agreed to let Israel send armed guards to protect our athletes in next month's games in Athens.

The Greeks have also allowed the United States and reportedly Britain too to use armed guards to secure their athletic teams against a strike by terrorists during the August 13-29 games.

Officials in the government here have remained mum about the reported agreement. But members of the Israeli security establishment have confirmed that the agreement was necessary in order to Israel to participate.

Officially, however, Greece has imposed an arms ban, barring most nations from bringing armed guards to protect their delegations. In Athens, Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis said Wednesday that Olympic athletes would be under the exclusive protection of Greek forces.

Greek security is "exclusively responsible for the security of the sports delegations," Voulgarakis said. "Greek authorities ... have done everything humanly possible to have the Olympic Games in a safe and peaceful environment." He did reveal that foreign leaders and other dignitaries would be able to use their own guards.

"The visit from leaders of various countries are managed by a special security protocol," said Voulgarakis, noting the "rule of reciprocity" that allows Greek forces to accompany leaders and other on foreign soil.

According to the BBC, Greece's constitution bans foreigners from bearing arms on Greek soil. Also, Greek officials have said they feared foreign guards could overreact to common street protests or other incidents and that would undermine their authority.

According to AP, the United States was dispatching 400 US Special Forces anti-terror teams to Greece under a NATO umbrella, as well as ground and air forces trained for chemical and biological attack.

A former guard for the Israeli Olympic teams, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that armed guards have always protected the Israeli athletes since the 1972 Munich massacre, when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 members of the Israeli delegation.

Assaf Hefetz, who headed an Israeli security consultant firm to the Athens Olympics, said Wednesday it was "correct and logical" for Greek officials to permit foreign guards and intelligence agents.

"I think every team since Munich (in 1972) was protected by the Shin Bet and there is nothing better than this," Hafetz, a former police commissioner, told Israel Radio.

"This is smart on the part of the Greeks and it's not clear to me why they opposed this. After the issues of honor were put aside, the professional issues were considered," Hefetz said. "This is the correct decision."

He added that he knew of no direct threats aimed at the Athens Olympics.

"But there are groups like Hizbullah and al-Qaida that have the willingness and the ability to attack at the games," Hefetz said. "And thus it makes this business so critical. So you can't take just a defensive position, you must act on the offensive."

[Don W]

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