He could have said, 'Well, it's my understanding that they've had some security challenges. It is a dangerous world after all and the Olympics stand for all that is good about the influence of Western culture on the world. That makes it a prime target for terrorism. So although we must always remain vigilant, I have reasonable confidence that our British friends will get those challenges worked out.'
It covers him if things go bad without making them look like idiots. That's how it's done.