by Spenser Garber
Photo courtesy of RIA Novosti archive, image #159366 / Igor Yakunin / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Because of the nearby December 2013 Volgograd bombings, people have been speculating whether or not Russia is prepared for potential threats from terrorist groups targeting the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The short answer is yes.
This isn’t the first time the Olympic games have been threatened by terrorists. In 1972, 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were kidnapped by Black September. In 1996, a bomb went off at Olympic Park in Atlanta, killing two and injuring 111 people.
In 2002, however, the Salt Lake City Olympics were completed successfully only five months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.
The sad fact is that terrorism is a threat to every Olympics because it is usually a compact place filled with thousands of people from almost every country in the world.
Fortunately, Russia has taken precautions to keep the threats from turning into real attacks. An estimated 40,000 officers are expected to be dispatched at both venues for the Olympics. In addition to this, the U.S. will be placing naval ships in the Black Sea.
To increase security, people who want to gain entrance into the Olympics must come with a special pass. This pass means that a background check has already been performed on them.
Even with all the security, people have been skeptical whether it is really safe. An estimated 30 percent of tickets have still not been sold.
In my opinion, there isn’t really anything to worry about. With combined security from the U.S. and Russia, terrorists have almost no chance of a successful attack on any of the athletes or spectators.