June 23, 2004

Israel to help safeguarding Athens Olympics

Israel will play a major role in securing the upcoming Athens Olympics, with its navy patrolling the Greek coast and military and intelligence officers working closely with the Greek armed forces, the US Army and NATO, according to Israeli military officials.
[...]
A seven-nation security task force, including the United States, Britain and Israel, are involved in the $1.2 billion security plans for the Aug. 13-29 games.

There is already close liaison between the Israeli navy, its Greek counterpart, the US 6th Fleet and the relevant air forces. Greece, the US army and NATO are also in close contact with Israeli intelligence, the officials said.
[...]
Israel's Shin Bet security agency will protect the Israeli team - guarding Israeli quarters in the Olympic village, sites Israeli athletes may visit and sailing events off the Greek coast - as it has done since the 1972 killing of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.

This makes me feel a little better about the Olympics, but not much.
(At least the Greeks are smarter than the Germans, who refused to let Israel handle the Munich IslamoNazi killers in 1972.)
The Olympics are for peacetime--they're supposed to show that nations can compete peacefully in sports instead of on the battlefield and clearly, since the 9/11 attacks on America, the Enemy doesn't feel that way and started another world war.
After the disastrous Olympics of 1936 in the heart of Hitler's Berlin, there were no Olympics during WWII for this reason and it's my opinion that we should suspend the 2004 events for the same reason, but if we must go ahead with it, I'm delighted to hear that the formidable Israeli forces, as well as ours, are on board!