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Athens Olympics & Security


Elastonpappou 13

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Once we are talking about the Athens Olympics and such, look what dropped in my attention today...

This is clearly propaganda from Carlson Wagonlit Travel which is the agency that issued this flyer. It was posted in this web address http://www.goalert24.com/readnews.aspx?id=...25776&tid=15171

but now it has disappeared due to legal complaints that severeal people from Greece have made.

AND THIS IS THEIR ARTICLE

Please be advised of the following development(s) that may impact your corporate travel program.

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Greece

Greece: Recommendations for travelers during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens

26-Feb-2004 05:38:38 PM (GMT)

The Ancient Olympic Games were founded in Greece in 776 BC and were played through AD 393; they inspired the modern Olympic Games, the first competition of which was held in Athens in 1896. The Olympic games are meant to encourage world peace, friendship and cooperation, as well as promote healthy sporting competition among young people around the globe. It is now the world's most important and revered international sporting event.

In 1924, the Summer and Winter Olympics were divided and scheduled on four-year cycles, held two years apart in various countries. A wide variety of exciting sporting events can be seen at the Olympics, drawing spectators, athletes and support staff from around the world.

Visitors to the games should take into account concerns about the security situation and take appropriate precautions.

Background

Due to the often-volatile nature of world politics, security at the Olympic Games has proven to be a significant concern to the International Olympic Committee and host nations. At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, Palestinian terrorists killed two members of the Israeli team, and took nine more hostage. Attempts to free the athletes led to the deaths of all hostages, five of the hostage-takers and one policeman. More recently, at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, in the U.S., two people died when a homemade bomb exploded in Olympic Centennial Park.

Events such as these have led to heightened security for the Olympics, and concerns emerging from the 9/11 disaster will have an even more profound effect on the 2004 Summer Games in Athens.

Protecting tens of thousands of people during the Olympics is a huge task, and Greece has budgeted a record sum of more than US$800 million (640 million euros) for security. More than 50,000 security personnel from 20 different government agencies will be deployed, including 16,000 soldiers. This is more than three times as many than were used in the 2000 Games in Sydney. The security forces are undergoing training to deal with hostage-taking situations, chain of command procedures and the possibility of terrorist action, including biological, chemical and nuclear attacks. Greece has enlisted help from NATO and several nations to aid in safeguarding the games.

Other security measures include surveillance cameras, traffic restrictions, explosives detectors and gas masks, the latter of which will be stored in special compartments on subway cars. The extensive security measures have not come without problems of their own: Demonstrators already have clashed with Athens police over security restrictions and working conditions at the Olympic Village construction site. It is expected that traditional Greek anarchist and anti-globalization organizations will continue to protest and possibly take violent action, but security planning has taken these groups into account, as well.

It all adds up to the most comprehensive security planning in the history of the Games, and Greece's commitment to keeping the games safe has been praised by the International Olympic Committee and influential nations.

Still, such a massive effort underlines serious worries about terrorist intentions. Greece's proximity to Balkan nations with large Muslim populations (some of which are suspected to harbor militants) and its "porous" borders with Macedonia and Albania could mean easy access for extremists. In addition, although Greece is a European nation and a member of NATO, there is an atmosphere that is somewhat anti-Western. A strong leaning toward leftist politics and a deeply entrenched Greek Orthodox faith have contributed to opposition to Western objectives. During the Kosovo war, much of the Greek population was pro-Serbian (also of Orthodox lineage), while NATO and the Greek government supported the Muslim population.

Finally, there is also some concern that, while great effort is being expended to protect Olympic athletes, support personnel, venues, and other high-profile targets, less is being done to protect the huge numbers of visitors expected to visit Athens for the Games.

Recommendations

Recommendations are offered as information only, and some recommendations may not be appropriate in all situations.

If at all possible, avoid large concentrations of people outside the official Olympic venues. If you can avoid taking the subway or other mass transit, do so. If you are staying in a hotel, familiarize yourself with its safety, emergency and evacuation procedures.

Given the anti-Western atmosphere, try not to be obvious about your nationality if possible. Avoid wearing apparel that bears logos for schools/universities, professional sports teams or corporations. One strong tip-off is footwear. If you are wearing athletic shoes outside an athletic venue, you will be earmarked as a Westerner. The temptation to wear patriotic clothing and accessories is strong during the Olympics, but this should be avoided. Instead, carry easily concealed clothing or accessories that can be put on at the actual events, such as hats, bandannas or scarves.

Be aware of your surroundings and watch for suspicious persons, vehicles or objects. Beware any item that appears unattended or carelessly discarded: the 1996 Atlanta bomb was hidden in a discarded knapsack. Bombs may be hidden inside nearly any type of object, from a bicycle to a book, so any object that seems abandoned or out of place should be regarded as suspicious. Do not touch the package or object - instead, move quickly but calmly away and report the item's presence to authorities.

Avoid all demonstrations and protests, especially those that appear political in nature. Such events could suddenly turn violent. Avoid large public gatherings and plan routes around any rallies or demonstrations. Remain alert to your surroundings and maintain a low profile - don't do, say or wear anything that would call undue attention to yourself. If violence breaks out, quickly but calmly move away and seek shelter in a hotel or large public building, such as a museum or library. Traffic and public transport may be disrupted; plan alternate routes you can use if roads are closed or blocked, and allow extra time for any travel in the area.

If you encounter a roadblock or barricade erected by either demonstrators or security forces, be patient and avoid provoking a confrontation.

The summer climate in Athens (April through September) is warm and dry, with temperatures in the 90s (Fahrenheit)/30s (Centigrade). Sunny weather is very common, so wear appropriate clothing and carry sunscreen. Carry your own bottled water, as street vendors (and, unfortunately, many sanctioned Olympic venues) overcharge for water.

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This e-mail has been sent to you at the request of CWT Greece.

The destination intelligence in this report is supplied and monitored by GoAlert24 NewsAlert. While every effort has been made to be as thorough and accurate as possible, mistakes can and do occur. Please use the information provided as a basis for further research and not as a definitive report or recommendation on any destination. All information is provided "as is" and without any representation or warranty.

Please contact your CWT Greece client services representative with any specific travel concerns. As always, CWT Greece will continue to keep our clients informed of news and information that may affect their corporate travel program. CWT Greece will provide additional information regarding any travel industry developments, as appropriate.

This is actually one of the comments that a Lawyer from a Greek firm involved in the Olympics (I wont reveal it for obvious reasons) has sent...

Thank you John for sending us the attached propaganda bulletin, which (by obvious clerical error, probably due to poor marks in geography of the person who wrote it) confuses Greece with the Islamic Republic of Iran or the city of Kandahar in Afganistan.

I strongly recommend to all colleagues, especially those whose families do not live in Greece, that they send this very informative bulletin to their mothers-in-law or other loved relatives who might be planning to visit Greece during the Games.

I also congratulate John and the Logistics Department of ........ in general for selecting Carlson Wagonlit to cooperate with. As an ............ person I am proud that ........... money is used to finance the spreading of such charmingly accurate observations about Greece by Carlson, in addition to their invaluable advice about weather, strikes, security alerts and the like.

If anybody needs any further advice about the Islamic Republic of Greece, please feel free to conbtact our travel department or write directly to Carlson. For good measure, when enquiring about the horrendous conditions which apply for foreigners in Greece use a Greek alias and when speaking on the phone, try to immitate my accent. Also, for heaven's sake, please DO NOT WEAR ANY ATHLETIC SHOES UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES (because that will definitely give you away as foreigners)

Unbilievable huh?

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