A security cctv camera is seen by the Olympic Stadium at the Olympic Park in London, Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Britain's spy agencies and police have planned for a dizzying array of security nightmares surrounding the Olympics a coordinated terror attack like the 2005 suicide bombings, a dirty bomb, a cyberattack and hoaxes designed to scatter personnel.Sang Tan
As security officials at the London Olympic Games spent yesterday doing tests of systems and planning a massive $525-million security operation that will protect the Games, Canadian Olympic and government officials said they had no fears for the safety of the 300 Canadian athletes, coaches and support staff attending the July 27-Aug. 12 sports extravaganza.
"They learned a lot from terror attacks in Britain last summer," said COC president Marcel Aubut, even as London's Metropolitan Police brought terrorism charges against four men for plotting alleged terrorist activities between January 2011 and April of this year. "I'm a pretty good friend of Sebastian Coe, and we've talked about this. What they'll do is just right, everything for the protection of the athletes.
"Last summer forced them to realize what could be. It gave them a signal," said Aubut, who added that the Canadian team would be accompanied by "lots" of RCMP security staff, though he would not disclose how many.
The COC chief was in Toronto to launch Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame events for the team's homecoming in September. They include a visit by the team to the House of Commons in Ottawa Sept. 19; a parade through the streets of Toronto Sept. 21; and a gala dinner and presentation in the evening of Sept. 21 at the Air Canada Centre. The 1,200-seat fund raiser will gather money for the Canadian Olympic Foundation and athlete headed for future Olympic missions, starting with the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.
In the meantime, while Canadians were thinking of parties and parades, the British Olympic Association and Games security organizers began the May 2-8 dry run of security measures on land, water and in the air. On land, the expected 10,500 athletes will be under the eye of 12,500 regular Metropolitan London Police officers, members of 10 other police forces, 13,500 military personnel including 5,000 specialists, bomb-disposal units and sniffer dogs. Some 7,500 personnel are assigned to venue security at more than 30 sport venues -- meaning they check bags and check for dangerous goods that might be carried by fans.
In the water, there will be navy vessels at Weymouth (sailing) and Portland (windsurfing), with personnel trained to deal with terrorists; plus private security on jet skis and inflatable boats. Royal Marines will be stationed on the Thames River, and the large deck of the HMCS Ocean will provide a helicopter pad.
The helicopters will take off from various London sites. Surface-to-air missiles could be stationed on the rooftops of an apartment block in east London as part of Britain's air defences, the country's military confirmed last weekend. The use of surface-to-air missiles in Olympic security operations is not uncommon. China had missiles set up near Bejing's Bird's nest. Greece had them at the Athens airport.
Britain has been a terror target in recent years because of its involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Terrorism is about making a statement, and that statement can be made at any event. Every reasonable precaution has to be taken. Take nothing for granted," said Julian Fantino, associate Minister of National Defence. He is the former had of the OPP and the Toronto Police.
"The authorities in the United Kingdom are working diligently as we did here when we were bidding for the 2008 Games... We're in far better shape than ever before, for being prepared to have a secure Olympics. The authorities in the U.K. are networking with international law enforcement. There will be a lot of pre-emptive work done.
"Security is a major concern -- for the athletes, for the venues -- and that security has to be an international effort. To that end, Canada's blessed to be part of Interpol and other significant organizations that deal with national security issues and public safety."
At the same time, Fantino says, security can't smother the Games. "There must be enough latitude for athletes to be able to perform without having to worry about their safety. That should be the concern of the authorities. Follow the instructions, follow the (security) protocols, but let others worry about the security."