An article on the first page of The Times today mantions that Britain is worried about the safety of the british athletes so it will accompany the group with British police some of which will be armed.
Naturally the Greek goverment is furious about this since it believes that it can definitely protect all the athletes and visitors of the Athens 2004 Olympics. (Britain is mentioning problems with the terrorist group November 17, which was recently rsponsible for the association of a British brigadier in the center of Athens, but of course the group was captured two years ago).
Personnaly I believe that the fears of the British goverment are a bit overrated and subject to the terrorist paranoia that is ranging the world today. I know that situations are hard and things are definitely not waht the used to be ten years ago, but we should certainly not exaggerate matters more than they should. A main weapon in the hands of terrorists is uneccessary fear. And this is something that goverments should understand and fight.
Again I must stress the fact that I believe that the Athens Olympics will be the safest Olympic games ever (and as we said in the past almost to safe for their own good).
Posted by Basileios at April 16, 2004 12:11 PM