| Large forces of police and soldiers have been assigned to ensure the safety of the Games |
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reece is spending almost a billion euros on security for the Olympic Games. A total of 70,000 police, soldiers and other forces are responsible for protecting athletes, dignitaries and spectators in the biggest Olympics security operation ever mounted.
In what Public Order Minister Giorgios Voulgarakis has called “a model of international cooperation”, the Greek authorities are being assisted by a seven-nation task force, with both Britain and the United States taking part. NATO is contributing radar planes, ships and an anti-chemical warfare unit.
The security operation for the first post-September 11 Games has been years in the planning. More than 120 Olympic related sites and over 200 hotels will be protected. Deployment of security officers was initiated at the beginning of July and will continue until the Paralympics end on September 28.
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The primary communications hub for the Greek security forces will be the main command centre, located in Greek police headquarters, which will monitor surveillance data from on-site cameras and from an airship which will float above.
Spilios Spiliotopoulos (INTERVIEW), Minister of Defence, is confident everything possible has been done to ensure the safety of the Games. He says: “We are aware of the seriousness of our task, and have worked very hard preparing all services, all personnel engaged in the security of the Olympic Games, and on making improvements to all our plans. Today, Greece is the most secure country in the world.”
Know-how acquired in protecting the Games will be made available to other nations staging future international events.
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