Summer Olympics Shielded From Nuclear Terrorists

ATHENS, Greece, June 16, 2004 (ENS) - From the moment the 2004 Olympic Games open in Athens on August 13 to the moment they close on August 29, a multi-faceted security shield will be in place to protect athletes and their coaches, organizers and spectators from the threat of nuclear terrorism.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency, has an unprecedented joint action plan in place to help ensure a high level of nuclear security at the Olympics.

The action plan is designed to protect facilities and materials, to detect illicit trafficking and malicious use of radioactive materials, and to ensure that emergency response forces are effective and efficient.

Cooperation between the IAEA, the Greek Atomic Energy Commission, and the Greek Olympics Games Security Division to provide expert advice and technical assistance followed a request for assistance from the two Greek authorities to the IAEA last summer.

The physical protection of the Demokritos nuclear research reactor, located in an Athens suburb, has been upgraded and the security of radioactive sources used at medical and industrial facilities in six Greek cities has been tightened.

Radiation detection equipment has been installed at 32 locations such as borders and other entry points into Greece, and at Olympic venues. Mobile detection equipment will be deployed elsewhere.

The Athens Olympic Sports Complex (Photos courtesy Apada)

The equipment is being deployed to detect radioactive materials that might be used as a weapon by terrorists in a radiological dispersal device, a so-called dirty bomb. Detailed information on the steps that have been taken cannot be disclosed for reasons of security, the agency said.

“There has been good cooperation with the Greek Atomic Energy Commission and with the other international partners in developing and implementing this work,” said Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the IAEA. “We are collectively striving for a high measure of security and the work being undertaken should enhance the capabilities of the Greek authorities.”

Much of the work in Greece has been undertaken in cooperation with IAEA Member States – with substantial support provided by the United States and France in the fields of equipment, training and technical advice.

On May 25, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham officially transferred $26 million worth of hand-held radiological detection equipment to Greek officials to support increased security for the Olympic Games. The event, held at the Ministry of Development in Athens, was part of the international cooperative effort to enhance nuclear security measures for the Olympics.

"The Department of Energy is proud to cooperate with the Greek government and the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve security for the Olympic Games," Abraham said. "It is in our interest to protect the athletes and citizens who will attend this historic event."

The Spiros Louis (Olympic) Stadium in Athens seats 74,767 people.

The U.S. Energy Department also is providing technical support to protect against the theft of radioactive materials located within Greece that could be used for terrorist purposes during the Olympic Games and is implementing the security upgrades at the Demokritos research reactor.

About 10,500 men and women, accompanied by 5,000 trainers, physiotherapists and team leaders from nearly 200 countries will compete in 28 sports in 296 events. The organizers of the Greek games say their security systems are ready.

President of the Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (ATHOC) Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki said in May, "After hosting 38 sport events in our state-of-the-art sports venues – testing our security, our operations, and human resources – we can say with confidence: we will be ready for an Olympics that will be great for the athletes and good for the Games.”