Keeping Terror At Bay

When terrorists from the 17 November group gunned down a British brigadier in Athens two years ago, Western intelligence officials warned Greece that it was “one bullet away” from losing the 2004 Summer Games. Today, those same officials say Greece’s crackdown on the deadly terror organization is encouraging. But serious security concerns remain.

Though the Greeks promise to deploy at least 50,000 personnel backed by F-16 fighter jets, they acknowledge that they lack the sophisticated technology and relevant experience to coordinate such a massive security operation. But with less than two years to go before the opening ceremonies, the Greeks will only next week start looking at international bids for the command and control center for security. The winner will be selected in December. If this deadline isn’t met, warns one U.S. security official, “then the whole project becomes impossible.”

Timing problems have already forced out one major player. Titan, a U.S.-based technology corporation that was planning to bid for the Athens security project, backed out recently, fearing it would have too little time to prepare, according to the same official. The two remaining contenders — U.S.-based Raytheon and SAIC, both of which handled the Salt Lake City Games — might bail out too if a decision isn’t taken this year. “Setting up the technology and the systems is not a problem,” says Hugo Poza, leading the Raytheon bid. “Having enough time to train local authorities and test the systems is.”

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Greek government has pledged nearly €700 million to establish a homeland security infrastructure meant to handle any crisis, from freak heat waves to chemical warfare assaults. That infrastructure may also include the installation of “smart” electronic fences and warning systems.

Security in Athens throws up some special problems. For one, airborne surveillance will require the cooperation of Greece’s neighbors, including Turkey. Though NATO allies, Turkey and Greece have been at loggerheads for years over air space rights. And Greece’s seemingly endless coastline and thousands of scattered isles may prove impossible to patrol. In July, at the height of the crackdown against November 17, suspects confessed that they were planning to bomb passenger ferries, ticket terminals and tourist sites in hope of paralyzing plans for the Games. That’s scary enough — but Yoram Schweitzer, an Israeli counterterrorism expert who advised the Sydney Olympics, suggests Greek authorities should switch their attention to al-Qaeda operatives, some of whom may be in the Balkans. “They may be persecuted and on the run,” he says, “but these cells are somewhere, planning another spectacular attack.” For security officials, however, there’s just one hope for the Athens Games: that they prove spectacularly safe.