With only a week to go before the Sochi Winter Olympics kick-off, security concerns continue to be at the forefront of many discussions.
I wrote about this a little back on my January 21 posting here on Mattchat.
Since that time, there have been additional develoments.....
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/suicide-bombers-called-biggest-sochi-olympics-risk-22308875 --
Security experts warn that Islamic militants in the Caucasus, who have threatened to derail the Winter Games that run from Feb. 7-23, could achieve their goal by choosing soft targets away from the Olympic sites or even outside Sochi. Some have raised the possibility that jihadists could have infiltrated Sochi long before security was tightened and have noted the vulnerability of the city's transport systems.
Amid questions about whether Russian security is sufficient to head off the threat of militant attacks in Sochi, President Obama told CNN in an interview that the Russians understand the stakes involved in playing host to the international event.
A number of athletes...... aren’t going to enjoy the party as they have at previous Games – instead they’re going to spend the shortest time they can in the region, going in and out of Sochi as close as possible to their events.
"I would say we should not scare people from attending the Olympics. It's a time-honored tradition. If we do not support our team and show up, I think the terrorists are winning and I think that's what they're trying to do here. Having said that, I would say that the security threat to the Olympics, this particular Olympics is the greatest I've ever seen." (Michael McCaul, R-Texas)
It's a scary world out there folks. We really have to trust the Russian security forces to keep these Games secure and our athletes safe.
Yeesh, I hope they've got things in order.
Out for now.....
Matt