Kremlin officials say the Sochi Olympic Games will be protected by a “ring of steel.”
The extra caution is the result of Islamist threats to target the games, which will last from February 7 through February 23.
Fox News says this includes “about 100,000 police, security agents, and army troops” who will be placed in and around Sochi, as well as “air defense missiles, drones, high-speed patrol boats, and sophisticated sonars capable of spotting submarines” – all intended to provide “the safest Olympics in history.”
In addition to the deployment of the security forces, vehicles, and weaponry, VOANews reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using the mountainous terrain around Sochi to keep terrorists out.
The U.S. is also sending about 36 agents to help at Sochi before and during the games.
Announcing the various measures and tactics, Putin said, “If we allow ourselves to exhibit weakness, to exhibit fear, to show our fear, this means that we will contribute to terrorists in achieving their goals.”
Yet according to the Christian Science Monitor, the fear of suicide bombers remains, especially “in the greater Sochi area in the outskirts beyond Sochi.” There are questions about who may have entered Sochi before the security crackdown began.
Moreover, Russian officials are still looking for female jihadists – “black widows” – trained to carry out suicide bombings. Women took part in “most of the high profile attacks in Russia… [during] the last decade.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.
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