The Games in Athens

Greece appears to be turning the corner on its national security as it prepares to host the Summer Olympics. After September 11, many observers questioned Greece’s resolve to provide ample safety and security measures for the Games. But Greek authorities are taking security seriously.

A low turnout in Athens would deal a hard blow to the Greek economy and to the country’s international prestige, and the unthinkable — a terrorist attack in Athens during the Games — would devastate Greece.

Last month, Greece took the important, though overdue, step of trying and convicting members of a Marxist Greek terrorist organization known as November 17, which has been launching attacks since 1975. Greece had been turning a blind eye toward the criminal actions of the group, which is responsible for the death of 23 persons, including U.S. military and intelligence officials. The terrorists allegedly used Greek army-issued ammunition to carry out some attacks. Last month, 15 members of the November 17 group were convicted.

The timing of the arrests and convictions is noteworthy, since members of November 17 have been carrying out violent attacks for decades and only now are suffering consequences. Presumably, Greek officials have an added incentive to quell jitters ahead of the summer Olympics. But U.S. officials have been leaning on Greece to take action, and the September 11 terrorist attacks appears to have sent a message to some foreign governments that all terrorist groups pose a serious risk.

The Greek government has also actively sought help for bolstering security for the Olympics. NATO has apparently agreed to provide air cover during the Games, and Athens’ Olympic Village will be surrounded by twin concrete barriers and secured with cameras and X-ray machines. Greece has turned to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for help in detecting and heading off a potential dirty-bomb attack. The U.N. agency has turned to the United States for assistance, which is providing the IAEA with $500,000 for radiation detectors to be used at Olympic events. The United States also is helping Greece deploy both portable and fixed radiation detectors at several locations, focusing on border crossings. The United States may also help Greece improve its emergency response systems.

In early February, the representatives of the Olympic Security Group, which includes the United States, will observe Greece’s next major pre-Olympic exercises, which are geared to prevent an attack by weapons of mass destruction and involve the police, the military, health services and other agencies.

The Olympics have been marred by violence in the past. In the 1972 Munich Olympics, for instance, 11 Israeli athletes were killed. In this post-September 11 world, Olympic hosts have to be particularly vigilant. The recent terrorist attacks in relatively stable Turkey, where almost 60 people were killed, have set off alarm bells. The Olympic Security Group must watch the February drill closely — and tighten security where necessary.