ATHENS, Greece -- The United States provided Greek police
and border officials with radiation detection equipment Wednesday
to help guard the Athens Olympics against a nuclear or "dirty"
bomb.
Recent terrorist attacks have demonstrated that the use of such
weapons at the Aug. 13-29 Olympics by terrorist groups could not be
ruled out, said Anita Nilsson, director of nuclear security for the
International Atomic Energy Agency.
U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham gave Greece the radiation
detectors, worth more than $26 million.
"They will supplement the extraordinary security apparatus at
the Olympics," Abraham said as he delivered some of the equipment.
Permanent detectors will be installed at 32 airports and
seaports and Olympic venues. Portable equipment will be given to
police and border guards, customs officers and the coast guard to
"help detect, deter and interdict nuclear smuggling," Abraham
said.
The equipment will be "deployed to detect radioactive materials
that might be used as a weapon by terrorists in a radiological
dispersal device, a so-called dirty bomb," the IAEA said in a
statement from Vienna, Austria.
A dirty bomb is a conventional explosive designed to spread
radioactive material.
"There has been good cooperation with the Greek Atomic Energy
Commission and with the other international partners in developing
and implementing this work," said Mohamed ElBaradei, IAEA director
general. "We are collectively striving for a high measure of
security."
The head of the Greek commission, Leonidas Kamarinopoulos, said
there was little chance a dirty bomb would be used. Authorities,
however, were taking no chances.
This month, Greece increased its Olympic security budget to more
than $1.2 billion. About 70,000 police officers and soldiers will
patrol Athens and Olympic venues during the games.
In March, a two-week multinational security exercise tested
efforts to safeguard the games from a host of possible threats
ranging from hijackings to a dirty bomb.
Abraham said the United States had provided similar equipment
and training to safeguard the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake
City.
The joint program began last year and aims to protect Greece's
sole nuclear reactor and other sites where radioactive materials
are stored.
"We are improving protection systems at the Demokritos research
reactor, 22 hospitals clinic and at sensitive industrial
facilities," Kamarinopoulos said.
The Demokritos research reactor, which uses highly enriched
uranium, is located in suburban Halandri -- a few miles from the
center of Athens.
Greece has held a number of exercises to deal with mass
casualties from a nuclear, biological or chemical attack. NATO,
which has been asked by Greece to provide aerial surveillance
during the games, also has promised to fly in medicine and rescue
equipment if such an attack occurs.
"An important part of our security plan has now significantly
been reinforced," Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis said.
His ministry has been hosting a three-day meeting for 350
security experts representing national Olympic committees, sponsors
and broadcasters. On the second day, the experts discussed
protecting the Athens airport, the Olympic Village, hotels,
transport systems, athletes and officials.