by Bradley Dick ’16, News Contributor
As the Winter Olympics approach and the festivities begin, there is still a great sense of caution. The 22nd annual Winter Olympic Games in Sochi,
Russia are a topic of discussion for many reasons.
Over the years the Olympics have become a big tourism stop but this year many Americans who would normally travel to
see the Olympics are not making the trip because of safety concerns.
The Winter Olympics are being attended by 88 nations and
more than 2,500 athletes. More than 230 of those are American athletes and 270 American coaches, not to mention the estimated 10,000 American citizens expected to attend.
Most parents and relatives of the athletes will make the trip to see their sons or daughters compete but some athletes such as speedskater Tucker Fredricks have asked their relatives to stay in the US and watch in the safety of their home.
With all the excitement around the actual events it’s often forgotten that the games have been threatened by a number of prominent terrorist groups. These terrorist threats have been declared a serious risk and many believe the Russian government is not doing enough to thwart a potential attack.
The rebel groups in northern Russia such as Caucasus Emirate, the group who is responsible for the Russian public transit attack in December, are the most prominent of these threats. These groups have prompted the US Government to increase its military presence in order to protect the US athletes and citizens in attendance.
As a part of this effort, the US Government has deployed two naval warships to the Black Sea as protection for the US athletes and citizens. These naval ships would be a precaution and only needed if things were to get bad.
The Russian government has set up a security ring around the “Olympic square”, only allowing authorized people past the checkpoint. It is believed that the security ring has been breached by a few “black widows”, who are women that are looking to avenge their terrorist husbands’ deaths.
The Russian government has declined some aid from the US government in stopping these terrorist attacks. The US government has offered to help using their technology which detects and stops roadside bombs from going off.
The Russian government should face the reality that the threat of bombings inside the “Olympic square” may be low but the threat of bombings around the “Olympic square” is still a serious threat and the Russian government should accept the US government’s aid. The Russian government should not risk the safety of the athletes and spectators just because of political and social differences between the US and Russian government.
