Members of the U.S. military and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are in Athens this week testing Greece’s safety plans. They will scrutinize plans and train security staff, reports Reuters.
FBI director Robert Mueller will visit Athens on Thursday to discuss the Games’ security arrangements, following a U.S. military-led Olympic security drill in Germany on Wednesday.
Mueller will be meeting with Public Order Minister George Floridis, Athens Olympic organizers and Athens police chief Fotis Nasiakos, who heads the largest Olympic security plan in the history of the Games.
All of Greece’s top security officials including the National Intelligence agency, the coastguard and the Olympic Games Security Force have been taking part in the drill, which ends Wednesday.
According to Reuters the United States is part of a seven-nation international security advisory group for the Athens Games, but it’s the first time the U.S. military has lead an Olympic-related exercise.
The other countries are Israel, France, Germany, Spain, Australia and Britain – all part of the advisory group.
Also, Athens released details of the Athens 2004 Homes Rental Programme for visitors and spectators at the Games.
About 80 to 90 per cent of the total capacity of about 220 hotels in the Greater Attica area and adjacent prefectures are available to meet the requirements of the Olympic Family.
There are more than 20,000 homes on the market for rental, and 200 to 300 applications arrive every day from owners who want to rent their homes. Most of the homes are located near and around the competition venues, but there are also a large number of homes in the centre of Athens.
The Homes Rental Programme has already received 22,000 applications.