FBI director Robert Mueller finished a one-day visit to Athens to inspect security for the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games, and although he made no statement following the visit, the Associated Press quoted sources briefed on the meetings that said Mueller reinforced U.S. calls to widen the scope of counter-terrorism planning and called for more intelligence sharing.
During his visit Mueller toured Olympic venues by helicopter and met Minister Giorgos Floridis at the Public Order Minister, national police chief Fotis Nasiakos, and National Intelligence Service chief Pavlos Apostolidis.
Reports say Mueller left open the possibility of further talks on Greece’s refusal to allow weapons for foreign security personnel during the 2004 Games. One source said the FBI believes “a lot of work still needs to be done” before the Olympics.
Meanwhile, state television said that after this week’s simulated anti-terrorism exercise at a U.S. base in Stuttgart involving the seven countries involved in helping organize security at the Games, it was likely that bilateral agreements would be signed.
