Italy’s Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu said Monday Italy sees no firm evidence of a security threat to the Turin 2006 Winter Games but is alert to possible attacks by local and foreign militant groups.
He told a news conference, “but we believe an attack in Italy, like in any other country is possible. The fact that the Turin Olympics coincide with the electoral campaign could attract the attention of international terrorist groups”.
The Games run February 10-26 and the country is gearing up for national elections in April.
Pisanu said Italy has so far spent 90 million euros on security measures for the Games, including the cost of about 9,000 additional policemen and other security staff, and expected the final bill to be higher.
According to Reuters Italy has repeatedly said it can deal with Olympic security alone, and has rejected an offer from NATO to provide troops. But Pisanu said NATO would supply one aircraft to help patrol the no-fly zone over the Olympic sites, which stretches from Turin to the French border.
Other countries will also be allowed to send armed security staff to protect their delegations and athletes, although Pisanu said reports the United States would send 500 FBI and other agents to the Games were wrong, reports Reuters.
Gianni de Gennaro, head of Italy’s police force, said that in theory armed guards would even be allowed to watch over national teams in the Olympic Village, but added that no country had made such a request.
