Reuters reports that NATO said Wednesday it would respond positively to Greece’s request for help in guarding the Athens 2004 Games and was working urgently on ways to provide air and sea protection against terrorist attacks.
A NATO official said military officials had been “tasked as a matter of urgency” to give their advice on the availability of assets required and how quickly they could be deployed.
AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems) surveillance planes may be provided by NATO which were deployed during the 2002 Salt Lake Games. They are routinely deployed for summits involving world leaders.
Also, naval patrolling would probably involve a beefing up – in Greek waters – of NATO’s “Operation Active Endeavour” which was set up after September 11 to keep tabs on vessels in the Mediterranean Sea.
