Sochi Terror Threat

[peacetraveler22]

I don't know how Russians feel about the Olympics, but American television is already showing a lot of ads and promos for the event. In general, the Olympics are a big deal here. Most people enjoy them and are glued to their televisions watching the events and coverage for almost three weeks. However, this past week U.S. media has been on a mission to instill fear about possible terror threats in and around Sochi. It started at the end of December with the Volgograd bombings, but this week panic reached epic proportions with the release of a new video from Islamic terrorists and the identification of potential "black widow" bombers. Of course, it's normal to discuss terror threats before any Olympic Games but Sochi and Russia are receiving a lot more attention than other Olympic hosts, at least in the American press.

What do you think? Can Russian security forces handle the threats posed by these extremists at the Olympics? If possible, would you attend the Sochi Games?

Comments

[inamora.livejournal.com]

I'm indifferent to the Olympics, so I will not go.
And for some reason, Russian security forces have often react after something happens.

[vasya-spb2000.livejournal.com]

I think Putin will make every effort to prevent terrorist attacks. Otherwise it will be his biggest failure in the international arena.
There are a lot of his personal interests, I think that he not be defeated.

[geoscholar.livejournal.com]

I have considered security to be factor, now more than ever. However, before, hearing about the threat of terrorism, two things were of a concern to me: Money and personal safety. Money because it is rather expensive to travel(at least it is for me). Personal safety is a factor. I don't want to open up a can of worms, but here goes. I've always wanted to travel to Russia. Watching so many travel shows about Russia, and reading about Russia made me want to travel there. I still do. I have a concern because I've also heard about many attacks by Neo-Nazis against persons of Asian and African descent. I'm of African descent myself, so one major concern for me has been personal safety. Apart from that, having read some of the things I've read about Sochi, I would love to see the Sochi Olympics in Sochi for myself.

Hearing about the terror threat is relatively new to me.

Anyway, peacetraveler22, I hope you are safe while you visit Sochi.

[leo-sosnine.livejournal.com]

I think that it's wise to expect worse here. No. No.

[moonrainbow.livejournal.com]

Terrorists are a small danger. Smaller than a plane crash and a lot smaller than a car incident. You wouldn't even notice if not for the media that like bloody pictures and love to provoke fear.

If you want to be scared of, be scared of security. They have already made Sochi into something that is more like a military base than a festivity venue. Some places look as if they want to build a concentration camp. Want to go anywhere? Take your papers, you'll need them more than once. Want to use a train? Get ready to be stripped off TSA-style.

http://pharaon01.livejournal.com/459882.html

This is the railway station by the way. A terrorist won't pass! You, too.

Are you still sure you want more security?

The locals mostly want this damned Olympics to end to bring the city back to normal life.

And no, I will not go. No fun celebrating with so much anti-terrorist hysteria. TV and Internet are my options.

[luin-nsk.livejournal.com]

According to common sense the probability of a bombing is higher in places with low security measures. So if there'll be a blow, it'll be anywhere but not in Sochi. Seriously I'm less afraid of a terrorist attack than of a questionable quality of service and construction.
Personally I won't attend a Games - "so little time, su much to do" (c), better to watch the results over Internet or TV :)

[modest-so-zvezd.livejournal.com]

"December with the Volgograd bombings"
I live in Volgograd((

Sochi

[partizan-2012.livejournal.com]

1) I think that the Russian security services will not be able to protect their own population and guests of the Olympiad. In my city of Astrakhan, August 19, 2001 was a blast and killed 17 people. The real culprits never found.
2) I think that the Olympic games are held for Putin and his friends. Me, my environment, my relatives, they are not needed. I know that my children does not have a gym in the school. When the Olympic torch arrived to our city, car traffic in the city is blocked by the police and many citizens are not able to do his business, and sat in the house. Permission to run with the Olympic flame had been sold as the shop sells shoes. However, my oldest daughter is very happy Olympics. To the Olympics I'm not going because it's not my holiday.

Советско-Американское единство

[andrey-kaminsky.livejournal.com]

I am indifferent to the Olympics. States use the Olympics as a tool to manipulate citizens. It is a pity that in this case, the US behaves like Russia or China. Victories of athletes are always their personal victories, but the media convince TV viewers that these are sports victories of TV viewers;) Politicians flatter peoples that they are great nations destined for great deeds, stuff peoples with conceit and complacency as housewives stuff christmas turkey. People who believe in their own exceptionalism, imagine themselves entitled to administer justice over others and control their destinies. Of course, politicians use this mindset of citizens to do violence to other nations. Sad picture. Our planet is in need of new ideals:)

[lara-anna.livejournal.com]

I know that our country is so corrupted that you can buy anyone in the police, so I'm afraid anything can happen.
On the other hand it can happen in any country, just remember the Boston marathon.
And no, I wouldn't go to the Olympics, even if I was paid for that))) Large amounts of people scare me...

[cherez-dorogu.livejournal.com]

I love Olympics, but I wouldn't go. Begin with terrorist threats, then Russian security measures - keep in mind "politeness" and manners of Russian police, the security measures will make this visit a hell. And then I had chance to get known how the Olympic stadiums were built. There is a high probability that some stadium would just ruin if there are crowd of people in it.
So, we have two big risks (terrorists and breakdown) and one thing is bound to happen (rudeness of security). All these are not very encouraging.

[maxreiher.livejournal.com]

"Can Russian security forces handle the threats posed by these extremists at the Olympics?"

it's not only about security forces ... it's more about citizen attitude.
See some suspicious call police - it's normal for americans but not for russians.

[serge39.livejournal.com]

I think they can. Besides, nothing ever happens when and where everybody awaits it.

[mad-insomnia.livejournal.com]

I am indifferent to the Olympics too. But I think that terrorists is sly and cunning. I can't trust to the Russian security.

[popados.livejournal.com]

Unfortunnally, I can compare this games with Hitler's Olimpic Games in 1936. I'm not support them.

[demonfrost.livejournal.com]

I contemn Sochi Olympic Games because there's nothing but Putin's vanity, the feast during the plague in dying country.

Sochi has already turned into a concentration camp for its citizens and guests. Fences and policemen everywhere, authorities even prohibit the people living near the Olympic park to fire their furnaces, although those people don't have other ways to heat their houses in winter. And there is a lot of such stories. These Olympic games are huge hypocricy and abomination.

[mannaz-russia.livejournal.com]

I think those attacks can happen during Olumpic games, but not in Sochi. I don't see a clear reason for them to attack foreigners.

[e-g-o-r-i-u-s.livejournal.com]

Shannon, have you found a single person who would really want to go and visit Olympics in Sochi?

[fareastener.livejournal.com]

No comments, ma'am.
If we'll tell you a true - you'll have to shoot yourself :))

[bocca-chiusa.livejournal.com]

I live really not far from Sochi, but still don't have the slightest intention of going there for the Olympics. Not because of the terrorist threat - I do believe the security is going to be very high there. The thing is I don't expect a proper level of organization there, which is, I think, along with those high security measures, going to bring lots of inconvenience and discomfort for the people.
So it's much more preferable for me to just watch the translations at home :)

[pasha1980.livejournal.com]

In Russia, such big events are so rigorously controlled by the FSB that there is not much room for terror attacks. So I wouldn't worry about that risk. I would not attend the Olympics in Russia because I wouldn't want to participate in Putin's attempts to popularize Russia among the international community at the expense of disenfranchized taxpayers who are having to foot the bill for this grandiose project while Russian patients are dying in rundown hospitals due to the absence of adequate funding, but this is a different story.

By the way, have you read this article by Scott Andersen about the bombings that may have propelled Putin to presidency? It's quite interesting in my opinion. http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-333298

[know-your-foe.livejournal.com]

islamic militant husband? Why your TV dont name him terrorist?

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

Russia always has much more negative attention from the West than it deserves (even if we take Western values as a point of reference).
Gays are executed in Saudi Arabia - nobody cares.
Gays are not allowed to show and tell something to children - almost "fascism" in Russia :))
OK...

But re terrorism I think the threat is real because for terrosists it is a very tempting target and because Sochi is at North Causasus itself.

Anyway, I do not normally watch TV and I think that any competitive sport is stupid.
TV companies have bought rights to broadcast these events for many millions and of course they now advertise it to ensure that people want to watch it.

[onkel-hans.livejournal.com]

There are no security forces in Russia. There are butchers colloquially known as trash.
They cannot protect anything.

The best way would be to cancel or at least to boycott the games.

[nar-row.livejournal.com]

I think they can handle the threats during the Olympics.
But generally - they are losing this war.