Beijing Olympic Security Assistance Offered by FBI
Thomas Fuentes, Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), today stated that the Bureau is prepared to assist with China’s implementation of security at next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing. Speaking during a briefing today, Fuentes detailed how security at the Chinese Olympics was potentially "a massive challenge for the authorities in China to deal with."
He added: “There are tremendous issues of security as to who's entering the country and what backgrounds they may have, whether they intend violence at the Olympic Games for any variety of reasons... We're offering every possible assistance to them, in terms of information sharing or other technical assistance."
Fuentes stated that China would experience an unprecedented foreign influx by 2008; additionally highlighting how, without even covering spectators and tourists, a figure of 200,000 people could be linked to the Olympics in a working capacity.
While affirming the strength of the public security workforce in China, Fuentes stated that the FBI could reinforce this through its global network of information sharing.
Today’s briefing was held in the US Embassy in Beijing, a day prior to the sixth meeting of the Joint Liaison Group, involving the US and China, and covering issues of cooperation within law enforcement. According to Fuentes, this meeting, which stretches over two days, will focus on issues such as cyber crime, corruption, fugitive matters, intellectual property, human smuggling, repatriation and mutual legal assistance.
Beijing was declared the host city of the 2008 Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee in 2001. In this way, Beijing fought off competition from Osaka, Istanbul, Toronto and Paris. The games will be held between August 8th and 24th, 2008, and, in total, feature 302 events.
Formerly known as Peking, Beijing is the capital city of China. With economy more apparent in Shanghai and Hong Kong, Beijing’s industry focus is in the fields of politics, education and culture.
Source - Security International's Far East Correspondent
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