Security effort greatest in sports history

TIM DAHLBERG, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SALT LAKE CITY -- The show behind the scenes was just as impressive as the one inside. Before one athlete entered the Olympic stadium Friday night, the greatest defense in the history of sport was already well under way.

With snipers peering over the top of the rooftop and helicopters hovering overhead, a $310 million effort to protect the Olympics moved into full gear after nearly three years of planning.

Unlike the performers in the Olympic opening ceremony, though, the thousands of agents, police and military couldn't afford to make even the most minor mistake.

"We don't get a second chance," Secret Service agent Mark Camillo said.

Authorities didn't take a chance, either. Five protesters were arrested after confronting police near where President Bush was supposed to enter the stadium, and another protest group was dispersed after attempting to block a media bus.

Prime target

Although no credible threat has surfaced against these Games, top administration officials have warned that the Olympics could be a prime target of terrorists.

Security agents had put together a complex plan that includes 59 agencies and employs nearly 16,000 security workers on everything from snowshoes to fighter jets.

It began for real Friday with a ban on all air travel in and out of the city's airport during a three-hour opening ceremony that included President Bush and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

"Security worked extremely well," Salt Lake Olympic chief Mitt Romney said after the ceremony. "We're all breathing freely."

The security force was busy around the stadium in the hours before the ceremony, and a maze of fences and checkpoints stretched up to a half mile from its perimeter.

Police patrolled the fences on all-terrain vehicles, while helicopters kept watch overhead. The adjacent University of Utah campus, usually bustling with activity, was nearly deserted.

But the expected long waits to get through security checkpoints didn't materialize, and the stadium was filled long before the opening ceremony began.

About 150 police standing shoulder-to-shoulder with riot gear in hand near the stadium had a brief showdown with about 200 sign-waving protesters who supported women's rights and decried poverty.

A spokesman for the Olympic joint information command said a group of about 30 of the protesters moved toward a police line that was blocking the path to where Bush would enter the stadium, and five were arrested. Four were released after being cited, while the other was jailed.

Hours early

The suffocating security meant spectators had to leave for events hours in advance. During a rehearsal on Wednesday, fans stood in line for up to two hours to get in.

But getting through security was much easier for the real thing, with spectators waiting a half hour or so in temperatures in the 20s.

For more Winter Olympics 2002 stories go to the Salt Lake 2002 section.

For terrorism-related stories go to the Terror in America section.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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