How safe are the Bejing Olympics to be?

www.metro.co.uk...

China: 'Olympics will be safe'
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
china police

Chinese authorities have said they are confident that athletes and spectators will be safe, following a deadly attack that killed 16 policemen just days ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Yesterday's attack happened in a city near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, in Xinjiang province.

Two men from a mainly Muslim ethnic group rammed a truck into and hurled explosives at jogging policemen.

But Beijing Olympic organising committee spokesman Sun Weide said: "We've made preparations for all possible threats.

"We believe, with the support of the government, with the help of the international community, we have the confidence and the ability to host a safe and secure Olympic Games."

The timing so close to opening day heightened the attack's shock value and bore the hallmarks of local Muslim militants, said Li Wei, a counterterrorism expert affiliated with the government.

Initial reports indicated Monday's attack was carried out by separatists based in Xinjiang and not Uighurs from across the border, some of whom have received training from al-Qaida and Pakistan's Taliban, said Li, who works at China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, a think-tank with ties to the government's main spy agency.

"This time they actually managed to carry out their plan, but it will not affect the Olympics greatly," said Li. "The threat from East Turkestan forces exist, but their capabilities are limited."

The attack came as athletes, Olympic dignitaries and journalists poured into Beijing for an Olympics that some Chinese want to leverage to get the government to address festering grievances.

Migrant workers cheated on pay for construction, homeowners angry about pollution and other disgruntled residents believe the government would help them rather than see the Olympics disrupted.

On Monday, about 20 people evicted from their homes for urban renewal projects staged a small demonstration a few blocks from Tiananmen Square only to be surrounded by police.

"We don't oppose the Olympics. But it's wrong for them to demolish our house. It's wrong," said Liu Fumei, who scuffled with women from the government-backed neighborhood committee who pulled Liu and the other protesters away.

[edit on 5-8-2008 by Sickscent]

I think if their is an attack it won't be on Bejing but in other parts of China...with all the police gathered in the Bejing area, an attack on other provinces will be much easier.

If you can attack the Olympics like back in 96 at Atlanta, it wouldn't surprise anyone can do it in Beijing, no matter how tightly control the Chinese govt. is.

If you can attack the Olympics like back in 96 at Atlanta, it wouldn't surprise anyone can do it in Beijing, no matter how tightly control the Chinese govt. is.

The worst thing that could happen is somebody tackles a runner like that one time; I forget which Olympics it was.

Americans are coming in with masks like Michael Jackson, thats safe.

No matter how protected it is, you couldn't pay me enough to sit in the "#1 target in the world."

Originally posted by ParaFreaky
The worst thing that could happen is somebody tackles a runner like that one time; I forget which Olympics it was.

Or crazy Chinese man stabbing and killing Americans, then killing himself...