Obama: Sochi is safe, Americans should go

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Well, the Sudanese are tearing each other apart and it looks like there really aren't very many good actors on either side of that conflict.

There are the ethnic Bosnian and Serbs, too.

Those are pretty bad hotspots where you have Muslim/Christian conflict going on, and I don't think either side is pure as the snow.

AutumnWitch657
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

The CIA agent saying these are the most dangerous Olympics he's ever experienced is nuts because he has not experienced them yet as they have not yet occured. Oh maybe he's a psychic that could be it.

I just went back and read the quotes from that former CIA official and something hits me hard for it....

“I think these are the most dangerous Olympics I’ve experienced in my adult life,” Mr. Morrell said, during an appearance on “CBS This Morning.” He went on: “You have a capable, dedicated, determined terrorist group that has been around for a long time [and] that recently conducted two attacks in Russia, who say that they want to attack during the games.”

Wouldn't that also have described the Salt Lake City games while the U.S. was in a state of war with 2 nations at the same time? Of course, the fighters in both nations were 100% asymmetrical in warfare and hitting something like the Olympics would have been precisely their SOP, if they could have managed it?

So, I am lost in seeing how Russia is somehow worse than the threats we're still being told we have to be afraid of when we go to malls, airports, train stations or anywhere else where people gather in public, across the US? We can make SLC safe...but Russia isn't capable? Err... How condescending, eh?

The CIA guy is fear mongering, is my take.

* Pardon me... my brain is mushy today and I got my dates a little mixed... SLC was Feb. 2002 ..so only one nation with open war, as Iraq hadn't started yet ...and fighting "less officially" in a couple others for that moment in time.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


The only difference I see is that Sochi is in the home region of one very determined group - the Chechens.

Think about it this way. Let's say that Christians were as prone to blowing people up as Muslims can be, and that the Mormons were the worst of a bloody lot, and for some unknown reason, they decided that Salt Lake City was THE place to have the winter Olympics. Now, if the US was waging war on ... some Christian nations somewhere during those Olympics and the Mormons were threatening violence, would you consider it more or less safe to go to the Salt Lake Olympics than say going to Nagano?

reply to post by ketsuko

Those are pretty bad hotspots where you have Muslim/Christian conflict going on, and I don't think either side is pure as the snow.

You're absolutely right..and I'd never suggest Christian and Jewish terrorist groups don't exist. They most certainly have, and do. (Operation Price Tag is one to look up for Jews and Christian Identity is one to look up for Christian examples)

It's the number and majority being seen in the world today that kinda made me stop and scratch my head... Christians have held the 'record' and 'rule' in times past. After all, who can forget the Spanish Inquisition? if ever there was a historic example. Just historic, in nature, eh?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Don't even talk about Christian Identity and Christian in the same breath. They're what you get when the Neo-Nazis think they need to pretend to get religion.

reply to post by ketsuko


Well just pull down those magic underpants and laugh at them.

reply to post by FlyersFan


The irony of the American media being obsessed with potential attacks in Russia is that the last terror attack on the Olympics happened......

Where?

Oh yeah..

Atlanta.

reply to post by ketsuko


Many Muslims would say the same thing about Al Qaeda and Islam in the same breath.

There are some extremists in all things, it seems.

I do have confidence in Russia's ability to safeguard their games though. This is Putin's moment to shine, and he won't want it tarnished. He retired 2nd in command to the KGB Station in East Berlin around the fall of the wall period of time, as I recall.

He knows internal security as a personally, directly, enforced matter...and I am certain he's holding nothing back. If there is one thing Russia does well, it's internal security.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Everyone says that about the "many muslims" I wish I heard them speaking louder.



Maybe if they could all go Sufi ...

Just read that the average cost of going (for US) is about 7000-12000$ - so no, I wouldn't go. Apparently, approx. 70% of the tickets sold were sold to Russians, so the foreign attendance is going to be low.

Cobaltic1978
It's a bit rich coming from a U.S president, particularly one that has increased the funding of the TSA and has practically brainwashed citizens into fearing their own shadow. Why the sudden change in attitude?

British intelligence ( loosely used word in this case) has advised that the likelihood of a terrorist attack either before or during the Olympics is very high.

Sure we can't always lead our lives worrying about these things, but I just find it all a bit strange that there seems to be conflicting advice. Not that I have any intentions of going, but I know a few people who intend to go.

The British are absolutely right. There is a high likelihood of a terrorist attack in Russia. But if you read the report, they concede that it is highly unlikely to occur in Sochi.