Olympic security bolstered by missile launchers

Tag : missile battery

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has bolstered its Olympic security effortby deploying a battery of surface-to-air missile launchers akilometre south of the showpiece venues for the Beijing Games.
At least two camouflaged Hongqi 7 missile launchers were visiblefrom a public road close to the stadium built for the 1990 AsianGames, which is just across the city's fourth ring road from theBird's Nest arena and Water Cube aquatics centre.
Radar dishes and other military vehicles along with uniformed airforce personnel were also visible through a fence on which wasposted a notice reading "Military Administrative District, NoAdmittance".
Aircraft are almost never seen in the skies above central Beijing,which is restricted airspace. Olympic broadcasters, however, willbe allowed to use helicopters to cover the August 8-24 Games.
Greece installed dozens of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles aroundAthens six weeks before the 2004 Olympics, the first Summer Gamesafter the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The U.S.-made missiles were part of a huge security operation witha significant NATO contribution that cost an unprecedented $1.8billion (915.6 million pounds).
China has said it hopes to secure the Games for less than a thirdof the Athens bill by using its own armed forces.
It regards terrorism as the biggest threat and claims to havefoiled bomb plots and plans to kidnap athletes by militants fromthe far-Western region of Xinjiang.
Beijing said last week that a special 100,000-strong securityforce, including the elite Snow Wolf Commando Unit, was already onalert for terrorists. Continued...