The State Department alert, issued Friday, comes one day after FBI director James Comey announced that the bureau will send dozens of agents to Moscow and Sochi, where they will rendezvous with their counterparts in the Russian intelligence service to coordinate and boost security efforts.
“Securing any Olympics is an enormous task,” Comey told reporters Thursday. “I think it’s particularly challenging in Sochi because of its proximity to areas of unrest and sources of a terrorist threat.”
The travel alert did not specify any particular threat and noted that Russia has promised to protect athletes, fans, and infrastructure throughout the Games, which run from February 7 to February 23.
- "There is no indication of a specific threat to US institutions or citizens, but US citizens should be aware of their personal surroundings and follow good security practices," it said.
“We have been in regular communication – including me personally – with their security organizations to make sure we’re coordinating well. I think we are,” Comey said. “We’ve improved our information sharing on counterterrorism…The Russian government understands the threat and is devoting the resources to address it.”
Security officials have locked down much of the Sochi area to prevent any kind of violence or disturbances at the games. Tens of thousands of police and interior ministry officials will be on hand to prevent any violence, with security officials locking down much of the area.
President Vladimir Putin also forbid any protests at the Games, although that decree was later amended to include a designated protest area miles away from any Olympic facilities. In the wake of the Volgograd bombings, Russia’s transportation authorities have banned passengers to board planes with any liquids, except for medicines and child food.
Yet, as the same extremists who have levied previous attacks against Russia have vowed more of the same when the Games begin, the US State Department has said Americans “should remain attentive regarding their personal security at all times.”
The State Department mentioned the controversial law passed in the Russian Duma forbidding the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” to minors. While it was initially unclear as to whether the policy would be enforced at the Olympics, the State Department says it is understood that Russians as well as foreigners will be subject to the law during the Games.
- “Russian citizens found guilty of violating the law could face a fine of up to 100,000 rubles ($3,100),” the advisory said. “Foreign citizens face similar fines, up to 14 days in jail, and deportation. The law makes it a crime to promote LGBT equality in public, but lacks concrete legal definitions for key terms.”
“Medical care in many Russian localities differs substantially from Western standards due to differing practices and approaches to primary care. Travelers should consider purchasing private medical evacuation and/or repatriation insurance.”
The warning also comes after Russian authorities discovered six dead bodies with explosives nearby in a region north of the Caucasus Mountains, an area not far from where Chechen terrorists call home.
The US State Department has taken notice of such events, recommending that travelers avoid any protests or major gatherings that could be considered a target.
“US citizens should avoid large crowds in areas that lack enhanced security measures,” the statement said. “Use caution in any areas where protests, demonstrations, or other public disturbances are taking place. Demonstrations intended to be peaceful can develop quickly and unpredictably, sometimes turning violent.”
http://rt.com/news/fbi-sochi-help-travel-warning-441/
11/1/14
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Russia Names Small Town Outside Sochi as Olympic Protest Zone....
ReplyDeleteSOCHI, January 10 (R-Sport) – A town 12 kilometers from Russia’s Olympic venues in Sochi will host a so-called “protest zone” during the Winter Games, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said Friday.
A park in the small coastal resort of Khosta will be set aside for demonstrations that have been approved by local authorities, the police and security services during the Olympics and Paralympics.
The town of around 20,000 was chosen after President Vladimir Putin lifted a ban on protests earlier this month and ordered a site for demonstrations to be identified.
Khosta, on the road between Sochi and the Olympic Park, is around 12 kilometers from the nearest Games arenas. It is not clear whether a similar zone will be set up near the Mountain Cluster of snow sports venues.
“At Khosta in the park people will be able to freely express their opinion without breaching the rights of other citizens and without breaching the Olympic charter,” Kozak said.
“At the sports arena, at the sports facilities, in compliance with the Olympic charter, expressing political opinions is forbidden.”
Russia’s state human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin defended the choice of Khosta, saying it was easy to reach.
“It’s possible to travel there by car, by bus or on the train from the center of Sochi, or from the sports center,” he said. “So if people want to exchange opinions and express their views on any topic, they can do it easily.”
The Sochi Olympics have attracted protests from groups opposed to a controversial Russian law banning so-called “propaganda” of gay relationships to minors, as well as from representatives of the Circassian people, who inhabited.................http://en.ria.ru/sochi2014/20140111/186401221/Russia-Names-Small-Town-Outside-Sochi-as-Olympic-Protest-Zone.html
10/1/14
US satisfied with security measures in Sochi...
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON, February 02, 21:54 /ITAR-TASS/. The United States is satisfied with security measures Russia is taking in the run-up to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games the country will hold in its Black Sea resort of Sochi, a senior White House official said.
“We feel good that the Russians are taking serious steps right now” to secure the games, which will run on February 7-23, 2014, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said in a recent interview with the CBS and NBC American broadcast television networks.
McDonough emphasized that the United States is “in close touch with the Russians” and added that the US administration is not discouraging US nationals from traveling to Sochi.
“In fact, we have said that people could travel to the Olympics. We just want them to stay in touch with the State Department while they travel, watch the website for updates,” he said.
http://en.itar-tass.com/sochi-2014-winter-olympics/717271
2/2/14