LONDON, March 11 AP - [b]The European Union and NATO should be asked to assist with security at the 2012 London Olympics as a matter of urgency,'' according to a senior figure in the British government. [/b] It is increasingly clear that the 2012 Olympics could be a prime target for terrorists,’’ Michael Jopling, chairman of the House of Lords European Union committee said.
``It is vital that the government takes every possible step to ensure that other EU Member States are fully prepared to assist the UK in the case of a potential attack.’’
Jopling said he was concerned arrangements had not already been made with the EU Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC).
The MIC had chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear decontamination teams on standby during the Euro 2004 football championships in Portugal.
``We are surprised that this process is not already in hand, and we recommend the government begin liaising with the MIC as a matter of urgency,’’ Jopling said.
``The lack of co-operation between the EU and NATO is especially worrying in the area of civil protection and crisis management, where there is virtually no contact between the bodies involved. This cannot be allowed to continue.’’
A report by the committee also says that security arrangements for areas around the Olympic park in Stratford, east London, need to be addressed immediately.
Olympic officials have voiced concerns that neighboring areas will be left vulnerable if security is concentrated on the park.
``We do not believe that it is too soon to involve the MIC in preparations for security issues, not just within the Olympic venue but also in the surrounding boroughs,’’ the report said.
The British government has set aside a budget of STG600 million for security at the games and an additional 10,000 policeman will be deployed.
The level of terrorist threat in Britain is currently severe. Government officials say that if this is raised to critical they may need to dip into a STG238 million reserve fund to provide additional security.