Airport shutdown likely during Olympic ceremonies
( 2001-10-20 14:17 ) (7 )

In what would be an unprecedented security move, Salt Lake City International Airport is expected to be shut down during the 2002 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies.

Robert Flowers, security director for next February's Salt Lake Winter Games, revealed the move here Friday as part of increased security in the wake of terrorist attacks last month upon New York and Washington.

US President George W. Bush plans to attend the Olympic opening ceremony February 8. The closing ceremony will be 16 days later and more than 52,000 people are expected to attend each three-hour event at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

"It will give the people involved a feeling of safety," Flowers said. "If you want to check a place set to respond to attacks of weapons of mass destruction, this city is more ready to respond than any in the country."

Never before has a host city's airport been closed during an Olympic ceremony. But, in the wake of terrorist hijacking airplanes and crashing them into the Pentagon and World Trade Center, the rules have changed.

"Relatively severe actions can be taken and will be done," said Mitt Romney, organizing committee chairman. "Every possible source of terrorist threat has been examined and a plan has been devised to minimize that risk as much as possible."

More than 40 million dollars has been added to the 200 million dollars previously budgeted for Olympics security measures. The US government sent 24.5 million dollars of aid Thursday to add 2,000 extra military personnel.

A no-fly zone above the stadium is expected to be extended for hundreds of miles, with aircraft from a nearby military base able to patrol the skies in case hijacked planes violated the safety perimeter.

"We're able to secure the area in a way that would not be possible in an area like Washington," Romney said.

"There's nothing (of a threat) that gives us heartburn specifically at this point except for the things that affect all of the American public."

No thought has been given to delaying or not conducting the Olympics, Romney said.

"We're absolutely committed to holding the Games," he said. "We are not looking at any other alternative. We will hold the Games. There is no other good alternative."

Romney said increased security in the wake of the terrorist attacks and recent mailed anthrax incidents could include Olympians from nations that are supporting the US-led military missions in Afghanistan.

"There is additional security being considered for some athlete groups that might be at greater risk than others," Romney said.

Safeguarding athletes is a major consideration, US Olympic delegation leader Dwight Bell said.

"Safety comes first," Bell said. "We're very comfortable with the level of security measures being made. If we need to ramp up from that to protect athletes, we will."

Krista Sabasteanski, a US biathlete and US Army soldier, said she has no safety fears because of the extensive Olympic precautions.

"President Bush is coming to the opening ceremony," she said. "Security is going to be great because it's for him. And it's going to be the same for the entire Games."