 |
| |
|
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
EVENTS
CENTERS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|
 |
Precautionary measure Salt Lake to ground planes during Olympic ceremonies
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- As a precaution against terrorist attacks, security officials plan to shut down the city's international airport for several hours during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. The unprecedented action means planes would not be allowed to land or take off at Salt Lake City International Airport for several hours on Feb. 8 and Feb. 24, and possibly during some other times in between. Olympic organizers hinted at more flight restrictions in the wake of last month's attacks, and the chief of security for the Games confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday that the airport likely will be closed. Robert Flowers, head of the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command, also said: "If you fly in restricted airspace, we're going to shoot you down." He said a complete halt in air traffic was necessary to give the expected 52,000 people at the Ceremonies -- probably including President Bush -- a feeling of safety. Olympic security officials always planned to restrict airspace above Salt Lake City during the Games. But before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, there was no plan to temporarily stop all air travel into and out of the city. "The world is a different place than it was before," said Scott Blackmun, acting executive director of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Still, organizers vowed the games would go on as scheduled. "There is a sense of peace associated with the Games," said Salt Lake Organizing Committee president Mitt Romney. "It's something that needs to be seen by the world." Romney repeated what Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt said a day earlier -- that there has been no thought given to canceling the Games and no time spent planning for such a contingency. "There is no Plan B," Romney said. "I'm absolutely convinced the Games will go on as scheduled." But organizers admit the 17 days of Games in February will be different from what they originally envisioned. Plans for bands to play on street corners and thousands to jam into the streets of the resort town of Park City to celebrate at night have been dropped. The partying will now take place in official spots behind protective fencing so all revelers can be searched. Some 2,000 Utah national guardsmen will also be added to the security force, bringing the total number of people protecting the Games to 10,000, a ratio of about four security personnel to every athlete expected to attend. The Mormon Church earlier canceled a display of the Dead Sea scrolls, citing security concerns, and there will not be as many activities outside of the competitions. "We decided to either cancel some events or move them inside the perimeter. Locations are being consolidated," Romney said. "We're reducing the number of places for celebrations." Still, Romney said events will go on as planned in the fenced-in Olympic medals plaza downtown and the City Hall building would also be fenced for gatherings. Downtown buildings will be wrapped in giant photos of athletes, and the lighted Olympic rings are expected to shine on the nearby foothills.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
