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Security teams complete drills ahead of Games

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-20 07:40

Chinese police take part in a anti-terror training session in the run-up to the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games in Qinhuangdao, North China's Hebei Province, June 19, 2008. [Xinhua] Anti-terror drill for Olympics

With 50 days to go until the start of the Olympics, an anti-terrorist force of almost 100,000 commandos, police and army troops has been put on high alert, an official said yesterday.

"Terrorist attacks may occur before the Games, so our anti-terrorist forces have been in action ahead of the opening ceremony," Liu Shaowu, director of BOCOG's security department, said.

The end of a series of anti-terrorist drills entitled "Great Wall 5" staged earlier this month marked the beginning of the campaign, he said.

The drills, including dealing with chemical attacks and hijack attempts on athletes' buses, were held from June 11-14 to test the city's emergency response capacity and smooth coordination between forces. They involved police, armed police, PLA soldiers and health, environmental protection, meteorology and transport departments, the Public Security Ministry said.

China's leaders have said terrorism is the biggest threat to this summer's Olympics.

During the Games, the forces will be divided into three groups: security guards at venues, forces in the capital, and national emergency professionals, Liu said.

"We have developed more than 500 plans for security, transport, firefighting and VIP protection," he said.

Among the forces is a Snow Wolf Commando Unit, an elite police squad established in 2002. The 300-strong unit is tasked with fighting terrorism, riot control and other special tasks, such as hijacking and bomb disposal.

There has also been increased cooperation with international security experts.

Kong Bo, an official at the Olympic command center, said: "We will cooperate with Interpol and inform every participating country of the security conditions every day."

FBI agents from the US have offered their expertise on security issues, while police from France, the UK, Australia and Israel have also provided input.

Security forces in the Olympic host cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenyang, Qinhuangdao and Hong Kong are on high alert.

Beijing has 150,000 security personnel and more than 290,000 volunteers patrolling the city in a bid to ensure security.

One of the volunteers is 70-year-old Li Gaoxiang who said he is ready to tackle any threat in any shape or form.

"We will never allow terrorists to attack the Games. I will stop them! And I will scare away thieves."

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