Greek officials announced that they have agreed to send 400 American special forces to Greece during the Olympic Games next month. The New York Times, citing Greek and American officials, reports that American forces, alongside Israeli and British security officers, will be allowed to carry weapons. This agreement apparently contradicts Greek law, which does not permit foreigners to carry weapons on its soil. According to a senior NATO official, President Bush's administration has urged Greece to request NATO to take responsibility for American forces to avoid controversy. The New York Times adds that Greece will also allow the entry of a hundred armed American personal guards to protect American athletes and accompanying officials during the Olympic Games. Reports indicate that the FBI is also set to send armed hostage rescue teams and investigators to Greece.
The U.S. Sends Armed Special Forces to Greece - 2004-07-21
The U.S. is sending 400 armed special forces to Greece for the upcoming Olympic Games, alongside Israeli and British security personnel. This move raises concerns as it appears to violate Greek laws regarding foreign armed presence. The involvement of NATO is also significant in managing this deployment.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The U.S. has deployed 400 armed special forces to Greece for the upcoming Olympic Games, alongside security personnel from Israel and Britain. This deployment raises legal concerns as it contradicts Greek laws regarding foreign armed presence.
- The deployment includes armed personal guards for American athletes and officials.
- NATO is being urged to take responsibility for the American forces to mitigate controversy.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The 2004 Athens Olympics were a significant global event, and security was a top priority due to past terrorist threats and geopolitical tensions.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%