Olympics: UN Seeks Truce for Games
Voice
of America Sports
Washington,
Dec. 12 2001 -- The
United Nations General Assembly is asking the world for a limited
Olympic truce during the upcoming winter games in Salt Lake
City, to ensure the safety of athletes.
The resolution
passed Tuesday requests that nations of the world guarantee
all athletes can safely travel to and participate in the games
in the western U.S. state of Utah.
The event
will take place from February 8 to 24 under unprecedented
security. At least $300 million will be spent on safety measures
that will include thousands of guards, radar planes and biological
and chemical detectors in the wake of the September 11 terrorist
attacks and recent mail-borne anthrax bioterrorism in the
United States.
With the
U.S. military campaign against terrorism continuing in Afghanistan,
the General Assembly backed away from stronger language adopted
for previous Olympic Games requesting a cessation of hostilities.
International Olympic Committee officials are quoted as calling
the U.S. action in Afghanistan a very specific situation that
must be taken into account.
Meanwhile,
the Associated Press reported Tuesday that
69 airport workers have been indicted on federal
charges of using false information to get
jobs at Salt Lake International Airport. However,
U.S. authorities say there was no indication
of any terrorist connections among those indicted.
-- Reprinted
with the permission of Voice of America
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