[Vision2020] Spitz Raises Spectre of US Missing Olympics
Dick Schmidt
dickschmidt@moscow.com
Wed, 28 Apr 2004 09:59:23 -0700
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Saw this on the Drudge Report.
Dick Schmidt
Spitz Raises Spectre of US Missing Olympics=20
United States Olympic hero Mark Spitz has raised the spectre of an =
American withdrawal from this summer's Athens Games due to security =
concerns.=20
Spitz, who won seven swimming golds at the 1972 Olympics in Munich =
when 11 Israeli athletes were murdered by terrorists, believes the US =
team is at this stage not certain to show up in Greece.
With ongoing conflicts involving the US in Afghanistan and Iraq, =
as well as heightened terrorist fears since the events of September 11 =
2001, Spitz claims American politicians will still be keeping an open =
mind on whether to send a team to Athens.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We are looking under the microscope at =
all the different terrorist acts and we know there is a high degree of =
probability that something could happen in Athens.
"Would that be political suicide to send a team there if you were =
the Bush administration?
"If you were to yank the carpet out from under the American team =
and nothing happened, would that be because they are only after =
Americans? If that does happen in will happen in the 11th hour and 59th =
minute.
"I would say that about six months ago it was highly unlikely but =
each day as it goes on with current world affairs it becomes more =
probable than not that ongoing conversations will take place as to how =
important it is to put athletes in harms way."
However, a spokesman for the US Olympic Committee said: "Today =
there is absolutely no consideration given to the notion our team will =
not be in Athens." =20
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<DIV><SPAN class=3Darticleheadline>Saw this on the Drudge=20
Report.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Darticleheadline></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Darticleheadline>Dick Schmidt</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Darticleheadline></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Darticleheadline></SPAN><SPAN=20
class=3Darticleheadline></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Darticleheadline>Spitz Raises Spectre of US =
Missing=20
Olympics</SPAN> <SPAN class=3Darticle><BR><BR><I>United States =
Olympic hero=20
Mark Spitz has raised the spectre of an American withdrawal from =
this=20
summer=92s Athens Games due to security concerns.</I> =
<BR><BR></DIV></SPAN>
<DIV align=3Djustify><SPAN class=3Darticle>Spitz, who won seven =
swimming golds=20
at the 1972 Olympics in Munich when 11 Israeli athletes were =
murdered by=20
terrorists, believes the US team is at this stage not certain to =
show up=20
in Greece.<BR><BR>With ongoing conflicts involving the US in =
Afghanistan=20
and Iraq, as well as heightened terrorist fears since the events =
of=20
September 11 2001, Spitz claims American politicians will still be =
keeping=20
an open mind on whether to send a team to Athens.<BR><BR>He told =
BBC Radio=20
5 Live: =93We are looking under the microscope at all the =
different=20
terrorist acts and we know there is a high degree of probability =
that=20
something could happen in Athens.<BR><BR>=93Would that be =
political suicide=20
to send a team there if you were the Bush =
administration?<BR><BR>=93If you=20
were to yank the carpet out from under the American team and =
nothing=20
happened, would that be because they are only after Americans? If =
that=20
does happen in will happen in the 11th hour and 59th =
minute.<BR><BR>=93I=20
would say that about six months ago it was highly unlikely but =
each day as=20
it goes on with current world affairs it becomes more probable =
than not=20
that ongoing conversations will take place as to how important it =
is to=20
put athletes in harms way.=94<BR><BR>However, a spokesman for the =
US Olympic=20
Committee said: =93Today there is absolutely no consideration =
given to the=20
notion our team will not be in Athens.=94</SPAN></DIV></TD>
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