ATHENS, Greece, May 2 (UPI) -- Greek security will provide 24-hour armed guard for all British, U.S. and Israeli athletes against terrorist attacks at the Athens Olympic Games.
"We are talking about armed guards for every official and non-official activity, including shopping and sightseeing," a spokesman for the Greek ministry of public order told the Sunday Telegraph.
"The protection will cover all 'off-duty' trips outside the heavily fortified Olympic village, with athletes given the kind of security usually reserved for visiting heads of state -- buses will have armed guards and be accompanied by armored vehicles and police helicopters."
Greek officials denied British and American requests to use their own armed guards which they described as "a recipe for anarchy," so security planners divided the competing nations into three levels of risk.
High or medium-risk nations including Britain, the United States, Israel, will be afforded the same 24-hour armed protection.
