WASHINGTON, May 17 (UPI) -- The United States said Monday it has full confidence in Greece's ability to hold "safe and secure" Olympic games this summer.
The August games will be the first since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the subsequent U.S. military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the past, U.S. and European officials have expressed concerns that terrorists might target Olympic participants and spectators.
But a U.S. State Department official told a Monday briefing in Washington, "The Greeks have committed to hosting a safe and secure Olympics, and we have every confidence that they will do that."
Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis will be in Washington Wednesday and is expected to discuss the issue with President George W. Bush and other senior officials.
