USA: ATLANTA: REACTION TO OLYMPIC CENTENNIAL PARK BOMB EXPLOSION

Описание: (27 Jul 1996) English/Nat

Olympic officials in Atlanta have said today's (Saturday) games will go ahead despite this morning's explosion.

The decision was taken after one person was confirmed dead and 110 injured following a bomb blast at the Centennial Olympic Park.

A Turkish cameraman also died, apparently of a heart attack, while going to cover the blast.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (F-B-I) says it is treating the incident as terrorism.

A hastily-arranged pre-dawn news conference confirmed that the Olympic organisers' worst fears had come true.

The Olympic Committee had met overnight to decide whether to postpone today's events in the light of the bombing, the worst tragedy to hit the spectacle since 1972.

The head of the Committee said the games would not be disrupted but a silence would be held for the victims.

SOUNDBITE:
"First of all, the games will go on, I repeat, the games will go on. As I speak now everything from the operational standpoint is ready, buses are rolling, the athletes have been notified, and the games today will go on. The second decision is that we will observe the moment of silence in the memory of the victims at all venues today. And the third decision taken by the IOC is that all Olympic flags, all Olympic flags, will be lowered today at half mast. Thank you."
SUPER CAPTION: Francois Carrard, Director General, IOC

The F-B-I has launched an investigation into the bombing, bringing in experts who dealt with recent terrorist incidents.

SOUNDBITE:
"We will consider it an act of terrorism until information should arrive to the contrary. We have now cordoned off the park area, we have brought specialists in dealing with explosives, we have brought an evidence response team in. Our Explosive Ordinance and Evidence Response people who are on the ground who have begun the investigative effort are also people that were involved in the bombing in New York and in Oklahoma City, they have a great deal of experience working these types of investigations."
SUPER CAPTION: Woody Johnson, FBI Special Agent

The Olympic organisers vowed to press on as scheduled but appealed to the public to be patient as security measures are tightened.

SOUNDBITE:
"We are going to operate our venues beginning on time. Our staff and volunteers have been notified to continue to operate, our bus systems are now rolling to carry athletes to their competition, meetings have been held with the Chefs des Missions and their delegations, and the training and competition sites will open today as scheduled. We will ask for your patience in dealing with the obvious importance of security at a time like this."
SUPER CAPTION: A D Frazier, Chief Operating Officer, Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games

At a second press conference later Saturday the officials stressed that security measures will continue to be implemented as before but the site of the bombing was not considered a danger.

SOUNDBITE:
"Our security procedures at the Olympic sporting competition venues are in place as they have been and will continue to be. I would point out that Centennial Park was not a sporting competition venue and therefore was open to the public and was not part of the sports competition or areas that we have extensive security precautions in."
SUPER CAPTION: A D Frazier, Chief Operating Officer, Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games

Officials say the area around the site of the blast will be closed temporarily but re- opened again as soon as possible.

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