Brazil, US in Olympics security cooperation
August 3, 2016, 2:14 pm

Members of the armed forces have been taking part in counter-terrorism drills in Rio as Brazil beefs up its security measures ahead of the Olympic Games [Xinhua]

Since the terrorist attack in Nice, which killed more than 84, Brazilian security officials have been taking no chances and preparing for every possible contingency.

On Tuesday, Brazil’s military police announced that it would increase by 14,000 personnel its deployment in Rio de Janeiro particularly in the areas which are connected to the Games.

The announcement comes two days after the Ministry of Justice abruptly ended its contract with a private security firm which was meant to hire sufficient numbers of personnel to screen visitors to the Games.

But by Friday, the firm hired less than 15 per cent of the number of security guards and experts that it had promised to employ and deploy for the games.

According to The New York Times, the FBI is also closely working with Brazilian intelligence services to monitor online chatter for possible threats against the games.

While Brazil does not have a history of terrorism related to radical Islamist groups, the country’s intelligence apparatus says there has been an increase in the use of Portuguese language by some of these organizations.

Since the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, security experts have been noticing a shift among terrorist groups to hit soft targets – those that are vulnerable and usually result in maximum civilian casualties on the order scene in Paris last year and Nice last month.

The New York Times article pointed to renewed security cooperation between Brazilian and US officials to identify possible soft targets during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In the meantime, Brazil has boosted its security along its borders, setting up hundreds of cameras and increasing the number of customs control officers to search those crossing into the country, and in particular along known smuggling routes.

Last week, Brazilian security arrested 12 people suspected of ties or sympathies to the Islamic State who were purportedly planning attacks during the Games.

The primary concern is to look after security and safety for the anticipated 500,000 global visitors coming to the Olympics, the athletes, and the citizens of Rio, officials said.

The Olympic Games – at Atlanta 1996 and Munich 1972 – have shown that major sporting tournaments are susceptible to the threat of terror attacks.

The greatest worry is the “lone wolf” threat. Following the Charlie Hebdo murders in 2015, Brazilian security officials said they would adopt every scenario – including lone wolf – into their planning.

The BRICS Post with input from Agencies