RUSI (the Royal United Services Institute) is runing on July 1 a conference, titled ‘Building Resilience for the 2012 Games and Beyond’ at its home on Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ET.
As organisers say, the 2012 Olympic Games will be the biggest, most organisationally demanding public event ever undertaken by the UK. While the Games will bring with them opportunities, their arrival will entail heightened risk for London and the UK.
Politically motivated violence and serious organised crime have been present throughout Olympic history. As RUSI puts it, the experience of Beijing again demonstrates the Games’ propensity to attract direct action groups seeking the associated international profile. When world attention turns towards the 2012 Olympics it seems likely that London’s status as an iconic city, and the UK’s geo-political position, will combine to make the Games an attractive target for individuals or groups seeking to exploit them for personal, financial and political gain.
Security preparations for the Games take place against the backdrop of terrorist attacks on London in July 2005, one day after it secured their presence. Plans must be sufficiently robust to withstand the scale and complexity of the future security challenges, yet suitably flexible so as to be resilient in the face of an unclear security environment and threats which have not yet emerged.
