UK puts extra 3,500 military personnel to protect Olympic venues

PanARMENIAN.Net - Britain put an extra 3,500 military personnel on standby Wednesday to protect venues at the London Olympics, after a private contractor said it may not be able to provide enough security guards on time, AP reports.

The contractor, G4S, had been enlisted to provide the bulk of the 13,200 private security guards across 100 venues, but said in a statement that it may not hit its target because of problems recruiting and training staff.

In a statement, the government ministry in charge of crime and security said the troops would be ready to be deployed to cover any shortfall.

Britain has committed 553 million pounds ($857 million) for venue security, covering arenas in London and other locations across Britain - including a southern England sailing center and five soccer stadiums.

In the country's mammoth Olympics security operation, 7,500 troops are already being deployed at venues and 6,000 more had previously been put on stand-by to provide a range of security duties. If all military personnel - including the extra forces announced Wednesday - were deployed, the total would be 17,000 - dwarfing the 9,500 troops Britain has in Afghanistan.

About 12,000 police, 3,000 volunteers, Typhoon fighter jets, helicopters, two warships and bomb disposal experts are also part of the vast program aimed at securing the London Games.

London's Olympic Organizing Committee said in a statement that the security plan was "big and complex, but we have the best brains in the security business working on this - Home Office, Metropolitan Police, MoD (Britain's defense ministry) and (the) world's largest private security business."