OLYMPICS Greece denies any serious lapses in security

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The Greek government and Olympic organizers on Saturday denied a report that undercover agents found serious lapses while testing security for the 2004 Games.
"There have already been tests carried out by Greek police officers ... with the best possible results, one whole year before the games," government spokesman Christos Protopapas said.
Protopapas was responding to a report in Saturday's Washington Post that quoted unidentified American intelligence sources as saying undercover agents twice smuggled fake bombs past security checkpoints in Athens.
The newspaper reported that an agent disguised as a pregnant woman carried a fake bomb through a checkpoint, and another agent planted a fake device on a ferry.
Disorganization
The reports, from law enforcement and intelligence agencies, also cite disorganized police forces, breakdowns in maritime patrols and serious concerns over the pace of anti-terrorism planning, the newspaper said.
"Of course, these scenarios mentioned by the newspaper have no bearing on reality," Protopapas said. He said "organized commercial interests" seeking security contracts were behind the accusations that Athens was not prepared for terrorist threats.
Athens organizers stressed security is a top priority and their efforts have been recognized by the IOC and by U.S. officials.
Athens has budgeted a record $600 million for security at the games and is being assisted by the United States, Britain and five other countries.
The government said Thursday it hoped to stick to its overall budget of $5.3 billion for the games, but said an increase of 5 percent to 10 percent was possible to cover security.