Worldwide terror alert puts games in spotlight

More than 7,000 athletes from 71 countries are in New Delhi, India, to participate in the 12-day Commonwealth Games that begin Sunday, but the threat of a terrorist attack has cast a pall over the event. Security forces will have to be on high alert given that intelligence agencies in the United States and Europe have received credible information that al-Qaida operatives may be gearing up for attacks in the U.S., Britain and other countries.

The 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, during which members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually murdered by the terrorist group Black September, could serve as a template for the event in India. In fact, about 10 days ago, an Islamic militant group, Indian Mujahideen, sent an e-mail to the BBC Hindi Service warning of attacks during the games.

While Indian authorities have downplayed the threat, this week’s reports of a terror plot to wage Mumbai-style shooting sprees or other attacks in Britain, France and Germany certainly raise the threat level. In 2008, Islamic extremists unleashed a series of gun and grenade assaults in Mumbai, India, killing 166 people.

The CIA has launched strikes in Pakistan aimed at al-Qaida operatives suspected in the threats made public this week.

Early stages

The Associated Press quoted officials as saying that the plot was still in its early stages and not considered serious enough to raise the terror threat level. Nonetheless, the Eiffel Tower in Paris was evacuated briefly Tuesday — the second time in two weeks because of an unspecified threat — and French police were on alert.

A heavy police presence was seen Wednesday around Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Big Ben. Victoria Station was evacuated briefly after an unusual smell was reported.

“This plot was in its embryonic stages,” a British government official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of his work. He said the plot had preoccupied the security community more than other recent threats but did not merit changing the security threat level from severe to critical.

Some details about the plot came from Ahmed Siddiqui, a German citizen of Afghan background who was captured in Afghanistan in July, a U.S. official said.

Media presence

The Commonwealth Games, which feature athletes from countries that were part of the British empire, not only offer ample opportunities for terrorists to launch attacks, but the presence of media from around the world would make the event even more attractive to terrorists.

The worldwide terror threat couldn’t have come at a worse time for India. The country has been harshly criticized and held up to ridicule because preparations in New Delhi had not been completed, with charges of shoddy workmanship, filthy conditions, infrastructure problems and even snakes found in the athletes’ village and the tennis stadium.

Nonetheless, the opening of the games Sunday — Britain’s Prince Charles is representing Queen Elizabeth II — should go off without a hitch. We hope.