While ensuring the security of the Olympic Games, we should implant less geopolitical mysteries and promote the Olympic spirit more.
▲This is the official poster of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games (left) taken at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France, on March 4. Photo/Xinhua News Agency
Text | Xu Lifan
The opening of the Paris Olympics is less than 100 days away. According to a recent report on the website of the American newspaper "Politico", France requested to borrow Greek air defense systems during the Paris Olympics.
According to the report, the French authorities have submitted an application for borrowing the Sidewinder short-range surface-to-air missile system of the Greek Air Force. Talks began at the diplomatic level in November last year, but the response from the Greek side was lukewarm.
A spokesman for the Greek government said at a regular press briefing a few days ago: "If this assistance will not affect the mainland's defense capability in any way, then we will promise, but first the two sides should coordinate and discuss." ”
International security cooperation during the Olympic Games is routine. Previously, the French Interior Ministry had asked 46 countries for help, asking for more than 2,000 police officers and a small number of military personnel to help maintain the security of the Paris Olympics.
The "Sidewinder" missile system, which France requested to borrow from Greece, was originally made in France and put into use by the Greek Air Force in 2003. Why, then, did Greece show so little interest in France's request?
France has an old grudge against ISIS
First of all, it is certain that there is a lot of security pressure at the Paris Olympics.
French Interior Minister Darmanin revealed in March that France has recently crushed attacks by the extremist group Islamic State "almost every month."
In fact, France and the "Islamic State" have old grudges. In November 2015, at least 132 people were killed and more than 300 injured in a series of terrorist attacks in Paris. At that time, a concert hall in Paris was one of the targets.
In March this year, three days after the terrorist attack at the concert hall near Moscow, France announced that it would raise the level of anti-terrorism security alert to the highest level. This shows that France is wary of the movements of the Islamic State.
There are indications that the possibility of the next move of the "Islamic State" cannot be ruled out. On April 9 and 10, the quarter-finals days of the UEFA Champions League, the Islamic State threatened all matches, forcing France, Spain, and the United Kingdom to tighten their security.
In addition to ISIS, the Paris Olympics face a number of potential dangers. Not long ago, the French government checked the identities and backgrounds of those involved in the Olympics, and as a result, about 800 volunteers were found to have problems, 15 of whom were listed as potential threats. On April 24, French police also arrested a teenager who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and planned to carry out a terrorist attack during the Olympics.
France's intention to move the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics to the Seine and the area along it is an innovative idea, but it also puts a lot of pressure on security. It was planned to deploy about 45,000 members of the police and security forces, 20,000 private security personnel and about 15,000 military personnel every day to maintain security, but now it seems that 80,000 people may not be enough.
▲This is an Olympic-themed statue taken in front of the National Assembly in Paris, France, on April 2. Photo/Xinhua News Agency
Borrowing the Greek air defense system is a little special
At present, a number of countries have responded to the request for security cooperation for the Olympic Games in France. Some have sent police, some have sent demining experts, some have sent anti-drone experts, etc., and Israel has to discuss with France the issue of strengthening the protection of Israeli athletes.
Compared with other countries, France wants to borrow the Greek air defense system, which is a bit too special. It is also a bit strange that Greece ignored France's request.
This involves a public case from many years ago. From 1997 to 1998, there was a Cyprus missile crisis. The crisis is the result of a long confrontation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, in fact between Greece and Turkey. At that time, the armies of the two countries held exercises in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas from time to time, and at one time it was thought that there was a possibility of triggering war.
In this confrontation, Russia supported the Greek Cypriots and supplied S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems. The United States, for its part, strongly opposes Russia's approach.
This public case has an impact to this day. At the extraordinary EU summit in Brussels held on April 17-18, the summit communiqué called on EU countries to urgently provide air defense systems to Ukraine, but Greece was slow to express its position.
On April 26, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis officially stated: "Greece will not comply with the demands put forward by its allies and will not provide Ukraine with S-300 or Patriot air defense systems." "This decision is not difficult to understand.
As soon as Greece's statement came out, the news that France wanted to borrow the Greek rattlesnake system was also exposed. There will be no connection between the two.
The Olympics should be less geopolitical
According to the analysis of the American "Politico", the reason why France did this is to indirectly tie Greece to the ranks of European aid to Ukraine's air defense system. It makes sense.
To a certain extent, the Paris Olympics did not come at a good time. The organizers have to face the blatant threat of the "Islamic State" and have to pay the increased security costs due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
However, the more chaotic the background, the more we should try to reduce the impact of geopolitical conflicts on the Olympic Games. Unless France's borrowing of the Greek Sidewinder air defense system is really for emergency purposes, it is tantamount to making trouble for the Olympics by reminding Greece to stand in line in a geopolitical conflict under the banner of the Olympic Games.
And there is a special symbolism to this event – both countries have played an important role in the history of the modern Olympic Games. From this point of view, while ensuring the security of the Olympic Games, we should implant a little less geopolitical mystery and promote more Olympic spirit, so that the Paris Olympics can become a real event.
Written by Xu Lifan (Columnist)
Editor / Bruce Ma
Proofreading / Diyan Chen
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