Jay Evensen
  • Front Page
  • Opinions
  • Second Thoughts
  • Portfolio
  • Awards
  • About

Boston Marathon bombing — officials have warned of sporting event dangers

4/15/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Boston Marathon bombings, horrific and tragic as they were, should not have come as a huge surprise to people who have made preparing for terrorism their business. Ever since 9/11, officials have periodically warned that an attack might come at some large sporting event.

This 2006 FBI alert (click here to read account) warned of a possible suicide bomber attacking some event, although the alert wasn’t specific. It referenced an Internet posting on an extremist message board. An ABC news report said:

“The posting recommended, according to the FBI, that one suicide bomber detonate inside the stadium and the others detonate at exit gates as spectators were fleeing.

‘The combined explosions would create a panic that would kill far more spectators than the bombing alone,’ the FBI quotes the message as saying.”

That attack never took place.

Two years ago, NBC News reported on a nine-page threat assessment for the 2011 Super Bowl, drawn up by counterterrorism officials and local law enforcement. The NFL was spending $6 million on security for the game, with Homeland Security adding much more, which apparently has been typical for the annual contest.

The threat assessment said there was no specific threat against the game, but it noted recent al Qaida attacks against sporting events in Iraq and Uganda. Of course, nothing happened at the 2011 game, or at either of the next two. That doesn’t mean officials were taking anything for granted.

In Salt Lake City, where this blog is written, the 2002 Winter Olympics posed a real security challenge. Held a mere five months after 9/11, the games were the first major worldwide sporting event to test a new level of preparedness.

I remember briefly speaking with Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington a few weeks after 9/11 and asking his opinion on whether the Salt Lake games should be canceled. He said they shouldn’t, and gave me a lecture on the history of the ancient Greek games as a time of truce allowing athletes to travel freely despite war tensions.

The biggest terrorist attack against a worldwide sporting event came in 1972, when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team at the Munich Olympics. But that was a very specific attack, not at all in the mold of current terrorist attacks that target people generally and indiscriminately.

The Boston Marathon was not the Super Bowl or the Olympics. Its very participants were regular people, other than a small group of elite runners. Although these people had to post qualifying times at other marathons in order to compete, most of them are otherwise not considered athletes. The bombs were timed about four hours after the start of the race, meaning they were meant to hit runners with the most unremarkable times, and their supporters.

Check the Internet. You’ll find a lot of scholarly studies on terrorism threats, sporting events and preparedness. Sports unite communities and generally provide joy. They are natural targets for people who want to demoralize the nation as they spread mayhem and death. If you’ve been to an NBA game or other big event lately, you have had to pass through a metal detector and had your bags checked. Look for things to get tighter from now on.

We don’t know yet who was behind the bombings in Boston. But something tells me officials are going to treat security at sporting events even more seriously now.

Print Friendly and PDF
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Search this site


    Like what you read here?

      Please subscribe below, and we'll let you know when there is a new opinion.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Picture

    The author

    Jay Evensen is the Senior Editorial Columnist of the Deseret News. He has nearly 40 years experience as a reporter, editor and editorial writer in Oklahoma, New York City, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. He also has been an adjunct journalism professor at Brigham Young and Weber State universities.

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Campaign 2012
    Congress
    Crime
    Culture
    Iran
    Oil And Gas
    Poverty
    Steroids
    Taxes
    Utah
    Washington
    World Events
    World Events

    Links

    Deseret News
    Newslink
    Marianne Evensen's blog

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.