Bombings in Russia - Sochi Olympics approaching

[Young-Sneezy]

Originally Posted by fotze

Thirdworldproblems

how badly do some people need to try and be funny?

[Senator Clay Davis]

The important thing to remember is Russia is also hosting the 2018 World Cup, a much bigger, more important event. If this Olympics has even 1 successful terrorist attack, it could cause FIFA and other countries to wonder if they wanna go in 2018. Losing the World Cup would be a complete disaster for Russia, so you best believe they will put every available resource into ensuring these Olympics go off without a hitch. Even if it means making it a closed Olympics and having the military surround the city.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

The important thing to remember is Russia is also hosting the 2018 World Cup, a much bigger, more important event. If this Olympics has even 1 successful terrorist attack, it could cause FIFA and other countries to wonder if they wanna go in 2018. Losing the World Cup would be a complete disaster for Russia, so you best believe they will put every available resource into ensuring these Olympics go off without a hitch. Even if it means making it a closed Olympics and having the military surround the city.

Are you referring to the Winter Olympics or the Olympics in general?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Are you referring to the Winter Olympics or the Olympics in general?

I'm kinda confused. I assume you're referring to my opening line about the World Cup being a much bigger event. Certainly much bigger than the Winter Olympics, and still bigger, but not by as much, as the Summer Olympics. I mean the freaking World Cup draw, where they pool off the teams, gets over 300 million viewers. Just insane.

[FFR]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I'm kinda confused. I assume you're referring to my opening line about the World Cup being a much bigger event. Certainly much bigger than the Winter Olympics, and still bigger, but not by as much, as the Summer Olympics. I mean the freaking World Cup draw, where they pool off the teams, gets over 300 million viewers. Just insane.

I think 900 million were estimated to have watched the opening ceremonies for the London Olympics

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/0...8760V820120807

And 4.7 billion are estimated to have watched some part of the Olympics in Beijing.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=3571042

In comparison.... 700 million watched the World Cup final in 2010

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blo...de-watch-53991

And 3.2 billion watched at least a minute (2.2 billion watched at least 20 minutes).

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive...ewsid=1473143/

Although fairly comparable numbers... I think the Olympics is still bigger...

[Traditional_Ale]

Yeah, but I bet football fans drink way more beer and buy way more merchandise than Olympics fans. Who gets smashed to watch figure-skating?

[nik-]

Wouldn't you need to be smashed to watch figure skating?

[Barnes]

I read this article back in the summer and it stuck with me:

Leaked transcripts of a closed-door meeting between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan shed an extraordinary light on the hard-nosed Realpolitik of the two sides.
Prince Bandar, head of Saudi intelligence, allegedly confronted the Kremlin with a mix of inducements and threats in a bid to break the deadlock over Syria. “Let us examine how to put together a unified Russian-Saudi strategy on the subject of oil. The aim is to agree on the price of oil and production quantities that keep the price stable in global oil markets,” he said at the four-hour meeting with Mr Putin. They met at Mr Putin’s dacha outside Moscow three weeks ago.
“We understand Russia’s great interest in the oil and gas in the Mediterranean from Israel to Cyprus. And we understand the importance of the Russian gas pipeline to Europe. We are not interested in competing with that. We can cooperate in this area,” he said, purporting to speak with the full backing of the US.

As it relates to the Olympics...

As-Safir said Prince Bandar pledged to safeguard Russia’s naval base in Syria if the Assad regime is toppled, but he also hinted at Chechen terrorist attacks on Russia’s Winter Olympics in Sochi if there is no accord. “I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” he allegedly said.
Prince Bandar went on to say that Chechens operating in Syria were a pressure tool that could be switched on an off. “These groups do not scare us. We use them in the face of the Syrian regime but they will have no role in Syria’s political future.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...ops-Syria.html

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

The important thing to remember is Russia is also hosting the 2018 World Cup, a much bigger, more important event. If this Olympics has even 1 successful terrorist attack, it could cause FIFA and other countries to wonder if they wanna go in 2018. Losing the World Cup would be a complete disaster for Russia, so you best believe they will put every available resource into ensuring these Olympics go off without a hitch. Even if it means making it a closed Olympics and having the military surround the city.

If it comes to that (the military surrounding the city) that's one hell of a hitch, and would have to be considered a win for the bad guys. They won't want to hold the World Cup (or anything else) in that kind of "prison city" environment.

Of course I'm sure there are plenty of people to be bought off no matter what happens.

Speaking of that, I know the Russians have a rep for dealing rather harshly, but isn't there also a reputation for corruption and ineptness in the bureaucracy there?

[nik-]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

If it comes to that (the military surrounding the city) that's one hell of a hitch, and would have to be considered a win for the bad guys. They won't want to hold the World Cup (or anything else) in that kind of "prison city" environment.

Of course I'm sure there are plenty of people to be bought off no matter what happens.

Speaking of that, I know the Russians have a rep for dealing rather harshly, but isn't there also a reputation for corruption and ineptness in the bureaucracy there?

Well lets be honest here. Terrorism has been a win for the bad guys since 2001. We live in a completely monitored state, a superpower has flying assassination machines in the air at all times. They're going to start using them to watch their own citizens. They're already building a massive, likely militarized zone around the Olympics. What is the difference at this point?

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by nik-

Well lets be honest here. Terrorism has been a win for the bad guys since 2001. We live in a completely monitored state, a superpower has flying assassination machines in the air at all times. They're going to start using them to watch their own citizens. They're already building a massive, likely militarized zone around the Olympics. What is the difference at this point?

Fair point. I guess the difference is the facade of a shiny happy people event that is, ostensibly, about promoting peace, love, and understanding.

Is it even possible to do this "surround the city" thing though? Just like the Calgary Olympics, the events are all over hell's half acre.

This little map from CNN also names Sochi as "the longest City in Europe", which is a really weird-sounding measurement. It's almost 150 klicks "long", though I'm not sure what they mean by that (it isn't explained). I guess it means it's a big place.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/30/sp...nter-olympics/

I thought it was like the Banff of Russia. Shows what I know.

[Resolute 14]

^It would seem the security is already effective. The reason Volvograd is being hit is because Sochi is locked down. No idea if the terrorists are committed enough to try and get through the security cordon during the games though.

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

If it comes to that (the military surrounding the city) that's one hell of a hitch, and would have to be considered a win for the bad guys. They won't want to hold the World Cup (or anything else) in that kind of "prison city" environment.

They awarded a World Cup to Qatar. FIFA doesn't care what kind of environment its event is held in so long as it gets its money - both officially and in the form of kickbacks.

[Thor]

Religion unites us, why they hate?

[Resolute 14]

Because religion is perhaps the single greatest cause of hate and evil in human history?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Because religion is perhaps the single greatest cause of hate and evil in human history?

Meh, I would argue that natural resources and economics and race are right up there.

[sureLoss]

not sure how reliable this website is:
http://www.insidethegames.biz/olympi...f5lLdU.twitter

Russia has launched a new anti-terror operation following the discovery of six bodies in four cars in a region close to Winter Olympic and Paralympic host city Sochi with just 29 days to go to the start of the Games.

Two districts in the Stavropol region, which boarders Krasnodar and is located 186 miles east of Black Sea resort of Sochi, have been placed on high alert following the unexplained killings, which also involved booby-trapped cars.

Local authorities said all the victims had been shot dead and when investigators approached one of the vehicles, an explosive device went off close by, while another was made safe.

No one else was injured.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Meh, I would argue that natural resources and economics and race are right up there.

Yup, how many countries with a prosperous population have been involved in religious wars?

How many countries with a massive struggling lower class have been involved in religious wars?

The two go hand in hand. People with no hope will look for external hope in the form of religion, and someone to blame.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Yeah, but I bet football fans drink way more beer and buy way more merchandise than Olympics fans. Who gets smashed to watch figure-skating?

Spoiler!

[sureLoss]

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/sochi-...ry?id=21597931

Police in Sochi have launched an urgent search for a possible female suicide bomber who may have already made it past the ring of security set up for the Olympic Games.

Hotel employees in Sochi told ABC News that posters with pictures and descriptions of a 22-year-old woman from nearby Dagestan were distributed over the weekend by authorities and a similar flyer was also seen posted at Sochi's airport.

The woman is identified as Ruzanna Ibragimova, using the nickname Salima, the widow of a militant reportedly killed in a shoot-out with police last year in Dagestan.

She is described as being affiliated with the Caucasus Emirate, the terror group led by Doku Umarov that has threatened attacks against the Winter Games in Sochi.

[nik-]

Lets drone the hell outta that place!