Weapon ban for Olympicsinvites diplomatic row

SYDNEY, JULY 20: Australia faces a diplomatic row with 12 nations, including Israel and the United States, who want to bring guns to prote...

SYDNEY, JULY 20: Australia faces a diplomatic row with 12 nations, including Israel and the United States, who want to bring guns to protect their athletes at the Olympics, officials said on Friday. Australian foreign Minister Alexander Downer said security chiefs from competing nations would be briefed next week in Sydney. “As a matter of policy we don’t allow foreign security forces to bring arms into Australia," he told ABC radio.

“And we have said we will apply that policy in relation to the Olympic games.” New South Wales police commissioner Peter Ryan, in charge of security at the Olympics, was adamant Olympic teams would not be allowed to bring guns to Sydney.

“The responsibility for the protection of high-profile Olympic visitors and teams rests with the NSW police service, specifically through the dignitary and athlete protection unit,” he said.

“We’re conducting a series of briefings next week to outline our security arrangements to official representatives of at least 32 nations involved in the games.

“This includes close personal protective measures for visiting dignitaries and athletes, and is part of an ongoing consultative process that has yielded very productive results.”

Attorney-general Darryl Williams rejected reports that Israel had been granted permission to bring weapons and special customs arrangements had been made.

He also denied the US had been given an exemption to the strict laws on the passage of firearms.

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“Responsibility for security rests with the relevant Australian authorities and foreign security officials have no operational role in Australia,” said a spokeswoman for Williams.

“Australia’s firearms policy will come as no surprise to countries participating the games we have been briefing foreign security officials over a number of years.”

Israel has demanded tight security for its athletes ever since the 1972 Munich Olympics when 11 Jewish competitors were killed after being taken hostage by Palestinian terrorists.

At the time of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics it was widely reported that Israel had used diplomatic mail bags to smuggle guns into the United States.New South Wales police have agreed to station extra armed guards near the Israeli team’s accommodation in the Olympic village.

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Japan, China, Turkey and a group of middle-eastern states, including Iran and Iraq, are others who have raised concerns.

Officials made a rare exemption to Australian laws four years ago, allowing US secret service agents protecting president Bill Clinton on a state visit to carry weapons.