The US is planning to send up to 1,000 security agents, 500 from the FBI, to the UK in the summer of 2012 to provide extra protection for its athletes and diplomats during the Olympics. The move, which has apparently concerned British officials, is said to be in response to US concerns about British security plans.
US officials are said to be concerned that British police lack the necessary powers to deal with potential terror threats. But British officials are said to be worried about the size of the US ‘footprint’ in London next year, with some expressing fears that there could be conflicts between US security demands and British law.
There are reports that organisers of the Olympics are looking to bring in up to 21,000 security guards for the various venues, but that this is still not enough for the Americans. Unless a solution is found soon, the stage seems to be set for a clash between US demands and the ability and willingness of the British to provide the kind of ‘ring of steel’ security that the Americans want to see.
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