SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Police chief denies claims in a Sunday newspaper that the country faces a high risk of a terrorist attack during the World Cup it is hosting in less than two weeks

Record ID: 456112

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Police chief denies claims in a Sunday newspaper that the country faces a high risk of a terrorist attack during the World Cup it is hosting in less than two weeks
  • Date: 1st June 2010
  • Summary: JOHANNESBURG; SOUTH AFRICA (MAY 31, 2010) (REUTERS) WIDE OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA CUTAWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) MINISTER OF POLICE, NATHI MTHETHWA, SAYING: "We are steadfast in our security plan, and will not be distracted in our course, any type of deviant behaviour, be it criminality or terrorism will de dealt with swiftly and with no mercy. It would however be folly for any country to grandstand and proclaim that it is immune to any terror attacks, we are not particularly in the habit of responding to unsubstantiated reports and comments by faceless and spineless persons, however within hours of receiving any rumoured threat , we immediately unleashed our intelligence to identify the credibility or otherwise of such reports" MEDIA CUTAWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) MINISTER OF POLICE, NATHI MTHETHWA, SAYING: "To date, no terrorists acts exists on the safety of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, our preparations have pro-actively and reactively undertaken to overcome any such potential threats, because we are to host 31 countries, we know of countries some developing as well as developed countries where police have to first seek permission from criminals to enter certain jurisdictions, countries where drug lords own these areas, we have no such areas in South Africa, as law enforcement agencies we are in charge, no drug lords or criminals control our movements or our entries, we neither seek permission to crush drug empires and criminality where we suspect their existence" SPOKESPERSON OF THE POLICE MINISTRY WORKING ON HIS LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) MINISTER OF POLICE, NATHI MTHETHWA, SAYING: "I am sure together we will ensure a safe and secure 2010 World Cup, South Africa is ready, we are ready, feel it, it is here" MORE OF THE MEDIA
  • Embargoed: 16th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8YU47XHTXXH09PCLVJ33XLWRK
  • Story Text: South Africa's Sunday Times report pointed to a briefing to the U.S. Congress counter-terrorism caucus last week by the NEFA Foundation, which investigates terrorist activities, warning that simultaneous and random attacks were being planned druing the World Cup.
    "I believe there is an 80 percent chance of an attack," Ronald Sandee, director of the foundation created to expose global terrorist threat after the Seeptember 11 attacks in the United States, was quoted by the paper as saying.
    South Africa's Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa says there is no known security threat to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
    Mthethwa was addressing the media following weekend reports that South Africa could be a target of terrorism during the World Cup. He told reporters that the country has a good security plan.
    "We are steadfast in our security plan, and will not be distracted in our course, any type of deviant behaviour, be it criminality or terrorism will de dealt with swiftly and with no mercy, it would however be folly for any country to grandstand and proclaim that it is immune to any terror attacks, we are not particularly in the habit of responding to unsubstantiated reports and comments by faceless and spineless persons, however within hours of receiving any rumoured threat , we immediately unleashed our intelligence to identify the credibility or otherwise of such reports," Mthethwa told reporters at a briefing on Monday (May 31).
    Iraq officials have recently alleged that Al-Qaeda plotted to attack the World Cup.
    Their security forces said they had arrested a Saudi al-Qaeda member who claimed to be involved in a plot to attack the soccer tournament in South Africa.
    Mthethwa said an intelligence team was sent to Iraq to investigate following the reports. He said no evidence of terrorists threats was found.
    "To date, no terrorists acts exists on the safety of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, our preparations have pro-actively and reactively undertaken to overcome any such potential threats, because we are to host 31 countries, we know of countries some developing as well as developed countries where police have to first seek permission from criminals to enter certain jurisdictions, countries where drug lords own these areas, we have no such areas in South Africa, as law enforcement agencies we are in charge, no drug lords or criminals control our movements or our entries, we neither seek permission to crush drug empires and criminality where we suspect their existence" Mthethwa said.
    The minister reiterated that the country was ready to host such an event.
    "I am sure together we will ensure a safe and secure 2010 World Cup, South Africa is ready, we are ready, feel it, it is here" added Mthethwa.
    South Africa is the first African country to host the World Cup, which takes place June 11-July 11.
    Officials have said in the past that no particular terrorist threat had been identified but that there could be risks to teams known to be a target of extremists.
    South African officials have long said the country's non-aligned status and a lack of any substantial local support for militant groups should insulate it from attacks during the tournament.
    Both the government and soccer's governing body FIFA, which is cooperating with foreign security agencies and Interpol, have said no viable threat has been identified.
    However, analysts and security experts say such actions cannot be ruled out because of the huge attention that even a small attack would get during the tournament.
    The U.S. government this week issued a travel alert for South Africa until the end of July saying: "There is a heightened risk that extremist groups will conduct terrorist acts within South Africa in the near future".
    Iraqi authorities recently arrested an alleged al Qaeda supporter who claimed he was planning attacks on the Dutch and Danish teams, although experts later dismissed his scheme as posing no serious threat.
    However, the Netherlands said it was preparing a "terror threat" warning for the tournament in response to the arrest.
    In the newspaper report, Sandee said Pakistani and Somali militants were running training camps in northern Mozambique and that trainees from them might have already crossed into South Africa to form or join cells planning attacks.
    "Information confirms that several venues will be targeted, some simultaneously, others at random. Reference is also made to the possibility of a kamikaze-type attack," he was quoted as saying.
    He said that numerous references had been made to World Cup attacks in closed-frequency radio broadcasts and phone intercepts in Mauritania, Algeria, Mali, Pakistan and Yemen.
    While South Africa has not been targeted in recent years, several militants involved in attacks around the world are known to have spent time in the country, which experts say has acted as a safe haven and staging post for operations elsewhere.
    Critics say widespread corruption among police and officials, including the sale of South African passports, has undermined counter-terrorism efforts.
    Sandee said the match between the United States and England on June 12 could be a particular target, along with fixtures involving the Danish and Dutch teams, should militants aim to avenge perceived insults against Islam.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register