Greece to ask Nato to protect Olympics
Athens to call in alliance despite spending £430m on security. Greece is poised to ask Nato for help in safeguarding the Olympics, an unprecedented step that would see the alliance providing surveillance planes and logistical support for the games. Athens’ new conservative government, which takes office today, will decide whether to submit a formal request to Nato in the coming weeks, officials say. The application, regarded almost as a certainty, would underscore the magnitude of the security measures deemed necessary to protect the summer games – the first since the September 11 attacks. In recent months several “informal” meetings have reportedly been held with senior Nato officials to discuss what form the help would take. Full Story