American military assets have been offered to bolster security for the Sochi Olympics, according to the Pentagon.
"Air and naval assets, to include two Navy ships in the Black Sea, will be available if requested," press secretary Rear Admiral John F. Kirby said in a statement.
U.S. commanders in the region are preparing for that eventuality, he added.
The announcement came as U.S. lawmakers voiced concern over the safety of Americans attending the Games following twin bombing attacks that killed 34 people in the Russian city of Volgograd late last month.
On Monday an Islamic insurgent group with ties to Iraq claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said from Moscow that he planned to inspect the security preparations in Sochi, the Associated Press reported Sunday.
The State Department has advised U.S. travelers on its website to remain vigilant as the Olympic Games are a prime target for terrorists, while noting Russian officials have said they are taking "appropriate measures" in providing security.
Volgograd is considered a gateway to Russia’s southern republics of Chechnya and Dagestan, which have been the center of an ongoing Islamic insurgency for the past two decades.
Sochi lies about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from Chechnya and 300 miles (480 kilometers) from Dagestan.
Presented by exclusive arrangement with RIA-Novosti, Around the Rings’ media partner for the Sochi 2014 Olympics.
Olympic Scholarships
The Vladimir Potanin Foundation is inviting students and sports industry employees to apply for full scholarships to study at
the Russian International Olympic University, one of Sochi 2014’s biggest legacy projects.The foundation’s Olympic Scholarships program is distributing grants for students enrolling on RIOU’s 2014/2015 Master of Sport Administration course. Each successful grant applicant will receive an individual donation covering the cost of the MSA course ($15,000), and a monthly scholarship for the period of study (10 months from September to June).
The course is run from RIOU’s campus in Sochi.
WADA Pre-Games Press Conference
The
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will hold its traditional pre-Olympic and Paralympic Games press conference on Feb. 5 at the Sochi 2014 Main Press Center.The purpose of the news conference is for WADA to present its independent observer and athlete outreach programs, and explain its role in relation to monitoring and reviewing therapeutic use exemptions and its right of appeal regarding doping cases.
WADA president Craig Reedie and director general David Howman will field questions from media along with UK Anti-Doping’s CEO Andy Parkinson, who is heading the Independent Observer Team at the 2014 Games.
Written by Mark Bisson.
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