Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

[Locutus]

I thought I would start a thread to discuss all things about the upcoming Olympics in Sochi.   

[Locutus]

Starting with this:

A possible female suicide bomber may have already made it past the ring of security for the Sochi Olympic Games, according to reports from ABC News and NBC News.

Russian security services may be looking for as many as four "black widows" who have been dispatched to disrupt the Olympics, NBC News reported Monday. The suspected terrorist who may be inside the security ring is believed to be a young widow of an Islamic militant killed by Russian security forces last year. She is described as being affiliated with the Caucasus Emirate, the terror group led by Doku Umarov that has threatened attacks against next month's Winter Games in Sochi.

Wanted posters describe the woman as having a limp in her right leg, a left arm that does not bend at the elbow and a 4-inch scar on her cheek. The notices say that Russian security officials have been informed of her possible departure from Dagestan earlier this month.

USA Today Full Story

HOLY HELL!!  FOUR BLACK WIDOWS 

If those bitches succeed, they'll make Eric Robert Rudolph look like a saint. 

[me]

The Russians won't mess with them I don't imagine but problem is they don't care.  I wouldn't go to the Olympic's if someone paid my way and gave me a million dollars to spend.  I hope nothing happens but odds are not looking good.

[Locutus]

Well we've seen threats like this time and again surrounding such events.  Fortunately, rarely do they have much of an effect especially when the guard is up. 

[me]

I know but they're feeling a little more emboldened now and are wanting to make a statement. 

[The Troll]

The Russians won't mess with them I don't imagine but problem is they don't care.  I wouldn't go to the Olympic's if someone paid my way and gave me a million dollars to spend.  I hope nothing happens but odds are not looking good.

  You're a Republican, you'd take the money and go big time.   

[me]

  You're a Republican, you'd take the money and go big time.   

You're the one that thinks they're not a threat so you can go.   

[Palehorse]

The US has Battle ships and other Naval assets deployed in preparation for potential violence, and so have many other nations; including the host nation. In that sense they, the terrorists, have already won. It is costing billions to the participating countries, just to be prepared for it; and by proxy those are funds that won't be available elsewhere. Just another chunk out of the global budget that could have been better spent elsewhere.

However; if we do not hold the games then they've won an even greater victory.

I say fuck them. Everyone, from the participants to the audience, knows the risks. The best we can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We cannot cave in to their unacceptable actions or the threat of them. We must NEVER quit. EVER. 

[me]

The US has Battle ships and other Naval assets deployed in preparation for potential violence, and so have many other nations; including the host nation. In that sense they, the terrorists, have already won. It is costing billions to the participating countries, just to be prepared for it; and by proxy those are funds that won't be available elsewhere. Just another chunk out of the global budget that could have been better spent elsewhere.

However; if we do not hold the games then they've won an even greater victory.

I say fuck them. Everyone, from the participants to the audience, knows the risks. The best we can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We cannot cave in to their unacceptable actions or the threat of them. We must NEVER quit. EVER. 

Sad but true.  If it's called off then they think they win so it has to continue. 

[Palehorse]

Sad but true.  If it's called off then they think they win so it has to continue.

The sad part, to me, is that within my lifetime I have seen Russia go from the arch-enemy of this nation to a country I actually feel sorry for in the present day. Yes, they are a bit backward, draconian, homo-phobic, and heavy-handed to us westerners; but to see how they are being subjected to terrorism's ugly reach is totally unacceptable to me.

Part of me would actually welcome an incident in a way. I believe that should it transpire it would serve to further unite Russia with the free world in a common goal toward eradicating the world of these extremist zealots! (Much to the chagrin of the terrorists).

There was a time in my life wherein if someone had told me that I would one day feel sorry for Russia I'd have called them a damned liar. To come to that realization today I am astounded. . .

But for the asshole-dom of these terrorists, Russia may hold allure for globe trotting tourists. It is a beautiful area of this planet, and despite it's historic oppressive path, it has great potential. So do its inhabitants, given the right leadership.

It's cities, and buildings represent moments in civilization that are capable of stirring the soul; should one be allowed to trod its paths unencumbered by the suspicion and terror. There is a lot to be discovered in Russia, but even today the world is kept in the dark.

And before anyone gets all jiggly and starts calling me a commie, go suck an egg. I am 100% American; but I am a human being first.

[Anne]

Isn't Russia also supposed to have a lot of resourses like mineral and oil and gas deposits that have never been tapped? Good leadership could really increase the increase their standard of living, I think. My aunt and uncle went there years ago and I remember them saying how beautiful the old buildings and castles were. I like the winter olynpics better than the summer ones.

[me]

I have a fb friend from Zagreb, Croatia who went to Russia to visit her sister who lives there and she said when you get out of the part of Russia most commonly seen by the tourists and into the real Russia it is very poor and mostly slum.  They did not have a good experience at all.  I was friends with her before facebook so I've actually known her for about 14 yrs.  I got to see the pictures she took and it was definitely nothing like you see on tv.

[Henry Hawk]

The US has Battle ships and other Naval assets deployed in preparation for potential violence, and so have many other nations; including the host nation. In that sense they, the terrorists, have already won. It is costing billions to the participating countries, just to be prepared for it; and by proxy those are funds that won't be available elsewhere. Just another chunk out of the global budget that could have been better spent elsewhere.

However; if we do not hold the games then they've won an even greater victory.

I say fuck them. Everyone, from the participants to the audience, knows the risks. The best we can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We cannot cave in to their unacceptable actions or the threat of them. We must NEVER quit. EVER. 

BINGO!  I agree!

[Bo D]

.... when you get out of the part of Russia most commonly seen by the tourists and into the real Russia it is very poor and mostly slum.  They did not have a good experience at all.  I was friends with her before facebook so I've actually known her for about 14 yrs.  I got to see the pictures she took and it was definitely nothing like you see on tv.

You could say the same thing about Washington, DC.

[me]

You could say the same thing about Washington, DC.

Not to this extent and Washington, DC isn't an entire country it's just a state.