[R-G] U.S. military to assist in Vancouver

[Anthony Fenton]

Updated: February 2, 2009, 9:21 PM ET
U.S. military to assist in Vancouver
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=3880235

VANCOUVER -- The United States military will be cooperating with its  
Canadian counterparts to provide security for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Canadian Forces officials said Monday that the combined operations  
fall under the provisions of joint command NORAD, said Canadian Rear  
Admiral Tyrone Pile, commander of Joint Task Force Games.

"They have to be involved," Pile said. "We share a common border with  
them."

Pile said the U.S. will contribute Coast Guard and Navy vessels but  
there will be no American troops involved on Canadian soil.

Full details of security measures are not being released for  
operational security reasons.

The news of the U.S. involvement comes two weeks after Col.  
Christopher Coates, said the air force, like other branches of the  
military, will be forced to juggle its resources during the Olympics.

Coates, the commander of Canada's air wing in Afghanistan, said the  
Canadian military does not have enough helicopters to meet its  
commitments in Afghanistan and provide security for the Games.

But, said Pile, both domestic security and operations abroad will be  
"appropriately resourced."

A Canadian security and terrorism expert said helicopters are  
essential tools for perimeter work in the layered security employed at  
large- scale events such as an Olympics.

Martin Rudner, the founding director of the Canadian Centre of  
Intelligence and Security Studies, said a helicopter perimeter is the  
outer layer of security, the first line of defense of many around a  
"point of vulnerability" such as a Games venue.

The announcement of U.S. involvement comes as more than 1,000  
soldiers, police officers and other security staff are converging in  
the Vancouver area for a massive security planning exercise.

Exercise Silver is the second of three test runs being held for the  
Games and will involve live what-if scenarios on weather, terrorism,  
earthquakes and other possible threats to the Games.

Games security was originally estimated at $140 million to be split  
between the provincial and federal governments.

The Canadian government has since acknowledged that cost could be as  
high as $800,000 million -- 1 billion in Canadian funds.

However, when the latest Canadian budget was released Jan. 27, there  
were no Olympic security numbers.

Up to 4,000 Canadian soldiers could be on the ground in Vancouver for  
the Games.

The entire security operation for the Games is being overseen by the  
Royal Canadian Mounted Police in an integrated security unit.  
Altogether, about 8,000 security personnel will be involved in  
policing the Games, not including staff from various government  
agencies like health authorities or utilities who will have their own  
security procedures.