Rio Olympic Games kick off under cloud of insecurity.

[forest444]

Despite a slew of robberies and terrorism arrests in the weeks leading up to Friday's opening ceremony, U.S. officials say they are confident that Brazilian security forces can fully protect the Olympic Games.

Brazil has pooled its local, state and federal law enforcement to deploy 85,000 people to secure the Games, more than double the number used in London in 2012. American law enforcement has spent years training Brazilian officials and increased the level of information they share with their Brazilian counterparts.

On Friday, the country's leading newspaper O Globo reported that Brazil has increased that figure to 100,000 as news of violence has swept through Rio.

In recent weeks, the cases have added up:

*A New Zealand-born jiu jitsu fighter living in Brazil said he was kidnapped by corrupt police officers demanding money.
*A man vomited on a Chinese hurdler as part of a hoax to rob the Olympian and a cameraman.
*The Australian team was robbed of a laptop and Zika-protective team shirts during a fire evacuation at their Olympic housing.
*On Thursday night, a man whom police described as a Russian diplomat was involved in a scuffle with an alleged robber in the city when a gun went off, killing the assailant.
*And a sleeping firefighter was allegedly raped inside the Olympic Park near the velodrome, an indoor cycling arena.

The situation was exacerbated by the fact that many of the guest rooms for athletes and their trainers in the Barra da Tijuca Olympic Village were deemed unfit for use, forcing trainers from numerous countries to seek accommodation elsewhere to make room for the athletes.

"Every Olympic environment involves challenges, but from what we have seen thus far, the Rio Organizing Committee and the people of Brazil are ready to host a great Games," USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said via email. "We can't wait to get started."

At: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/05/security-risks-fbi-arrests/88284932/

[Judi Lynn]

1. I do remember a lot of noise was made when they had games in Moscow, do you? 1980.

I think even someone claimed a wolf came into the buildings where they were staying, or some such silliness.

There was also a lot of gibberish spewed about how inferior things were in China.

Interesting.

[forest444]

2. The '80 Olympics were before my time. But you're right: they all seem to have one issue or another.

I do remember reading about the disappointment the U.S. Olympic teams felt when Carter ordered a boycott in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

There was apparently considerable diplomatic effort for and against the boycott; even Muhammad Ali was enlisted, acting as Carter's emissary to Africa on behalf of the push to boycott Moscow (with only partial success). In all, 50 countries boycotted the games - including China.

Personally, and while I think I understand Carter's point of view at the time, I've always felt it was a mistake in that it dashed so many athletes' hopes without really accomplishing anything. It also led the Soviet bloc to boycott the L.A. Olympics in '84, which must have been painful for their athletes as well.

The Argentine dictatorship at the time had a very duplicitous role, as you might imagine. They were among the first to join Carter's Olympic boycott; but they also took full advantage of Carter's agricultural boycott by promptly signing a trade agreement that for a few years made Argentina the leading foreign grains supplier to the USSR. At its height in 1981, over one-third of Argentine exports - and 70% of its grain exports - went to the Soviet Union (which they paid for in hard currency, not Rubles).

Many Argentines at the time, who were always taught that "what's good for agriculture is good for the country," mistakenly believed that this bonanza would "save the country" from the looming financial crisis brought about by all the banking deregulation. It was indeed a real windfall for the landowning elites - but did very little for the economy because "pro-business" policies made it all too easy to transfer that money to offshore accounts just as quickly as it came in.

Almost none of the windfall stayed in Argentina, which was instead left with the $30 billion in bad debts (over $100 billion in today's money) left over from financial speculators. Fast-forwarding to Macri, I can't help but think wryly as to how history repeats itself.

Two great-aunts of mine, incidentally, visited Moscow during the '80 Olympics. They had been born in what was then Czarist Russia, you see, and at the time the USSR consulates offered a deeply-discounted travel package for anyone living overseas but born in Soviet territory.

It must have been nice to see the old country after 70 years or so; I understand they had a nice, wolf-free visit.

Thanks as always for your insights, Judi.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Oh, your great-aunts took the wolf-free option! Even more fun!

I'll bet they had a terrific time going there together as adults even as they had left as children. That could have been so meaningful to them, a real event.

Very helpful hearing of the boycott implemented by Jimmy Carter and its relationship to Argentina. Interesting to see how that unfolded.

That agricultural sector has had a very loud voice in Argentina for ages, it appears. I seem to remember they were very anti-Cristina, which was sad. She had a rough experience once her husband died. I guess they thought they could intimidate her once he was gone.

I did just see an article a few minutes ago that said a military bullet sailed into one of the tents in Rio housing Dressage equestrians, was judged a weird accident, and no one was injured. That would have been unexpected!