ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, July 28, 1996 TAG: 9607310002
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ATLANTA
SOURCE: Associated Press
FEARS OVER SECURITY led to the closing of Olympic sites and time-consuming searches not only of spectators but even of star athletes.
The Olympics turned into an armed encampment Saturday, police and soldiers and bomb-sniffing dogs everywhere, all athletes and fans subject to search, the free spirit of the Summer Games suddenly gone.
The bomb that killed a woman and injured more than 100 people instantly transformed the Games into fields of fear.
Sentries wielding machine guns and rifles guarded gates and patrolled buildings from basements to rooftops. Officers conducted meticulous searches of vehicles, checking under them with extended mirrors the way a dentist probes for cavities.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee and dozens of other track stars had to submit to search by hand-held metal detectors before they were allowed into the stadium on the busiest day of the Olympics.
Whether it was the rain or the fear, only about 20,000 people showed up at Olympic Stadium a day after 80,000 fans filled the seats for the start of track and field competition.
Centennial Olympic Park, where 50,000 people had partied for most of the week, became a litter-strewn empty lot except for investigators picking through debris for evidence linked to the bombing.
Security, already on high alert since the TWA Flight 800 explosion, became more visible all over. Soldiers carrying machine guns scouted the rowing site at Lake Lanier, in normal times a peaceful recreational community.
Instead of holding beach volleyball matches at both the 9,000-seat stadium court in Jonesboro, about 25 miles from downtown Atlanta, and a 3,500-seat court nearby, all matches were moved to the main court so security could be concentrated there. Ticketholders who could not be seated at the stadium court were given the option of getting a refund or exchanging their ticket for one to the closing ceremonies.
The federal government spent $227 million to guard the Olympics. About 30,000 police, military and private guards, as well as an array of high-tech surveillance equipment, were deployed. On this day, it seemed everyone was on duty around the clock.
Mario Gonzalez, a Cuban swimmer, said he thought the Olympics four years ago in Barcelona, Spain, were better organized, although he never feared for his safety in Atlanta.
``You look around, and there are 100 policemen every two blocks,'' he said.
About four hours after the park blast, police held back nervous Olympic workers and reporters eager to reach the press center.
``We got another package down here! We don't know what it is! Get back!'' shouted Officer R.A. Dannenberg as people approached. He then moved behind a brick wall to shield himself.
Pedestrians who had been trying to enter the building, some saying they had to go to work, quickly moved back, worried.
As they watched, a bomb-sniffing dog smelled the package, and then bomb squad member John Wakefield, in heavy garb and a face shield, crept toward it. He pulled it with a rope several times, then picked it up.
``An empty box,'' Wakefield said, tossing it down.
``The fun's all over with. It's all serious business now,'' said police Sgt. James Sherill, as he held back crowds.
The dog's handler, Andrew James, said there had been ``a little over 100 calls'' for dogs before the bombing. He expects more now.
Sherill turned to him and said, ``I'll tell you what. Y'all are going to be traveling. 'Cause I'm going to call you on every damn package I find.''
At the CNN Center, overlooking the park, all entrances but one were closed, and at that one a metal detector was installed.
Police blocked off two blocks outside Alexander Memorial Coliseum, where boxing matches were held. Hundreds of people stood in the rain before they were allowed to cross a bridge leading to the arena. A little later, they were asked to go back to the other side of the bridge.
Finally, fans were allowed inside, but not until going through much more stringent security measures than on previous days. Metal detectors were turned up to the point that coins in pockets were setting them off.
Little was said Saturday about what changes could be made at the park, but officials were clearly looking at stricter controls for the site.
``Obviously, when something like this happens, you want to re-evaluate where you are,'' said Woody Johnson, the FBI agent in charge of the bomb investigation. ``We'll look at whether we need increased security at the park when it reopens.''
But outside security and terrorism experts said big changes were undoubtedly on the way.
Mayer Nudell, a Washington-based anti-terrorism consultant, said the park stood out as a relatively unprotected space in a sea of highly secured venues.
``It focuses the attention of anyone who wants to do something to where it's relatively easy. It's asking for trouble,'' Nudell said. ``It was a calculated risk I doubt will ever happen again at an Olympics.''
Brent Brown, who heads a private security firm in Atlanta, said he took his family to the park Friday and was struck by the lack of security.
``It is like a big fair, with many entrances and exits,'' he said. ``That surprised me. I did expect to have to go through some perimeter screening.''
The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games originally considered limited access to the park to ticketholders and VIPs, an idea that was quickly shot down after public protests. Officials said that proposal was aimed at controlling traffic, rather than combating terrorism.
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Troops march past Centennial Olympic Park afterby CNBSaturday morning's bombing led to tightening of security. color. KEYWORDS: 3DA