Hellenic Police Headquarters

Athens, May 13, 2002

Press Release

The Olympic Games Security Division is organizing a map exercise, code-named “Gordian Knot 2002”, at a central Athens hotel on May 16-17.

The exercise, to be held in camera, is part of preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games Security Program and will simulate real incidents.

The goals of the exercise are:

To test security plans and coordination, command and monitoring procedures in order to deal with Olympics-related incidents and crises.
To train personnel involved with Olympic security for a major exercise, code-named “Rainbow 2002”, and planned for next November.

Participating in the exercise will be officers from the Hellenic Police Force, the Armed Forces, the Hellenic Coast Guard and the Fire Brigade, as well as cadres from the National Intelligence Service, the General Secretariat for Civil Defense, the National Ambulance Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Civil Aviation Authority and the East Attica Prefecture.

Additionally, the civilian leadership of the Ministry of Public Order, high-ranking officers from the Armed Forces, Hellenic Police, the Coast Guard and the Fire Brigade, as well as the top leadership of relevant agencies and bodies involved in the exercise, officials from the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organizing Committee as well as representatives of foreign governments on the Olympic Advisory Group will also be present.