By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
March 5 – Interpol will mount its biggest ever joint intelligence gathering operation for a sports event at this summer’s World Cup, the organisation’s security chief said today.
Following a two-day security workshop at FIFA headquarters in Zurich attended by 29 of the 32 participating teams, Interpol manager of operations Chris Eaton said no stone would be left unturned to crack down on trouble-makers.
“Interpol will deploy its largest ever team of experts to South Africa for any major event we have ever done before,” said Eaton.
“The preparation and planning by any security measure is exceptional.”
Eaton was backed up by South Africa’s national police commissioner Bheki Cele, who said 1.3 billion rand was being spent on security and urged fans to have a party rather than a war.
“The security forces will be supporting players, participants, fans and everyone to enjoy the tournament as much as they can with the understanding that they are not there to fight a war,” Cele said.
“We are not going to war from June 11 to July 11.”
As for the 32 finalists, Cele said each team would receive unprecedented round-the-clock security in a country where the average murder rate is 50 a day.
“We will be working on a one-to-one basis with individual countries with specific plans for those teams,” he said.
“All possible means will be utilised to protect our players, teams and officials.”
Until now, no-one connected with the World Cup has been prepared to link the finals with the terrorist attack on the Togo bus at the African Nations Cup where three members of the Togo team were killed, leading to the country’s withdrawal from the tournament.
But Cele said there was no doubt that the attack on the Togo team in the rebel enclave of Cabinda had forced a rethink over World Cup security.
Revealing that South African police officials visited Angola three weeks ago, Cele said: “There were lessons learned for South Africa. It helped and enhanced us and made us much better and brighter in terms of preparations.”
Later, FIFA President Sepp Blatter urged the international media not to keep questioning South Africa as World Cup host.
“It is the best country south of the Sahara to stage the tournament,” said Blatter who launched a personal crusade to bring the World Cup to Africa.
“Why don’t the media help us?
“Football in this Continent is more than just kicking a football.
“It was my initiative but now the whole family agrees.”
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