More troops assigned to Olympics

LONDON – The British government is putting 3 500 extra military personnel on standby to protect venues at the London Olympics, after a private contractor acknowledged on Wednesday it may not be able to provide enough guards on time.

The contractor, G4S, which was supposed to provide the bulk of 13 200 private security guards across 100 venues, said in a statement it had encountered problems providing staff, but insisted it still hoped to meet its obligations.
Britain’s defence ministry declined to provide immediate comment, but government officials said a public announcement was expected shortly.
Britain’s mammoth Olympics security operation was already scheduled to include 7 500 troops, thousands of police, Typhoon fighter jets, helicopters, two warships and bomb disposal experts. – Nampa-AP

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