The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic GamesAugust 8-24 2008
(BEIJING, June 15) -- On Saturday, the last national large-scale anti-terrorism practice drill before the Olympic Games was completed in Beijing.
In order to perfect Beijing's security plan ahead of the opening ceremony, this last round of tests was launched on June 11, reported Xinhua. The "Great Wall No. 5" series of anti-terrorism exercises was initiated to check Beijing's ability to cope with threats should anything happen during the upcoming Beijing Games.
The unannounced examination investigated the abilities of organizers to deal with simulated chemical attacks, carjackings of vehicles carrying athletes, air accidents, and situations that may occur in the subway system, among other threats.
Organizers deemed the series a success, as appropriate measures were taken to control the emergency situations. The four-day drill raised the level of quality of anti-terrorism work so that the important goal of a "peaceful Olympics" would be guaranteed.
In addition, "Great Wall No. 5" demonstrated the defensive group's increased capability of handling situations involving large crowds.
"Great Wall No. 5" showed that Beijing is prepared to combat any terrorist threat, a representative of the drill said.
As terrorists attacks generally occur before the Olympics, the success of "Great Wall No. 5" implies that Beijing's security forces are prepared to counter any attack that may occur.
