Interpol: Protesters will target Olympics

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The threat of violence at this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing is greater than first thought and could include anything from violent assaults to large attack plots, the head of Interpol warned Friday.

The secretary-general of the world police network said recent reports of thwarted plots in China -- including a plan to bring down an airliner -- as well as protests surrounding the torch relay around the world have introduced "significant additional complications" to normal Olympic security plans.

"When thwarted attacks are coupled with the recent violent protests viewed by us all worldwide, prudence requires us to recognize the real possibility that groups and individuals could carry on their protests at the actual Games," Interpol secretary general Ronald Noble said at the end of a conference in the Chinese capital on security preparations for the Olympics.

"These activities could range from disruptive, such as blocking major transportation routes or interfering with competitions, to more violent acts like assaulting Olympic officials or athletes, or destroying property." See how activists plan to target Olympic sponsors. »

The Olympic torch has been shadowed on its journey around the world by pro-Tibet demonstrators who disrupted the relay in London, England; Paris, France; and San Francisco, California. Stops in those cities attracted tens of thousands of demonstrators and prompted dozens of arrests.

Security concerns prompted officials in other nations to alter the route or keep it away from the public altogether. In Pakistan and Indonesia, the relay was held inside stadiums.

Noble said the large number of visitors at the Olympics provided "easy cover for terrorists" and the global media coverage of such an international event ensured that any attack would have an immediate worldwide impact.

Interpol has been giving threat assessments to the Chinese authorities and conducting training sessions in crisis and major event operations.

An Interpol team will be working for the duration of the four-yearly showpiece, which begins August 8.

Last month, Chinese officials told state-run media they successfully thwarted two terror attacks, including one targeting the summer Games. Officials blamed both attacks on separatists operating out of an autonomous region in northwest China.

Xinhua reported that militants who were killed earlier this year in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were planning an unspecified attack on the Games. The region is home to about 19 million people, most of whom are Muslims and other minorities and many of whom oppose Beijing's rule.

A Chinese official also told Xinhua that a China Southern Airlines plane was forced to land after an unsuccessful hijacking. E-mail to a friend

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