How Safe Is Sochi?

How Safe Is Sochi? Russia has pledged to deliver the "safest Olympics in history." They've built a 'ring of steel' security cordon around Sochi, and at least 40,000 Russian security personnel will be on hand. But the rise of terror incidents in the last few decades and promises from Islamist suicide bombers from the Dagestan region (one of whom may already be in Sochi) to strike the games beg the question - just how safe can Sochi really be? Incidents of terror since 1991, by federal district 1 1-10 I 11-20 1 21-30 131-200 I 201+ Northwestern: 24 Far Eastern: Ural: 13 Siberian: 19 16 A U.S. C-17 transport aircraft will be on standby in Germany. Fatalities Central: 165 Volga: 50 25 The U.S.S. Mount SOCHI Southern: Whitney and the Navy frigate U.S.S.Taylor are stationed in the Black Sea, from which helicopters could be deployed to Sochi. 28 Dagestan Province NOTABLE RECENT ACTS North Caucasian: OF TERROR NEAR SOCHI 1,584 Moscow Airport bombing Jan. 2011 37 40 Moscow 16:1 Subway bombing March 2010 Volgograd Train bombing Volgograd Bus bombing Oct. 2013 18 Dec. 2013 16 7 With about 2,500 athletes competing in the games, and at least 40,000 Russian police and security personnel in and around Sochi, there are at least 16 security personnel per athlete. Volgograd Bus bombing Dec. 2013 Nazran Police station 20 bombing Aug. 2009 SOCHI A Growing Threat 'Black Widows' Wait Russian authorities believe 'black widows,' Islamist women who want revenge for husbands or family members killed by Russian security forces, may be planning a suicide bombing during the games. Number of terrorist incidents in Russia* 300 250 Ruzanna Ibragimov, whose husband was killed in 2013, is believed to have been last 200 150 seen in downtown Sochi on January 11. 100 124 suicide attackers have 124 struck Russia over the past 13 years. Islamist extremist from the restive Dagestan province, about 350 miles from Sochi, have vowed to strike at the games. *Reliable statistics on terror incidents prior to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 do not exist. Sources: Global Terrorism Database, The Guardian, Washington Post, ABC News, CNN, USA Today THE HUFFINGTON POST Photo: Associated Press 1992 1993 t661 1995 9661 2661 8661 6661 0007 LO0Z 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 8 2008 6007 2010 2011 2012