US Security at the London Olympics

Reports surrounding american security engagement with the UK over the 2012 olympics should not be a cause for concern. The US has traditionally sent security teams to escort athletes at major sporting events- including football world cups and previous olympics. These teams, predominantly from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, work within an agreed framework alongside the host nation, supporting but not leading the security effort to protect competitors/officials involved. Previous US involvement has never been a cause for incident but instead has served to provide a valuable addition to the overall security effort. The resources and capabilities of the US government, especially with reference to event security and VIP protection are unparalleled. In this regard, while some might seek to portray an american desire to send security agents to London as arrogant and unwarranted, these agents can provide crucial support to an extraordinarily complex security challenge. Contrary to public attitudes, the US will neither seek to ignore english laws or to take over the UK's security control. Rather, in allocating specialist teams towards limited security concerns, the US will free up UK security resources and help to maximise the likelihood of the olympics proceeding without major incident.