Olympic countdown: London honours slain Israeli athletes

The final countdown is well underway with London and the world looking forward to an unforgettable Olympics.

And, as July 27 approaches, Britain wants the games to be remembered for all the right reasons.

Security arrangements have sparked controversy but as the Olympic flame makes the final leg of its journey, Mayor Boris Johnson insists London is prepared.

Forty years after Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli Olympic team members in Munich, Johnson honoured victims by unveiling a ceremonial plaque.

Israel has stepped up its security presence in London amid fears its athletes are being targeted by an Iranian-led terror plot, according to British press reports.

“There is certainly intelligence and operative alertness ahead of the Olympics. The British security forces are operating…with the aid of intelligence services from around the world to minimise the risk of an attack during the Olympics,” Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak said.

Barak downplayed the latest newspaper reports. But
safety fears are real, not least after last week’s suicide bus bombing in Bulgaria that killed five Israeli tourists.

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