Terrorists may bypass S.L. Games

The shock waves from the crumbled buildings in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington did not take long to reach us here in the heart of the Rockies, where we've had "The World is Welcome" signs swinging at our borders for several years now.

Naturally, after the terrorist attacks that killed thousands on American soil, alarms have gone out about the Olympics — our Olympics — being in danger. What better place for a terrorist encore than to wade into an event viewed by worldwide TV audiences that exceed 2 billion?

There are those who are questioning whether the Salt Lake Olympics should be held at all; and many who still believe the Olympics should be held are urging that security be greatly increased.

But while it is certainly understandable, if not unavoidable, to check all the locks and even order a few new ones in the wake of an act as devastating as the one that took place Sept. 11, there are actually some very sound reasons to believe that what happened this past week actually improved the outlook for a terror-free 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

• The element of surprise has been greatly diminished, and surprise is a terrorist's chief weapon; the quarterback of team extreme. Without surprise, it's a straight-up battle, and terrorists, by their very definition, have neither the manpower nor the firepower for a straight-up battle with established force.

• Islamic terrorists — such as those alleged to have pulled off the Tuesday attacks — have historically profiled targets symbolic of what they hate — and the Olympics does not fit that symbolism. The Olympic Games, per se, are not a threat to the Islamic faith because at their essence they are about brotherhood and unity, and, further, they are not an American institution. When Islamic scholar Dann Hone says, "I can't see that the Olympics would be of interest (to Islamic terrorists) because they don't represent an enemy to Islam," those are comforting words.