Is Sochi Safe?

1) That's the multi-billion ruble question for the Russians as they prepare to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. Despite it being 7 years in the making and probably the most money EVER spent on a winter games (Chinese 2008 Summer games still spent more) still has massive security questions.   We are a mere 2 weeks from the Opening Ceremonies when hundreds of thousands of athletes and spectators alike will gather in Fisht Olympic Stadium to commence the games.  Yet we are now hearing of possible and what we are told VERY credible terrorists threats. 

2) Among these are various 'Black Widows' who we are told are already positioned, ready to strike. They are women who have recently become widowed when their terrorist husbands died in ' the cause' so they are very motivated to use their own deaths to make their spouses deaths more meaningful. As we have seen in the past, if someone is set on dying, there is little you can really do to prevent some kind of damage/destruction. The question will be how much and where/when it occurs NOT if. Our sources tell us the Russians fully expect at least an incident or two to take place either immeadiatly before the opening ceremonies or during the games themselves. However, they are hoping that their secutity is such that those incidents are small and tale place well away from Sochi and the various venues of events. Most likely in towns/cities with less security(softer targets) due to   they not haing any foreign presence.

3) That being said, we would NOT put it past these desperate murderers to have at least one sleeper cell already in place at a major target that could inflict significant damage/death to embarass President Putin. He has almost guarenteed that the games would not be affected negatively from any outside (or inside) terrorists. Many athletes from outside Russia are telling their families to stay home and watch on TV. The US State Department has issued a travel alert. No country is pulling out, but you can bet your bottom dollar (ruble) that any issues that keep fans from traveling to Russia will hurt the positive  impact of the games on the Russian economy.  Stay tuned.  ( We will have our Olympic Hockey prediction post in a week or so)