McCaul: Olympic ‘threats are real’

Several congressional lawmakers said Sunday that they are concerned about terrorism threats at the Sochi Olympics next month.

Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) all said they would like to see better cooperation between U.S. and Russian officials with the games set to start in about three weeks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told ABC’s “This Week” that he and his security forces are taking all possible precautions to prevent an attack during the Olympics.

Putin said the aim is to try to make sure security measures “don’t jump out at you are not in your face and don’t put pressure on the athletes, visitors or reporters.”

Putin and other Russian officials have been clear about the importance of the games to showcase their growing nation.

McCaul, who is in Moscow this weekend, told ABC that while precautions are being taken, he is most worried about the proximity of the games to the terrorists.

“The threats are real,” he said.

He and other U.S. officials say that while security will be tight within the Olympics zone, terrorists may aim to hit outside that perimeter.

With 15,000 Americans traveling to Sochi, McCaul said he would do “everything I can to ensure it’s a safe and successful Olympics.”

The State Department has issued a travel warning for the games.

Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he is most concerned that Russian officials aren’t sharing their intelligence gathering with the United States.

“We don’t seem to getting the information we need to protect our athletes,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“They’re not giving us the full story.”

Without a bigger effort to cooperate, Rogers said “I don’t think anything will abate that concern short of full cooperation from the Russian security services.”

King said he is not only concerned about the Olympics but that other major sporting events could be targets in the future, including the World Cup in Brazil.

“I’m afraid it will be a concern anywhere in the future,” he said.