Former CIA Deputy Director Mike Morrell said Monday the upcoming Sochi Olympics are “the most dangerous” he’s experienced.
{mosads}“I think these are the most dangerous Olympics I’ve experienced in my adult life,” Morrell said on “CBS This Morning.” Morrell works as a contributor for the network. Morrell resigned from the CIA last June, and had served as deputy director since 2010. He served as acting director twice.
Host Charlie Rose asked Morrell why Americans should be just as concerned.
“You have a capable, dedicated, determined terrorist group that has been around for a long time, that recently conducted two attacks in Russia, who say that they want to attack during the games,” Morrell said.
Russian authorities have been working to bolster security in Sochi since two consecutive suicide bombings killed civilians in Volgograd last month. The city is located about 400 miles from Sochi and 500 miles from Moscow. Morrell said Sochi itself is “fairly safe,” but warned that a venue outside the Olympic Village could be vulnerable.
“I’d worry about airports elsewhere in Russia, I’d worry about Western hotels elsewhere in Russia, that’s where I’d put my focus.”
The State Department last week updated its travel alert for Americans planning to attend the Sochi games since terrorist threats have become pronounced. Rose asked Morrell what advice he’d give to Americans who will still go.