World Cup: Brazil may attract terrorists, experts say

By Thiago Borges for Infosurhoy.com

The potential for terrorist attacks is a major concern at the World Cup, according to the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN).

SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Brazil could be the target of terrorist attacks during the World Cup, when an expected 600,000 foreigners will visit the country for the June 12 through July 13 event that will have a TV audience of about two billion, experts said.

“Our biggest concern is with the so-called ‘lone wolves,’ who are individuals operating on their own,” said Luiz Alberto Salaberry, the director of the Counter-terrorism Department at the Brazilian Intelligence Agency’s (ABIN).

Despite dismissing the potential existence of terrorist cells in Brazil from organizations such as al-Qaeda, Salaberry said radical extremists may adopt the same hate speech and racism spread across the Internet by these groups.

ABIN is working with 38 Brazilian governmental departments and intelligence agencies from 82 countries to prevent attacks when Brazil is the center of global attention, paying special attention to individuals who follow terrorist groups.

“The lone wolves typically suffer from psychological issues and could cause a tragedy, taking advantage of the presence of foreign delegations and tourists,” Salaberry added. “The challenge is to anticipate the movements of these people whom we haven’t even identified.”

ABIN intensified its work to combat terrorism in 2012, with Rio+20, and continued in 2013, when Brazil hosted the Confederations Cup and World Youth Day.

Internal threats are greater than external ones, according to counter-terrorism expert Marcus Reis.

“The World Cup could be a moment to attract attention and attempt to extort the state into some sort of political commitment,” he said.

The lack of specific legislation also favors the carrying out of an attack, Reis, who is a lawyer, added.

“The state has to increase security and decrease the country’s vulnerability, improve border control and increase the likelihood of arrest in order to reduce the chances of an attack,” he said.

The Senate is considering approving legislation that establishes a prison sentence of between 15 and 30 years for anyone convicted of terrorism. Defendants also will be denied bail while they wait for their day in court.

If the bill is approved, the anti-terrorism law could cover everything from terrorist acts committed by organizations such as Hezbollah to attacks such as those carried out by the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) in 2006 and 2012.

Rio de Janeiro also will host the 2016 Olympics.

ABIN has invested in methodologies, training and partnerships with the public and private sectors to combat terrorism.

Among these partners are the hotels and restaurants that will serve foreign delegations. Just as it did during the 2007 Pan-American Games and Rio+20, in 2012, ABIN will train the employees of various establishments to inform the Brazilian Secret Service of any suspicious activity.

“Terrorism is a threat that isn’t part of normal life in Brazil, but major events make these types of arrests possible,” Gen. Jamil Megid Junior, a special adviser for major events to the Ministry of Defense’s Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces (EMCFA), said during a speech before the House of Representatives in Brasília in March.

About 150,000 police officers and members of the Armed Forces will be stationed throughout the 12 cities that will host World Cup games.

Megid said security personnel will search for chemical and nuclear bombs, while agents specializing in radiology will be stationed at all stadiums, official hotels and training centers, as well as other important World Cup areas.

“We’re already activating our 12 regional commands in the host cities and finalizing the training of our forces in April and May, primarily through drills with representatives of the overall security scheme,” Megid said.

Between March 24 and April 11, Federal Police officers and law enforcement officials from the states of Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Mato Grosso, Paraná Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo, participated in a course on maritime terrorist interdiction.

Held in Moyock in the U.S. state of North Carolina, the course was the result of a partnership between the Ministry of Justice’s Special Secretariat for Security at Major Events (SESGE), the U.S. Embassy in Brazil and the U.S. Department of State’s Counterterrorism Agency.

Investments in security

The Brazilian government invested R$1.9 billion (US$860 million) between 2012 and 2014 to ensure security at the World Cup.

The funds were allocated to improve coordination among the police forces, municipal guards, civil defense and fire departments, as well as the training of personnel and the purchase of air defense tanks, bomb disposal equipment and video surveillance gear.

“We have total confidence in the ministries of Sport, Justice and Defense, including all of the different security authorities,” FIFA Security Director Ralf Mutschke said. “We’re convinced that security will be provided for the World Cup.”