SALT LAKE CITY (Utah), Jan 19: Attorney General John Ashcroft said he expects the upcoming Olympic Winter Games to be safe and enjoyable, stressing that US officials “want to leave no stone unturned” regarding security for the event.

Speaking to reporters here, Ashcroft said officials want to emphasize “the importance of this being a secure and safe arena in which people all over the world come to America and reach the maximum of their potential.”

“The Olympics in a sense mirror what America has been — people coming from every site, every location, every nation, strangely like America is as a nation, to reach their maximum potential,” he said.

Ashcroft repeatedly stressed the importance of cooperation among the many law enforcement agencies working on security for the Winter Games, which open here on Feb 8.

“What’s happening here has never happened anywhere before,” Ashcroft said. “Our communications are integrated, our operations are integrated, and they are elevated.”

Ashcroft called the cooperation “a groundbreaking event” that could serve as a “model” for other cities in the future.

“We have 30 federal agencies, 28 different state agencies, about a dozen local agencies, and we’ve understood that we have to be able to work together,” Ashcroft said.

He praised Utah for its efforts in preparing for the Games and bringing agencies together.

—AFP