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| May 19, 2002 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1423 |
High-tech security
TOKYO, May 18: High-tech Japanese military planes will patrol the skies over stadiums and jet fighters will be on standby to prevent any September 11-style attacks targeting the World Cup, a Japanese newspaper said on Saturday.
The government has drawn up an action plan for the military, or the Self-Defence Force (SDF), outlining its role in providing security for the tournament which kicks off on May 31 in co-hosts South Korea, the daily Asahi Shimbun said.
While the police will be mainly responsible for security, the SDF will provide support, such as a state-of-the-art airborne warning and control system (AWACS) plane to guard the skies over the matches, the paper said.
Japanese authorities have already said they will implement no-fly zones over the stadiums but should there be any risk of an attack like the ones on New York and Washington, F-15 jet fighters would be mobilised to “remove” such a threat, the Asahi said.
Army units of the SDF have concluded agreements with the local police at match venues to help out in case trouble involving hooligans escalated into a riot, the paper reported.
Japanese police have said there will be zero tolerance for troublemakers and plan to mobilise the most manpower ever for the tournament, which runs until June 30.—Reuters
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