The United States will deploy at least two warships into the Black Sea off the coast of Sochi, Russia, to respond to a potential terror attack during the upcoming Olympics, top officials said on Monday.
The positioning of the ships would also enable the rapid evacuation of Americans in the event of an attack, CNN reported. The State Department would take the lead if evacuations became necessary.
The ships will have helicopters that could fly Americans out of the country if needed. There are also aircraft on standby in Germany that could be at Sochi in about two hours if needed.
Concerns about terrorism at the Olympics have heightened after a video released online Sunday promised a “present” for tourists at the Olympics as revenge for Muslims killed around the world, according to CNN.
Two young men in the video are believed to be the suicide bombers responsible for two attacks in Russia last month.
Earlier Monday, NBC News reported Russia was on the hunt for four possible “black widows” prepared for an attack.
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• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
• Jacqueline Klimas can be reached at jklimas@washingtontimes.com.
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