Italian Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu warned Friday that terrorists may target the 2006 Winter Olympics, which are due to open in February in Turin. In an address to parliament, Pisanu said the event's international breadth meant it was "of great interest to terrorist groups". Some 2,500 athletes from 84 countries are expected to attend the February 10-26 Games in the Italian Alps. The Olympics will be followed by 10,000 media representatives and an estimated 1 million television viewers worldwide. The Minister also noted that the Games would be taking place in the middle of the campaign leading up to the country's general election, which is due to take place in April. Italy has often been singled out as a possible target of al-Qaeda linked terror groups and also has a long history of domestic terrorism, reported Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA). Pisanu said the safety of the Olympics represented a major priority for the government and announced the planned deployment of some 9,000 police officers to protect the event.
