The November 17 urban guerrilla group that gunned down British defense attach Stephen Saunders in June last year has operated for the past 25 years. The Leftist group has killed more that 20 Greeks and foreigners since emerging in 1975. He urged the government to do what it could to encourage private enterprise to build the hotels. The Greeks are planning to use cruise ships to ease the hotel problem and last week the government said it would allow 28 new luxury hotels to be build in Athens. We need the extra rooms.
Transport is a critical issue.
The streets of Athens were clogged on Friday after security measures had been taken for an historic visit by the Pope. Rogge urged people in Athens to leave their cars at home during the Games and to use public transport. He said the Olympics would be returning to their roots in Greece where the modern Games began at the end of the 19th century. Athens has a chance to bring a special spirit to the Olympics but the Belgian surgeon told the Greeks they could not afford to slacken on the job. It is a matter of the quality of the Games held in Athens.