2008 Olympic Games

Report comes on heels of earthquake; further monitoring of conditions required

iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, a leading provider of global intelligence and business resiliency services, today released a special brief on the upcoming Olympic Games in China. Organizations with travelers, expatriates and facilities in and around Beijing, China will face a host of potential concerns leading up to and during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, according to the report.

“Travel Brief - Beijing Olympics,” authored by iJET’s regional intelligence analysts for Asia, covers potential concerns regarding transportation, crime and safety, business operations and health information specific to the Olympic Games. It also includes emergency numbers, common phrases, vaccination recommendations and information on Beijing hospitals.

“Preparations for the Olympics, the recent earthquake and other ongoing situations in China point to the need for organizations to continuously monitor events, prepare for potential disruptions and stay in communication with travelers, expatriates and facilities in the entire region,” said iJET’s President Bruce McIndoe.

Information in the report includes:

• Most taxi drivers do not speak English; carry the name and address of your hotel/lodging, written in Chinese characters, with you at all times.
• Security restrictions and traffic control measures could delay or disrupt cargo shipments and affect supply chains during the games.
• Even short-term visitors must register with the local police station. Hotels do this for their guests, but people staying with friends/family or in guesthouses will probably need to register themselves.
• Protests during the Paris leg of the Olympic Torch Relay prompted strong anti-French sentiment among Chinese nationalists; all Westerners (particularly patrons of French-owned businesses) could encounter associated harassment.
• Smog in Beijing could exacerbate heart or lung diseases; additional supplies of medications may be needed to control symptoms.

Multinational organizations are preparing for the games at a time when China is still recovering from and evaluating effects of the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck western China’s Sichuan Province on May 12. While the quake’s epicenter is more than 600 miles away from Beijing, officials remain concerned about possible long-term effects on the nation’s infrastructure, including cracks that have appeared in many of the country’s dams. A compromised or collapsed dam could have far-reaching effects across the country.

A full copy of the travel brief is available at http://www.ijet.com/news/whitepapers/index.asp.

About iJET Intelligent Risk Systems

iJET Intelligent Risk Systems is a leader in business resiliency, helping multinational corporations and government organizations monitor, protect against and respond to global threats. Integrating world-class open source intelligence with patented technology, iJET’s award-winning Worldcue(R) solutions help clients monitor and assess global threats relative to their key people, facilities and supply chain assets; automatically track and communicate with travelers and expatriates; and deploy emergency response services throughout the world at a moment’s notice. Providing a unified view of threats to assets, iJET enables clients to mitigate risks, reduce corporate liability and prepare for and respond to business disruptions. For more information about iJET, please visit http://www.ijet.com/.

iJET, Travel Intelligence and Worldcue are registered trademarks of iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: iJET Intelligent Risk Systems

Web site: http://www.ijet.com/

Seven female United States track and field Olympic medalists who ran relays with Marion Jones at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, today appealed the April 10, 2008 decision of the International Olympic Committee that demanded the return of their medals. The appeal was filed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, a tribunal that has exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate disputes relating to the Olympic Games.

On April 10, the IOC issued a decision disqualifying the seven relay athletes from further competition, as well as stripping them of the results and medals they achieved at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.

“The IOC disqualified these athletes and revoked their medals without allowing the athletes to attend the proceeding and without allowing them to review or respond to the evidence or charges against them. Therefore, the proceeding before the Court of Arbitration for Sport is not really an ‘appeal,’ - it is the first chance for the athletes to receive what we hope will be a fair hearing,” said Mark Levinstein of Williams & Connolly LLP, the law firm representing the relay athletes. Levinstein added, “When all of the facts and rules are considered, there is only one reasonable conclusion - these young women athletes have done nothing wrong and any attempt to alter their results or revoke their medals violates the Olympic Charter and all the rules that were in effect in 2000, as well as all internationally-accepted concepts of due process and natural justice.”

“We are very excited to finally receive an opportunity to give our side of the story and show how unreasonable the International Olympic Committee has been throughout this process,” said Passion Richardson, one of the Olympians whose medals and results are at issue.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport will select a panel of arbitrators-with each party selecting one and the third selected by CAS-and will set a date for a hearing.

The United States Olympic Committee has refused to support the women or to join the women in their appeal, except to take the position that the women have a procedural right to an appeal.

The women continue to seek financial support. Anyone interested in helping the women pursue their appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport should contact The Innocent Olympic Athletes’ Legal Defense Fund, c/o Mark Levinstein, Williams & Connolly LLP, 725 Twelfth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005.

Source: The Innocent Olympic Athletes’ Legal Defense Fund