Rio Olympics: Brazil weighs Jihadi Threats

Brazil's intelligence agency said it was reviewing all threats against the Rio 2016 Games after a jihadi messaging channel called for its followers to target the Olympics.

"Many [threats] are discarded and the ones that deserve attention are investigated exhaustively," the agency said.

Earlier this week, a jihadi channel on the messaging app Telegram called for attacks against the Games and detailed targets and methods, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

SITE said a message was posted to "Inspire the Believers!" saying, "Lone wolf from anywhere in the world can move to Brazil now." The message also suggested using the Games to target the enemies of jihad, including Western athletes, and said it would introduce the hashtag "#RioLW."

 

Security experts said Brazil has no history of jihadi activity and no established terror networks, making it difficult to pull off a complex attack at the Olympics. However, like many other cities, Rio faces the threat of an individual, or "lone wolf," terrorist and those are the people jihadi social media are hoping to reach.

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"There is a concern, it has to be taken very seriously, but I also have a lot of faith that the Brazilian authorities are doing everything they can and we have to give them credit," said Sajjan Gohel, international security director at the Asia Pacific Foundation.

     

Author: 
CNN