LONDON — Britain’s government opted Tuesday to deploy 1,200 more troops to protect Olympic venues, a move that reflects a lack of confidence that private security contractor G4S can deliver all it promised for the games.
The fresh troops come only three days before Friday’s opening ceremony and mean that some 18,200 U.K. military personnel are now involved in some capacity in securing the London games — dwarfing the 9,500 British troops now in Afghanistan. The decision followed a Cabinet meeting on venue security.
“On the eve of the largest peacetime event ever staged in this country, ministers are clear that we should leave nothing to chance,” Olympics Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement. “The Government continues to have every confidence that we will deliver a safe and secure Games.”
The government put the troops on standby a few days ago but suggested that was merely a prudent contingency measure that was unlikely to be used.
Thousands of British soldiers have been sent in on short notice to fill the gap in guards. Some of the servicemen have seen their leaves canceled, while others have only recently returned from tours in Afghanistan.