USBF won't send teams to Istanbul
The board of directors of the United States
Bridge Federation has voted to decline to send a
team to participate in the 2004 World Bridge
Olympiad, scheduled for Istanbul, Turkey, this fall.
The USBF statement cited safety concerns and
a warning by the U.S. State Department that U.S.
citizens should defer all non-essential travel to
Turkey.
The State Department also warned that groups
of Westerners gathered in hotels are attractive “soft
targets” for terrorists.
This caution comes from the State Department
web site: “ Increased security at official U.S. facilities
has led terrorists and their sympathizers to
seek softer targets such as public transportation,
residential areas, clubs, restaurants, places of worship,
hotels, schools, outdoor recreation events,
resorts and beaches.
U.S. citizens should remain in
a heightened state of personal security awareness
when attendance at such locations is unavoidable.”
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The travel advisory was issued in part as a response to terrorist activity in Istanbul last year. According to the Associated Press, four suicide attacks against two synagogues, the British Consulate and a British bank killed 62 people in the city last year.
Another suicide attack was reported in early March. Three-fourths of USBF members who responded to a survey indicated they did not intend to go to Istanbul for the Olympiad.
The USBF will conduct trials in Memphis starting June 4. The winning team will be U.S. I for the 2005 Bermuda Bowl or for the 2004 Olympiad in the event it is relocated to a safe location.
The USBF was created in 2000 to adhere to International Olympic Committee guidelines for sports federations. The USBF is now responsible for conducting team trials for participation in world championships.
The 2001 Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup were originally scheduled for Bali, Indonesia. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the tournament was rescheduled in Paris, France.
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Second in the NAP, flight A were
Chris Willenken and Glenn Milgrim |
