Envoys confirm threat to Games

Diplomatic cables reveal Kiwi officials in India expect a terrorist attack on a "soft target" ahead of the troubled Commonwealth Games.

The cables, obtained under the Official Information Act, emerged just one day after New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Mike Stanley told Kiwi athletes to "pack their bags" for New Delhi. Mr Stanley said yesterday that the committee would pull out of the October Games if security was "not appropriate".

"At a point in time, we're going to have to say: `Are we comfortable to have a team going to Delhi?' That time is not now, but that is certainly a decision we will take when we get people on the ground in India."

New Zealand is sending 195 athletes and 100 officials.

The cables, dating from March and April this year, record reconnaissance missions in New Delhi by New Zealand high commission staff this year.

After one, between February 28 and March 13, officials cabled Wellington. "The pre-Games environment could be overshadowed by some form of `soft target' attack such as the recent attack on the German Bakery in Pune, which would be unsettling and capture media attention," the cable said.

On February 13, a terrorist bombing there killed 17 and injured 65. Among the dead were four foreigners.

Officials in New Delhi noted the bakery was a tourism hot-spot.

They said that, for the first time, the Games would be held in "a high-threat environment".

"The general security situation in India is stressed. Terrorist attacks, especially on softer targets [like the German Bakery in Pune] are likely to continue."

Officials noted responsibility for security would fall heavily on Indian security agencies.

In issuing the information, Sport Minister Murray McCully said the New Zealand Government was treating security arrangements for the Games "very seriously".

A spokesman for Prime Minister John Key said decisions on whether athletes should travel to India were up to the sporting bodies involved.

However, the Government was keeping them advised of developments, and there was "high-level" liaison between the sporting organisations, police, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and others.

Concern over India's readiness for the Games has heightened since the February bombings and a subsequent explosion outside an Indian Premier League cricket match in Bangalore, in April.

"It is, quite understandably, going to give rise to further questions and debate," a cable on the April explosion said.

There has also been increasing concern over the readiness of Games venues, with reports of water leaks and other problems at some. The Games venues will go into lockdown next month.

Mr Stanley said New Zealand had isolated "some areas of interest" at a security conference two weeks ago.

"Yes, they are behind [on sec-urity], but the information we have is that they will be able to robustly do their preparations prior to the lockdown and then there will be further evaluation at that point ..."