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The Greek government insists that it has security in hand for next summer's Olympic Games. But a confidential report by the U.S. State Department says otherwise. A team of biological- and chemical-terrorism experts visited Greece for 10 days in September, and concluded that authorities there have dangerously underestimated the threat of such attacks during the XXVIII Olympiad. Greek planning does not "cover the response capabilities and the reserve capabilities" for mass casualties from a biological or chemical assault, says the report, a copy of which was seen by TIME.

The experts urge, among other things, avoiding drinking tap water during the Games in case it is deliberately poisoned, and sharply increasing blood supplies at Athenian hospitals. Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni insists that "all measures that are humanly possible are being taken." Greece, she says, has already increased its security budget for the Games by 25%, to €650 million. Even so, many countries have decided to manage their own security. The U.S. is dispatching 100 security agents for its athletes, while the American embassy in Athens is dishing out tens of millions of euros to improve "environmental security" against a possible biological or chemical attack.

• ELINDA LAMPROPOULOU
• Greece "underestimates" the security threat to next year's Olympics