US ready for ’78 Super Bowls in 38 days’: DHS chief

Washington, June 15 (IANS) The United States is prepared to host one of the largest sporting events in its history despite significant security and logistical challenges, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, describing the FIFA World Cup as the equivalent of “78 Super Bowls in 38 days”.

With millions of visitors expected to travel across North America for the tournament, Mullin on Sunday added that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was confident in its security posture across host cities in the United States.

“Are we safe? Yes, we’re going to have a safe and one of the best World Cups in the history of this event,” he said during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union.

The Secretary said between five and seven million visitors are expected during the competition, creating an enormous security challenge for federal, state and local authorities.

“There’s not specific threats. There’s a threat because of the amount of people coming in,” Mullin added.

The United States is serving as a principal host of the expanded FIFA World Cup, with matches taking place across multiple cities.

Mullin said each venue must be treated as a major national security event.

“We have, keep in mind, 78 Super Bowls in 38 days throughout the United States and 11 different host cities,” he added.

Each one of those had to be treated like a Super Bowl. Each one of those will have a bigger audience than the Super Bowl.”

According to Mullin, DHS has the lead responsibility for security planning and coordination, working closely with local law enforcement agencies and international partners.

He acknowledged that funding delays earlier in the year created additional complications for preparations.

“The truth is, though, with the Democrats defunding ICE and CBP for 115 days and DHS for 76 days, it made it tough,” Mullin said.

He added that delayed reimbursements affected local law enforcement agencies that are helping secure venues, transport hubs and team facilities.

“Our MOUs that we had with our local law enforcement, the reimbursement was behind,” he said.

“We can’t do this without our local partnerships.”

Despite those challenges, Mullin insisted that security agencies were fully prepared for the tournament.

“We feel very confident on our posture in each one of these places,” he said.

The Secretary also noted the scale of operations required to protect not only stadiums but team base camps, transportation networks and public gathering areas.

“The amount of security that brings in with this is unending, from the teams coming in to secure their base camp to the host cities,” he said.

The World Cup is expected to draw supporters from around the globe, including thousands from India and the broader South Asian diaspora in North America.

US authorities have repeatedly said international cooperation and intelligence sharing are central to security planning for the tournament.

–IANS

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