New York Rep. Michael Grimm warned Monday that steps should be taken to prevent the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in February from turning into another Benghazi, after a bomb Monday killed fourteen people in a Russian city.
“We cannot sweep these threats under the rug, like we did with Benghazi or the warnings from Russia on the Tsarnaev brother behind the Boston Marathon bombing,” Grimm said in a statement, saying that “we must remain vigilant and take every threat seriously.”
Grimm condemned the suspected suicide bombing in Volgograd, a city just over 400 miles from Sochi. It is the second bombing in two days. A bomb Sunday, also suspected to be the work of a suicide bomber, went off in a train station. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombings, but according to CNN, a Chechen separatist group leader threatened violence at Sochi a few months ago.
“The only winners in Sochi should be our athletes, which is why we must work closely with Russia and our allies to combat the threat of terrorism,” Grimm said. “That begins with taking every threat seriously and acting accordingly, so that the Winter Olympics remain a dream for athletes around the globe, instead of becoming a nightmare like Benghazi.”