U.S. expects NATO to approve Olympic, soccer security requests

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The U.S. ambassador to NATO expects the alliance to approve Greece's request to provide protection against terrorism during the Olympics and a similar appeal from Portugal for the European soccer championship.

"I think the (NATO) council will be very open and very positive to requests from both Greece and Portugal, as we should be," Ambassador Nicholas Burns said Friday.

Portugal asked on Thursday that alliance surveillance planes cover the soccer championship that runs through June.

Greece asked last week for the planes and other NATO help, such as naval patrols and teams to deal with chemical or biological attacks for the Athens Olympics in August.

"We at NATO have reacted very positively to the Greek request; I believe it will be approved," Burns said. "I think we'll give Greece all the support it needs for the Olympic Games."

He said the allied nations were seeking military advice and most likely would decide to approve the assistance "in the coming weeks."

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