The Olympic Games are international celebrations of excellence in sport. They are also opportunities for host nations to make political statements that can have lasting legacies for leaders and political systems. One only has to remember the Berlin Olympics of 1936 and the Beijing Olympics of 2008 as examples.
The Games can also provide a stage for others seeking to make dramatic statements intended to shock host countries as well as the international community. We saw this happen with the Munich slaughter of 1972, and the 1996 bombing at Centennial Park during the Atlanta Olympics.
The Sochi Olympics will have the highest level of security ever seen for the Games. Two recent bombings in south Russia carry threats of more terrorist attacks or other attempts to disrupt the Games themselves. In this context, the Colorado Foothills World Affairs Council is proud to present the celebrated and honored international journalist, Greg Dobbs.
Greg Dobbs has been a keen observer and analyst of international affairs for four decades, giving special attention to the Soviet Union, and then after its collapse, to the turbulent evolution of the Russian Republic. As the Sochi Olympic Games put Russian President Vladimir Putin’s legacy on center stage, Greg will give us a progress report.
A highly respected journalist for ABC News, World News Tonight, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, and others, Dobbs’s excellence in global reporting and analysis have earned him two national Emmys. In addition to his international work he has covered national elections with Dan Rather and anchored HDNet’s coverage of every space shuttle launch since Columbia.
Greg recently authored Life in the Wrong Lane and has written a university-level textbook on journalism. His newspaper opinion columns are regularly seen in The Denver Post.