Report: Australia balks at Israeli Olympic request

SYDNEY, Jan. 11 (JTA) — Australia is unlikely to accede to Israeli requests that its armed agents be allowed to protect its athletes at the 2000 Olympic Games, said an Australian Olympic official. The dispute is part of a larger problem about how to guarantee protection for Israeli participants at the games, which will be held in Sydney. In an attempt to resolve the issue, the police commissioner for the region of New South Wales, Peter Ryan, is scheduled to travel to Israel in the first half of this year to discuss security requirements and special arrangements for Israeli athletes.