Napolitano: Obama’s non-visit to Sochi is not a snub to Putin
Today on CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley, Janet Napolitano, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and Leader of the U.S. Delegation to Russia, told CNN in a Sunday exclusive interview that she did not think President Obama snubbed President Putin by not attending the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
During the interview, Napolitano told Crowley, “No, I don’t think so. I think he sent a delegation that represents the broad values of the United States. We’re here to support our team. We’re here to represent our country, and we’re proud to be here.”
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Napolitano: Obama’s non-visit to Sochi is not a snub to Putin
A video and a transcript of the interview are available after the jump.
Video
Transcript
THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CROWLEY: Janet, we appreciate your being here today. It has been noted, I’m sure it’s been noted to you, that it’s been 14 years since a president or a vice president or a member of their family has not gone and attended at least an event at the Olympics. Can you tell me as a practitioner of both policy and politics why Sochi is different for the U.S.?
NAPOLITANO: I think the president chose delegations that represent leaders from various walks of life, former Olympians, leaders in government service. I lead the nation’s largest public research university. I am a former member of his cabinet, as you know, and was co-lead of our delegation in Vancouver.
CROWLEY: So, you think there was no snub of President Putin intended.
NAPOLITANO: No, I don’t think so. I think he sent a delegation that represents the broad values of the United States. We’re here to support our team. We’re here to represent our country, and we’re proud to be here.
CROWLEY: Will you or have you had any kind of conversation or greeting or any scenario in which you’ll be able to talk to President Putin?
NAPOLITANO: No. I am not here as a diplomat. I’m here as the lead of the delegation to the Olympics, so no such conversations are contemplated.
CROWLEY: So, you’ve spent four years as a Homeland Security director here in the U.S. on the surface of it, as you have seen Sochi and the area that surrounds it, does anything concern you vis-a-vis the security there?
NAPOLITANO: Well, you know, I think a little context, anytime you have one of these big international events, and unfortunately, that includes Olympics, security is an issue. It was an issue leading up into the London games, for example, and here because of its geographic proximity to an area that’s actually in a war, that creates some other special security concerns.
Within the boundaries of Sochi, within the so-called ring of steel, there’s a lot of security, but, you know, once you have your credential, once you have your I.D.s and so forth, you can move around and get into the venues.
CROWLEY: Does from your perspective from what you see, from what you’ve heard, from what’s been told you, does the city seem as prepared as it needs to be given that it is close to some war zones and that big events, as you know, tend to attract bad people?
NAPOLITANO: Yes, they do, unfortunately. And, again, anytime you have a big event, particularly a big sporting event where you have lots of different people, you know there’s going to be a lot of media there, there has to be a lot of security, a lot of security preparation. There’s a lot of preparation, for example, that goes into a Super Bowl and Super Bowl security planning.
With respect to Sochi, you know, we’ve been received well. We have a nice hotel. Our accommodations are just fine, but from what I hear from some of the athletes who are doing some of their training, they’re quite satisfied.
CROWLEY: So, as you are eyeballing it, it seems — they seem prepared. I know you can’t know what’s going on behind the scenes or any of that, but it seems just by eyeballing it that the city is prepared.
NAPOLITANO: You know, it seems so. A lot of it’s very new, and, you know — and I’ve seen this in other events where the event itself becomes the reason for a lot of new construction, a lot of revitalization and the like, and we’ve certainly seen that here in Sochi where, you know, a number of the hotels are new, the sporting venues obviously are new. The press center is new. So, that’s all had to be constructed in a fairly short period of time.
CROWLEY: We’re hearing, of course, back here lots of scary, troublesome stories about explosive material in toothpaste tubes, black widows, et cetera. What is your personal level of concern about Sochi?
NAPOLITANO: About security at Sochi?
CROWLEY: Yes.
NAPOLITANO: Listen, as the leader of the U.S. delegation, all I can say is that what we’ve seen and what we’ve heard seems that the level of security is quite appropriate, is very good, and I hope that the attention of the media and the world turns now more to what the athletes are going to do instead of the threats that are being made.
CROWLEY: So, the general atmosphere right now in the city among the athletes that you may have seen, what does the atmosphere feel like?
NAPOLITANO: Well, I’m taking my guidance a lot from the former athletes who are part of our delegation or who are also in the hotel, and they tell me that as you get closer to the games and the games actually begin, the athletes enter a zone, and they are focused on their event, their training, their training schedule, making sure that they have, you know, their peak performance representing both themselves as an athlete but also representing their country.
And so, as we’ve seen athletes, and we saw a few at a reception they were at, it’s clear where their focus is.
CROWLEY: So, I don’t know whether you heard it or are aware of it, but the U.N. secretary-general addressed the International Olympic Committee. He addressed the issue of prejudice of any kind, said very clearly prejudice of any kind based on gender. Orientation is absolutely unacceptable by the Olympic charter, for the U.N. And there was no mention specifically of Russia, but it certainly seemed aimed at the whole gay propaganda law in Russia.
I wonder if you’ve seen anything that makes you believe that gays, in particular gay athletes, are not welcome. Is there any sign of that at all?
NAPOLITANO: I have not seen any such sign, but I think our president, President Obama, has been very clear over time about the United States and our position with respect to human values and human rights and freedom of expression and tolerance and diversity. These are things we hold dear in the United States, and this is an area where we have some disagreements with Russia. CROWLEY: And finally, I have to ask you, if you could be good at and participate in any sport that is an event at the Sochi Olympics, what would that be?
NAPOLITANO: Well, I jokingly told another reporter curling because I got into curling when I was at the games in Vancouver four years ago. But I have to say, when you see the figure skaters and the beauty of their performances, it does make one jealous.
CROWLEY: It absolutely does. It’s hard to beat that for a real show. All of it will be great, I’m sure. Stay safe, and I imagine we’ll start talking about the games themselves and those young people over there, and obviously, hope all of them stay safe and you all as well, the viewers. Thank you so much, Janet Napolitano, who is heading up the U.S. delegation to the Olympics. Thanks for your time today.
NAPOLITANO: Thank you so much.