BEIJING - The head of Interpol said Friday that there is a "real possibility" that the Beijing Olympics will be targeted by terrorists or that anti-China groups could attack athletes.

China, whose Communist rulers value stability above all else, have come down hard on anyone they fear could upset the Games, from people protesting against the demolition of their houses for venues to the country's sometimes restless ethnic minorities.

"An attempted act of terrorism is a real possibility and a real concern that all Olympic host countries have shared in recent years," Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble told the opening of the International Conference on Security Cooperation in Beijing.

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"Recent Tibet-related protests have introduced significant additional complications to the normal security considerations for a major international event like these Olympics," he said.

Tibet unrest
The international leg of the Olympic torch relay has been dogged by pro-Tibet and anti-China protests, following unrest in Tibet last month in which China says about 20 people died.

In Japan on Friday, police escorted the flame to the mountain resort of Nagano — where the 1998 Olympics were held — under heavy security after it landed at a Tokyo airport.

The Falun Gong spiritual movement, banned in China as a dangerous cult, held a morning protest in a park near the Nagano train station. In the afternoon, a small group of other protesters waved "Free Tibet" banners.

"In light of recent events, all countries whose athletes will participate and whose citizens will attend the Beijing Olympics must be prepared for the possibility that the groups and individuals responsible for the violence during the global torch relay could carry out their protests at the actual Games," Noble, the police organization's chief full-time official, said.

"These activities could range from disruptive behavior, like blocking major transportation routes or infrastructure or interfering with competitions, to more violent acts like assaulting Olympic officials or athletes or destroying property.

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