U.S. officials have warned of possible terror attacks surrounding the coming Olympics in Russia, yet are sending fewer American security experts to Sochi than to any Games over the past decade, current and former U.S. officials said. 
 
 The relatively small security footprint by the U.S. is due largely to long-standing intelligence rivalries between the two countries and because Russia's own security blanket over the Games is already... ||||| Less than three weeks before the Sochi Olympic Games are set to begin, U.S. lawmakers and other officials have begun publicly airing their concerns that Russia will not be able to adequately protect athletes and spectators against security threats in the region. 
 
 Part of their concern stems from allegations that Russian authorities have not embraced the spirit of shared information and cooperation with other nations to ensure top-notch security at the games. 
 
 “There's a long history of cooperation between nations who are hosting the Olympics and the United States government and the United States intelligence community, in particular, and we did not get that cooperation with the Russians,” said former Deputy CIA Director Mike Morell on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” 
 
 As for why, Morell said, “I think fundamentally, they don't want to admit that they don't have complete control here and that they might need some help.” 
 
 House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., made similar remarks that he had “real concerns about the safety,” calling the flow of information like a “tug of war” between nations. 
 
 “I think they think this is a politically embarrassing situation for them -- they're not going to share. That's really the wrong attitude when you're talking about an international event in a place where we've seen successful and targeted events,” he said. 
 
 Rogers said the security threats at Sochi were different from the bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, which was the work of a lone extremist rather than an organization with a history of violence. 
 
 “They have publicly stated they want to target the games. They have already targeted security in the region. This is a whole different animal and we need full and absolute cooperation from the Russians on that front,” he said. 
 
 But Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended his country’s preparedness. “The job of the Olympics host is to ensure security of the participants in the Olympics and visitors. We will do whatever it takes,” he said in an interview with ABC’s “This Week.” 
 
 “We have adequate needs available to us through the federal security service, the interior ministry, armed forces units that will be involved in providing security on the water and in the air. If necessary, all those tools will be activated,” Putin added. 
 
 House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, said on ABC that the U.S. diplomatic security corps has said U.S.-Russian cooperation has been good. In his opinion, though, “it could be a lot better.” 
 
 McCaul is traveling to Sochi Monday to meet with command and control of operations to assess the situation. He said he has concerns about the security, and would be able to better evaluate whether he would advise a constituent to travel there to watch the Olympics. 
 
 He is mostly concerned about Sochi’s proximity to a region that has a long history of strife. He said he believes attacks could occur around the perimeter of the games, perhaps on the transportation set up to reach Sochi. 
 
 Still, McCaul said, “I think we have to be optimistic that we can go forward with the Olympics successfully.” 
 
 Putin’s confidence hasn’t been enough to appease U.S. lawmakers. Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that because of the heightened security threat, he would not attend the Olympics, nor would he send his family do so. 
 
 “It's just such a rich target in an area of the world,” he said. Terrorists, he added, “have almost broadcast that they're going to try to do something there. It would be a stretch, I think, to say I'm going to send my family over.” 
 
 It doesn’t help matters that the U.S.-Russia relationship has hit a new low over issues like gay rights and the fact that Russia has granted asylum to Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who took and leaked thousands of classified documents before fleeing the U.S. 
 
 President Obama’s decision to skip the games and to name two openly gay athletes to the U.S. delegation (a third, figure skater Brian Boitano, has come out since being named to the opening ceremony delegation), was widely seen as a rebuke to Russia’s anti-gay laws. 
 
 Putin’s response has been to keep the games separate from politics. 
 
 “Between major countries, there are certainly always are some common ground and points of tension. With respect to athletes, I'd recommend and advise them not to think about the political differences. Politics should not interfere with sports. And sports should impact politics,” he said. ||||| Ruzana Ibragimova is the subject of a search by Russian authorities in connection with terror threats against the Sochi Winter Olympic Games. 
 
 MOSCOW — Russian security services may be looking for as many as four “black widows” dispatched to carry out terrorist attacks related to the Winter Olympics, including at least one woman believed to be in or near the Olympic city of Sochi, U.S. and Russian sources told NBC News on Monday. 
 
 Wanted posters distributed in Sochi, where the games open Feb. 7, describe at least one suspected terrorist — Ruzana Ibragimova, also known as Salima, the 22-year-old widow of an Islamic militant killed by Russian security forces last year. 
 
 The notices describe her as having a limp in her right leg, a left arm that does not bend at the elbow and a 4-inch scar on her cheek. 
 
 In a video, recorded before their deaths, that has recently surfaced, two suicide bombers suspected of a deadly attack on a Volgograd train station threaten a "surprise" during the Olympics at Sochi. 
 
 The notices say that Russian security officials have been informed of her possible departure from Dagestan, a Russian republic in the restive Caucasus area, earlier this month, and that she may be used for an attack inside the Olympic zone. 
 
 Militant groups in the Caucasus are known to use “black widows,” female terrorists so called because some seek to avenge the deaths of their husbands. They considered by security experts to be harder to pick out in a crowd because they do not fit the stereotype of an Islamic militant and because they can easily alter their appearance with clothing and makeup. 
 
 The disclosure Monday added to terror fears as the games approach. On Sunday, a video surfaced in which two men from an Islamist militant group threatened to attack the Olympics, warning that “a surprise” is in store for President Vladimir Putin and tourists attending the games. 
 
 The men claim responsibility in the video for two suicide bombings last month in the Russian city of Volgograd that killed 34 people. The Olympic torch passed through Volgograd on Monday on its way to Sochi, where the games open Feb. 7. 
 
 “That which we will do, that which we have done, is only a little example, a little step,” one the men, from the Islamist organization Anars Al Sunna, says in the hour-long video, released Sunday. 
 
 “We’ll have a surprise package for you,” one of them says, addressing Russian officials. “And those tourists that will come to you, for them, too, we have a surprise.” 
 
 With less than three weeks to go before the opening ceremony, security in Sochi is already tighter than at most airports, and Putin has vowed to take every step necessary to protect the Olympics. 
 
 The video surfaced Sunday as American officials expressed frustration at what they called a lack of cooperation from Russian security officials. 
 
 “They’ve now moved 30,000 armed troops to the region. That tells you their level of concern is great,” Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on the CNN program “State of the Union.” 
 
 “But we don’t seem to be getting all of the information we need to protect our athletes in the games. I think this needs to change, and it should change soon.” 
 
 Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, said on the same program: “I would not go, and I don’t think I would send my family.” 
 
 Russia has promised to protect Sochi within a “ring of steel.” The city is packed with metal detectors, bomb-sniffing dogs and explosive detectors. But groups threatening the Olympics say they will target not just the host city but other areas of Russia. 
 
 “I think the threats are real,” Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said on ABC’s “This Week.” “I think it’s more likely that the attacks would probably happen outside the perimeter, more soft targets, transportation modes, if you will.” 
 
 The Obama administration has asked the Pentagon to draw up plans for possible U.S. military assistance for Americans inside Sochi in the event of a terror attack, senior U.S. officials told NBC News on Monday. 
 
 The military’s European Command has worked up a plan that would rely on military assets already in place — moving warships into the Black Sea, where they routinely operate, and putting transport planes on standby at military bases in Europe. 
 
 The plan has not yet been submitted to the State Department or Pentagon, the officials said. 
 
 Any U.S. involvement in a military operation in Sochi would require a request from the Russian government to the State Department, then an order from President Barack Obama. 
 
 Senior U.S. military officials Monday suggested the likelihood that Putin would ask the U.S. for military help was zero. 
 
 The men in the video claim to be from Dagestan, about 1,000 miles from Sochi. Militants see an attack on the Olympics as a chance to humiliate Putin. 
 
 The men in the video appear to construct explosive devices and document, step by step, how they planned the Volgograd attacks. They say in a part of the recording directed at Russian officials that they “will continue to kill you and your soldiers.” 
 
 “This is for all the Muslim blood that is shed every day around the world, be it in Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, all around the world,” they said. “This will be our revenge.” 
 
 Putin said over the weekend that he “will try to make sure that the security measures taken aren’t too intrusive or visible and that they won’t put pressure on the athletes, guests and journalists.” 
 
 Albina Kovalyova reported from Sochi, Russia. Erin McClam reported from New York. Jim Miklaszewski of NBC News contributed to this report. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 
 
 Related: 
 
 Is it possible to protect Putin's perfect Olympics? 
 
 
 
 This story was originally published on ||||| Story highlights Police fliers warn that a terror suspect could be in Sochi 
 
 Official: Ships and aircraft will be ready to evacuate Americans if necessary 
 
 Video on jihadist website threatens Winter Olympics next month 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin says Olympics will be safe 
 
 New details fueled debate Monday over security at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi: Wanted posters of a terrorism suspect on the loose, warships at the ready and a video threat from beyond the grave. 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that his country has stepped up security and is prepared to handle any threats. 
 
 But some U.S. lawmakers -- and at least one Olympic athlete -- have said they're worried about the situation. 
 
 Hotels warned about terror suspect 
 
 Police in Sochi have handed out fliers at area hotels warning of a woman they believe could be a terrorist and who may currently be in the city. 
 
 One flier, obtained by CNN, asks workers to be on the lookout for Ruzanna "Salima" Ibragimova, described as the widow of a member of a militant group from the Caucasus region. 
 
 The woman, according to the flier, may be involved in organizing "a terrorist act within the 2014 Olympic region." 
 
 CNN obtained a copy of the flier, which is dated January 15, from security staff at a hotel in Sochi. The flier claims authorities have received information about Ibragimova's possible arrival in the region last week. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Hunt is on for possible Olympic bomber Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hunt is on for possible Olympic bomber 02:13 
 
 JUST WATCHED Putin: Gays 'can feel safe' at Sochi Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Putin: Gays 'can feel safe' at Sochi 02:08 
 
 JUST WATCHED Terror video threatens Winter Olympics Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Terror video threatens Winter Olympics 03:19 
 
 Photos of Ibragimova have flooded television and social media reports from Sochi. Some describe her as a "black widow" -- a notorious type of terrorist that's emerged in Russia's clashes with Chechen separatists. 
 
 Many of them are wives of insurgents killed by government forces, and they've been blamed for high-profile suicide bombings 
 
 Security experts stressed Monday that the woman is likely one of many suspects authorities are trying to find. 
 
 "I guarantee they're talking about this one black widow," former CIA officer Mike Baker said, "but there are others that they're also worried about." 
 
 Official: U.S. military at the ready as contingency plan 
 
 The U.S. military will have up to two warships and several transport aircraft on standby under a contingency plan to help evacuate American officials and athletes from the Winter Olympics, if ordered, a U.S. official said Monday. 
 
 The State Department would take the lead in organizing and evacuating Americans, if necessary, the official with direct knowledge of the plan told CNN. 
 
 Moscow would have to ask for such assistance before the United States would act, the official said. 
 
 But planes and ships are clearly there "if something happens like a major terrorist attack and we need to get Americans out," the official said. 
 
 U.S. contingency planning calls for warships to launch helicopters to Sochi from the Black Sea. C-17 transport aircraft would be on standby in Germany and could be on the scene in about two hours. 
 
 Other aircraft contracted to the State Department would also play a role in any emergency. 
 
 A video threat from beyond the grave 
 
 In a video that surfaced Sunday, two young men believed to have been suicide bombers in last month's back-to-back bombings in the Russian city of Volgograd made an ominous promise. 
 
 "We've prepared a present for you and all tourists who'll come over," the video says. "If you will hold the Olympics, you'll get a present from us for the Muslim blood that's been spilled." 
 
 The video was posted on a well-known jihadi forum website Sunday and apparently was recorded before the Volgograd attacks, which targeted a train station and a trolley bus and claimed the lives of more than 30 people. 
 
 Putin pledges stepped up security 
 
 Putin has pledged that visitors to Sochi for the Winter Olympics will be kept safe. 
 
 Russia has plenty of experience in keeping international events secure, Putin said, pointing to the G8 and G20 summits as examples. 
 
 Access to Sochi is under heavy restriction ahead of the games, and Putin said Sunday in an interview with half a dozen Russian and international broadcasters that about 40,000 members of Russia's police and security forces would be guarding events. 
 
 Security analysts have warned that terrorists targeting the Games may try to strike elsewhere in Russia during the Olympics. 
 
 U.S. lawmakers: Games won't be safe 
 
 U.S. Sen. Angus King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he wouldn't go to the Games himself, "and I don't think I would send my family." 
 
 Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, also called on the Russian government to be more cooperative with the United States on intelligence sharing ahead of the Games. 
 
 "Their level of concern is great, but we don't seem to be getting all of the information we need to protect our athletes in the Games. I think this needs to change, and it should change soon," Rogers said. 
 
 In recent weeks, U.S. law enforcement agents have been conducting interviews with people in the United States with ties in the Caucasus region, CNN has learned. 
 
 The region, which includes Dagestan and Chechnya, has been the scene of unrest and is in southern Russia, hundreds of miles from the venue of the Games. 
 
 The interviews are informational and do not mean there are any particular threats being investigated, a U.S. official said. 
 
 Law enforcement officials do "knock and talk" visits to meet people and to identify any potential issues. FBI agents conducted similar visits after last year's attack at the Boston Marathon. 
 
 When asked whether he thought Americans would be safe at the Games, former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden said he trusts Russia's ability to provide security. 
 
 "I think Americans will be quite safe," he said. 
 
 Will security concerns impact athletes? 
 
 Over the weekend, at least one Olympic athlete said he was worried. 
 
 "My concerns with Sochi is safety in a way, because it's in a crazy war zone in a way," French snowboarder Xavier de la Rue said. "It's in the middle of all these countries that want to kill Russia, so it's just scary 'cause I know that we're going to be a target in a way, although they do very well their job at keeping it safe but yeah, that's something that scares me a bit." 
 
 Tara Lipinski, who won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and will be attending this year's games, said she feels safe -- and hopes competitors will, too. 
 
 "There have been so many threats at the Olympics," she told CNN Monday. "I think athletes are used to that, and they know that, OK, we're going to hear about this. But when we go, we have people that are surrounding us and telling us where we should be and where we shouldn't be. And hopefully they do feel safe." 
 
 CNN National Security Analyst Frances Fragos Townsend described the security climate in Sochi as "the most dangerous threatened environment that we've seen for the Olympics." 
 
 But she said competitors shouldn't have to worry. 
 
 "They'll go to real extremes to protect the athletes and the venues. ... There's a big falloff, though, when you talk about the families and the tourists," Townsend said. "There really is, I think, a far greater vulnerability."
– Russian authorities believe that as many as four women intend to launch terror attacks targeting the Sochi Olympics, and that one might already be in or near the city, sources tell NBC News. Wanted posters are already up in Sochi for Ruzan Ibragimova, aka Ruzana, a 23-year-old woman described as having a limp, a left arm that doesn't bend at the elbow, and a 4-inch scar on her cheek. Russian security forces killed her husband last year. "Black widows," the bereaved wives of fallen militants, are common agents for Caucasus militant groups, prized for their ability to avoid attention. US officials were already getting worried about Sochi security, complaining that Russian authorities weren't sharing information, CBS reports. "I think fundamentally, they don't want to admit that they don't have complete control here," one former CIA official said. Yet despite the fears—and an explicit video threat—the US is sending a smaller-than-usual security team, the Wall Street Journal reports. About 40 FBI personnel are headed to Sochi, the smallest US contingent in a decade. But CNN adds that the US military is planning to have two warships stationed nearby in the event that an evacuation is necessary.