Hooligans bid to sneak into SA foiled

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa also said around 3 200 identified hooligans had until tomorrow to hand in their passports to British police to prevent them travelling.   "A month ago some of them were trying to go via Dubai to come to South Africa and both the South African and UK forces were able to [stop] them," he added.   Mthethwa said around a dozen hooligans were intercepted but would not give details of where they were stopped. South African officials have said they are working closely with British police to prevent hooligans reaching Africa's first World Cup.   "We really will not take any nonsense this time around. This commitment by the UK authorities [to ban hooligans] is not just a commitment – it is something concrete."   South African police have little experience of combatting hooliganism and are relying on spotters and intelligence information from European forces.   The Minister also told the Guardian newspaper in England that there was no substance to a report in a local Sunday newspaper saying that chances of a terror attack during the tournament could be as high as 80 percent and that Pakistani and Somali militants were running training camps in neighbouring Mozambique. The paper said some militants may have already crossed into the country.   "There is no specific terrorism threat to South Africa as we speak. I don't think our intelligence is weak, we are able to challenge anybody with our intelligence," Mthethwa said, though he added that this would not make security forces complacent.   "It would, however, be folly for any country to grandstand and proclaim that it is immune to terror attacks."   Analysts say that although no threats have been identified, the World Cup, as the globe's most-watched sporting event, would be a tempting target for Al-Qaida and other groups.   Officials have said they are paying particular attention to protecting eight matches but have only mentioned one of them: the game in Rustenburg between England and the United States on 12 June, the second day of the tournament.   "The US has been targeted for some time, it will continue to be and it is not alone. There is this possibility wherever the US is. We have not taken any chances," Mthethwa said.