And now, bbc world news america. This is bbc world news america reporting from washington. Will terrorists attacked the Winter Olympics . The head of the olympic bemittee says sochi will safe. Corruption across the European Union is breathtaking, and Officials Say cost europe 150 billion a year. Lessons from every war in u. S. History. The words of american soldiers will live on for generations. Welcome to our viewers on Public Television in america and also around the globe erie this friday the Winter Olympics will officially kickoff and sochi. In the lead up to the games, most of the focus has been on security, not sports. Today the president of the International OlympicCommittee Says authorities have given him assurances the games will be safe. Those worries persist. Protecting and Olympic Games under direct rip from attack. The radar system and antiaircraft missiles just 500 meters from the olympic park in sochi. Though previous olympics has experienced such visible security. No previous olympics has been held so close to an active armed rebellion. Has given ainton personal guarantee to the International Olympic committee that he will keep athletes and spectators safe in sochi. But there is a specific rat, at least one group known for using suicide bombings has vowed to disrupt the Winter Olympics. Bombs in a, two Railway Station and on a bus killed 34 people in a southern russian city. The suicide video released by a violent group, two men were shown getting ready for the attack in morning they had also prepared what they called a present for the Winter Olympics. President Vladimir Putin immediately vowed to fight the terrorists until the threat is eliminated. Through january, his troops continue the lowlevel war against islamist in the southern russian republic of dagestan. All of the guests at the olympics can be absolutely assured the Olympic Games will go ahead at the highest level and with complete security. Police have set up a roadblock 60 miles outside sochi on the only road into the city. Every vehicle is being searched. On the road to the mountain resorts, we found military hides in the woods every few hundred meters. Troops in camouflage patrol the valley. Offshore, we could clearly see armed naval speedboats and communications ships. It may be enough to did term in harm from the olympics, but what about the rest of russia . Sochire may be a tax on aimed at probing the outer rim of the security force. Into a could drive a car checkpoint and explode it, even though there is no real threat, it still gets in the headlines as an attack on sochi. Surveillance drones fly invisibly overhead and police patrol. The International Olympic committee took a risk on sochi, and now the games are upon us. Guest served on assignment International Counterterrorism center. Thank you very much for coming in. Can the russians make this guarantee that the games will be safe . Of course they cannot. No one can make that guarantee. A larger problem for the russians is the security across all of russia that put so much effort into it focusing on sochi that i think the rest of their country may be vulnerable to a terrorist attack. So i think we will see some sort of incident every 50,000 extra troops and her snail in sochi to try to secure that one area. You are suggesting that leaves the rest of the country vulnerable as they beef up security for this temporary period. All of their intelligence assets are focused on making sure nothing happens at sochi. That will leave them vulnerable in other parts of the country. Its a very large country and each group has been fighting russia for some time now. This is not a new threat. They are very interested in conducting attacks. How much is president putin being able to deal with this threat in the runup to these games over the course of the last year . Has he managed to make any headway in his battle against the source of the terrorism threat . I dont think he has. There were attacks back in december that show he has been making very little progress. With that said, the russians do have a formidable internal security force. They can do things we would not do in the united states. Cordon off an entire city and declare martial law to protect the olympics. Thats something we probably wouldnt do in the united states. We would sanctify the spirit of the games more than i think the russians are doing. How much has the situation in the middle east tom and in particular president putins support for president assad in syria, complicate the situation for him . They want to go back to the way they were decades ago, so they will continue to play in the middle east, and that does have an effect. With that said, the islamist militants in that caucuses have been conducting a campaign against russia for a number of years now. They have been very lethal and very effect it and its something that wont go away anytime soon. Where are these groups getting that support from . Is it all home grown . As homegrowntly at as a lot of terrorist groups are, but they do share resources and communication. They share what would call tactics, techniques and procedures. This is a type of terrorist activity that worked in this country, that sharing goes on quite regularly. Thanks very much for coming in. Todayw is down 325 points , just below 15,400. It was the worst market day in seven months. Weeks triggered by manufacturing numbers in the u. S. A precarious time in the financial markets. The dow lost more than five percent in january alone. Was this just part of those general jitters about what is happening in emerging markets, or Something Else going on . I think its actually a little bit of both. Todayf the news we got basically exacerbated the already existing worries about emerging markets. U. S. Manufacturing numbers were not very good. Much factories have been outputting has been at the lowest level in about eight months. That comes in the same week were going to get the latest snapshot of the u. S. Jobs situation. It already makes investors skittish. We already have what we have been seeing, the difficulties in emerging markets. Part of that story is being played here in the united states. We have a new chairman of the yellenntral bank, janet took the helm today. These programs we have seen implemented by the u. S. Central bank, that stimulus has been interjecting money into the u. S. Economy. That allows for a lot of money to go into emerging markets. Now we are seeing the Federal Reserve taking away some of that money and we are seeing thats pipe from emerging markets. Janet yellen taking over at the Federal Reserve on a day that markets perform so badly. Talk about the u. S. Economy and manufacturing numbers. U. S. Has been the worlds bright spot economically. Is that starting to change . No, because there is another part of the picture that needs to be told. Saw a record breaking year for u. S. Markets. What many people are suggesting is that actually the kinds of drops we are seeing in the month of january of 2014 is actually something that the market needed, we need to see some sort of correction. Analyst, when eusebius kind of drops that are stillin that range, it is in the corrective territory. So it is actually ok. Everm not sure i will understand the mentality of markets. Thank you very much. Breathtaking. That is how eu officials are describing the levels of corruption on the continent. According to the first report of as kind, eu corruption cost staggering 160 billion the year. Some countries may be worse than others but all 28 Member States suffer from padded government contracts, bribes, and other corrupt practices. Chris morris breaks it down for us. Warningis a bit of a shot from the european commission. If anyone believed that corruption was not a problem here in europe, they are wrong. The estimated total cost of corruption to the eu economy is more than 120 billion euros a year, more than 150 billion. In several countries, more than 90 of citizens believe corruption is widespread. Across europe, nearly 50 of people think it is getting worse. Head of the fed Commission Said that levels of corruption vary from member state to member state, but one thing is clear, there is no such thing as a corruption free zone in europe. In some Member States, vulnerability in public procurement processes is the main problem. In others, the main problems are related to government not being transparent enough. We show that many Health Patients had to pay under the table to receive proper care. There is also a big problem for european companies. Many believe they have lost contracts because of corruption. What is going to be done about it . There will be no new laws, no new sanctions, and the commissioner admits that change will take time. It takes much more than a report to eradicate corruption. But as we are finding our way out of the economic crisis, we cannot afford to drag our feet. We hope this will start a very perceptive process that will spur the political will and nexis very commitment at all levels to address corruption. The price of not acting is simply too high. It is particularly important as the eu tries to emerge from difficult years during the eurozone crisis. The countries want to grow their legal economy, then clearly they need to do more to crack down on illegality and corruption. Corruption a problem right across the European Union. Lets look at the news from around the world. The secretarygeneral of nato has accused the afghan President Hamid karzai a playing with fire by refusing to sign a Security Agreement with the united states. Frustration and said that nato countries expect some kind of gratitude from the afghan leadership. There has been a suicide bombing on a minibus in the southern outskirts of beirut. The bomber died while several passengers were wounded. The attack took place in a mixed community. Lebanon has experienced a wave of violence in recent months as the conflict in syria spills over the border there. Yesterday there was widespread shock when Oscar Awardwinning actor Philip Seymour hoffman was found dead in his new york city apartment. Law enforcement officials in new york say the 46yearold had a needle in his arm and numerous plastic envelopes believed to contain heroine when authorities found him. Officered by a medical at the u. S. Substance abuse and Mental Services agency. Felix at Philip Seymour hoffman is one case, but there has been an alarming rise in the number of people becoming addicted to heroine in the united states. Give us a sense of the scale of the problem. We have been monitoring an increase in reported heroine use since 2007, both in terms of past month use and past years use. Is beingases it reported as a drug of initiation. I heard somewhere that the number of addicts has increased by almost two full between 2007 2011. Why is it rising that fast . Whats going on . Availableoine that is now is purer and more widely available so it is more accessible and cheaper. One of the consequences of it being purer is that it can be snorted. This means that people who might otherwise have been deterred by having to inject it become dependent on it and eventually move on to using it by injection. What do people pay to get heroine on the street . 10. That means this is not a drug that is combined confined to an economically wealthy group. No, we have seen abuse and for teletubbies in all segments of society in all regions of the united states. What is leading people to heroine . How are they getting from trying other drugs to buying heroin on the streets . Its not always up progression from drug to drug. Most people are starting with alcohol and cigarettes, actually. Mostuana remains the widely abused illicit substance in the country. But heroine use is becoming more common. Part of what drives it a little bit is the use of pain medications, opioids containing pain medication. People become dependent on these pharmaceutical forms and becomes no longer available to them, they often will move to heroine to either keep them from becoming sick or to reduce the pain that they were experiencing that caused them to be prescribed the medications. So how do you prevent more tragic stories like that we had over the weekend with Philip Seymour hoffman . Order of the strategies the government can use to try to prevent people from ending up in a position . Fidelitys related to opiates use can be prevented in two ways. Treatment is very effective. Many people with opiate use disorders will require education assisted treatment with either others that are approved in the united states. Strategy is to have an antidote to opioid overdose available that can be administered. Thanks very much coming in. You are watching bbc world news america. After being deemed a fake, this painting could be destined for destruction. The only problem is the owner paid a hefty price for it and now wants it back. Antigovernment are testers in thailand are continuing to stage rallies a day after they disrupted the country pasta election. On sunday, protesters who want the political system changed located polling stations, and denying millions a chance to vote there. Election officials have warned it could take several weeks to restage voting in those areas and there could be legal difficulties. This report from bangkok. , but notection is over much has changed here. The protest movements that disrupted voting in much of the country is back on bangkok streets, rallying for a campaign that wants to take the Prime Minister from office, whatever the election result. Having reduced the number of blockades in bangkok, they will not stop. The Prime Minister will have to weeks before many all the disrupted holes can be rerun and there are sure to be legal challenges. That the government [indiscernible] expect that given all this , iertainty and the impact expect the government for the future to be at best a lameduck government. Group surrounded the Defense Ministry building being used by the Prime Minister as a temporary office. For a while they thought they had her trapped. Days, the tight security forces, police and army, do so little they offer no deterrent. Even when they heard she had so the long crisis drags on. Collecting art can be a Risky Business and that has certainly been the case for reddish businessman martin lang. In 1992 he played he paid over 150,000 for a work that he l. Ought was by marc chagal after testing to determine if it was genuine, he not only learned it was fake, but now he is having to resort to court action to stop it from being destroyed. Heres the controversial andting, signed chagall bought by martin lang for 100,000 pounds in 1992, and now destined for destruction. Because it is a fake. Not contesting the judgment, but he does want his painting back. We are having to take some action against the committee by taking out an injunction just as a holding operation, basically. We dont want to do anything that could destroy the painting in the near future. We want to be able to negotiate with them so that we can come to a reasonable settlement. Plenty of potential to make a lot of money from buying and selling famous art, making nose in the position to authenticate it very powerful. So who are they . Widow or son who may well know the work of the artist. Sometime it is someone who did a thesis on the subject and has studied it very hard. Y may well be able to ultimately comes down to what the market accepts of the expertise. It can be embarrassing and expensive to be duped, but to have your artwork confiscated and destroyed, that must be heartbreaking. Andefinitely expensive totally embarrassing. Personalegan as a quest to preserve wartime correspondence has turned into a vast collection headed by Andrew Carroll. Over 15 years, hes gathered more than 100,000 letters. Tonight he shares some of the most remarkable tales from his collection. This is a letter that came from vietnam and was written just three weeks after the soldier got to the country. A whend by saying im somebody shoots at me, i take it personally. Its a weird experience. He ended by saying to be continued, love and kisses, john. He was killed hours later. So this is the last letter that his dear friend had, and she gave us the original, which is just extraordinary to me. My name is Andrew Carroll and im director of the center for american more letters. Our whole mission is to save americas wartime correspondence. We have collected more than 100,000 letters from every war in americas history. Sadly, one thing comes through in the letters, it is how almost every generation forgets the horrors of war until they experience it firsthand. Isnt reallythis just a war project, it really is about the human experience. This is the oldest letter we have, 1774, from the early days of the revolution. My friend, tyranny and oppression began to shake the very foundation of our constitution. What really struck me is that although the formality, the language has changed over the years, the emotions have not changed. They dont want to worry their loved ones on the homefront, but so often the emotions build up and they will say i really shouldnt be telling you this, but i have to get this off my chest. I saw someone killed today, or i lost my best friend. Something happened to me the other day i want to tell you about. I was kneeling in my foxhole standing guard, keeping my eyes open when they started to throw mortars shells near my hole. This is a letter from world war ii. Not only is the content very dramatic, but the letter itself became part of the story because after writing this, he put it in his backpack and he was shot through the back. Fortunately, he survived. It gets to why letters are so valuable. You are holding the actual paper that these troops once held. Theres something very intimate about a letter. There is almost a literary quality to it. Letters,ps realize the the writing could be the last thing ever put on paper. The art of writing letters in wartime. That brings todays program to a close. Check out your listings and you will find our number there. Thanks so much for watching. I will see you back here tomorrow. Funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newmans own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. And charles schwab. Theres a saying around here, you stand behind what you make. Around here, you dont make excuses. You make commitments. When you cannot live up to them, you own up and make it right. Some people think the kind of accountability that thrives on so many streets in this country has gone missing in the places where it is needed most. I know you will still find it when you know where to look. At union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in. Working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key, strategic decisions. We offer expertise and tailored solutions for a wide range of industries. What can we do for you . Bbc world news was presented by kcet, los angeles. Captioning sponsored by Macneil Lehrer productions ifill in the wake of a gifted actors death, new worries about the drug that may have ended his life and the dangerous rise of heroin use in the u. S. Good evening, im gwen ifill. Judy woodruff is away. Also ahead tonight, boosting Traffic Safety by using technology to have cars talk to one another. Federal regulators said theyre open to requiring just that. Plus, journalism attempts another transformation, trading traditional platforms for digital ones. This is a different medium, its not trains, its not television, of course