Meredith Vieira on traveling to Sochi amidst terror threats; reuniting with Matt Lauer

With the 2014 Winter Olympics 16 days away, on Tuesday evening "Piers Morgan Live" asked NBC's Meredith Vieira to offer her thoughts on traveling more than five thousand miles to Russia.

Amidst recently revealed security concerns centering around the potential existence of a terror suspect in Sochi – the site of the Olympic Games – Vieira noted that while her network is taking precautions, ultimately, it's a risky assignment:

"After a certain point, it's a bit of a leap of faith. You hope that the security is there, I hope that they share information more than they have with the U.S.," she told Morgan. "But, I'm going. I'm going, and they talk about that ring of steel, and I hope it's there."

Joining his wife in studio, three-time Emmy award-winning CBS News journalist Richard M. Cohen was slightly more blunt:

"I think it gives all of us pause. I don't trust the Russians, that's my problem," he admitted to Piers Morgan. "Just generally."

That point aside, Cohen, who's been living with multiple sclerosis for 40 years, shared a deeper, more philosophical position:

"Part of me also thinks that life is all about taking chances," he said.

Showing her ever-present quick wit, Vieira quipped, "with my life," before offering a sliver of political analysis:

"There's so much riding on this for [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin, obviously. He does not want to take any chances, so, there's going to be a lot of security there."

As Vieira prepares to host the February 6th Opening Ceremonies, Morgan wondered about Cohen's level of concern as his wife will soon be reunited with longtime colleague Matt Lauer:

"I think they deserve each other," he chuckled.

For the former "Today" co-host, the Olympics will mark a return to a very familiar, and comfortable, territory:

"It is like riding a horse. A dead horse, but it's a horse," said Vieira of rejoining NBC's front man. "It's nice to see Matt again. He's the best at this, of anybody I've ever worked with. It'll be a lot of fun. It's also very reassuring to have him there."

Watch the clip for more of Morgan's interview with Vieira and Cohen, and for the next edition of "Piers Morgan Live," watch CNN every night at 9.
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