March 6, 2018 ▸ True Crime, War & Conflict

Episode 277: Munich Massacre: Terrorism and the Olympics

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On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we look at one of the most famous terrorist acts of the 1970s, the massacre at the Munich Olympics. The Munich Massacre started on the 11^th day of the Olympics when several members of the terrorist group known as Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing 2 members of the Israeli Olympic team and kidnapping 9 others. Black September was a powerful terror group at the time, responsible for several political assassinations (including a prime minster) and airline hijackings.

Within hours of the kidnapping, the Black September group insisted that the government release 200 political prisoners from Palestine (and a handful from their neo-Nazi allies the Red Army Faction). When their demands weren’t met, the Munich Massacre was in full swing.

The operation was a disaster due to international laws that banned Germany from having any truly trained soldiers or special forces for police forces. The world was still afraid of Nazis, apparently, so Germany couldn’t do very much. Their cops weren’t trained for anything as heavy as terrorists and hostages. The police tried to mount a rescue, but the entire world news was watching, including the terrorists, so the operation got called off. Eventually, the terrorists insisted on helicopters to take them to Cairo, and the Germans finally decided to try and mount a rescue.

They tried to lay a trap, but it was discovered and abandoned, and then finally at the airfield, there was a chance to take out the terrorists. But it didn’t go as planned. Why couldn’t the sharp shooters take out the members of the Black September before the Munich Massacre started? What ties did Black September have to the Palestinian Liberation Organization? What happened to the armored police vehicles that were supposed to give support at the air strip? What pushed the terrorists to kill the hostages; what weapons did they use; and how many survived? Listen, laugh, learn.