The Darkest Day in Olympic History
The Games of the XX Olympiad held in Munich, Germany in 1972 was the second Summer Olympics held in Germany after the 1936 Games in Berlin. Although many athletic achievements were recorded such as American swimmer Mark Spitz setting a world record winning seven gold medals, and Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut winning a gold medal in the team competition event, the Games would be overshadowed by an event known as the Munich massacre.
What should have been a celebration of the world?s top athletes became a time of horror and disbelief. During the second week of the Olympic Games, a Palestinian terrorist group named the Black September Organization (BSO), kidnapped and murdered eleven Israeli athletes and officials. The terrorists also fatally shot a West German policeman during the ordeal.
Wanting to erase the memories of the militaristic image of wartime Germany during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the West German Olympic Organizing Committee decided to encourage an open and friendly atmosphere in the Olympic Village. Security in the athletes? village was lenient and many athletes bypassed security checkpoints and often came and went from the village without presenting proper identification. The Israeli delegation had been concerned about the absence of armed security guards, but no real effort was made to strengthen security Wholesale Predator LZ Boots.
On September 5 at 4:30 a.m. eight members of Black September carrying duffel bags loaded with AKM assault rifles, pistols, and grenades sneaked inside the Olympic Village by scaling a two-meter chain-link fence. Using stolen keys, they entered the two apartments of the Israeli team and surprised them in their sleep. In the ensuing chaos of the attack, some athletes were able to escape thanks to the brave actions of those who tried to stop the terrorists. Wrestling coach Moshe Weinberg fought the intruders and helped others flee before he was shot and killed. Some athletes were able to get away by smashing a window, escaping through the underground parking garage, and by jumping off a balcony and running through the rear yard of the building.
The terrorists had killed two members of the Israeli Olympic team, took nine hostages, and demanded the release and safe passage to Egypt of 234 Palestinians and non-Arabs jailed in Israel, along with two German radicals held by the German prison system. To show the authorities they meant business, the hostage takers threw the body of Weinberg out the front door of the residence. Israel responded by stating firmly that there would be no negotiation. German authorities refused Israel
Discount Nitrocharge Soccer Shoes For Sale?s offer to send an Israeli Special Forces team to Germany to deal with the terrorists. The Germans offered the Palestinians money for the release of the hostages but the kidnappers refused.
Mounting pressure forced the International Olympic Committee to temporarily suspend the Games twelve hours after the murder of the first athlete. The German police made a futile effort to attempt a rescue, but threats by the terrorists to kill two of the hostages made them leave the premises. On September 5th, the kidnappers along with the Israeli hostages were transferred by helicopter to a military airport. The German authorities planned an ambush that went terribly wrong.
The Germans did not provide enough sharp shooters to take on the well-trained Black September who outnumbered them. Once the kidnappers realized there was going to be a shootout, one of the Palestinians detonated a grenade inside the helicopter, killing the hostages inside. The rest of the Israeli hostages were machine-gunned by the terrorists. Only three of the Palestinians survived the shootout. They were arrested but later released by the West German government in exchange for a hijacked Lufthansa jet. One of the survivors is still living in hiding somewhere in Africa with his family. The other two were supposedly hunted down and killed by the Mossad, the national intelligence agency of Israel.
Despite the tragic events caused by Black September, the Olympic Games resumed competition a day later Nike Hypervenom Phantom. Security at subsequent Olympics became more heightened as a result of the attack.Article Source: is a Pro Sports website that connects visitors to top-name sport retailers, information, news, and videos. Get live-time sport news, save money on season tickets, and shop for your favorite professional sports team apparel, collectibles, jewelry, gifts, books, games, and more!
