The 1972 Munich Massacre and Olympic Games

It happened during the 1972 Summer Olympic Games that were held in Munich, West Germany, and it remains one of the darkest days in Olympic Games history. The "Munich Massacre," as it has come to be known, started when men from the militant group Black September took members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage.

Black September had close ties with the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, or Fatah. The leader of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement was the infamous Yasser Arafat. Tensions were high, to put it mildly.

Before the Munich Massacre was over, 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and one German police officer were dead. Five of the eight Black September terrorists were also dead. It was a dark time in the world. The Olympic Games, the very symbol of world peace and unity, had been violated.

In an effort to erase the bad memories of the 1936 Olympic Games that were held in Berlin, the West German Olympic Committee intentionally relaxed security at the Olympic Village. There were no armed guards, and the athletes came and went as they pleased. They were never, or at least rarely, asked to show their identification when leaving or entering the village. It turned out to be a recipe for disaster.

There have been rumors about the participation of West Germany in the Munich Massacre. Nothing has ever been proven, but the events pretty much speak for themselves. The three Black September terrorists who were captured were later released after a Lufthansa airline was hijacked. Lufthansa is based in what was then West Germany.

Since that horrible day that began at 4:30 AM on September 5, 1972, security for all Olympic athletes has been vigilant, to say the least. Some Olympic athletes complain about the degree of security, but in light of the Munich Massacre, it is unlikely that security will ever again be lax.