Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Next year will be 50 years from the Munich Olympics and the terrorist attack against the Israeli Olympic team. It was a terrorist event that was televised worldwide as it happened. Was this the first televised (internationally) terrorist attack? Should the Olympics hold a memorial on the anniversary of the attacks? I know many Islamic nations actively would oppose such a memorial but I believe there should be some form of a memorial because it did happen during the Olympics, it was carried out against Olympic athletes, and the attacks went against the goal of the Olympics.
I was only 3 years old at the time it took place and so I don’t remember it as it happened but I did learn about it later. I’ve asked my niece and nephew (both in their 20s) and neither had ever heard about this attack and both graduated high school and college. To me this is a world history event worthy of study in high school and college. Do you believe it is a subject that should be included in USA high school and or college world history courses?
I remember it, but the televised coverage really wasn't that dramatic. There was some live coverage from the airport but you couldn't tell what was going on. The big deal in the US that I remember was in regards to Mark Spitz, who was Jewish. 11 athletes and coaches were massacred but the news was "But is Mark Spitz OK".
The real story was afterwards - you can bet that Mossad took there vengeance on anyone and everyone that was involved. I have no problem with that...well maybe what happened in Lillihammer.
I remember it, but the televised coverage really wasn't that dramatic. There was some live coverage from the airport but you couldn't tell what was going on. The big deal in the US that I remember was in regards to Mark Spitz, who was Jewish. 11 athletes and coaches were massacred but the news was "But is Mark Spitz OK".
The real story was afterwards - you can bet that Mossad took there vengeance on anyone and everyone that was involved. I have no problem with that...well maybe what happened in Lillihammer.
Yeah yeah, I was thinking about that as I wrote it. I also read the book it was based on. I seem to remember there was a thread about this years ago.
The book and movie, supposedly based on this one guy from Mossad, is BS as I believe the guy, the lead character the movie was based on, to be a fraud, so consider the movie "fiction based on real events". But certainly Mossad acted. I also don't agree on Speilberg's "turn the other cheek" theme in the movie, but that's a topic for another discussion.
The movie did devote a few minutes to a very graphic recreation of the Munich terrorism event.
I remember it, but the televised coverage really wasn't that dramatic. There was some live coverage from the airport but you couldn't tell what was going on. The big deal in the US that I remember was in regards to Mark Spitz, who was Jewish. 11 athletes and coaches were massacred but the news was "But is Mark Spitz OK".
The real story was afterwards - you can bet that Mossad took there vengeance on anyone and everyone that was involved. I have no problem with that...well maybe what happened in Lillihammer.
I can understand Israel or any nation attempting to punish those responsible for the attack. There were serious questions to be asked though.
Two or three of the people they killed were not guilty of being much more than Palestinian activists living in European countries at the time. They played no role in Munich other than probably feeling some sense of satisfaction over what occurred. Others occupied roles in the military organization of the PLO and I felt were fair targets.
Another issue I saw was that while there was no possibility of extraditing people from places like Lebanon or Libya to stand trial for the terrorist attack, I think that might have been an option when it came to countries like France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. I think it is an outrageous violation of a country's sovereignty to send a "hit squad" to that country to kill people present in that country. Other countries have done that in the USA and when I hear a story like that it angers me a great deal. I'll reference the killing of Orlando Letellier a Chilean journalist murdered by agents of the Chilean military junta that ruled that country from after 1973.
Lillehammer was an inevitability whenever you have a group that sets itself up as "judge, jury, and executioner". Sooner or later they are going to kill the wrong person. That's what happened in Lillehammer and the squad that had been sent to do the killing was arrested. I'm actually surprised that Norway handled the matter as politely as it did.
There was "blowback" from these attacks that included the killing of Israeli diplomats by means of letter bombs.
In end, I think most agree that Israel needed to do something, but the questions raised are deep ones that go to the foundation of international law. They are not capricious or silly ones.
I can understand Israel or any nation attempting to punish those responsible for the attack. There were serious questions to be asked though.
Two or three of the people they killed were not guilty of being much more than Palestinian activists living in European countries at the time. They played no role in Munich other than probably feeling some sense of satisfaction over what occurred. Others occupied roles in the military organization of the PLO and I felt were fair targets.
Another issue I saw was that while there was no possibility of extraditing people from places like Lebanon or Libya to stand trial for the terrorist attack, I think that might have been an option when it came to countries like France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. I think it is an outrageous violation of a country's sovereignty to send a "hit squad" to that country to kill people present in that country. Other countries have done that in the USA and when I hear a story like that it angers me a great deal. I'll reference the killing of Orlando Letellier a Chilean journalist murdered by agents of the Chilean military junta that ruled that country from after 1973.
Lillehammer was an inevitability whenever you have a group that sets itself up as "judge, jury, and executioner". Sooner or later they are going to kill the wrong person. That's what happened in Lillehammer and the squad that had been sent to do the killing was arrested. I'm actually surprised that Norway handled the matter as politely as it did.
There was "blowback" from these attacks that included the killing of Israeli diplomats by means of letter bombs.
In end, I think most agree that Israel needed to do something, but the questions raised are deep ones that go to the foundation of international law. They are not capricious or silly ones.
International law doesn't work with terrorists. You cannot negotiate with them and you cannot agree to their terms. You have to remove them from society.
Germany arrested three of the terrorists who murdered the Israeli Olympians. They boasted that their fellow terrorists would free them. Indeed, the terrorists hijacked Lufthansa Flight 615 and demanded the release of the three terrorists held in custody by Germany. Germany acceded and released the three Black September terrorists. They were welcomed as heroes in Libya by Mummar Gaddifi.
International law doesn't work with terrorists. You cannot negotiate with them and you cannot agree to their terms. You have to remove them from society.
Germany arrested three of the terrorists who murdered the Israeli Olympians. They boasted that their fellow terrorists would free them. Indeed, the terrorists hijacked Lufthansa Flight 615 and demanded the release of the three terrorists held in custody by Germany. Germany acceded and released the three Black September terrorists. They were welcomed as heroes in Libya by Mummar Gaddifi.
The German actions are still hard for me to comprehend. I doubt anything similar would happen today.
If an a nation has the right to send a hit squad to Norway, the UK, Germany, or France than it has the same right to do so here in the United States. How should Americans feel about that? I would feel that is outrageous and did when Letellier was murdered and we learned who did it.
I do think the rules are different when you deal with nations that do not have extradition treaties and that do not follow "the rule of law". However, those are key factors, not minor points. This happened back in the early 1970's. I doubt there would be as much toleration of it today.
I remember it, but the televised coverage really wasn't that dramatic. There was some live coverage from the airport but you couldn't tell what was going on. The big deal in the US that I remember was in regards to Mark Spitz, who was Jewish. 11 athletes and coaches were massacred but the news was "But is Mark Spitz OK".
The real story was afterwards - you can bet that Mossad took there vengeance on anyone and everyone that was involved. I have no problem with that...well maybe what happened in Lillihammer.
I remember it as well, and the emphasis on Mark Spitz. It may have well been the first televised terrorist attack. I disagree that the coverage wasn’t dramatic however. I guess since this was so new the reporters thought that the athletes would be freed—how could a sane group of people possibly kill them? That would never garner sympathy for their cause.
But I’ll never forget the look on Jim McKay’s face of sadness and shock when he announced “they’re gone; they’re all gone.” I loved writing back then and I later wrote a poem commemorating the athletes. Don’t remember much of it now. I was a teenager then and the incident had a profound affect on my support of the Jewish people and Israel.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
