From the Archives, 1972: Terror at the Munich Olympic Games

MUNICH, September 5. — An Arab commando group armed with machine-guns this morning invaded the Israeli quarters at the Olympic Village, killing one team member, wounding another, and taking at least 13 hostages.

The guerrillas, who also carried boxes of explosives, threatened to kill all their hostages unless 200 Arab terrorists held in Israel were released.

They also demanded safe passage out of West Germany in an “Arab airliner”.

They rejected a West German offer of an “unlimited amount of money” for the release of their hostages and reaffirmed their demands.

The Arabs originally placed a noon (9 p.m. Melbourne time) deadline on their demands, but this passed without incident as negotiations between the terrorists and West German authorities continued.

Later, the deadline was extended to 5 p.m. (2 a.m. Wednesday Melbourne time).

They also threatened to shoot one hostage every two hours alter the new deadline If their demands were not met.

There was speculation that the Games would be called off but the President of the National Olympic Commune (Mr. Willi Daume) said later that they would continue. “The insane crime of last – night will meet with abhorrence all over the world,” he said.

“But the Olympic committee believes peace is stronger than political, fanatical murder.”

Negotiations with the guerrillas were being conducted by Munich police chief Manfred Schreiber and the Mayor of the Olympic Village, Walther Troeger.

The West German Minister of the Interior was on his way to Munich to join the negotiations.

Read the story in The Sydney Morning Herald.