Terrorism at Munich: Lessons Learned 50 Years On

The Institute of World Politics

About the Lecture Not many events of the late 20th century are as important and foreboding as the seizing of 11 athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Black September, a Palestinian group, held the Israeli captives during a long drama observed over T.V. by as many as one billion people. Then, at a nearby airfield, German police botched a counterterrorism effort and the hostages were murdered by their Palestinian captors. While five of the terrorists perished in the ensuing firefight with German authorities, three escaped overseas and, in a style archetypal for the business of terrorism, they gave a press conference. Politics, sentiment about Germany, feeling for and against Israel, strategy, media, and counterterrorism were all themes of that month – and years of discussions and plans that ensured. The Germans set about forming an elite CT team – which in turn helped stand up U.S. and European counterparts. States were stirred to begin countering terrorism: appeasement was rebalanced by some aggressiveness in official postures and law-making. Even so, using force remained rare – except in the case of Israel which opened a careful assassination plan against terrorist infrastructure overseas. About the Speakers Dr. Christopher Harmon wrote his political science dissertation on terrorism in the early 1980s and continued that work as Legislative Aide for Foreign Policy to a member of Congress and, much later, director of counterterrorism studies programs at the Marshall Center in Germany for the U.S. government. A professor at civilian and military graduate schools including the Naval War College, Dr. Harmon began teaching courses at The Institute of World Politics after 9/11 — on terrorism, and later on counterterrorism. He now serves as a full-time professor at IWP. Lead author or editor of eight books, he serves as Distinguished Fellow at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Future Warfare at Marine Corps University. Mr. Aaron Danis is a career terrorism and counterterrorism specialist, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Military Studies and a Master’s degree in Security Policy Studies. He is a retired U.S. Army intelligence officer, and has served in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Treasury Department, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. IWP Admissions: https://www.iwp.edu/admissions/ Support IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=3