MUNICH: The bloody Olympic Games episode ended early morning yesterday [Sept 6], taking a toll of 18 lives — 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team, five Palestinian guerrillas, one West German Police official and one German helicopter pilot. Three guerrillas were captured. According to Bavarian Government officials, some of the dead Israeli athletes were found aboard the burnt-out helicopter, others on the tarmac. The German police officer succumbed from a head injury. The helicopter pilot also succumbed to gun shot injuries, in hospital. …

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies in Cairo,] Egypt has threatened to take reprisal action against West Germany after it charged Government officials in Cairo were partly responsible for the Olympic tragedy, an Egyptian Government spokesman said today [Sept 7]. … West Germany’s position is that it sought approval for the plane carrying the guerrillas and the hostages to land in Cairo, but the Egyptians did not want to get involved. Cairo’s version of the telephone conversation between Prime Minister Aziz Sidky and Chancellor Willy Brandt was that it did not know if an agreement had been reached with the guerrillas and could not make a decision. …

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2022