The 1972 Munich Olympics were supposed to be the Olympics of Peace, a showcase for the new democratic Germany. But celebration turned to tragedy as Palestinian terrorists infiltrated the Olympic village and took Israeli athletes hostage.

On the even on the 2004 Athens games, an Olympiad many suspect will be marred by the specter of terrorism, I watched the documentary One Day in September about the events that unfolded that dark day in Bavaria.

The film details not only the attacks, but how the operations to rescue the Israelis were botched time and again by the German authorities ultimately ending in the death of 11 athletes and all but three of the 8 terrorists. The tragedy unfolds through first hand footage from ABC (thank you, Jim Makay) and subsequent interviews, including the startlingly revealing descriptions of Jamal Al Gashey, the one terrorist still living (the two others were assassinated by the Mossad after being released from prison in Germany).

It was sad and awful event not only in the history of the Olympics, but in the world. One can only hope and pray that the massive attention paid to security in Athens will have the desired effect of keeping these games safe.