The Team House Inside GSG 9 (Germany's Tier 1 Counter Terrorist Unit) | Martin Herzog | Ep. 383
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Nov 29, 2025 Join Martin Herzog, an author and journalist with a deep understanding of counterterrorism, as he delves into the founding of GSG-9, Germany's elite counter-terror unit. He explores the harrowing events of Munich '72, the disastrous security failures that followed, and how they catalyzed the birth of GSG-9. The gripping accounts of the Lufthansa hijacking and the daring Mogadishu raid highlight the evolution of Germany's response to terrorism. Herzog also shares insights on GSG-9's international influence and the enduring lessons of their operations.
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Research Started With Founding Veterans
- Martin Herzog recounts meeting founding GSG-9 veterans and interviewing Dieter Fox during his research.
- Fox accompanied Ulrich Wegener through the five-day Lufthansa hijacking saga that became Mogadishu.
Munich Failure Sparked GSG-9 Creation
- The Munich massacre exposed Germany's lack of coordinated crisis planning and federal-level counterterror capability.
- That failure directly triggered the rapid creation of GSG-9 within three weeks to fill the gap.
Learning Directly From Israeli Units
- Ulrich Wegener proactively learned from Israeli counterterror experience despite political sensitivity after Munich.
- That Israel training shaped GSG-9's tactics, relationships, and long-term cooperation.
