The US intelligence community produced at least two assessments based in part on intelligence provided by Israel warning the Biden administration of an increased risk for Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the weeks ahead of Saturday’s seismic attack on southern Israel, according to sources familiar with the intelligence.
Really? I’m an old fart as well, and I don’t ever recall ever seeing security armed with machine guns pre 9/11, especially in Europe.
Though I guess it depends on how far back you’re talking. If it’s early 90’s or late 80s it might make more sense, there were more than a couple odd terrorist groups active in the western part of Germany back then that may have juiced up security.
I think things changed after the 72 Munich Olympics. The subtle part was the cleaning crew that always seemed to be cleaning your gate and giving you the once over. The not so subtle part was fully strapped security officers. I suppose things might of changed with the travel databases.
Ahh, yea the 70s to about mid 80s was the golden age of plane highjacking. Your visit may have been after the Lufthansa highjacking in 77’ by the PLO. Germany had a massive increase in security after that lasted until the early 90s.
The last time I was in Germany pre 9/11 was around 97 I think? They had relaxed on the security by then, at least for transatlantic flights. Sometimes I forget how crazy the late 80s and early 90a were in Europe.
Lived in Germany in the 80s, flew in and out of the Frankfurt airport every year. There was a bombing there in 85, and for years after that there were people with automatic weapons in the airport.
We flew out of Frankfurt a couple days after the bombing. It was a bit tense.