Lets Fly!

Typhoon

Coming back from Sainsburys I ate my Fig & Honey grossly overpriced at £2:30 bread while searching the 'Flightradar24'site.   The man downstairs works at the airport nearby dealing with one of those long distance parcel carriers that arrive daily from the US or Germany or wherever.  Thus, with nothing to do while chewing I looked to see if any aircraft were on site.  Naturally there were a handful though many more come and go at ridiculous hours of the night.  Consideration for those under the flightpath is not required.  The usual flights were noted, 'Ryanair' overcharging for trinkets as much as possible, 'Jet2' hurling people into sunny Spain, and flights bringing holidaymakers back from unpronounceable places that lie far from their ultimate destination.

I then decided to look around the Ukraine area.  Sometimes you get a response from aircraft that hang around Moldova watching what those pesky Ruskies are doing in Ukraine.  Nothing to see there at the moment, so I wandered over to Cyprus to have a look at RAF flights from RAF Akrotiri.  

Just the normal flights heading into Larnaca full of poor English pensioners running from the weather, and not much sign of anything else.

However, just of the coast of Israel I noticed two small yellow triangles flying close together.  This could only be RAF Typhoons on an errand.  I followed them for some minutes, realising that they were not on a fighting mission or the transponder would be turned off, so where were they going?  They flew over Israel without any interruption from the home defences.  On and on over Jordan until they approached the Iraq border.  Here the two aircraft, flying in normal flight plan with one following just behind and to the side of the leader, and then they turned north.  Here I noticed the airspeed on offer differed, and one appeared to be chasing the other.  The practice manoeuvring then continued for some minutes 27,000 feet above the empty Jordanian desert.  Clearly someone was being instructed, or both were practicing their role in dogfights against an enemy.  

I was quite enjoying this when suddenly they disappeared!  

Either they both crashed into the empty reaches of Jordan or they both switched of their transponders to hide from people like me watching them.  Most irritating!  I suppose we ought to be grateful the RAF actually train to do their job and do not just fly about enjoying the multi-million machines they have to fly.

Interesting also how both Israel and Jordan are happy to allow such exercises.  Israel is well in with the UK, both in receiving and giving training in various military skills, and of course spends money here.  As indeed does Jordan, our one friend in the Middle East, a friendship that dates back to Lawrence of Arabia.  Of course we were not friends enough to stop the Saudi's kicking Abdullah and his men out of Saudi, hence we 'arranged' Jordan.  

I enjoyed this so much that when a large black helicopter flying from Wethersfield flew across the town I had to follow it.  He passes often and I wished to know who he was and where he was going.  So, for the next 30 minutes we hovered our way across the northern reaches of Greater London, never going about 1200 feet, and often as low as 650 when crossing under the flight paths into various airports. 

It just kept going, and I had work to do, but I followed him until he landed eventually near Windsor. Annoyingly I cannot specify where he actually landed, just the locale, but it is clear he considers himself important enough for an £8 million helicopter and a flight into the park.  I do not think he landed near enough to 'LEGOLAND' to be going there.  I could be wrong.

Time wasted, I had to then get up and work!

Lords!

Waterstones

There is a great joy in finishing a book, especially a book which has been enjoyable, educational or entertaining.  This book was certainly educational if not entertaining.
Already in control of much of the middle east desperate to control the Suez Canal and once the Royal Navy began to use oil to fuel its many ships the desert lands had become an important part of British planning.  From before the Great War and up to 1945 the British were everywhere and everywhere they were found they were in control.  In just over 20 years they had only Oman! Arab nationalism, Israel and more importantly as this book reveals the United States came to realise oil was important and they wanted it all.
The book takes us through the allies working together while trying to usurp the other.  We travel through the loss of Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the last port, Aden.  The internal politics were used for and against Britain, Prime Ministers leant on the USA while desperate to borrow money, gave the cash to Arabs who would aid British interests and borrowed more!  Various US presidents supported the UK while also sending operators to work for the best interest of the USA alone.  
Nothing changes!
Governments were created, removed, supported and opposed at will, sometimes by both the US and UK and at other times in opposition to one another.  Murder of leaders was often contemplated, lies abounded and 'Nation shall speak peace unto one another' was not found anywhere.
The book gives a detailed insight into the political fighting that occurred over many years.  By 1967, when the book ends, Britain was out from everywhere, the financial losses, economic failure and the end of Empire left Britain with only Oman as a friend in the middle east.  Recently the Sultan died, we have yet to find out what will happen there now.

Arab Uprisings

Book Depository

If you wish to understand the Syrian situation, or indeed the Middle East today in any way you need to read this book.  The BBC Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen has 12 years experience of the region, sometimes in great danger, occasionally being shot at and occasionally hit.  
Bowen takes us through the last few years of 'revolution, from the beginning in Tunisia, through Libya, Egypt, Yemen, and of course a great deal of the book covers the Syrian situation.  The whole area is split into many factions, religious and political.  In some states such as Tunisia a 'secular' approach is found even though the majority call themselves Muslim.  In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood won the first election because they had a well ordered organisation that had been working since the time of Nasser, the middle class secular city dwellers did not possess such and lost out through squabbling amongst themselves.  A violent uprising in Libya, supported by the western air forces, removed Qaddafi from power but has not led to a peaceful settlement.  Militias, Islamist''s and criminals hold much power yet.  Saudi has thrown £100 billion at avoiding rebellion in the state, more on offer in an attempt to keep the Kings position safe. Yemen alone has begun a six month 'conversation' to decide the future of that troubled state. Some secular people find themselves at odds with Al-Qaeda types from the mountains in the north. Iraqis seek to go their own way in spite of being allies but not lackeys of Iran, and Iran aids Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon while saying little.  
Iran finds itself Saudia Arabia's main enemy, and the Saudi's have attempted to invite a US invasion.  This has not found much support in Washington where foreign adventures are harder militarily and public opinion opposes violently!   Iran is of course Shia Muslim, Saudi Arabia Sunni. That sectarian divide runs through the region threatening to explode and involve many nations. Syria, led by 'Alawite' Assad who finds himself supported by rich Sunni businessmen and minority Christians now is being opposed by Sunni extremists who are proving stronger than the original rebels, who just wanted a more prosperous and safe life without the secret police beating them. This conflict falls over into Lebanon where the delicate balance is under threat. Here some 18 groupings share power.  Already sections of some towns are unreachable because of the conflict there and almost anything could lead to this part of the world giving us a war of First World War proportions.  That conflict was savage enough, this would be much, much worse! 
Bowen provides no answers here.  This book merely covers the ground, explaining the background, allowing us to see from both sides and here the words, often truthful in spite of the dangers, exposing the immense difficulty anyone has in producing peace quickly in this area today.   The west has little understanding of what to do, William Hague the UK Foreign Secretary spouts comments often but Bowen leaves us in no doubt as to the limited information and government double speak on offer here.  The west wish to support the good side and now, after Iraq, find they have an Iraq government that is friendly to Iran the west's enemy, support by the million given to rebels in Syria, the strongest of whom are Al-Qaeda types, the types that threaten our troops and encourage bombs and murder on UK streets!  The confusion does not stop there just look at the Islamist's in Libya who we provided air cover for!  
To understand the Middle East it is imperative to read a book like this.  No doubt there are others around but I found this book full of clarity on the situation from a man who risks his life, carefully, to meet the people and report the situation.  One of the BBC's better journalists his writing enlightens the minds of those who wish to see the Middle East as she is today.  
  
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