The Middle Eastern Interventions in the Biafran War: Two kinds of pilots from the Middle East flew over the Biafran airspace during that war. One came to drop bombs and missiles on us and another came to drop off food and medical supplies, and occasionally arms to help us defend ourselves. Egyptian pilots were loaned to Nigeria by Nasser's regime to fly Soviet MIGs for the Nigerian Air Force. It must have been one of the choicest plum jobs for the battle hardened Egyptians. After having been totally beaten by the Israeli air force in Six- Day War, and left short of jets to fly, a campaign of dropping bombs on undefended civilian centres - markets, hospitals, refugee camps, and town squares was a piece of cake!

And shooting down and chasing away relief aid bearing planes was the icing on the cake. On the other hand, there were Israeli pilots that flew to Biafra, not to drop bombs or delivery death but to drop off food and medical supplies. They were part of an
international band brothers in the air, young men who
risked their lives to bring in aid to the embattled
Biafrans. One of those pilots was a man called Abi
Nathan, a former Israeli Air Force pilot and later peace
activist. Another was a Arnon Barak, whose story is
referenced in the short article linked here. Survivors of
human inflicted tragedies usually say, "Never Forget"; that never forget should also include those that came to them, not to hurt or harm but to help and heal.

https://unitedwithisrael.org/biafran-airlift-israels-secret-mission-to-save-lives/#.WlteiSfVOFI.facebook

In 1968, thanks to the relatively recent invention of broadcast television, the world was horrified by images of young Biafran children starving en masse during the Nigerian civil war. The international call to action was overwhelming. U.S. President Lyndon Johnson told the State Department, “Get those…babies off my TV set.” As the largest non-combatant airlift in history, the Biafran operation is estimated to have saved over one million lives. What most of the world does not know is that Israeli pilots and ground crews played a critical role in this historic airlift.

Prevented by the Nigerian army from officially providing aid, the International Red Cross began a covert mission to save the people of Biafra called Operation Relief Action Nigeria. Shortly thereafter, the Red Cross realized that their DC-6 and DC-7 airplanes did not have the capacity to deliver the necessary amount of food and medicine. The Red Cross unofficially obtained five Boeing C-97s from the U.S., the largest plane in the United States Air Force.

With the exception of the U.S., Israel was the only country with the pilots, ground crews, and experience to fly and land the giant C-97 Stratofreighters. In 1968, Israeli pilot Arnon Barak was summoned to his manager’s office at Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). There he was told, “There is a massive genocide in Biafra. We were called up by Balair, the Swiss airline that asked IAI to help their maintenance crew to take over the ‘big monster,’ the C-97 Stratofreighter. The Red Cross is supplying food and medicine to the besieged people in Biafra.”

C-97_stratofreighter_041116-F-9999R-002In February 1969, IAI crews began preparing planes for the operation, with flights beginning in March. According to Barak, the first Biafra-bound cargo flight to Africa was considered “a key flight to decide ‘go-no go’ for the whole fleet of C-97 aircraft. Unfortunately, engine failure occurred during flight and the aircraft was forced to land in the Sahara Desert at Niamey airport in Niger, Africa. A second aircraft was flown with a spare engine to rescue the first aircraft and we were the four technicians on board. It was the most horrendous time I can remember. A few of us contracted malaria and the work was done only at night due to the hot weather.” The crew did not give up and the first flight eventually succeeded.

Only one dirt road in Biafra was long enough to handle the C-97s. It was in a town called Uli, and the makeshift runway was codenamed “Airstrip Annabelle.” The Nigerian army had smart weapons, tanks, and Mig 29s and Israeli pilots had to fly and land the C-97s at night under enemy fire.

Each flight brought 16 tons of food, with the international airlift effort turning Uli into the second busiest airport in Africa after Johannesburg. Historian Mark Curtis reported that an average of 250 metric tons of food was delivered each night to the estimated 1.5 to 2 million people that depended on relief supplies.

Remembering the participants that made the Biafran airlift a success, Barak commented, “All of us can be proud of what we did for the starving people of Biafra, bringing [food and medical supplies] night after night under ugly circumstances.”

The Biafrans know who their enemies are. Which is why they are always in support of Israel.

Tomorrow afonjas will come with their propaganda that racists Jews/Israel don't care about Biafrans. Here was Israel helping Biafra when Awolowo was starving our children to death. Wicked things...

Biafra shall be free

Arabs don't like blacks

nku5:
The Middle Eastern Interventions in the Biafran War: Two kinds of pilots from the Middle East flew over the Biafran airspace during that war. One came to drop bombs and missiles on us and another came to drop off food and medical supplies, and occasionally arms to help us defend ourselves. Egyptian pilots were loaned to Nigeria by Nasser's regime to fly Soviet MIGs for the Nigerian Air Force. It must have been one of the choicest plum jobs for the battle hardened Egyptians. After having been totally beaten by the Israeli air force in Six- Day War, and left short of jets to fly, a campaign of dropping bombs on undefended civilian centres - markets, hospitals, refugee camps, and town squares was a piece of cake!

And shooting down and chasing away relief aid bearing planes was the icing on the cake. On the other hand, there were Israeli pilots that flew to Biafra, not to drop bombs or delivery death but to drop off food and medical supplies. They were part of an
international band brothers in the air, young men who
risked their lives to bring in aid to the embattled
Biafrans. One of those pilots was a man called Abi
Nathan, a former Israeli Air Force pilot and later peace
activist. Another was a Arnon Barak, whose story is
referenced in the short article linked here. Survivors of
human inflicted tragedies usually say, "Never Forget"; that never forget should also include those that came to them, not to hurt or harm but to help and heal.

https://unitedwithisrael.org/biafran-airlift-israels-secret-mission-to-save-lives/#.WlteiSfVOFI.facebook

In 1968, thanks to the relatively recent invention of broadcast television, the world was horrified by images of young Biafran children starving en masse during the Nigerian civil war. The international call to action was overwhelming. U.S. President Lyndon Johnson told the State Department, “Get those…babies off my TV set.” As the largest non-combatant airlift in history, the Biafran operation is estimated to have saved over one million lives. What most of the world does not know is that Israeli pilots and ground crews played a critical role in this historic airlift.

Prevented by the Nigerian army from officially providing aid, the International Red Cross began a covert mission to save the people of Biafra called Operation Relief Action Nigeria. Shortly thereafter, the Red Cross realized that their DC-6 and DC-7 airplanes did not have the capacity to deliver the necessary amount of food and medicine. The Red Cross unofficially obtained five Boeing C-97s from the U.S., the largest plane in the United States Air Force.

With the exception of the U.S., Israel was the only country with the pilots, ground crews, and experience to fly and land the giant C-97 Stratofreighters. In 1968, Israeli pilot Arnon Barak was summoned to his manager’s office at Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). There he was told, “There is a massive genocide in Biafra. We were called up by Balair, the Swiss airline that asked IAI to help their maintenance crew to take over the ‘big monster,’ the C-97 Stratofreighter. The Red Cross is supplying food and medicine to the besieged people in Biafra.”

C-97_stratofreighter_041116-F-9999R-002In February 1969, IAI crews began preparing planes for the operation, with flights beginning in March. According to Barak, the first Biafra-bound cargo flight to Africa was considered “a key flight to decide ‘go-no go’ for the whole fleet of C-97 aircraft. Unfortunately, engine failure occurred during flight and the aircraft was forced to land in the Sahara Desert at Niamey airport in Niger, Africa. A second aircraft was flown with a spare engine to rescue the first aircraft and we were the four technicians on board. It was the most horrendous time I can remember. A few of us contracted malaria and the work was done only at night due to the hot weather.” The crew did not give up and the first flight eventually succeeded.

Only one dirt road in Biafra was long enough to handle the C-97s. It was in a town called Uli, and the makeshift runway was codenamed “Airstrip Annabelle.” The Nigerian army had smart weapons, tanks, and Mig 29s and Israeli pilots had to fly and land the C-97s at night under enemy fire.

Each flight brought 16 tons of food, with the international airlift effort turning Uli into the second busiest airport in Africa after Johannesburg. Historian Mark Curtis reported that an average of 250 metric tons of food was delivered each night to the estimated 1.5 to 2 million people that depended on relief supplies.

Remembering the participants that made the Biafran airlift a success, Barak commented, “All of us can be proud of what we did for the starving people of Biafra, bringing [food and medical supplies] night after night under ugly circumstances.”

Too late

benben1000:
Tomorrow afonjas will come with their propaganda that racists Jews/Israel don't care about Biafrans. Here was Israel helping Biafra when Awolowo was starving our children to death. Wicked things...

What do you expect from the children of odudulucifer who was kicked out from heaven for ritualistic and backstabbing way by God Almighty?

benben1000:
Tomorrow afonjas will come with their propaganda that racists Jews/Israel don't care about Biafrans. Here was Israel helping Biafra when Awolowo was starving our children to death. Wicked things...

The starvation is a result of economic blockade which Biafra would have enforced against Nigeria if it had the means.
Why did Israel not recognise Biafra as a country like a few others? Ponder that and judge if they really care about you.

Ojukwu rejected land supply and joint inspection of relief food materials to eliminate the starvation of civilians, because he wants to mix gun running and arms supply with relief flights. Do you think he shares any responsibility in the deaths of his own people?

DocHMD:


What do you expect from the children of odudulucifer who was kick out from heaven for ritualistic and backstabbing way by God Almighty?

They are naturally evil. Nnamdi Kanu said something that has never left me...he said An Afonja might commit certain crimes and get away with it. But If we Biafrans commit the same crime, God will strike us dead immediately because we are different people and worship different God.

God bless Israel.

Oh God please bless Israel and bless Igbos.

Later some stupid Igbos out of political correctness or sheer stupidity will come and say that Igbos have nothing to do with Israel and that our association is with Africans. When those Africans were trying to wipe away our race it was this same Israel that stood with us. Let me hear another onye nzuzu say that Israel hates blacks you will tell me wether those same blacks calling for our extermination love us.

Meanwhile the useless country and its demonic military cannot Even stop a ragtag biko haram with their evil weird ways until an igbo had to step in.

Sometimes I feel Nigeria is finding it difficult to clear herdsmen and stop the carnage because they just don't have the right military commander to do the military work

God bless Biafra/Isreal.

Daewang:
Later some stupid Igbos out of political correctness or sheer stupidity will come and say that Igbos have nothing to do with Israel and that our association is with Africans. When those Africans were trying to wipe away our race it was this same Israel that stood with us. Let me hear another onye nzuzu say that Israel hates blacks you will tell me wether those same blacks calling for our extermination love us.

Don't mind the mumu people

That civil war was avoidable but it's a good thing it happened.

imhotep:

Don't mind the mumu people

I tell you my brother they are mumus.

rusep:

Too late

Not sure what you mean but the Israeli pilots saved millions of lives

DocHMD:


What do you expect from the children of odudulucifer who was kick out from heaven for ritualistic and backstabbing way by God Almighty?

That is a huge fatality.

In Biafra, Isreal will have their most dependable ally.

Israel could have even helped Biafra more but people are forgetting that Israel in 1967 was also fighting a war with a coalition of Arab armies and had to focus on their own survival first.

Hmmm.