₦airaland Forum

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.”

imhotep:
Afonja Tinubu

Ezigbo Afonja nwuru anwu

Markfemi:
If Tinubu cannot speak the truth instead of licking Buharis ass he should be kicked out of Rele ace in south west
He’s becoming another nnamdi azikwe well known for selling his people

If not for Tinubu there would have been Oduduwa Republic today. Fact!

Tinubu destroyed AD (Alliance for democracy) which was a great party with a core of Awo disciples. He whittled down the Awoists influence in yorubaland and promoted his touts like Aregbesola and Fashola. Fact!!

He claimed to be a member of NADECO but was generally unknown and ran abroad leaving old men like Abraham Adesanya to face the heat alone. His mother was very friendly with Abacha. Fact!

Tinubu led APC to reject the 2014 National Conference and deprive the SW of resource control/true federalism. Fact!

Tinubu has been a curse to the Yoruba. Fact!

Was the bill ever signed into law?

chrisxxx:
Bros na so. I no too old but i dey too good in history.

Your type dey hard to deceive. Nice one

chrisxxx:
Amaechi wanted to use Saro-Wiwa to wipe up sentiment against Magnus but it back fired. Magnus was on the other side of the divide during the Ogini crises. Magnus was said to have been one of the witnesses used by Nigerian government against Saro Wiwa that led to his death. He indirectly wanted to let Ogoni people know the role Magnus played but did not know how to say without offending his masters the Fulani.

Hmmm very interesting. So Amaechi knew that Magnus his boy for many years testified against Saro Wiwa but didn't say anything for 20+ years until ambition separated them. Amaechi na shit

Brainless ubima monkey

How can the forces that killed Saro-Wiwa work against Buhari when the same Buhari was part of the Abacha government that killed Saro Wiwa.

Lol

Alariiwo:
From a critical point of view.. I think some aggrieved, disgruntled elements who wants nothing but PMB's downfall are behind this unrest in the country..

Or how do we explain killings in Benue, Taraba and co. after those ones rejected Kanu and his biafra dream some months back.

I don't know what such people stand to gain, but our government shall never be truncated again. Any group so desperate for presidency should go to the polls.

I doubt if this guy is a Yoruba person. You are finally showing yourself

The mill grinds slowly but it grinds thoroughly. No need for noise. The blood of the innocent will get justice. Where is Abacha today....

femi4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvd6nf0lzUo

Africa is now or never....

Sonny Okosun was too much eh!!!

Kaysalas:
please i will like you to furnish us with links as per the agbekoya group so i can read about them too

You can start with this. They were harder than OPC could ever be. If they mobilise for herdsmen it will not be funny

https://sniggle.net/TPL/index5.php?entry=03Jul15

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agbekoya

igbodefender:
Comedian.

Efulefu nwuru anwu. Support the man that rolled armoured tanks into the peaceful SE for your crumbs. Just leave my mentions. Thanks

Cooly100:
Lying Lai...is this one of those pics doctored?

Disgusting lying and hopeless country!!!

Even RPG carrying almajiris in the mode of Boko and fulani herdsmen are not so badly treated.

Lai Mohammed is cursed with lying

igbodefender:
OK ok, I'm leaving. But can I bookmark this convo to show you on this same thread on May 30 2023? Then we will know who the real efulefu is.

Take transport money to daura where you and people like orji uzor kalu and joe igbokwe shall be banished to in 2019

I have been an admirer of the Agbekoya group since I read about what they did during the civil war. If not for Awo who begged them to stop their rebellion against the FG in 1969, history might have been different

Whether they have the power they had in the 1960s is another matter but don't underrate them

igbodefender:
You are just insulting yourself, because when the time comes, we are sure you will join the train.

Boy you and your efulefu train should get the f@#k off my mentions. Efulefu nwuru anwu

To Buhari and the animal efulefus that will support him. F $#k you. 2019 is the end of the road for you

Igbos will vote heavily against that devil called buhari. The butcher is going home to daura then onward to ICC for trial for genocide.

Meanwhile python dance 3 is about to commence...

"THE Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, Friday, hinted that the Nigerian Army would soon deploy personnel to various parts of the country to contend ongoing threat to security in the country.


Buratai with troops in the North-East
He said the troops will be deployed under special forces like Operation Python Dance III in the South East, Operation, Operation Crocodile Smile III in the Niger Delta and South West and Harbin Kunama III in the North to contend cattle rustling."

Ndi Igbo this devil called buhari and his servant demons like buratai want to provoke us so they can have an excuse to kill our people again. This is just his first term in office, can you imagine what Buhari will do to you in his second term? Get your PVC and vote that creature from the pit of hell back to daura

Our worst governor ever. Tufiakwa

aolawale025:
Onitsha port is of more commercial importance than baro. Why is government not seeing that

Because bigotry and self interest takes away the ability of people in power to reason properly. Even a 5 year old knows that a Lagos-Benin-Onitsha-Port Harcourt railway line is hundreds of times more viable than say a Katsina-Daura railway line.

Nigeria's problems are very simple

sarrki:
Means keep your mouth shut

No I meant you

sarrki:
Keep quiet

Where is the fake news

Coz baba was not insulted shay ?

All enemies of progress will be pit to shame

What is this thing?

Mynd44 is fake news allowed here now?

Sijo01:
It beats my imagination why these set of people choose to be a vagabond. Can't they settle in their land(s). Iyam not understanding.

See eh. Before oyibo came to West Africa, the hausa/fulani tribes extended across our borders into Sudan, Chad, Niger etc Many families and villages were divided by the borders that our colonial masters drew up. Today those cousins of present day Nigerians in these neighbouring countries see Nigeria like USA and for years have been pouring in here in droves. Now their "brother" Buhari is president they are coming in like never before and are migrating southwards.

Na wa

Omololu2121:
you are so sick if you believe this nonsense, nothing was done on lagos-ibadan express way during the tenure of the clueless one

No need to argue with you.

http://worldstagegroup.com/wap/readnews.php?id=9379

Lagos House praises Jonathan over Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction


WorldStage Newsonline-- Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) on Saturday in Lagos commended President Goodluck Jonathan over the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The President on Friday flagged off the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with a pledge that the N167 billion-project would be completed in 48 months.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Bisi Yusuf, the Chairman, House Committee on Commerce and Transportation said, “I give kudos to him because many lives have been lost as a result of the bad road.

Middlebelt except kogi will not vote Buhari in 2019. Igbos are mobilising seriously for him. Operation python dance alone will make up to 10 million Igbos get a pvc. Eye go clear una

No wahala. They should appeal

Jona within 3 years gave you people Water in Osun State after 40 years. No be only marginalization

https://www.google.com.ng/amp/theeagleonline.com.ng/amp/aregbesola-commends-fgs-ilesa-water-works-project

What has Buhari done for Yorubas in his three years of office?

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that Jona almost finished before leaving office 3 years ago, Buhari stopped it last year. SMH

https://www.google.com.ng/amp/punchng.com/another-contractor-julius-berger-suspends-work-on-lagos-ibadan-expressway/amp/

Enjoy your new status