1978: Egyptian Larnaca raid drags in everyone

Discussions on alternate history, including events up to 20 years before today. Hosted by Terry Duncan.
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Von Schadewald
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Location: Israel

1978: Egyptian Larnaca raid drags in everyone

#1

Post by Von Schadewald » 05 Nov 2008, 23:03

In OTL, 20 Egyptians died in the raid, some apparently shot by the Greek Cypriots after they'd surrendered.

WI all 74 Force 777 commandos had died?

Honour, saving face and avenging humiliation meant EVERYTHING in the Pan-Arab Muslim mentality, unlike in the west, where it meant almost nothing.

Sadat despatches an Egyptian naval task force towards Cyprus.

Turkey, Israel, Greece, the Soviets, British, French, Syria and the US 6th Fleet all send in ships in a Mediterranean farrago of a standoff that could turn nasty.

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Von Schadewald
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Posts: 2065
Joined: 17 Nov 2004, 00:17
Location: Israel

Re: 1978: Egyptian Larnaca raid drags in everyone

#2

Post by Von Schadewald » 23 Jul 2014, 12:59

Looks like the story of the Greek Cypriots shooting Egyptians after they'd surrendered is a myth:

http://www.gloria-center.org/2009/06/di ... 009-06-07/
In addition, a false story of a Cypriot constable shooting a wounded Egyptian soldier after surrender increased tension further. The Cypriot government took legal action against John Bierman, the Reuters correspondent, who eventually apologized after mediation by the British high commission and the Reuters Ankara correspondent.


AJFFM
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Re: 1978: Egyptian Larnaca raid drags in everyone

#3

Post by AJFFM » 23 Jul 2014, 17:43

Von Schadewald wrote: In OTL, 20 Egyptians died in the raid, some apparently shot by the Greek Cypriots after they'd surrendered.

WI all 74 Force 777 commandos had died?

Honour, saving face and avenging humiliation meant EVERYTHING in the Pan-Arab Muslim mentality, unlike in the west, where it meant almost nothing.
Depending on who committed the humiliation in the first place. Don't need to tell you about the very very long history of Israeli action against Syria after each one the butchers of Damascus goes on national television and boldly and bravely claims to "reserve the right to respond in force" while butchering 200k of his supposedly own people and ethnically cleans 10 million.

The worst thing that can happen to an Arab dictator is to be challenged by his own people.
Von Schadewald wrote: Sadat despatches an Egyptian naval task force towards Cyprus.

Turkey, Israel, Greece, the Soviets, British, French, Syria and the US 6th Fleet all send in ships in a Mediterranean farrago of a standoff that could turn nasty.

Image
Sadat was very bellicose after 1973 and for a good reason (and here we will disagree), he squandered a very good opportunity in that war to achieve a real victory.He had to prove that Egypt still had strength in order to make gains in the negotiations which the Israelis (especially with a Likud party not willing to part with settlers in Sinai).

Around the same time he went to war with Libya downing half of Qaddafi's LAF in a week. Clashes with Sudan and a purge in the military not to mention clashes with recently released Brotherhood members (who would later assassinate him) whom he hoped to use against the still powerful Nasserites who opposed his peace plans.

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