Lawrence of Arabia remains one of the most poignant films ever made. Although far from an historical documentary, it offers tremendous insights into the thinking behind the Arab Revolt (1916-18) and the administration of the post-Ottoman British mandates in the Arab world.
A particularly memorable line on the nature of war, states:
The passing of Peter O’Toole in December 2013 was a sad moment for me. I had a strong personal affection for the man and his work, stemming primarily from my undying love for the film Lawrence of Arabia, which I consider a contender for the greatest movie ever made. But, such was his length of […]
Was Lawrence of Arabia the first Gladio B operative? In answering this question, today's episode presents a view of World War One from the perspective of British geostrategy in the Middle East. Using a fascinating lecture as the basis for our discussion I outline how Turkey got drawn into the war, at a time when the Ottoman Empire was crumbling. The British government adopted not just a double-dealing but a triple-dealing strategy to counter the Ottomans, which bears remarkable similarities to what is happening today.
It is clear that the Syrian public and their officials, in all 14 of the country’s governorates, are committed to the complete restoration of their nation’s peerless and incomparable archaeological heritage sites as soon as security conditions permit.
