Shifting Western Allies: Victory At Entebbe Poem by Terence George Craddock

politics could be said to be a process in flux
a boil boil toil and trouble game years shifting played
leaders like western favoured Idi Amin Ugandan

President following Operation Thunderbolt Victory
at Entebbe attempt to use Israeli hostages spun
into perceived weaknesses fell from power to failure

two Israeli C-130 transport planes without fighter cover
flew 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) to Uganda carrying
100 commandos in a rescue operation for 106 hostages

in the rescue attempt they will destroy a quarter
of Uganda's fighter air force eleven Soviet-built MiG-17s
and MiG-21s to prevent fighter pursuit flee following

Israeli looses 1 commando killed 5 wounded
civilians 3 hostages killed 10 hostages wounded
hijackers 7 killed Ugandan soldiers 45 killed

the United Nations Security Council
tried to charge Israel with an 'act of aggression'
Austrian Kurt Waldheim said the raid was

''a serious violation of the sovereignty of
a Member State of the United Nations''

ignoring a terrorist hijacking and rogue Uganda
using civilian hostages as political pawns
West Germany said raid was 'act of self-defence'

the raid would not have been possible
without support from Kenyan President
Jomo Kenyatta who permitted Mossad

''to collect intelligence prior to the operation,
and to allow the Israeli Air Force access
to the Nairobi airport'' to refuel the C-130s

in revenge Idi Amin rage ordered the killing
of Kenyans living in Uganda in retaliation;
for Kenya's assistance to Israel 245 Kenyans

including airport staff at Entebbe were killed
3,000 Kenyans fled Uganda fast as refugees;
a boil boil toil and trouble cauldron brewing

a lesson in the changing face of politics
the fall from power of former American allies
Libya's Leader Colonel Gaddafi; Egypt's

President Hosni Mubarak and Iraq's President
Saddam Hussein; all later fell from power
in some regions of the world power falls are fatal;

politics makes for strange bedfellows when kicked
out of global bed once great esteemed or feared allies can
fade into background off stage or sudden shock be dead;


Terence George Craddock (Afterglows Echoes Of Starlight)
Copyright © Terence George Craddock