U.S. Seeks Syria’s Help in Mideast

Times have changed. The foreword to Jane’s Encyclopedia of Aviation (1989) describes how the British handled “troublesome areas of the Middle East” after World War I as follows:

”. . . If local tribesmen in places like Iraq and the North-West Frontier became aggressive, the policy was to drop a note from the air, warning them that their village would be bombed on a specific date if they did not become lawful. Air control never failed, and damage and casualties to both sides were minimal.”

NIELS JENSEN

Santa Monica