Facts Related to "Yom Kippur War And Oil: From Crisis to Innovation" Article and Video

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On September 25, 1973, King Hussein of Jordan secretly flew to Tel Aviv, delivering a discreet warning to Golda Meir, Israel’s then-Prime Minister, regarding an imminent Syrian (and potentially Egyptian) assault. The warning was ignored. Mossad Director-General Zvi Zamir continued to insist that war was not an option for Syria and Egypt. Nonetheless, Zamir's concern grew as additional signs of an impending attack were detected at the beginning of October.

In October 1973, when she got wind of the imminent attack, Israel’s Prime Minister Golda Meir made a controversial choice by not initiating a pre-emptive strike. While some criticized her for indecisiveness, Meir was far from it. In fact, a predecessor of hers, a Prime Minister of Israel, once characterized her as “the only man” in his cabinet (though it's worth noting that Golda herself found the description odd and wasn't particularly pleased that this was the highest compliment David Ben-Gurion could give to a woman).

Golda Meir, renowned for her decisive and resolute actions, was restrained from launching a pre-emptive strike by the warnings from Henry Kissinger and President Nixon. They consistently cautioned Meir against being the initiator of a Middle East war. Kissinger emphasized several times that if Israel struck first, they wouldn't receive support from anyone. Given Israel's dependence on the United States for military resupply, there was sensitivity to anything that might jeopardize that critical relationship.

Despite winning the Yom Kippur War, Meir faced criticism for indecisiveness and outing Israeli people at risk. That led to her government's resignation.

 

For more insights, watch the video on Yom Kippur war here: Yom Kippur War and Oil

 

Facts Related to "Resources: Blessing or Curse?" Article and Video
 

Why did Columbus struggle to get funding for his voyages to Asia? Many think it's because people back then believed the Earth was flat. But that's a misconception. Although the flat Earth idea was common, scholars in ancient Greece started challenging it as early as the fifth century BC. During the Renaissance in the fifteenth century, maps by Greek scientist Ptolemy showed a spherical Earth. Despite disappearing in the Dark Ages, Ptolemy's maps resurfaced during the Renaissance. By Columbus's time in 1492, educated Europeans knew about them.

Despite the myth, it wasn't the flat Earth that hindered Columbus's funding. The problem was the cost. The Portuguese and English, evaluating the potential profits, believed that an Atlantic expedition to Asia would be more expensive than the gains it could bring, leading them to withhold financial support. They essentially conducted a cost-benefit analysis and concluded that it wasn't worthwhile.

Source: O'Neill, Bill. Interesting Stories For Curious People: A Collection of Fascinating Stories About History, Science, Pop Culture and Just About Anything Else You Can Think of.

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For more insights, watch the video on  Resources: Blessing or Curse

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Facts Related to "Iran After the Islamic Revolution" Article and Video

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During the Iran-Iraq war, Iranian government-allied groups recruited children. For instance, the Hezbollah organization placed advertisements in multiple newspapers, inviting individuals to register. The only prerequisite for registration was a "belief in God" and sympathy for the Hezbollahi cause. Advertisements stated that age was "unimportant," and students from 14 to 90 years old could join.

In the autumn of 1982, Ayatollah Khomeini issued rulings urging youths to join the fight without parental permission, declaring military duty as a religious obligation and prioritizing it over other activities. Reports indicated that children were indoctrinated for combat.

While estimates on child participation are unavailable, 400,000 volunteers were enlisted, likely including younger individuals. Approximately 10% of Iranian prisoners were under 18, and nine out of ten Iranian child soldiers were reported killed. Children as young as nine were used in human wave attacks and mine sweeping. Many were captured by Iraq and held in special POW camps, and exploited for propaganda.

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Source: Child Soldiers International, Child Soldiers Global Report 2001 - Iran, 2001, https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/cscoal/2001/en/64522

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For more insights, watch the video on Iran after the Islamic Revolution