During the 1970s the Middle East was a battleground for the Cold War; liberal pro-Western forces battled with pro-Soviet Arab Nationalists and Baathists.
But in 1979 a series of events – the Iranian Revolution, Egypt’s peace with Israel, the Mecca Mosque Siege, and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan – contributed to a radical change in the mind-set of the region and its leaders.
It was the start of the meteoric rise of radical Islam.
Submarines today are highly complex machines crammed with technology and weapons. As impressive as their construction is, as terrifying is their destructive power. Hardly any other weapon triggers as many emotions as the submarine. It strikes from ambush and can use nuclear missiles to drag the whole world into the abyss.
Submarines originated from a completely non-military idea, namely to be able to view the world under water. But the interest in the military use of submarines soon prevailed.
Historic places, forgotten, threatened and threatening at the same time. Made of steel, poured in concrete or blasted out of a mountain, yesterday's monuments from the great eras of history come alive again.
We are being monitored, spied on and bugged. Almost every day there are reports that our data is not safe. Are we too careless or victims of a grand scheme? Is a secret conspiracy of intelligence agencies, military leaders, business leaders and politicians targeting all cell phone and Internet communications of the world's population? Is a tightly woven web of surveillance covering the entire planet outside of law and order? What was a bleak vision of the future in George Orwell's day seems to have been caught up with reality today.