Friday, October 28, 2011

APOLOGIES...

I am sorry to have been off-line for a few weeks. As I was busy travelling and jumping on and off planes, I did not have sufficient access to the internet to allow me to answer the comments on the blog.

Before a new rumour starts – no, I was not near to or even in Libya. In fact, I was neither in the Middle East nor North Africa.

I note that there have been several attempts to contact me by the media demanding to know if I am - or was - in Libya. I hope that they can understand what I am saying although some days, I have to wonder.

I will shortly be adding another posting to the blog so thanks to those who, despite my apparent tardiness of updating, continued to visit the site.

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20 comments:

  1. JohnOctober 28, 2011 at 4:05 PM

    Welcome "Home" Eeben!,

    Glad you are back online and ready to debunk the massing hordes of liars.

    Best Regards,
    John

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  2. HerbertOctober 29, 2011 at 1:55 AM

    Mr. Barlow,

    As they used to say in rural Texas where I was born, "You wuz gone so long we'z scared a snake bit ya." Welcome back.

    Regards,
    Herbert

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  3. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogOctober 29, 2011 at 12:02 PM

    Thanks John. I shall soon be taking some new con artists and liars to task.

    Rgds,

    Eeben

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  4. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogOctober 29, 2011 at 12:07 PM

    Many thanks, Herbert. Luckily that snake wasn’t around but I did have a midnight face-off with one of the largest spiders I have ever seen. Luckily for the spider, I lost my nerve before he did.

    Rgds,

    Eeben

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  5. UnknownOctober 30, 2011 at 3:02 AM

    Hello Eeben. The name Deon Odendaal has sprung up in reports by beeld and malta news. It sounds familiar but i cannot place it. The reporters name him as a spy and mercenary tasked by a security company. He says some wild things. Anyway welcome back and i look forward to your next artical. Mike (bk nr 32)

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  6. AlanOctober 30, 2011 at 7:20 AM

    Eeben:

    Welcome home again! I reckoned you were on an extened vakansie of some sort. Libya was the last place I would have put you, or me for that matter. The Muslim Brotherhood must be delighted with our recent efforts there. We simply can't seem to avoid backing the wrong crowd. Decades of practice appear to have institutionalized our foreign misadventures. The frogs may soon have some unwelcomed surpises in Chad however. I'll say no more. My term here ends the lst of Feb, which cannot arrive soon enough. My Afri has improved somewhat. One of the group here is a former Parabat who takes pitty on my butchery of the language and helps me from time to time. Hope to see you next year and share an Amarula Sunset.

    Blessings to you and Chris.

    Alan

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  7. TangoOctober 30, 2011 at 11:19 AM

    Eeben glad to hear you lost your nerve before the spider did.(Did not know you had any nerves)
    We will be visiting the "Chilly Trench "shellhole (MOTH) with Sonny again soon as it is this time of the year.Great to hear it was a spider and not a snake.
    Regards
    Tango

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  8. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogOctober 30, 2011 at 2:33 PM

    I also read about this fellow Mike but have never hear of him. It appears that most of these guys were ex-SAP if the media is to be believed.

    Rgds,

    Eeben

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  9. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogOctober 30, 2011 at 2:42 PM

    Baie mooi, Alan! Dit klink my jou Afrikaans raak by die dag beter.

    One day when we meet, I will tell you a story about Libya. However, I am sure the MB are extremely happy with the support given them by NATO. I am also sure this is a lesson for many to remember.

    I look forward to sharing that Amarula with you – sooner rather than later.

    Take care and rgds,

    Eeben

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  10. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogOctober 30, 2011 at 2:46 PM

    A voice from the past Tango! I recall that day at the Chilly Trench with pride and my son (J) loved meeting so many old salts. Give my best to Sonny as well.

    As for nerves – I never had much but that old spider sure gave me a fright and made me realise I had less than I thought I had.

    Say “Hi” to those all of those at the Chilly Trench when you see them again.

    Rgds,

    Eeben

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  11. Sonny CoxOctober 30, 2011 at 8:37 PM

    Hi Eeben
    Glad to hear you are back on solid ground - Salute!!

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  12. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogOctober 31, 2011 at 6:14 AM

    Thanks Sonny!

    Rgds,

    Eeben

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  13. UnknownNovember 1, 2011 at 6:22 PM

    Hi Eeben. I came across a picture hanging on a wall of 2 guys sitting in a MI 24 HIND. One of the guys is the owner of a place called "springbok blues pub" in strand named roger paris and the other is uncannily similar to carl alberts ( definately not of lourens, arthur or sonny). The pic is blown up but a tad fuzzy. Have you heard of a roger paris? The picture looks circa 95-97. Cant make markings out on the hind to tell if its Angolan or Sierra Leone as it is in black and white and taken from profile port side of the tandem cockpit.. Mike (bk 32)

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  14. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogNovember 2, 2011 at 3:49 PM

    As I haven’t seen the photograph I can’t comment on the crew, Mike. However, I would suspect that it is from Sierra Leone as although there were some Mi-24s standing in Luanda, we never got to fly –let alone use them.

    Rgds,

    Eeben

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  15. GatvolNovember 3, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    Jumping on and off planes can be dangerous these days, so I have to assume none required a parachute. One good point is hopefully someone else is paying the tickets.
    Good to hear your back in the World with both feet attached and on the ground.
    Looking forward to an in depth comment on the "Book of Simon", once the dust settles.

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  16. UnknownNovember 3, 2011 at 6:59 PM

    Hi Eeben. I have emailed you a cellphone picture of the pilot sitting in the tandem mi24 cockpit i asked you about previously. It sure resembles him.. Was a roger paris. Parris. Pariss? Ever a member of EO? Thanks. Mike.

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  17. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogNovember 4, 2011 at 6:18 AM

    Fortunately no parachutes were needed Gatvol. I seem to be spending a lot of time suspended between heaven and earth but always prefer the ground below my feet.

    Rgds,

    Eeben

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  18. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogNovember 4, 2011 at 6:18 AM

    Thanks for the photo Mike but it is very fuzzy. However, the pilot is definitely Carl. Will check re Roger.

    Rgds,

    Eeben

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  19. AlexNovember 22, 2011 at 6:50 PM

    Hi Eeben,

    Glad you made it back safely. Sorry I'm a bit tardy with the welcome but I've not been very good at following things lately, including your blog I'm sorry to say.

    Glad you survived your encounter of the 8-legged kind. I can only imagine how big a spider must need to be to frighten someone who's spent as much time crawling through jungle as you probably have...

    Anyway all the best, and I'll try to maintain more of a presence round here in future.

    Regards,

    Alex

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  20. Eeben Barlow's Milsec BlogJanuary 3, 2012 at 3:02 PM

    Hi Alex,

    No need to apologise as I too have been away for some time and have not been able to visit my blog or update it.

    You’d be surprised at what can scare me!

    Rgds,

    Eeben

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