Battles of the Sinai (1948)

African radicals rather astutely took MaoБЂ™s money, as one Chinese diplomat put it, with a big smile, but his instructions with a deaf ear. Some years later, meeting one of the heads of state he had tried hardest to topple, ZaцЇreБЂ™s President Mobutu, Mao admitted failure, in the guise of a rueful quip. His opening sally was: БЂњIs that really you, Mobutu? IБЂ™ve spent a lot of money trying to have you overthrown БЂ” even killed. But here you are.БЂ«БЂњWe gave them money and arms, but they just couldnБЂ™t fight. They just couldnБЂ™t win. What can I do then?БЂ«Mao had even less success in the Middle East. When the Six-Day War broke out between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967, Mao offered Nasser US$10 million and 150,000 tons of wheat, as well as military БЂњvolunteers,БЂ«if Nasser would take his advice БЂњto fight to the end.БЂ«He sent Nasser a battle plan for a Mao-style БЂњpeopleБЂ™s war,БЂ«telling him to БЂњlure the enemy in deep,БЂ«by withdrawing into the Sinai Peninsula, even to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan ...»