The clue as to why the U-2 was based at RAF Akrotiri was always in the name of the detachment Operation Olive Harvest.
A CIA document 'The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974' compiled in 1998 has been declassified. Although parts of it are blanked out, it doesn't take much to fill in the blanks. An very interesting read even though parts of it are blanked out.
It can be found at various locations on the web by typing in the title. One link is here. Download 9.30mb
http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/u2.pdf
From
The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974
'Originally classified Secret NOFORN. (Now UNCLASSIFIED)
Chapter 5
Page 256 and 257
The Middle East was again the cause of a Detachment G deployment in October 1973, when another Arab-Israeli war broke out. Two U-2s deployed XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (Blanked out) on 7 and 8 October 1973, to be ready for possible coverage of the conflict. Detachment G received no such tasking, however, and the last of the aircraft returned to California on 13 November.
The 1973 war did lead to the overseas deployment of Detachment G U-2s in 1974, when the CIA was tasked to monitor the Israeli-Egyptian and later the Israeli-Syrian disengagement areas. On 21 April 1974, a Detachment G U-2 with appropriate support elements arrived at XXXXXXXX(Blanked out) to conduct Operation XXXXXXXXXXX (Blanked out) Between 12 May and 28 July, the detachment conducted six overflights of the disengagement areas. During these missions the electronic warning systems of the U-2 registered numerous radar lockons, but no surface-to-air missiles were fired. On 1 August 1974, responsibility for the XXXXXXXXXX (Blanked out) missions as well as the aircraft itself came into the hands of the Air Force as part of the transfer on the entire Agency U-2 program at that time.'
Page 255 and 256 also highlights the previous CIA U-2 detachments to cover the Middle East for peace mediation. It details the involvement of President Nixon's National Security Advisor, Henry A. Kissinger and also previous CIA detachments to the blanked out operating base. You can also see the details about the earlier Detachment G deployments to the blanked out location for peace monitoring of the earlier Arab-Israeli conflicts.
TJ