by Uzi Eilam
Gideon accompanied Dan to the improvised war room the team had constructed in the belly of the ship. He wanted to hear Noam’s opinion, but most of all, was curious about the images that the system of micro-drones was transmitting. He both wanted and did not want to discover who this new Nimer was.
“What can you show us from the ‘wasps’ transmissions?” Gideon prodded the moment he sat down across from the wall of screens.
“This is a recording of their first meeting in the small room that’s identical to the one we have here,” said Itzik from MID, who was in charge of communication with the micro-drones. “Here’s Nimer, whom you can see on the left side of the image, trying, with the interpreter’s help, to extract information from the Viet Cong warriors. The results seem pretty flimsy…”
Gideon couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen in which Nimer featured prominently. The structure of his face hasn’t changed much at all. What happened to his curly hair? Did he go blond? Gideon wondered. What was he going through when he found his wife and two of his children in puddles of blood on that brutal day of the massacre in Sabra and Shatila? Gideon knew he needed to return to the present.
“And what’s your conclusion, based on everything you’ve heard and seen thus far?”
“When it comes to the Vietnamese, I think they’re wasting their time. Those guys barely remember their names, and they’re not going to be any help when it comes to new methods of detecting tunnels. Their only relevant message has to do with the numerous tunnels, and the element of misdirection that helped them mess with the Americans…”
“Which leaves us with the North Koreans?”
“Here we can actually see the sort of processes characterizing a technological superpower. We’ve seen them in action in regard to long-range missiles, nuclear weapons, and cyber warfare, and now they’re better than many other countries at protecting their tunnels from harm. I think that this approach sets up the tunnels, alongside the missiles and the nuclear field, as another strategic asset.”
“And how do they protect that asset?”
“The solution we heard during the Koreans’ presentation focuses on concealing the underground spaces formed by the tunnels. They talked about nets of some kind that prevent the means of detection from spotting the tunnels. They didn’t elaborate on the structure of the net and the materials it’s made of. That’s a secret they might only be willing to share with Nimer. It’s important to try to listen in on Nimer’s private conversations. That’s where I think we’ll find comprehensive information.”
“We’re focusing our surveillance on Nimer, and we haven’t stopped tracking the ‘wasps,’” Dan said. “Ultimately, we might have to extract that information directly from Nimer…”
“Maybe,” Gideon replied. “But we’re not there yet.”
It was a quiet night for all the cruise ships docking between the islands of Ha Long Bay. Most of the team members joined Gideon to gaze up at the skies and their millions of stars. No one talked, and each of them was left with his or her own summary of the unique day they had experienced. Gideon allowed all of them to retire to their cabins, recommending that they gather their strength in preparation for the following day. One person was left on duty in the surveillance room to keep an eye on the communications, which had, in fact, gone silent.
***
Gideon woke up early, as was his custom, and climbed up to the upper deck, where hot coffee and a variety of pastries were being served. He sat down in a chair and turned to look at their fellow Emeraude ship… which was no longer there!
“Dan! Get up, quick! Nimer has disappeared!” Gideon called out, going down to the captain’s cabin to request that he return them to the pier immediately. “Our ‘wasps’ are still tracking them. How did the person on surveillance duty not notice that they were sailing off in the middle of the night? Please check whether the ‘wasps’ can give us information on Nimer’s surprise tactic.”
Dan ordered the “wasps” to return to the ship, but not before the drones indicated that their fellow vessel had yet to reach the company’s dock, but was very close. The captain, obeying Gideon’s instruction, said he could reach the pier in less than an hour. It was obvious to Gideon that Nimer and his people had slipped out of their grasp. Focusing on the “glass half full” aspect, he told himself that at least Noam had alerted them to the development of the North Korean net system meant to protect their tunnels. Most importantly, he privately admitted to himself, he had seen the current-day Nimer for the first time.
Chapter 36
“Welcome back to Teheran,” Soleimani, up to date on everything, greeted Nimer. “I hear you had partial success on the tunnel issue?”
“We did, General, and there were several reasons for that…”
“What happened? I alerted you to the fact that the enemy had found out you were conducting the meeting. Did that limit you? Did you not have time to process all the information?”
“We took care to divert from our scheduled routine, which allowed us to conduct the meeting relatively quietly, other than occasional communication disruptions. We detected a cruise ship that we suspected of being an enemy vessel, which required us to shorten our stay in the bay. Therefore, not all the necessary information was conveyed, particularly from the North Koreans.”
“We also know who was leading the operation on their end…”
“Who was it?” Nimer hurried to ask.
“A senior Israeli scientist and defense expert we’ve encountered before. A talented man, experienced and very dangerous…”
“Who is it?” Nimer urged, with an emotional intensity that was a surprise even to him.
“His name is Dr. Gideon Ben Ari, and he’s already thwarted a quite impressive number of our actions.”
Nimer retreated into his own thoughts, not saying a word.
Is this the boy from the kibbutz with whom I grew up? Is this the same Paratroopers officer whom I met at my father’s house in the refugee camp near Jenin? Is this the man who’s been chasing me?
Nimer remained silent. He did not raise his head to make eye contact with the general, who had not anticipated such a reaction.
“Do you know something about him that we don’t know, Nimer?”
“I might, or I might not, General Soleimani. He might be someone from my distant past, someone I knew as a child. However, he might also be someone I ran across when he was already an officer in the Israeli Army…”
“And if it really is the same person who’s currently tracking you, what else can you tell us about him?”
“If it is indeed the same man, then we have an intelligent, creative, ambitious, brave enemy, one who can think outside the box. But we have to confirm once again that this is the same Gideon.”
Nimer then told Soleimani about the solution to the detection of the tunnels, wondering how the cooperation between the countries and organizations involved would take place. This time, Soleimani was the one to retreat into his thoughts, leaving Nimer to wait tensely for his answer. Nimer had ideas on how to undo the Gordian knot of the North Koreans’ tunnel defense secrets, but he didn’t dare bring them up before Soleimani spoke.
“You’re right, Nimer, to state that the topic will be resolved only within the higher echelons. It’s also true that, thanks to you, the North Koreans owe us for our help in regard to the heavy warhead for the long-range missiles. You were at the heart of this endeavor and earned a great deal of appreciation from them. We know about the difficulties that they are experiencing in regard to enriching uranium with centrifuges…”
“But as far as I remember, when I was staying there to deal with the missile issue, I found out that they have an enrichment plant.”
“That’s true, but something there is still not working right. The barter I am thinking of includes us providing some of the funding to hire the world-famous expert on centrifuges
, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan from Pakistan, as an advisor.”
“I’ve heard many good things about him from the manager of your centrifuge plant in Natanz,” Nimer said. “Can’t they contact him directly? As far as I know, he moves freely through the world, selling the information to whoever is willing to pay the price…”
“We’ll invite the Pakistani doctor here, and together, you will agree on the content and course of the meetings in Pyongyang. We’ll coordinate with the Supreme Leader’s bureau regarding the timing and the principles of what each side receives, and provides in return.”
“That is just fine, General. I remember that, furthermore, they have still not resolved the topic of the heavy warheads for the long-range missiles. Can we add that to the balance of the exchange?”
“What we’ll get in return is full information on protecting the tunnels. Until Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan gets here, you can browse the file of information on him that my aides will convey to you. That way you will get to know the man, and will be ready to conduct coordination talks with him in preparation for Pyongyang.”
Soleimani ended the meeting by instructing his bureau manager to give Nimer the file on Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. Nimer was glad to find himself in circumstances where he would be busy studying new material and meeting the highest authority on the topic of centrifuges and uranium enrichment. He was wary of delving into thoughts on the threat posed by the Israeli scientist and fighter.
***
The file with the red cover bearing the heading “Dr. Qadeer Khan” was lying on the desk in the room the Revolutionary Guard had placed at Nimer’s disposal. His involvement in the centrifuge project in Natanz, and the time he had dedicated in the past to learning the uranium enrichment process, helped Nimer quickly immerse himself in the Qadeer Khan file, which he read as if it were a thrilling page-turner. After receiving his doctoral degree from the University of Amsterdam, the Pakistani engineer, found his way to the European Union’s Eurenco company, which dealt with uranium enrichment for atomic power plants. Nimer found common ground between his own path before receiving his doctoral degree in Germany and Qadeer Khan’s career path in the Netherlands. The file cited the improvements the young engineer had suggested performing on the centrifuges used by the company. It never occurred to anyone within European atomic energy circles that Dr. Qadeer Khan, who had made friends with everyone, had helped to translate technical material into the several languages in which he was fluent, and in general stood out in his creativity, would one day disappear, popping up again in Pakistan. The report composed by the Revolutionary Guard’s researchers determined that Abdul Qadeer Khan had not needed to steal the centrifuges’ diagrams and technical specifications. He simply knew everything about them.
The file did not include many details on Qadeer Khan’s path as part of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, and Nimer was left with some questions. He decided to ask the “Centrifuge Prince” what exactly had happened there when the man arrived in Teheran.
When Nimer was called for a meeting with Soleimani, he knew that he was about to meet the intriguing and mysterious scientist. He was not concerned about Dr. Qadeer’s relationship with the North Koreans, or about his own role in the consultation, which would focus on the heavy warheads of the North Korean missiles. He determined to focus on linking the contributions in both these areas to requesting the formula for the North Korean tunnel protection system. Here, he thought, he would have to think creatively and employ much of his experience. In his private code, Nimer listed important points for the upcoming meetings in his little notepad, including asking Soleimani about the coordination he had promised to conduct with the representatives of North Korea’s Supreme Leader.
***
“Welcome, Dr. Qadeer Khan,” Soleimani thundered. “It’s good to see you here in Teheran once more. Please meet Dr. Samir Nuri, a fellow scientist in your field, who has been helping us in some important technological areas.” The general waited while the two scientists shook hands, and Nimer thought he detected a subtle smile on the tough general’s face. “Great things are taking place in our region,” the general continued, “and your help, Dr. Qadeer Khan, is essential to us.”
“I’m always at your service,” Qadeer Khan responded, having already received confirmation from Soleimani’s aides of a hefty transfer of dollars to his Swiss bank account. “What’s on the agenda now?”
“We want to help North Korea, which has run into trouble operating its uranium enrichment endeavor. Your impressive experience, doctor, both in developing centrifuges and in conveying the knowledge regarding their manufacture and building centrifuge systems for enrichment purposes, is much in need here. Among his other qualifications, Dr. Nuri is fluent in missile technology, another area in which we pledged our help to the Koreans.”
“I’ll be happy to get to know any colleague associated with you, General Soleimani. What do you expect from us at this stage?”
“We have set up a series of meetings for both of you in Pyongyang, two days from now. In the meanwhile, I ask that you meet and get to know each other in the remaining time before the flight. It’s important that you decide on the sequence of presentations and briefings that the two of you will deliver to the North Koreans.” The general rose from his seat and shook both scientists’ hands, leaving the room without saying another word.
“I’m so glad to meet you face-to-face, Dr. Qadeer Khan,” Nimer began. “You’re a legend to many who are only familiar with your reputation. I myself learned about centrifuges and enrichment systems here at the plant in Natanz…”
“Yes, Dr. Samir Nuri,” the Pakistani scientist responded. “I heard accounts of a scientist who solved the problem of the shattering centrifuges for the Natanz enrichment plant, but also helped handle mishaps caused by cyberwarfare.”
“How do you know about that?”
“I keep in close contact with all my clients, Samir, if I may use your first name, and I’ve constructed a network to collect information concerning the projects I’ve built for my clients. It is also, or perhaps primarily, important in order to ensure orderly payment procedures…” he added with a smile.
“That is interesting and impressive,” Nimer replied. “I’ve spent quite some time browsing the report describing your unique path at Eurenco’s Netherlands facility, and I salute you for your accomplishments. But tell me, if you don’t mind, how did you achieve the capacity for such great freedom in selling your knowledge in the field of uranium enrichment? How did you get the Pakistani government to relinquish its limitations on sharing nuclear technology and allow you to operate so freely? What is your secret?”
“At a certain point, when I achieved elevated status at Eurenco, along with significant financial benefits, I felt my homeland calling me back. Impudently or naively, I contacted Pakistan’s prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and asked to return to my homeland, bringing all the knowledge I’d acquired in Holland about uranium enrichment along with me,” Qadeer Khan said.
“And what happened? Did the prime minister give you his blessing?”
“It wasn’t simple; nothing is simple in Pakistan,” Qadeer Khan grumbled. “For a few months, the scientists at Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Commission dragged their feet and didn’t respond to the prime minister’s questions about me and my proposition to him. Finally, when he ran out of patience, he invited me for a meeting and was persuaded that I had information that could help our country. I returned to Pakistan and founded a large lab, with young, enthusiastic researchers, to manufacture centrifuges and conduct experiments intended to improve them. It did not endear me to the Atomic Energy Commission, which decided to isolate me and stick to the plutonium route in regard to Pakistan’s atomic weapons. That is when Prime Minister Bhutto authorized me to offer the uranium-enrichment technology to friendly countries throughout the world. That, my friend, is the short answer to your question. I’m sorry that things turned ou
t that way, but the financial compensation, whose mechanisms I’ve enhanced over the years, provides me with the means to live well and continue to work on what interests me.”
“It’s amazing to see the extent that the urges of envy, ego, and fear can determine fates,” Nimer commented. “But at least you have the freedom to do what you like. It also brought us together, for which I am happy.”
“I understand that your contribution to our trip to Pyongyang concerns the field of missiles?”
“We’ll probably work in parallel, but I hope you won’t mind if I join you when my schedule allows it.”
“Of course, Dr. Nuri, I would like that.”
Chapter 37
Nahari’s conference room was filled to capacity, and the background buzz of whispers was incessant. Dan was huddling quietly with the members of the Talpiot team by his side, having determined that Itzik from MID would stay behind in the surveillance center, and would be relieved by one of the others if the meeting ran long. Dan emphasized that they could not afford to miss even one item of information. Dr. Deutsch looked relaxed while scrolling through his smart phone. Nahari and Gideon entered, their expressions solemn, and sat down at the head of the table. Noam, who was sitting next to Dan, sought out Gideon’s eyes, trying to convey that everything was all right and that no disaster had occurred.
“I convened this meeting,” Nahari began dryly, “in order to clarify what happened and what didn’t happen in the course of the operation conducted in distant Vietnam. Gideon, if you please.”
The preparatory meeting conducted one-on-one in Nahari’s office had not been easy for Gideon or for Nahari. Nahari was not happy; the showdown with the team led by the Palestinian Nimer was far from being a success story. Gideon did not ignore the unsuccessful aspects of the operation, but noted that important information had been obtained. He agreed that there was room for a fearless analysis of the reasons for the failure.