by Dale Brown
plain huge." The other men nodded. It was a war machine with which they
all had had very personal experiences. For all of them who flew it,
they recalled times when the B-52, seemingly all at once, had tried to
kill them and had saved them-such was the nature of that black monster.
It was a killing machine that demanded one hundred percent from every
man who touched it. Masters stared at the plane and commented on its
size, but it had not taken any part of him yet-these two entities, the
young scientist and the metallic black monster, were probably born about
the same time. For the others, it had affected their lives forever. The
group fell silent as Fusco turned around and headed back to the
Sixty-fifth Strategic Squadron building. On the way back, Stone's aide,
Krieg, turned to Elliott and asked, "Did you fly Arc Light, sir?"
"Two years, " Elliott replied. "Sixty-one sorties. Took an 5A-2
missile in the shorts and bailed out over the South China Sea in 1968. I
might've even flown Old 100 a few times. But I wouldn't know. I never
really saw the machines, you see. Instead, I saw the men-wondering
whether the machine was going to let them live... or die. God, this
brings back memories. None of them pleasant, Elliott added to himself.
In his opinion, they had had the power to end the Vietnam War five years
earlier. By conducting heavy bombing and harbor-mining missions in
1972, they had forced an end to the war, but by then it was too late.
The American people had had enough of it, and "Vietnamization" and
"withdrawal with honor"and, ultimately, defeat-were preferable to
nightly news reports of mounting casualties. There was something to be
learned here, Elliott thought, and after a few sobering minutes thinking
about the men he M knew that had died in the Vietnam War, he was glad
Fusco had brought them to the Arc Light Memorial before this new
Philippine operation started. America had devastating air power back
then, Elliott thought-just as now. They controlled the skies over North
Vietnam, they controlled the harbors, they neutralized the NVA Air Force
and ultimately defeated the dense antiaircraft defenses-but they still
lost the war. They lost the Vietnam War because the decision to employ
America's massive air forces was delayed and canceled and "committeed"
and "staffed" to death. Although he did not have a direct role in the
Philippine operation, and was not in the operational chain of command,
Elliott knew that it was his duty to see that those mistakes did not
happen again. They had the power to control the escalation and force
their will on the Chinese and anyone else involved in this crisis-they
had to take the lead. They had to formulate a clearly defined,
obtainable objective in this crisis and do everything in their power to
achieve that objective. And it had to be done quickly. THE WHITE HOUSE
OVAL OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D.C. 28 SEPTEMBER 1994, 0712 HOURS LOCAL (29
SEPTEMBER, 2012 GUAM TIME) It was very early in the morning for a White
House meeting, but President Lloyd Emerson Taylor had been up for two
hours and had been fully briefed on the progress of the military
operations in the Philippines. He was receiving his first official
visitor of the day: Hao Sun Yougao, Chinese ambassador to the United
States. This meeting had been called two days earlier, and there had
been several meetings between Hao and Secretary of State Dennis
Danahall, but this was Hao's first appearance with the President of the
United States since the nuclear explosion. Almost everyone in Washington
liked Hao Sun Yougao. He was young, energetic, and had an infectious
smile that instantly put one at ease. But that smile was dim this day,
and the tension was palpable as Paul Cesare showed Hao to a seat and the
President took his. They were accompanied by Danahall, Secretary of
Defense Thomas Preston, and Attorney General Richard Benson, the
President's brother-in-law; Hao was accompanied by a young woman who was
introduced as his secretary and interpreter, should he require one; he
did not give her name. Tea was poured as the meeting began: "Ambassador
Hao, the silence from Beijing has us all concerned, " the President
said. "Premier Cheung has not contacted me directly, nor has he made
any public appearances since the disaster. The nuclear explosion near
the Philippines, your rapid mobilization of forces, and your actions in
the Philippines are cause for great concern in our country. Do you have
a message for this government or an explanation of your government's
plans to deal with the natural disaster and the political upheaval in
the Pacific?" Hao seemed to consider the question for a moment, although
all of the Americans in the room knew that he was a professional and had
probably rehearsed every conceivable question and every possible
response a dozen times in the past few days, preparing for this meeting.
With slow deliberateness, Hao replied, "Yes, Mr. President. Comrade
Cheung wishes to extend his warmest greetings to you. He is saddened
and distraught by the disaster that has occurred. He wishes to express
his sincere wish that peace be preserved at all costs."
"Very noble sentiments, Mr. Ambassador, " the President said
noncommittally, "ones that we all share, of course. But... you have
significant naval forces in the Philippines, you have mobilized
strategic forces, including nuclear-capable forces, throughout Asia, and
you seem to be on a wartime footing although the rest of the world is
not. Forgive me for being so blunt but, Mr. Ambassador, but what the
hell is going on?"
"Mr. President, I'm sure you realize the complicated, confused situation
we find ourselves in, " Ambassador Hao said. "The government of China
found itself torn between a monstrous event and the resultant threat to
our security, and the request for assistance that came because of the
incident. Our government had no choice but to act, in the hope that our
presence could help restore stability to the area and help calm a
destructive political situation."
"So you're saying that you have no desire to occupy portions of the
Philippines?" Thomas Preston asked the Chinese diplomat. "You will
remove your military forces from the Philippines once calm is restored?"
"I cannot say how our military forces will be deployed, Mr. Secretary,
now or in the future, " Hao replied sincerely, "simply because 1 do not
know this information. Mr. Ambassador, in my opinion the Chinese
military presence in the Philippines is destabilizing and unwarranted, "
the President said. "Trade, immigration, free passage, communications,
and political stability were all assured before your country's
intervention. Why does your government now feel it so necessary to
occupy parts of the Philippines?"
"I assure you, Mr. President, China occupies no part of the
Philippines..."
"I have information that states Chinese troops have occupied several
military bases in and around Manila and on the islands of Palawan and
Cebu. Is my information inaccurate?"
; "Mr. President, the Philippine government requested our assistance in
controlling an uprising by well-armed fanatical rebel troops, " Hao
replied. "Any action we took was at the specific request of the
Philippine government, in complete cooperation with that government-"
"With President Mikaso's permission?" the President interrupted. Hao
paused for a moment; the question obviously took him by surprise. "I
have received word, Mr. President, that President Mikaso is no longer in
power. I do not know any details of this. I am sorry, but I assumed
you had that information as well..."
"I have information that Mikaso is dead." Hao's Adam's apple bobbed
conspicuously, and his eyes grew wider as he said, "I do not know this,
Mr. President. Is it true?"
"My sources inform me that Mikaso was killed by Chinese soldiers, Mr.
Ambassador. Do you deny this?' Hao's face registered true surprise,
although it was uncharacteristically understated for the usually
animated Chinese liaison. "I cannot confirm nor deny this, Mr.
President. I have no wish to doubt your word, but I must be certain of
this."
"I am certain as I need to be, Ambassador Hao, " the President said. "I
have a great fear that your government, or your military, is ready to
occupy the Philippines for good. Tell me I am mistaken, Mr.
Ambassador."
"I may only offer assurances, Mr. President, " Hao said immediately.
"The Chinese are no threat to the United States, and we do not seek any
sort of confrontation whatsoever with any power. We are in the
Philippines at the request of the Philippine government, and we have the
right to offer aid and assistance in any manner consistent with our own
national interests. The Americans had troops in the Philippines for
nearly a century, as you well know, and no one dared question your right
to be there."
"That's because no foreign power saw our presence there as a threat, "
Thomas Preston said. "We were a force of regional stability-" "Against
the aggression and dominance of the Soviet Union, yes, " Hao said. "But
you opposed Chinese trade and national security interests as well,
something that hurt our efforts to grow and become part of the global
economy."
"I will not debate the effect of history on the development of China,
Mr. Ambassador, " the President said. "I will simply say the American
people are very worried about the actions your government is taking in
the Philippines, and they and the Congress want action." He paused to
let the import of his words sink in a bit; then: "I believe I can wait
no more than thirty days before taking direct action against China, Mr.
Ambassador."
"You already have two aircraft carrier battle groups in the Philippine
Sea, " Hao said, "and another approaching the Celebes Sea. The
Philippines are surrounded by American warships. Are you not already
taking substantial action?"
"The American people want to know when the Chinese will be leaving the
Philippines, Mr. Ambassador, " the President emphasized. "I want to
know the same thing. Do you have an answer?"
"My government did not inquire of you when you would be leaving Grenada,
or Panama, or Saudi Arabia. "Listen carefully, Mr. Ambassador . . ."
the President said with growing impatience. "I want to know what your
government's intentions are in the Philippines, and I haven't heard a
straight answer from you yet. Your government's actions have been
hostile and furtive, Ambassador, and I don't like it. For the past
twenty years, we've had a policy of openness and trust between our
countries. We consulted each other on important world matters. Ever
since the Tian'anmen Square massacre, your government has cut off most
communications with us. That breeds distrust and caution."
"Mr. President, I assure you, my government does not seek to disrupt
any ties with the Americans. "Don't tell me, show me. Nothing but your
actions will prove to me what your country's intentions are. But let me
tell you what I intend to do: "We will use all our available
intelligence resources to discover how many troops you have in the
Philippines, and we will begin a program to match, and then exceed, that
number. We may not succeed, but with cooperation from the Association
of South East Asian Nations and other countries we may come close. In
addition we will seek to surpass the number of warships you have in the
Philippines, and we'll sail those ships freely in international waters,
as close to your vessels as international law allows. We expect no
interference, but let m assure you that our warships will be authorized
to defends themselves to the maximum extent should there be any
threatening moves made against our forces. "I want the government of
China to make a public announcement clearly outlining your objectives
and plans for your actions in the Philippines; but in any case, I want
China to reduce the number of troops it has in the Philippines by
one-half within thirty days, unless a compelling reason is given why you
should remain. I also want Arturo Mikaso to be released from custody or
his body turned over to his family and let them as well as his close
advisers be released; and if it is found that Mikaso was killed by
Chinese soldiers, I want those responsible brought to trial. China does
not operate in a vacuum, Mr. Ambassador-you are responsible for your
actions. You cannot invent arguments for naked acts of aggression and
expect the rest of the world to play along." The rapid-fire flurry of
demands put Hao on the defensive. He glanced over at his aide to be
sure she was taking notes, then said in a flat voice, "My government
will make a full disclosure-"
"I should also advise you that this government views the sharp
escalation in offensive strategic forces in China a serious threat to
world peace and security; we see it as an unwarranted and belligerent
act that is clearly over and above any reasonable response to outside
military pressure, " the President interrupted. "I want China to reduce
the number of offensive strategic forces it has on alert and return to a
less threatening, more defensive posture. Otherwise the United States
and our allies will be forced to respond by increasing strategic force
postures as well. China will then be responsible for a serious military
escalation that will ultimately lead to disaster. "There should be no
doubt in your minds that we consider this Chinese military buildup in
the Philippines a threat to American national security interests, and we
will respond accordingly. You may take that message to your government."
The President sat back in his seat, paused for a few moments, then said,
"Do you have anything further for me, Mr. Ambassador?" The Chinese
ambassador to the United States remained impassive and stone-faced
throughout the President's allocution. "I will take your message to my
government immediately, " Hao Sun Yougao replied, "and convey your
requests and concerns to Comrade Cheung. . . personally."
"Personally?" Secretary of S
tate Dennis Danahall interjected,
exchanging a quick glance with the President and his advisers. "You've
been recalled?"
"I regret to inform you that I have, Mr. Secretary, Hao said. "The
situation obviously requires careful study and discussion, and it was
felt that these discussions should take place directly, in Beijing. With
your permission, my deputy charge will be available to serve you. The
Americans looked at each other with some surprise; this move was
completely unexpected. "Why is your government pulling you out?" the
President asked. "I'm sure you understand how this will appear in the
press, Mr. Ambassador, " Danahall said. "They'll jump all over this.
They'll see it as a prelude to a major conflict, perhaps war. "No one
wants war, Mr. Secretary, " Hao said. "We only seek peace, security,
and stability for all nations. But China has also been asked for
assistance, and in a region of the globe so important to us-and less
important to you, I feel-it is vital that we respond. My government
feels it is important that interference in our affairs be minimized
until the extent of the disruption in the Philippines can be properly
assessed." The President glared at Hao. "I hope your government
understands our side of this matter and responds quickly to our
requests, " he said to Hao. "In the meantime you know what we will be
doing." The President rose to his feet and Hao followed suit. "Joyous
wishes to you and to your family, Mr. President, " Hao said. The two
men shook hands, Hao bowing deeply from the waist, and he exchanged
greetings with the rest of the President's Cabinet members and departed,
escorted out of the Oval Office by Paul Cesare. When Hao was gone, the
Secretary of State turned to the President. "I can schedule
teleconferences with the British Foreign Minister immediately, sir . .
"Do it, " the President replied. "Get the 'leadership' together for a
luncheon meeting if you can; if not, schedule a few hours this afternoon
for briefings." Danahall departed, leaving the President with his