Islamic State: England

by John Morris

  “Well, it started as the Common Market, but then became the ECC, and now the EU.”

  “That is correct for the uneducated, which you are not. What form of financial policy do they practice?”

  “Capitalism.”

  “No. You are quite wrong in that belief. They practice 'Monnetarism', usually re-branded as Monetarism. It’s an inside joke the bureaucrats love. The founder of modern Europe is Jean Monnet, and he foresaw a united Europe, run by a technocracy, elections and referendums to be avoided at all costs. It’s the same political theory Hitler used, except he changed it to being one man in charge. The modern EU has no one in charge, and it is out of control.

  “In summary, Capitalism is mostly found in democratic countries, and is focused on trade, often free trade, and subject to market forces. Profit is the key motivation. The will of the people is paramount. Shareholders, directors, governments even, are held accountable for their actions. Some for the profit return on investment, but also by the general public. A rogue or cheating company will soon go out of business, as will one that ignores ethical trading.

  “By contrast, the popular Monetarism is focused solely on money, as the name implies: profit. It pays scant regard to business morals and trading ethically. The only important thing is that the bosses earn as much money as possible. An example: the government prints money to keep the banks and large institutions healthy, while the pensions of ordinary people are underfunded. Instead of pumping the money in, they increase the pension age so people have to work into their seventies and the government save on pension payments. The printed money could go to top that up, or pay for a proper health service, but no. Money for the bosses is their only concern.

  “Monnetarism is concerned with the creation of a super state, where nobody is in charge. All trade is regulated, as are the everyday lives of the population. In essence, it is a degree more left wing than Communism. Read Orwell’s book. This technocratic system can survive in both communist and capitalist systems, but not in a dictatorship, unless, like Hitler, the leading technocrat takes absolute power.”

  Thunder rumbled and lightening cracked outside, as Sinjun began pacing the room. “So how does this relate to our current state of affairs?

  “Simple. Within the coming week, Luxembourg and Belgium will become Islamic States, and introduce Sharia Law. This means that the social structures and restrictions we have been subject to under Monnetarism, will now be adapted and become new edicts under Sharia Law. The bureaucracy is already in place, as are the EU conduits, to make it so.”

  “Sinjun, this is a nightmare. I had not thought about it so deeply.”

  “It is the likely outcome, Dan. I would expect some of the bureaucracy behind the EU project, to be dead within twenty-four hours. ISIL will laud over the world, their capture of Europe, now their Caliphate.

  “Oh, and to give you the whole picture, the EU is a project of the UN, who want to rule the world using the same doctrine, one Germany conceived before the end of The Great War.”

  “Sinjun, I already know much of what you just said is true. The United States of ISIL. Caliphate Western Europe. I bet those imbeciles in Brussels never saw that one coming. We need to put the ‘Great’ back into Britain. It will no doubt fall to us, to stop World War Three––which appears to have already begun. I’ll catch you next time. Thank you.”

  Chapter 44 ~ Prelude to War

  Dan spent Thursday morning finalising his projections of likely events, and the afternoon with the Chiefs of Staff, as a guest monitoring their war games. The battle area had been quickly prepared, and wooden constructions marked positions of structures, the full size marked by white lines, represented buildings and places of importance.

  Advance troops went in on the ground, and later by helicopter, after all communications had been taken out, including cell relay towers. Whenever a problem became apparent, or things did not go quite to plan, Sir Jack or another, would comment, suggest changes, and ask for military options. Sir Jack concluded by telling the small assembly, “We’ll have the Harriers covering some of those problems for the real thing. Other area will require further attention to detail.”

  Dan had planned to leave shortly after the game was done, but was asked to stay by Sir Jack. They held a full debrief with the unit commanders, before retiring to the now empty command room.

  Sir Jack began, “We now have fifteen Harriers ready for action, with another six on the way. How’s it going with the Navy?”

  “Very well, Sir Jack. We never actually mothballed two squadrons of Tornados, and are having them made ready. They will be serviceable, if nowhere near approved standard. We Chiefs have all moved to ‘war ready’ status, the lowest category of combat readiness.”

  “Commendable. Continue.”

  “We also have two squadrons of the latest Harriers, two of Jaguars, and one of Phantoms that will require more work. We are aiming to get as many planes and ships into the theatre of war as possible. Our recently retired Sea King helicopters are still serviceable, and we have several Chinooks also being readied.

  “We are mobilising gunboats. Much of the fleet is also being recalled. I thought to deploy a destroyer or two in the lower reaches of the Thames, and other major cities. They will be of the latest specification, able to take down enemy war planes. We’ll call it ‘war games’ again.

  “With your permission, I plan to put our aircraft on three aircraft carriers. The two new ones, plus HMS Illustrious, recently retired from service, but still capable, given a crew. That is my only problem.

  “To cover as many bases as possible, we have also re-commissioned the old Trident fleet of submarines, as well as other submarines, and are fitting all with a range of non-nuclear ballistic missiles and torpedoes. The nuclear deterrent will not be affected. These will be deployed to take out enemy reinforcements by sea, and supply bases either in this country, or overseas.”

  “Bravo. And the Army?”

  “We are a skeleton of what we should be, but we have stopped all premature retirements. We are contacting recently retired men at arms to take up duty again, and have plans in place to bring back as many troops as possible from foreign countries.”

  Sir Jack said, “This must be kept news dark. If word gets out, either to our own government or the terrorists, we’ll be up shit creek without a paddle.”

  “That is our modus operandi, Sir. I have a team in place making personal calls, occasional visitations. I have also upped recall of marines and special forces, so we have enough troops to take out these Islamic airbases. I am counting on backup from the SAS and the SBS.

  “There will be great demand for artillery. Again, serviceable vehicles, mainly howitzers and light tanks, are being prepared. We also have mobile SCUD units, and are ready to deploy anti aircraft and anti- missile batteries at your command. In brief, all offensive, defensive, transport, and auxiliary units are being put on standby. Some are at best, ‘War serviceable’.

  “As a fourth operation, we are mobilising helicopters, especially the Lynx, of which many were put into storage for sale. They will ferry troops, and also field hospitals. We have medics on standby to provide immediate emergency cover in situ. We will need them all, as well as troops, on the streets of England.

  “That we cannot manifest until the threat is made real is a major concern, Sir Jack.”

  “Yes, it is to all of us, but we can do nothing until the government either responds to the threat, or is destroyed. Only then can we act. I will notify the Queen, and the Prime Minister on the morning of the day of attack, which we now know thanks to Commander Glover here. I hope the PM gives permission for us to act, and I know we are all drawing up a secondary plan, should that be the case. I doubt that will happen, nobody has believed us so far.

  “Thank you Field Marshal. It is good we are all doing the best we can under most trying circumstances. Air Marshal, regards the RAF?”

  “In addition to your own preparations, Sir Jack, I’m also bringing
some mothballed Tornados back into service, if unofficially. We are readying Jaguars, Phantoms, and anything that will be able to fly in time, and fitting what weapons we can. Because of third party concerns, especially Russia seeking advantage, I have put the Nimrod back into active service, the first should be in the air by tomorrow evening.”

  “We have also notified the USAF bases, but they are giving us the cold shoulder. Their standard response is that they have appropriate cover. I doubt they do.”

  Dan spoke for the first time. “So, they are our Achilles heel.”

  “Dan, you should not be here, but I made an exception, because you have been following this from the beginning, and without you and your team’s efforts, we would still be in the dark. Have you any comments, something to add?”

  “Thank you, Sir Jack. I am aware the USAF moved many of their aeroplanes to Germany, to counter any Russian threat, but they still maintain several bases in Blighty. What if one or more of those were overrun. I agree with you, they have zero idea what is coming. This is your problem, so let me move on.

  “The response of all three services is admirable, and I just wish our own civilian security services were as receptive. Were we able to take these fanatics out before they attack, the result would save many thousands of lives. You will all have read my own, and my team’s reports, so I won’t go over old ground.

  “Regards Blighty, not only do we need to take out all centres under Islamic control today, but also those that will be tomorrow. We are expecting many towns, counties, and some cities, to declare for the governorate of ISIL, after, or just before the main attack begins. This will paralyse reaction and emergency services.

  “We expect Bristol, and at least one other major airport to be taken out, probably Gatwick because it is the easier target from a military point of view, and closer to the continent. Heathrow is the prime target regards prestige. When in control, they may use the airports to bring in more troops and arms, from anywhere in the world.

  “Alternatively, suicide teams might fly incumbent commercial aircraft into other targets, not identified, and not necessarily in UK. Like New York, they will use our own resources, our own aircraft, against us.

  “And that brings me to my next point. We will have no allies. I expect both Luxembourg and Belgium to be pronounced Caliphates. The EU in Brussels will be liquidated. There will be no survivors, and probably likewise in Strasbourg too. Expect all European Member parliaments to be taken out, along with their civil service. We will stand alone, again.

  “There is one more thing. Sinjun came up with something that has me deeply concerned. What would be the outcome if the Turkish government were taken out, and all borders, except to Russia, opened? I will leave you with that disquieting thought.”

  Sir Jack said, “Thank you, Dan. That was most incisive. I want all of you here to remember these words, because without us standing firm, for the third time in one hundred years, Europe is lost, this time to Islam. ‘We are putting the Great back into Britain’.”

  Everybody stood and shouted the words. A pact had been made. Sir Jack looked at Dan and said, “Is there anything else?”

  Dan replied, “No Sir, except to say that my home has a field suitable for landing Harriers and helicopters, if you have need of a forward base. I am also available to fly a Harrier, should you end up with more aircraft than pilots. Good day Sirs, and thank you.”

  Dan called work before he departed, and caught up with Alison, then rang Felicity. He faced a long flight, and needed to take on fuel before returning home. Later, he discovered Felicity had cooked shepherd’s pie, which was keeping warm in the oven. It was delicious, moreish, and he managed two large platefuls, before dozing off in the armchair. She gentled him to bed, and he slept like a log.

  Dan was back on best form in the morning, telling Felicity what he could about his adventures and preparations for war. He also shared his concerns. “We did well last weekend, and starting tomorrow, attacks will increase dramatically. My problem is, we cannot continue to prevent all attacks from Lillyworth Moor. I’m surprised they haven’t already smelled a rat.”

  “Then stick one of your team, or Bude, on identifying other attacks. Ask Tim to create an algorithm to detect possible cars, and run it through traffic cameras via GCHQ. You tell me this is a threat to the very fabric of our nation, so act as if it is.”

  “Words of wisdom. Thank you. I’ll action that in a moment, and see how many lives we can save during the coming week. This is going to be hell for ordinary people, and a media frenzy for the reporters.”

  In the event, Dan and Alison securely disseminated the nature of the typical attack vehicle to all agencies and police forces. It was marked secret, and to be actioned discretely by those in charge. The brief included short video footage of various strikes they had on file.

  Dan kept in close contact with his Director, and the leaders of antiterrorist forces: the NCA, Met, and also with MI5. The strikes began late on Friday afternoon, presumably after Muslim prayers and meetings concluded. They followed the plan from Manchester. First a strike out of town, drawing in responders, followed by a second strike, seemingly cutting them off from their base, then a third strike at the heart of the city.

  The police camera operators had some success, as did GCHQ, and one third of strikes were thwarted. To begin with, the strikes appeared to be random, and Dan commented, “I believe they are letting the local teams do what they will. We will pass on forty percent of our information regards threats originating from Lillyworth Moor. To do otherwise would lead to great suspicion, and prevent our final play.”

  Late on Saturday, Dan asked the team to work twenty-four hours, and all time off was cancelled. He moved back into the pub, and began the first night watch with Veronica. She would continue to cover the night shift until the main threat was realised.

  Percy went home, but returned later that evening with Ben. He had answered the call of duty, and would assist Veronica during the night. That night they taught him what to do and look for. Dan insisted he sleep at the inn, in relative luxury.

  As it emerged, target cities and infrastructure were hit in a series of blows, mainly between 10:00 and 22:00 hours. Ben became extremely busy in the quiet hours, monitoring aircraft and vehicles, that were moving people and equipment into position for the next day’s attacks.

  From the diary Dan had photographed, he had expected the attacks to calm down on Wednesday, but they seemed to increase. He surmised, “Obviously those plans had not been finalised when I read the entries. In that case, expect everything to get worse.”

  And it did.

  During those days, trust between their team, the NCA, Met, and MI5 increased dramatically, as did their joint collaboration and response. GCHQ became more central in defining terrorist threats, and Dan handed over speed camera monitoring of Lillyworth Moor to them.

  During that week, Dan’s team became the foremost reporting centre for correlation and dissemination of information about possible terrorist strikes. Much intelligence was provided by GCHQ; the teams role, to provide appropriate response. They were busier than ever, often working with several threats, and police forces concurrently.

  Dan realised the team were at times suffering an information deluge, and pertinent facts of the moment were not to hand. “Alison, can you set up a feed? Something like a ticker-tape, and send it to the main screen.”

  Moments later, Alison sent the feed, and said, “Is this what you want? Percy, can you add the info? I have too much on.”

  Dan said, “This is still a mess. I need a box of ticker-tape for each threat we are following, so everybody in this room, at a glance, can see the current state of play.”

  “I’m on in … there, that do for you? It is much clearer now.”

  “Perfect Alison. We do not have enough people. One minute.”

  Dan went downstairs, and came back with Sinjun. “…As you’ll see, we are critically short staffed. I need you to input info into the ticker-t
ape boxes, and help us follow events. Not what you signed up for, but what is required of you. I need a new info box with breaking news, that of the major kind––things outside of our knowledge or control. Europe.”

  “No problem, Dan. We are a team, and we are all in this together.”

  Dan spoke to Linda at the NCA, before recalling Martin. He called his Director, who told him to make do with what he had.

  Dan stated, “Director, with all due respect, we do not have enough people to deal with this. I have recalled Martin, have Ben on nights, and we are still two people short. This country is facing the biggest threat to its sovereignty since ten sixty-six, and you expect me to provide prime service with a skeleton staff. Shame on you!” Dan cut the call.

  Early on Thursday morning, the Director walked into Dan’s control room, and found stressed out people trying to cover too many angles. After a briefing she said, “I will make available a small team back in London. They will support you as if they were in this room. Alison, please connect with them using your old station access node. You will have a team of three, two on days, one on nights. Dan, are you sure the main strike will be tomorrow?”

  “Positive, Ma’am. Today the attacks are taking on a slightly different pattern, although the suicide contingent seems to be continuing as normal. You see how many of these attacks are aimed at isolating Muslim communities. They are creating no-go areas, and taking over communities. This is becoming widespread across the whole of UK.

  Alison spoke up. “They’ve just hit Bristol council with Sarin, there are few left alive. Attacks in urban areas have increased.”

  Dan spoke to the Director. “There you have it Ma’am. By tomorrow, each of these communities will become a Govenorate. The communities will co-join, and we will be faced with an impossible choice. Kill the Muslims, or allow their self-proclaimed caliphate.”

  “I need to return to London. Good work Dan, I knew I could always rely on you. I have others irons in the fire I must attend. Ciao.”