by Uzi Eilam
Fakari had not limited himself to reports of the missions, but had included a detailed description of the lascivious parties his manager had conducted with the Malaysian general. Dr. Fakari skillfully played the part of dedicated, loyal assistant, concealing his joy in anticipation of the blow awaiting his rigid boss in Tehran.
“I suppose the Leader wants to hear directly from me about the missions we’re about to carry out here,” Ja’afari replied with a certainty he did not possess. “Please complete your report on the actions we’ve carried out so far, emphasizing our achievements. There’s no need to dwell much on the setbacks we’ve experienced,” he quickly added.
“I’ll make sure to fulfill all your requests, sir,” Fakari answered. “Everything will be carried out.”
“I’m not done, Dr. Fakari,” Ja’afari interrupted his assistant, who appeared too smug. “I’m removing the confidentiality restraints regarding the special operation we’ve planned with General Razek, and ask that you document all its details in writing and add this topic to the file I’ll be taking with me to the meetings in Tehran.”
“The major attack? Even though we haven’t decided on all the details yet?”
“Didn’t you hear me?” Ja’afari interjected. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Uhm… No, sir. It’s just…”
“Just put the plan in writing and include it in the file. I want to see all the material within the hour.”
“Yes, sir,” Fakari whispered, his head bowed, and left the room.
***
The hours that Ja’afari spent on the Iran Air flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tehran seemed like an eternity to him. The flight attendants tried to pamper the famous general with food and drinks, to no avail. He browsed Fakari’s report again and again, memorizing the sequence of attacks that he and Razek had come up with. The plan seemed complex to him, combining an element of cyber warfare with suicide attacks in Singapore. He knew they did not have the capability to set it in motion immediately but hoped to impress the Supreme Leader with its future prospects.
The car sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was waiting by the jet bridge, and two minutes after the plane came to a stop, Ja’afari was already on his way to the Supreme Leader’s offices. He entered the office with his heart beating wildly and, for a moment, he stopped breathing when he noticed Suleimani already sitting in the Leader’s conference room. He summoned all his reserves of self-control and extended his hand to the man who had taken over his position as commander of the Revolutionary Guard. The Leader’s personal secretary greeted Ja’afari warmly, saying the Leader would arrive shortly. Suleimani did not initiate a conversation with Ja’afari, occupying himself with browsing a folder with a red cover.
“Welcome, General Ja’afari,” the Leader said softly as he entered the room and sat down in an armchair. Ja’afari knew this mildness should not deceive him. The Supreme Leader, chosen for the role some time ago, was known for his forcefulness and the firmness with which he conducted all the roles he had filled in the past. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
Ja’afari bowed his head, wondering bitterly whether there had been any possibility of refusing the Leader’s summons.
“Can you update us on the latest developments in Southeast Asia?” the Leader continued.
“Thank you, sir, I’ll do my best,” Ja’afari replied, opening the file prepared by Dr. Fakari.
The following hour proved to be a nightmare. After each chapter of the report that Ja’afari reviewed, Suleimani was given the right to retort. The folder with the red cover was a masterpiece of claims contradicting the picture that Ja’afari was attempting to present. He continued to describe one event after the other, while Suleimani continued to contradict his data and establish his accusations. Ja’afari couldn’t understand how the commander of the Revolutionary Guard was privy to all the intimate details of his life. He didn’t know that his “loyal” assistant, Dr. Fakari, was responsible for both the file he was using for his review and for the materials in the file. The main conclusion of Suleimani’s claims was a global condemnation of Ja’afari as the person responsible for the failure of the plans to attack Singapore.
“We must not continue failing,” Suleimani claimed, raising his voice. “The exposure of our methods of operation to the enemy is unforgivable. We’ve also disappointed our great ally, China, who made special efforts on our behalf following General Ja’afari’s request for aid in the field of cyber. Planning sophisticated attacks in Singapore did not enable us to come up with means of taking action against Israel and the United States,” Suleimani proceeded ruthlessly. “There’s no choice, sir, but to cease all activity in the area and appoint a new team that will come up with a different action plan.”
“I believe, sir, that we’ve learned our lesson from the setbacks we experienced,” Ja’afari said, his voice strangled. “We have good plans, and I can prove it.”
The Supreme Leader gazed at Ja’afari first before turning to Suleimani. He closed his eyes, appearing to be deep in prayer. To Ja’afari, the absolute silence seemed to last an eternity.
“Let’s hear what you’re proposing,” the Leader decreed in his soft voice.
The next few minutes were the longest and most difficult in Ja’afari’s life. He described the new plan, dwelling on all its components and analyzing its chances of success without ignoring the risks.
“General Ja’afari, I accept your recommendation to continue with the current line of action,” the leader declared, his voice still soft. “And you, General Suleimani, must assist in any way required to ensure that the impressive plan that Ja’afari has laid out for us here will indeed be carried out.”
The Leader rose and left the room without shaking the generals’ hands. They, in turn, exited separately, without exchanging a word. Ja’afari felt wiped out, almost unable to move. He gazed at his nemesis Suleimani, who left the room with his face flushed and his lips pursed.
Ja’afari ordered the driver waiting for him to head straight for the palace of the president of the republic. The security team at the entrance to the president’s office knew the general, who was allowed to enter the president’s room immediately.
“What a surprise!” the president called out at the sight of his friend. “What brings you to Tehran? I didn’t know you were in town.”
“I arrived today after being summoned by the Supreme Leader. The meeting at his office just ended. I had to give an overview of our activity carrying out attacks in Singapore, and Suleimani was the only one present. He set up a nasty, effective trap for me, trying to convince the Leader that it was necessary to put a stop to all our activity in Singapore.”
“Really? I didn’t know a thing about this! I see you’re holding the report you prepared. Could you leave it with me? I’ll go over it and see what I can do.”
“I’ll leave the document with you, my friend, but pay attention to the last chapter, which describes the major plan of attack that I presented to the Leader. He authorized it, despite Suleimani’s objections, and gave me another chance to prove our abilities.”
“Ahhh…that’s better,” the president said, examining his friend’s expression.
The president canceled his planned meetings in order to dedicate more time to his conversation with the man who had been his friend since the days of the Iraq War. He made note of some areas in which he could assist General Ja’afari and contribute to the success of his Singapore attack plan.
***
“We’ve got authorization from the Supreme Leader,” Ja’afari told Fakari, whom he had summoned the moment he arrived at the embassy from the airport.
“Really? With no problems?” Fakari played innocent, after having already received the information from Suleimani.
“Yes, that was the Leader’s decision, and we’ll prove to everyone that we can succeed.” Ja’afari tried
to project optimism.
Fakari concealed his disappointment over the failure of Suleimani’s plan to depose the ambassador. “So what’s the next stage?”
“Tomorrow, Fakari, first thing in the morning, we’ll convene in General Razek’s office to tie up all the loose ends of ‘Thunder from Heaven’ and… oh, right, I want you to work your magic and withdraw $50,000 for me from the deposit in Singapore’s central bank.”
“I’ll take care of all of that immediately, sir.”
General Ja’afari did not stay in his office for long. He asked his administrative assistant to connect him to General Razek, setting up an appointment with him for tomorrow morning. Razek was happy to hear of the Supreme Leader’s authorization of “Operation Thunder from Heaven” and promised to place all his people at their disposal to handle the preparations.
Chapter 41
Gideon was already at the Shangri La Hotel, preparing for a quiet evening after a busy day, when General Tan’s administrative assistant contacted him. An urgent consultation was required, she reported, and the general was asking Gideon and Dan to come to his office as soon as possible.
Dan was still in his “war room” at the National Security Institute’s labs when Gideon came to pick him up. Dan told him that he had spent a long time, that afternoon, updating the head of the Counter Intelligence Division on his findings regarding the communications of bank employee Muhammad Osman with a phone number in Kuala Lumpur. This sequence of communications had deepened Dan’s suspicions, he told Gideon, and the consultation in Tan’s office was probably related to the central bank employee.
When the two entered Tan’s office, they found the head of the Counter Iintelligence Division, Dr. Cheng Mei, and Tan—both looking solemn.
“I’m hearing about some worrisome findings from the Counter Intelligence Division,” Tan began. “It concerns the lead we got from Dan about communication between an employee of our central bank and Kuala Lumpur.”
“In the last few days, we’ve focused on monitoring Mr. Muhammad Osman, an employee of the central bank, and found further reinforcement of the suspicions Dan brought to our attention several days ago,” the head of the division said. “We knew Osman had relayed the false information about our preparations to defend the subway system to Kuala Lumpur. He swallowed the bait, and now we’re sure he’s serving Malaysia. We know Osman traveled to Kuala Lumpur for two days, supposedly for a family visit.”
“What additional information have you received in the last few days, Dan?” Tan asked.
“I’m convinced, Tan, that Osman is in ongoing contact with someone from Malaysia’s Royal Intelligence Corps. It’s no longer a suspicion but a certainty. It’s unclear to us if Osman’s activity is confined to bank matters or branches out to include other domains as well. So far, we haven’t managed to find out if and how Osman is obtaining information from task force meetings.”
Gideon rejected the disturbing thought that Ronit Hart might be involved in some way. He remembered that Ronit had told him how Osman had been the one that first helped her find her place at the bank. Gideon decided to ask Dan to check the accumulated information for any mention of Ronit’s name in connection with any irregular activity.
“I suggest we arrest the man immediately. The information he relayed about the preparations for defending the subway system definitely incriminates him,” Gideon said.
“Gideon is right,” Chang Mei said. “We have enough well-founded information to justify Muhammad Osman’s arrest. With this type of information, there’s no need to receive court authorization for the arrest,” she added.
“Have the man arrested, and begin the interrogation immediately, using all the means at your disposal,” Tan instructed the head of the Counter Intelligence Division, who rose and turned to leave. “Please update me regularly,” Tan added. “And you, Dan, keep collecting information on Osman, and keep the investigators posted.”
“Dan still hasn’t reported on the material that’s arrived over the last couple of days. Preparations for a major terrorist attack appear to be progressing at an alarming rate,” Gideon said.
“Well then, why don’t we hear an organized report from Dan?” Chang Mei said. “I understand this is more than just a theory.”
“I’m noting increased communication within Kuala Lumpur and between Ja’afari, the Iranian ambassador, and Razek, head of the Malaysian Royal Intelligence Corps. There’s also communication between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, and I’m pretty sure Muhammad Osman is in the loop, too.”
“But do you actually know what they’re planning to attack, Dan?” Tan didn’t conceal his concern and uncertainty.
“They’re calling the new attack mission ‘Thunder from Heaven,’ and I’m still not entirely clear on what it includes. I’ve noticed Ja’afari’s assistant, Dr. Fakari, making some serious preparations for cyber attacks. But at the same time, I’m also seeing preparations for car bomb attacks similar to those we managed to thwart not long ago. I think both General Razek and Ambassador Ja’afari would like to carry out a traditional attack using explosives. But maybe,” he added after thinking it over, “that’s meant as a distraction.”
“What’s this Dr. Fakari aiming for?” Chang Mei asked. “What are the goals of the cyber attacks?”
“I’m not a hundred percent sure, Dr. Cheng Mei, but we have to give it some thought and prepare for the worst.”
“They didn’t mention the central bank?” Gideon couldn’t refrain from asking. “In any case, we should receive some information from Osman’s interrogation as soon as possible so we know to what extent the central bank is also in the sights of the cyber terrorists. Let me remind you, Tan, that an incident concerning accounts emptied at the central bank took place recently, and we haven’t heard a word about the results of the investigation from the cyber defense team that the bank established.”
“I didn’t see any references to the bank in my system,” Dan said. “However, I did notice that they’re still very preoccupied with attacks on the container terminal. Using the IOT array, we recently managed to deflect an attempt to hack the computers controlling container conveyance, but I think this is still a high-priority subject with them. I have a portion of a communication that refers to an attack on the container terminal as a pilot.”
“A pilot? For what purpose? This is new to me!” Tan exclaimed.
“My understanding, General Tan, is that Iran intends to use an attack on the container terminal as a means to achieve the capability to smuggle terrorists into the United States and Israel. They intend to combine the use of cyber means and traditional methods of attack utilizing weapons and explosives.”
Dan added that the Iranians had decided to call the plan to attack the container terminal “the new tunnel project.” They believed the United States had been supporting Israel by offering it advanced technology to detect tunnels in the Gaza Strip and in southern Lebanon, both while they were being constructed and in later stages. The Iranians viewed the containers as a means of smuggling terrorists into the United States as well.
“That explains their insistence on carrying out an attack on the port, Tan,” Gideon said, “and heightens the importance of enhancing the sensor array there as a defense measure.”
“I hear from the heads of our industries,” Chang Mei chimed in, “that they’ve managed to accelerate their rate of manufacturing the sensors and the ‘wasps.’ Dan, what’s your current assessment of our ability to protect our most important targets?”
“It’s starting to look good, Dr. Chang Mei. We now have the ability to simultaneously activate two small swarms of ‘wasps.’ The number of static sensors now allows us to install a protective IOT firewall at the airport’s control center. But we don’t have enough means to protect the banks, the subway system, or the electrical grid. In cases of emergency, we could enhance our defense of those infrastructure facilities within a
minute or two by flying a swarm of ‘wasps’ to the location under attack.”
“I want to hear more about the two generals’ strategy, Dan,” Tan said. “And more than that, about the connection to Iran, on the one hand, and China on the other. Where are they heading?”
In the exclusive company of those close to him, Tan did not hesitate to reveal his insecurity and his fear of the unknown. Chang Mei knew how to support him through difficult moments, while he perceived Gideon and Dan as true personal friends, the kind who could be relied upon in any threatening situation.
“Allow me to address the strategic point of the pilot,” Gideon replied. “We’ve talked about it, Dan and I, and I’ve also heard assessments from the Israeli defense agencies.”
“This is important, Gideon, speak up!”
“You here in Singapore,” Gideon began, “are a secondary target.”
“What does that mean? These are actual terrorist attacks we’re talking about! We’ve already seen car bombs targeting the American and Israeli embassies, and first attempts at cyber attacks.”
Tan was still processing the information Dan had just shared about an Iranian pilot program at the container terminal. He considered it his duty to focus primarily on the actual threat that Singapore was facing.
“That’s true, but from the perspective of the aggressor superpowers, Iran and China, the strategic targets are the United States and Israel. The terrorist attacks here, General Tan, are an experiment on a scale that they believe will grant them the capability to carry out attacks against strategic targets in the future,” Gideon replied. “You should invite Deutsch to join us here. The reports from Osman’s interrogation will surely be coming soon.”