Prelude To War: World War 3 (Steve Case Thriller Book 1)

by Phillip Strang

  ‘The analysis of the Security Council believes that the threat of nuclear warfare, at least. initiation from Russia is a low possibility. Their nuclear arsenal is reduced, and they are pragmatic enough to realise that the moment they fire, the Americans would respond.’

  Archie spoke. ‘It is clear that there is one significant advantage to the Russians in entering Afghanistan that we do not have. They do not have to concern themselves with the Taliban, at least, as long as they are contained in the South.’

  ‘If what Archie is stating is correct, then they are certainly in a better situation than us. They will still have a major fight on their hands in the north, but they could possibly contain that with an excessive military force. Wouldn’t the cost of that be more than the minerals and oils that are found there?’ Fred asked.

  ‘It may well be, ‘George answered, ‘but Russia will not allow us to take Afghanistan. Whatever happens, we are committed to the plan. It is up to us as a team to maintain control of the situation as it evolves.’

  ‘There is one other consideration that we have not spoken of,’ Grace said. ‘The south of the country has one asset that the Russians do not want. They are not interested in electric cars, and therefore have no interest in lithium. As long as the Taliban leave them alone, that is all they want.’

  ‘Grace, you are right. The Russians would certainly beat them back with an iron fist to stop them interfering in the areas that they wanted. They would quite happily leave the Taliban to us. They may even assist them,’ Archie said.

  George wound up the meeting. ‘I would suggest that detailed analysis is conducted on what has been discussed here. We will meet next week to review.’

  Chapter 12

  The new office in Wall Street opened with the inevitable welcoming speeches. Fred made a short address outlining the importance of the work that was to be conducted, the long hours that would be expected and the need for secrecy.

  George, however, could not resist the hyperbole. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the new office. Fred has already spoken as to the importance of what we are doing here, let me add that we need to function in a different manner to the norm. Here, we must maintain an open-door policy, where all personnel are to be regarded as equals. We are after all one team moving forward on a momentous event in world history. Office politics has no place here, and everyone’s opinion is important.’

  How many times have I heard this? Office politics and closed doors always exist, and be careful where you offer your opinion, Ernie thought.

  HIs observations were to be proven in part correct. The office politics and the closed-door policy turned out to be much less than is usually found. Fred had secured his office with its commanding view, although he was not overly excited by all the procedures, governance and paperwork that were coming his way.

  Security was incredibly tight, and those in the office felt a sense of history. Of course, they couldn’t tell anyone out of the office as to what was transpiring, certainly not family or friends. Security clearance ended up being a painful process for the new hirings. A person may be the best in their particular area of expertise, but when the detailed and meticulous evaluation is conducted into their personal life, their business dealings, and their political beliefs, issues invariably arise that cause them to be rejected.

  Some, often the most surprising candidates based on their capable and professional work related manner, would be found to be philanderers, drunks, serial adulterers, or obsessive gamblers. Others would hold views of world politics that would be contrary to the view deemed acceptable to the Game. Being an all-round “idiot” in your personal life were not automatic exclusions, some would still be brought on board, some had skills that were vital.

  There was, unbeknown to all, a small group of people in the office who while carrying out their allotted tasks with the project in hand, would hold a secondary position. That of an undercover operative reporting on anyone who could be seen acting in a manner of concern, whose behaviour was changeable, out of the ordinary, and anyone who spent an inordinate amount of time talking to friends online, surfing websites with inappropriate religious and political views. Every phone call, computer, and conversation was being monitored. Secrecy was obsessive. Some people would be removed, sidelined, transferred, if they acted in an appropriate manner.

  Fred, ten pounds lighter, started to look healthier, the double chin almost gone.

  It was the new invigorated Fred who called Steve one week after the office had opened. ‘You need to be in New York next week. It will be extensive, and you should allocate at least seven days. The new equipment is complex, and your input is vital.’ Cryptic as it was, the meaning was clear.

  ‘Fine, I’ll be there.’

  ‘Please ensure that you focus on your preparation for your visit. You’re aware of what is required from you.’

  Steve was now in regular contact with Megan, and it appeared that the romance was back in full bloom. They had agreed to meet up on his next time out of Afghanistan, and this trip seemed an ideal opportunity.

  Steve’s trip to New York was uneventful apart from meeting up with Megan in Dubai. Three days rekindling their romance at the seven stars Burj Al Arab hotel in Jumeirah. It was always proclaimed as the most luxurious hotel in the world, and the cost reflected the reality. It had cost Steve close to a month’s pay, but it was worth it. Megan had flown back to Australia at the conclusion of the three days. Steve had taken Emirates over to New York. Bumped up to business class again, he was getting used to the luxury.

  ‘Fred, I would not have recognised you.’ Steve was initially shocked by the new and improved Fred.

  ‘Thanks, it’s been tough, but I must admit I feel great.’

  ‘Thanks for the upgrade to business class.’

  ‘That’s Okay, I will make sure that any future tickets will be issued business class, and I’ll endeavour to ensure that you get a few days spare on the way back from any of your visits to the States, cost and expenses covered.’

  I am assuming that there are to be some additional responsibilities which I may not be comfortable with. Uncle Sam is not known for its excessive generosity, thought Steve.

  Steve was impressed with the new office, although the security at the entrance was tedious. He had enjoyed the informality of his previous visits to the office, but they, unfortunately, belonged to the past. The conference room was also not expected, some very solid doors coupled with unusually thick walls, and he noticed that his mobile phone would not work.

  ‘Thanks for your attendance here today,’ Fred was to make the opening address. ‘It is indeed fortunate that Steve is here with us. I expect his visits to be more frequent over the next few months.

  ‘What we need to discuss is Archie’s intelligence gathering. It is detailed and comes with some risk. I will ask him to present now, and then later we can discuss the implementation. Archie Smyth as we all know is a retired Major General with many years of service with the British army. He is regarded as the best there is, in the intelligence gathering and subjugation of terrorist and extremist organisations.

  ‘Oliver Young, our specialist on the psychology and beliefs of terrorist, extremist and fundamentalist organisations, will present later.’

  Archie was a Machiavellian. He had realised that the idealistic solution to subduing the Taliban by the moderation of their organisation was not going to work. His ultimate solution was not going to be revealed at this gathering, it still remained too controversial. What his solution required was intelligence, intelligence at a depth and a level that had not been achieved before. He would use this forum to start that process.

  ‘Gentlemen, what we need is intelligence. Archie said. An excellent presenter, he could hold an audience. ‘To achieve our aims, we need to know where the key personnel are amongst the disparate groupings in the country, specifically the fundamentalists. Politicians and Warlords can be bought, the Taliban cannot.

  ‘My previous statement is proba
bly simplistic. Politicians and Warlords can be bought but not necessarily trusted, and certainly, any trust garnered will require increasingly larger sums of money. They are, however, not fuelled by religious fervour and ideology. You can make an agreement with the Taliban, and they will be condescending in their assurances, but it will be rhetoric on their part. Their religious ideology is paramount, and it is this ideology that allows them to break agreements, murder innocent bystanders, whether Muslim or Christian, and to treat women as no better than a goat.

  ‘The question is, if we cannot trust anybody, then how is it possible to control the country for our purposes. The answer is intelligence. We need to know where everyone is, and whether they are acting contrary to our interests.’

  It was an impassioned opening to a presentation. He required the intelligence, not so much for control, more for his ultimate solution. An ardent student of the fifteenth-century politician Machiavelli, he was definitely “old school” in his approach to dealing with rogue organisations. It was Machiavelli who argued that when the barbarian is attacking at the city gate, it is for the Christian ruler to be more barbarian than the barbarian. Archie appreciated the wisdom of the statement. It is fine to be idealistic and compassionate, but failing to take a single violent and immoral decision, will ultimately result in more senseless and bloody deaths of innocents. The Taliban was cancer, and it needed to be cut out.

  After retiring in his early fifties, he had gone on to sell his expertise and his methods to those who wished to pay. He was regarded as the best, and was often asked to speak to intelligence organisations, managing committees of large sporting events, organisers of large-scale political rallies on matters related to terrorism. Invariably groups in the more organised, more disciplined parts of the world, but he had no ethical dilemma in selling his skill, his knowledge, and his distinctive style of public speaking to all who wanted to hear, and of course, pay. In fact, the more dubious the country, the better they paid.

  He often remembered back to his early years in intelligence and his naivety. He was young and idealistic, and now he realised, completely wrong. In those days, it was the Soviets, but, at least, they followed some unwritten rules of intelligence gathering. Nowadays, it was religious fundamentalists, drug barons, and terrorists, and none of them had any rules or ethics. At least, no rules or ethics that made any sense.

  During his time in the Army, he had been seconded to the military forces of the British government’s allies to assist in the problems they were having. He had advised the British army in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. government over terrorist elements in Libya during Gaddafi’s time, and at one stage, he had spent time in Israel advising on how to counteract and minimise threats from over the borders surrounding their country. He had some regret over this. He wasn’t a sentimental or political person, he just saw that the Palestinians had been dealt a rough hand.

  ‘Let me reiterate, experience tells me that we need intelligence gathering at a level not achieved before. We cannot hope to control the situation otherwise.

  ‘Gentlemen, this level of intelligence has been attempted before. Certainly, repressive regimes, dictatorships have tried and shown some success. The Nazis tried, as did the Soviet Union during the darkest period of Stalinism. They all failed due to the extreme subjugation of the populace they professed to represent.

  ‘Failure can be found, even with governments that have attempted for more idealistic and honourable purposes, due to their inability to recognise fundamental principles. They have lacked the organisational skills, the pure good sense to see that any intelligence gathering agreement, financial or otherwise is sacrosanct. Others have failed due to corruption.

  ‘I am putting forward a formula that only a Western government with governance, procedure, financial funding and accountability, and with the basic inherent decency to treat people in the correct manner can achieve.

  ‘It is vital that before the Game commences that all persons of concern and their precise locations, from whichever organisation, religious, political, tribal is known.’

  It would be better if I kept the final plan to myself at this point in time, thought Archie.

  Archie continued, ‘Let us discuss the organisational structure. Steve is to my understanding, to be our primary person on the ground.

  ‘He will be based in Kabul and will take responsibility for the organisation and the information collecting that we intend to conduct. This is, by its nature a secretive and potentially dangerous activity. It is imperative that we provide Steve with the best security and protection possible.’

  Now I understand why the upgrades to business class, thought Steve.

  ‘We do have a significant number of persons undercover aligned with the U.S. and NATO intelligence services. As those militaries are slowly exiting the country, then I am proposing that we pass them over to Steve. Subject to the necessary agreements, this can commence as soon as possible. Steve would be reporting in to us, and obtaining the necessary information as we require.

  ‘I should assure Steve that he will be interfacing through trusted intermediaries, and he will never be fully cognisant as to whom we have in the field. This serves as better security for Steve and the operatives. The operatives have up to now focused on military objectives, now they will need to adjust their focus to data collection.

  ‘There is, I believe, about five hundred undercover operatives in the field now. That number will probably need to be bolstered up to closer to eight hundred. We should be able to recruit additional persons.

  ‘It is clear that some undesirables will slip through our screening net, and it remains important that minimal contract between operatives occur, no one will hold their tongue under torture from the Taliban. We will also be aiming at intelligence within the central government and the Warlords, but this will not be so critical. They can, at least, be bought with money.

  ‘Let us turn to casualties that are likely to occur. I calculate of the eight hundred in the field, at least ten percent will be captured, and of those, virtually all will lose their lives.’ Archie was pleased that he had outlined the first stage of his Taliban solution. He would wait for the military team to arrive before revealing its full scope.’

  ‘We should break for lunch before Oliver continues.’ Fred had just been made aware that the catering company had arrived. It was a salad for Fred.

  ‘You’ll slip through the cracks in the floor,’ joked Steve.

  ‘It’s unlikely, besides, there are no cracks in any floors, doors or ceilings. The walls are also fitted with the latest noise insulating materials, and you’ve already noticed that your phone will not work. Anyway, if there were cracks, I don’t think I’m ready to slip through just yet, maybe another six months,’ remarked Fred. He had never considered himself severely overweight when compared to others, thirty pounds at most, it was closer to sixty. He was now a major player in the Biggest Game in town, in time to be the Biggest Game in the World. He wanted to be at his best.

  Before the afternoon’s session commenced, Steve felt he should express concern over his position in Kabul. ‘I registered comments in Archie’s presentation that mentioned my presence in Afghanistan was to become more dangerous. Whereas I do not have a problem with a redefined job responsibility, I must have clarification as to how will I be protected.’

  ‘It is right for you to be concerned,’ Fred said. ‘It will increase the possibility of danger to yourself and those around you. We see you as a vital component in the events that are to transpire, and we need you onboard.’

  ‘I am just concerned as to the danger. I am aware of what happens to persons taken by the Taliban. Torture and violent death at their hands happens too often, and I have a healthy aversion to spending any quality time with them.’

  Later in the afternoon, Archie, Steve, and Fred got together to discuss what could be done to ease Steve’s concerns.

  ‘I will ensure that your security will be proportional to the risk,’ Archie sa
id. ‘You will need to be equipped with GPS tracking which you will need to wear at all times. There will also be two permanent surveillance personnel who will be tracking you from an appropriate distance. These will be locals that we have vetted and qualified to a suitable standard, for the protection of high-value expatriates.’

  ‘For my part,’ Fred added. ‘I will ensure a substantial salary increase with added tax concessions. Your life insurance policy will be substantially increased, and I will ask Archie to make sure that there is a rapid-response exit policy from the country in case of trouble.’

  ‘Then for my part, I believe that what you have both said is acceptable. There are however some conditions that I am not willing to compromise. They are in their nature minor, but I regard them as important.

  ‘In the event of my demise in Afghanistan, I will require my family in the States, and Megan, my girlfriend in Australia, to be informed as to what I was involved with in country. I realise the detail is subject to national security classification, and besides Megan has spent time in Afghanistan.’

  ‘I can see no issue with your request,’ Fred replied. He would have to run it past his superiors, but there seemed no reason why they would not agree.

  It was to be the next day before Oliver Young was given the chance to present. His speciality was the terrorist, extremist and fundamentalist organisations in the world, but in the last few years, it was invariably the Taliban that occupied his time.

  As he had given the presentation before, Oliver took the opportunity to once again reiterate. ‘The Taliban is not the sole area of concern. Warlords, regional leaders, tribal elders, police, military and members of the Afghan government are not to be assumed as totally reliable, and even if agreements are in place with these key players, it is wrong to assume that the minor players are also under control. Village rivalries and intrigue will continue unabated.

  ‘It may be in time, that you will come to trust certain individuals and groups but in the initial stages, trust no one. That may be harsh, but it is best to err on the negative. It’s certainly a lot safer.’