by Jim Plautz
Ambre was playing her second match of the morning against one of the Saddlebrook teaching pros, a former #1 player from Duke University. Ambre had just broken serve again to take a 4-1 lead in the second. “You are looking real good, girl,” a voice said from behind her. The voice was familiar.
Ambre turned and saw the famous Martina Hingis smile. “Care to hit some this afternoon?” Martina asked. “It looks like you are in a little better shape than you were in Nice,” Martina added in a friendly way.
“Two o’clock, bring your A-Game,” Ambre answered with a grin. It would be a great way to test her progress and to catch up on Martina’s comeback attempt. Pete would need to find someone else to hit with this afternoon.
That evening Martina and Ambre sipped wine on the veranda of Martina’s Wesley Chapel home. Pete had gone to pick up Chinese food. “Why don’t you go to Australia with me?” Martina suggested, “the competition will do you good. I’m sure you could get a wild card into the Open.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that level of competition,” Ambre admitted. “I haven’t played a tournament match in almost two years.”
“Neither have I,” Martina said. “Besides, there are a couple smaller tournaments in Dubai and Sydney that I’ve entered and you might still be able to get in. Believe me, your game is ready. I have never seen you hit the ball cleaner, and you look like you are in terrific shape. What you need now is competition, especially if you want to play the French.”
Ambre knew Martina was right. They had hit for two hours and had gone toe to toe. They didn’t play games, just points, but the competitive instincts of both women had come out. Ambre was amazed at how Martina was able to move her around and control the points. Mary Carillo was right, Martina was a true artist on the court and the best Ambre had ever seen at constructing points. It was like playing chess against a Grand Master that was always thinking five moves ahead. Ambre was hitting the ball as well or better than Martina, but she needed to regain the mental toughness needed to win against the top players. Australia would bring back memories, both good and bad, but it would do her good.
“Okay, I’ll give it a try, on one condition.”
“I’m not going to carry your tennis bag on court,” Martina joked.
“No, I hadn’t thought of that,” Ambre said smiling at the image. “I want to invite Pete.”
“Is he ready?”
“I’m not sure, but we’ll find out.”
“It’s pretty serious, isn’t it? “Martina asked with a knowing look.
“I’m not sure, but we’ll find out.”
Vincent Pope, Acting Coordinator for The Office of Counterterrorism, read the verdict. “It is the decision of this committee that the Islamic resistance Movement’ Hamas continue to be classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The State Department’s recommendation that Hamas, meaning courage and bravery, be reclassified based upon their political victory over Fatah in the Palestinian elections, is denied. The classification stands until Hamas renounces violence and amends their constitution that calls for the total destruction of Israel. It is so ordered.”
‘The next order of business is to consider the recommendation to remove the FTO designation from the Spanish group known as Basque Fatherland and Freedom, or the New ETA. We will adjourn for lunch and meet back here at 1 PM.”
FTO designations automatically expire after two years, but the Secretary of State may designate an organization for an additional two years upon a finding that the statutory criteria continue to be met. It may also revoke the FTO classification if conditions change. The purpose of this afternoon’s meeting was to act on the State Department’s recommendation. Chris Lewis was scheduled to testify in opposition.
The hearings opened promptly at 1:00 PM and Chris listened to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, and the US Ambassadors to Spain and France, make their case. “In summary, we believe the New ETA has made significant strides to renounce terrorism and to incorporate their group into Spain’s mainstream political process. Their leader, Agbu Galan, is a positive force for the Basque people. The Basque has established several programs to build schools and develop jobs for their people. There have been no bombings or violence in two years. The New ETA should be rewarded for these efforts and the FTO designation should be removed.”
Other than the stigma of being classified as a FTO, the practical implications are that it is illegal for the U.S. Government or an individual in the United States to knowingly provide material support or resources to an FTO. Representatives of the FTO are refused admission to the U.S. and the bank accounts of FTO supporters may be seized. It also puts pressure on U.S. allies to isolate these organizations.
“Mr. Cannistraro, does the CIA wish to comment on this recommendation?”
William Cannistraro is Chief of Counterterrorism for the Central Intelligence Agency. “Yes we do your honor. We strongly object to this recommendation. The CIA believes that the New ETA remains a threat to the interests of the United States.”
“Do you have any evidence of this threat?” Pope asked.
“We do. I would like you to hear Special Agent Chris Lewis, who has been assigned to this case for over a year. Chris.”
Chris read from her prepared statement. “There is no doubt that Agbu Galan is a charismatic leader of the New ETA and has undoubtedly done a great amount of good for the Basque people. We estimate that the cost of new schools and programs initiated by the New ETA to be well over $500M. Where is he getting this money you may wonder? Membership in the New ETA is estimated to be over one million members, at 20 Euros per member that amounts to only $25. We believe the rest of the money comes from drug profits. Let me show you.” For the next ten minutes Chris presented charts and numbers, and then finished her presentation with candid snapshots showing Agbu meeting with known Al-Qaeda leaders. “This is who supplies Agbu with the drugs that are used to finance the New ETA.”
“Assuming this is true,” a committee member asked, “what does this have to do with the question before this committee? “Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) specifies that an organization be classified as a FTO only if they present a threat to the U.S. or act as terrorists. Smuggling drugs might be reprehensible, but that doesn’t make them a FTO, does it?”
Chris was flustered, but persevered. It wouldn’t do any good to get angry. She decided to introduce the second part of their argument. “That’s correct, Mr. Jenkins. I was introducing this information only to prove their connection to Al-Qaeda and the likelihood of their supporting Al-Qaeda in future terrorist plots against the United States and our allies.”
“Can you prove this connection? Do you have anything other than these fuzzy pictures that show him talking with alleged Al-Qaeda members? For all we know, Agbu could have been telling them the New ETA doesn’t want anything to do with them.”
Chris knew she was losing her argument, but decided to go forward. “We have no hard evidence of the New ETA – Al-Qaeda connection, but we do have suspicions. We do have proof that last year Agbu attempted to assassinate Jim Simpson, a U.S. citizen. Mr. Simpson positively identified Agbu as the man that tried to shoot him in his Zurich hotel room.”
There was a murmur throughout the room, before Mr. Pope interrupted. “Have charges been filed Ms. Lewis?”
“Let me answer that, Mr. Pope,” William Cannistraro in an attempt to protect Chris from a doubting committee. “Proof might be too strong a word, but we do have enough evidence that both the CIA and Swiss police believe the assassination attempt did occur, and that it is likely Agbu will try again.”
“I’ll repeat my question. Have charges been filed?” Jenkins persisted.
“No, Zurich police have not filed charges,” Cannistraro admitted. “We are still working on developing this case.”
It took the Committee only five minutes to approve the recommendation and remove the New ETA from the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Ag
bu was now free to solicit support from the United States and its allies.
The November Roland Garros steering committee meeting convened. All four contractors were present. “Gentlemen, we have only six months to get this done. The Grand Opening is scheduled for May 22. Are we going to make it?” I had spent the last three days meeting with the contractors and listening to their problems. Tempers were short. We were over budget and almost two months behind schedule. Hunt blamed Bouygues for basically shutting down for the summer, a tradition in most of the European community, particularly France. The two contracting giants were barely talking and project morale was at a low. If we couldn’t turn it around today, I was considering canceling or postponing the tournament.
“Marco, start us off. Is there a critical resource that is holding up more than one task?” I, of course, knew what Marco was going to say, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked. Last night we decided on this strategy. It was important that we not allow the contractors to start pointing fingers and blaming the other team.
“No, other than a few minor delays and shortages, we have all the manpower and raw materials we need to get the job done. It’s now primarily an allocation problem, getting the resources assigned to the right job. We have skilled labor and contractors sitting on their butts waiting for something to do.” The room became so quiet I thought I was on a Sprint long distance call. Nobody said a word to dispute Marco’s inference that we had a management problem.
“Can we get back on schedule, Marco?”
“I think so, but only if we turn it around right now and start working as a team. That means 16-hour days where necessary, and it means we don’t shut down for the Christmas holidays. It also means we ask for help if we need it. Tell me what you need and I’ll get it.” You could hear a pin drop. The only sound was Paul Bruno and Jacques Bois, Bouygues’ project manager in charge of transportation, rustling in their chairs. Marco had hit Bouygues with a couple of direct shots and Bruno was fuming.
“If nobody disagrees, let’s start going over these task one-by-one. I want to know what you need to get this done by May 22nd. If it’s not possible, we need to know now, so we can come up with a fallback position. No bullshit.”
Summary-Level Gantt chart - Major Tasks and Responsibility
1. Repair Existing Stadium damage - Bouygues - Sergi Lebel
2. Update Exterior Facing - Bouygues - Paul Bruno
3. Install Dome over Philippe Chatrier - Clark - Sean Schafer
4. Install Dome over Suzanne Lenglen -Clark - Sean Schafer
5. Redesign Seating, Rest. & Press Box - Hunt - Tim Samuels
6. Improve Hwys; Marta; Parking - Bouygues - Jacques Bois
7. Improve Media s area and Security - Simpson Marco Noah
“Sergi, start us off. Are there any repairs that still need to be done?” Sergi Lebel had done a fantastic job since Bruno had given him responsibility for getting the stadium ready for last year’s French Open. Bruno was angry after our dinner meeting at the La Tour d’Argent. He washed his hands of the project and turned over responsibility to Sergi. It was a blessing.
We had resigned ourselves to getting just one of the stadium courts ready in time, which would have meant canceling the juniors and senior events for the second consecutive year, but Sergi had exceeded expectations. With the help of the experts that Clark had brought in, both stadium courts passed inspection and the full tournament was held. Some minor repairs dribbled into year two, but task one was essentially complete.
“Everything is finished,” Sergi answered with his trademark grin. “Let’s put that steel tent over the courts and play some tennis. What’s the holdup?”
The tension level in the room dropped ten degrees as everyone burst into laughter at Sergi’s irreverent dig at the Clark jobs. “Why couldn’t everybody have his attitude?” I thought. He was always upbeat and optimistic, and more importantly, his men loved working for him. I wish I could clone him.
“You can ask them when the time comes, Sergi. They have been telling me it’s complicated, but erecting the domes sounds so simple the way you put it.”
“Okay, Paul, where do we stand on updating the stadium exterior? Now that Sergi has showed us how to get the domes installed, are spectators going to be able to get into the stadium?” I was oversimplifying the job. Task two not only included remodeling the exterior, but building entrances and landscaping the surrounding grounds. Establishing a physical security perimeter around the stadium was a major concern and became a constant battle between Marco who was responsible for security and Bruno who saw himself as an artist developing a beautiful sculpture.
“I’ll get this damn thing done in time if you people will leave me alone,” Bruno said without humor. “Every time I turn around Marco has a new security requirement. Roland Garros will look like crap if we do half the things he wants me to do.” The tension in the room returned.
“Well, after what happened 18 months ago, security is obviously a concern. What are the big issues, Paul? I thought we had reached a compromise on the concrete barriers.” Marco and I had discussed this at length the previous evening. We had agreed with Bruno’s suggestion to erect the more aesthetically looking steel posts around the perimeter, but now Bruno had changed his mind and wanted a hedge.
“I agreed to try it, but it still looks like shit. I want to put up a three-foot hedge instead. It will look a hell of a lot better.”
“That’s a good idea, Bruno,” Marco answered. “We could hide the posts inside the hedge.”
Bruno was not the compromising type, but he recognized he had painted himself into a corner. “I guess that will be all right, but I still have a long list of other issues.”
“Okay, that’s why we are here. What’s next?”
“Marco claims we have all the raw materials we needed, but apparently he doesn’t know about the problem with the Italian marble. He has been too busy worrying about security. The marble won’t be shipped until March which doesn’t give us enough time to complete the facing.”
I was starting to lose my temper despite being forewarned that Bruno might bring this up. “Why are we locked into this supplier, can’t we find the marble somewhere else, or find a substitute? What’s wrong with Mexican marble?”
“Mexico, are you kidding me? There is no comparison. The Italians make the best marble there is, and that is what we are going to use as long as I’m responsible for this job,” Bruno shouted, pounding his fist on the table for emphasis. The room was silent as they waited for my reaction. I decided to give him one more chance.
Ken told me later that my voice might have been soft and low, but everyone in the room knew how angry I was. “I must correct you on one thing you said, Bruno. You are not responsible for this job, I am. Now let’s see if we can reach a compromise. We can’t wait until March for the marble.”
Bruno wasn’t backing down. “I don’t care what anyone says, Roland Garros is a French institution and it ought to be a French project. We will wait for the Italian marble.” The battle lines had been drawn.
“Gentlemen,” I said to the others in the conference room, “I need a few minutes alone with Bruno. Would you please wait outside?”
Paul Bruno never knew what hit him.
Fifteen minutes later I called them back. Bruno had departed and had been replaced by three men who had been watching and listening via closed circuit cameras in the adjoining room. Pierre Dubois, Bouygues Chairman of the Board and CEO, spoke first. “Bruno is no longer assigned to this project. Sergi Lebel will assume his responsibilities. Okay Sergi?”
“Yes sir,” Sergi replied, shocked by his battlefield promotion.
“One more thing,” the Bouygues president continued. “I will meet with our entire management team this evening and make it clear that this project will be completed on schedule, or Louis 1V style executions will follow. Understood?” he asked rhetorically as he looked at Sergi and Jacques.
George Hunt was next to speak and was brief, �
�That goes for the Hunt team as well. I can’t speak for Clark, but I can tell you that I spoke with their president last night and they are in complete agreement. We will complete this job on schedule.” No one made a sound.
Georges Hawes, chairman of the Roland Garros Steering Committee was next. “Gentlemen, earlier today I met with President Mitterand who asked me to pass on this message. “Roland Garros and the French Open tennis tournament is indeed a French Institution. It is vital to our National pride and economy that Roland Garros be ready to host next year’s tournament. President Mitterand has authorized me to do whatever is necessary to attain that objective and I pledge to you that I will provide whatever assistance I can to accomplish this goal.”
“One last thought. Let there me no doubt that Jim Simpson has our complete backing and has authority to make all decisions related to this job. If he wants Mexican tile, we will have Mexican tile, understood?” Everyone nodded as Hawes slowly looked around the room making eye contact with each person.
It wasn’t surprising that the rest of the meeting went smoothly. There were numerous issues, but the negative tone had changed to a ‘can do’ attitude. We had gotten over the hump and I felt it would be downhill from here.
While Pete and Ambre headed to Australia, Lisa followed her own agenda. She needed one more victory on the USTA’ Futures Circuit to earn enough ranking points to qualify for pro circuit events. The first tournament of the year was in Tampa on the hard courts at Hillsborough Community College, the same tournament that Pete had won two years ago. This year the women’s event upgraded from a $10,000 futures event to a $50,000 Challenger. More money translates to more ranking points and better competition.
Lisa breezed through her first three matches without losing set and I flew back from Paris in time for the semi-finals. Lisa’s opponent was a former #1 player from UCLA who turned pro two years ago. She reached the finals of two events her first year and finished the year ranked in the top 100 before an ankle injury knocked her off the tour for six months. The former UCLA player was now was ranked #144 in the world. That doesn’t sound like much, but this woman could play.
I hadn’t seen Lisa play in almost six months and was amazed at how her game had progressed. At 5’7” 130 pounds she spotted her opponent four inches and twenty pounds, but you couldn’t tell it from their groundstrokes. Both hit the ball hard. In the first set Lisa was content to stay at the baseline until she got a short ball that she could pound into the corner and follow to the net. I jumped up and applauded as Lisa put away an overhead to take the first set 6-3. “Take it easy,” Mary cautioned, “people will think you are a proud dad.”
“I am,” I said without embarrassment.
Lisa changed tactics in the second set and attacked the net at every opportunity. She served and volleyed on every serve and lost only six points in four service games, two of them on double faults. Lisa broke her opponent at love to win 6-2.
“Congratulations,” I said as I gave Lisa a hug. “You were awesome. Before you know it you will be turning pro,” I joked. Lisa and Mary’s reaction told me that I had said something wrong. “What’s going on?”
“I was going to surprise you tomorrow,” Mary replied.
“Dad, I turned pro last week.”
I didn’t know what to say as my mind raced trying to understand the consequences. My first thought was that Lisa wouldn’t be able to defend her 5-A high school championship, and then I thought of Lisa not being able to play college tennis. I realized that I had been traveling so much the last year that I had missed out on watching my little girl grow up. “Well, you certainly played like a pro today,” I said with a smile. There was nothing to be gained in beating a dead horse.
The next day I proudly watched Lisa collect her $15,000 winner’s check.
Agbu returned from Mexico with a new sense of purpose and devoted his time to integrating the New ETA into the Basque mainstream political party. His efforts were rewarded as he was unanimously elected president. Two months later the United States rescinded their designation of the New ETA as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Agbu recognized the importance of this decision and immediately took steps to expand the Basque into an International organization. The Basque dream of attaining an independent state was nearing reality.
Chapter 33
Agbu Plans Revenge