On Deception Watch

by David H Spielberg

As quickly as he felt as if his head was exploding it was over, leaving him sitting in the dust of his field where he fell, his mouth hanging open, his arms drained of strength. He slowly checked his body for damage.

  “Holy mother of god,” was all the farmer could say as he slowly gained the realization of what he had experienced. He watched the sun reflect off the metal bodies as the three jets streaked toward the horizon at close to ground level. The farmer looked at his left hand and saw a trace of red. Bringing his finger to his ear, he found a small trickle of blood. His head was still ringing. He no longer was able to hear anything. Beyond the shock and the surprise, a feeling of awe was growing within the farmer. These, he thought, were serious killing machines, made to fight serious battles. These were for another world, he thought, not concerned with street crime or harvests or newspaper columnists. These were machines of pure, devouring power. And he admired and he envied the men sitting in their little cockpits, seemingly so irrelevant, who could command all that mighty power. It was awesome and it was humbling to the farmer that man had created such machines.

  Rising slowly, he stared off at the last flickering image close to the horizon. He sat there for many minutes.

  The planes sped on.

  As if suddenly taken by a new spirit, or having perhaps taken the notion to blossom like a flower, the two flanking planes rolled away and sharply up, opening a visual space that now seemed to be encompassing an expanding footprint beneath the rocketing triad. The lone center plane roared on for several more seconds until a puff of smoke beneath its wing, followed instantly by two more, gave it a weird belching appearance, as if trying to rid itself of some annoying gas. Instantly, in tight, calculated movements, it rolled to the side and up to join its two companions. As it approached them, one of the two rolled out and down just as the rockets from the first exploded on their targets. The new devouring beast duplicated the run of the first, discharged its weapons and returned to the other hovering eagles. The third rolled down to assess and photograph the results of the two rocket attacks.

  The missile battery had been completely destroyed along with the radar and support vehicles and buildings. The surveillance fighter rose swiftly, and making a tight loop to reverse its direction, flew once more over the target. Then in an exploding burst of afterburners the pilot drew back on his controls putting his aircraft into a ninety degree vertical climb—straight up. Joining his companions they all three climbed to forty-five thousand feet, turning together in tight formation for their return to base.

  82

  Ranjit Lal realized that the opportunities for containing the crisis was slipping away when he heard the news of the US Air Force attack on the Army missile installation. While he had been content for the most part to stand on the sidewalk, as it were, watching the fight going on in the street, this metaphor was quickly losing its charm.

  The verbal attacks on the UN he had heard before. He had not perceived them as necessarily a serious threat. Even the restrictions and even the unlawful entries into ambassadorial complexes, outrageous as they had been, were really a symbolic affront more than a real and present danger to the UN. Yes, some arms and other mischief had been uncovered, but the American public is sophisticated enough to know that while they can play the indignation game over the weapons as far as they like, it is only a game. In their heart of hearts, Lal believed that the American public was confident that its own hands were not completely free from similar sins in other places in the world, that its missions also had secrets behind its overseas ambassadorial walls that were better left undiscovered.

  No. These problems were just grist for a diplomat’s mill. It is what diplomats live for—dealing with acts of diplomatic disturbance. “Matters of consequence,” Saint-Exupery called them. Diplomats love addressing matters of consequence. And the last several days had supplied them with an abundance of that. Meetings, demands for meetings, boycotts of meetings. Briefings, statements, denials, and accusations abounded, all followed by clarifications to remove the possibility of misunderstanding that which had come before.

  These charades were time-consuming but all natural enough, he reasoned. But this attack within the United States armed forces, against their own people, went beyond matters of consequence and had become a very real and imminent danger. This was a matter very different from diplomatic puffery. Civil wars come from acts such as this. And civil war in the United States would have untold reverberations and repercussions for the world. From economic considerations alone, the dislocations created by a civil war in America would be disastrous for the commerce of every member nation, as well as to the economics of the United Nations itself. And with the worldwide distribution of America’s military apparatus, who knows what other countries would get dragged into the American whirlpool. There would be simply no way to isolate an American civil war. Already, in Europe, the old Alliance countries were preparing a formal demand regarding the sequestering of America’s tactical nuclear weapons.

  Lal was unsure who would even receive such a demand. Diplomatic contacts with the professionals from the United States had been decreasing rather than increasing as the situation grew more chaotic. American diplomats seemed to be just disappearing. With the unrelenting terrorist bombings throughout the United States, the role of the American secretary of state had evolved from “reluctant” caretaker to de facto president. It was clear to Lal that General Slaider was also in a commanding position. But given the strong tradition in the United States for civilian control of the military, it was unclear exactly what Slaider’s position was in the hierarchy of control. Was Llewellyn craftier than he had imagined?

  Lal had tried through numerous channels to gain access to Secretary Llewellyn or, should he say, Chairman Llewellyn. But Llewellyn was being implacable in his disdain for the United Nations and for its secretary-general. Lal did not give up easily, and was continuing his attempt to establish a workable channel. It was clear, however, that despite Paul Latimer’s best efforts, as well as those of the Congress, Llewellyn was fast establishing himself as the head of the government of the United States. Well, it was not his role to have an opinion as to who should rule a member country. He would not waste time and energy on that problem. It will be what it will be, he thought.

  Lal had dealt with many forms of government and many military dictatorships, for that matter. The world was filled with every type of government. That was one of the aspects of his work that he found most interesting and challenging. Yes, and enjoyable. Adapting to the language, the culture, and the nuances. Making no value judgments. Merely dealing with the reality. So a government led by Alexander Llewellyn and propped up by General Slaider would pose no serious problem if Llewellyn were to solidify his de facto position.

  But civil war—that was the horror that he considered the greatest of diplomatic failures. Even more emotionally devastating than war between independent national entities, civil war was fratricidal, therefore unforgivable. Generations rather than merely years would have to flow before the hatred and the blood vengeance and most of all the guilt of civil war could be stilled.

  Lal’s secretary buzzed him on the intercom to advise him that Paul Latimer was on the telephone wishing to speak with him.

  “Please tell Mr. Latimer that I am exiting a meeting and that you will arrange for me to receive his call—that it will take a moment or two.”

  After a few moments Lal signaled his secretary that he was ready to take Latimer’s call. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. Placing his hands on his thighs, palm down and relaxed, he closed his eyes and waited.

  When his phone rang he began the recorder so that he could study the conversation later. He picked up the phone and patiently waited while Latimer picked up on his end.

  “Mr. Secretary-General, I appreciate your speaking with me. Can you hear me well?”

  “Yes, quite well. Greetings to you.”

  “Have you heard about the attack?”

  “Of course, it’s
been on the telescreen all morning.”

  “No, I mean about the Army attack on the air base those jets flew out of.”

  “No, I’m afraid I have not as yet received a briefing on new military action.”

  “Well, General Slaider obviously ordered the air base taken. I have ordered General Stoner to defend the base and a battle is in progress right now.”

  Lal was silent.

  Latimer continued. “This is beginning to look like Slaider is going to go the limit. He appears to be willing to risk a full-scale confrontation with the Air Force . . . excuse me a moment, please, I’m being handed a note at this moment . . . the Army column has been destroyed by our fighters and helicopters. We did have some losses from Stinger missiles.”

  “I understand.”

  “I anticipated this outcome and I’ve ordered all Air Force logistical support for the army to stop effective immediately. All air bases are being sealed and placed on the maximum state of alert.”

  “Does this also include the bases in Europe?” Lal asked.

  “Of course. All bases, everywhere. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to speak with you. I know that Alliance members are becoming concerned about the security of the tactical nuclear weapons on their territory. I wanted to assure you that those weapons under the control of the United States Air Force are completely secure. They are not armed, aimed, or available. I have ordered that all such tactical weapons be sequestered under US Air Force control until the question of presidential succession is resolved by the Congress. I am instructing the United States delegation to the United Nations to so inform the Security Council and the members of the Alliance that have expressed their concerns in this matter.”

  “Mr. Vice President, can you also speak for the tactical nuclear weapons under United States Army control?”

  “No. Not at this time. However, I assume that no matter what the conflict between me and General Slaider is, General Slaider will give you the same assurances.”

  “At the moment, actually, I have been rather unable to speak with General Slaider. That is, we have not communicated directly on any matters.”

  “I see,” Latimer said. He was silent for a few seconds while he tried to grasp the significance of this admission from Lal.

  “Mr. Secretary-General, let me speak frankly about the conditions at this moment. It is clear to me and probably to you that General Slaider is attempting to assert military control over the government of the United States.”

  Lal did not react to this so Latimer continued.

  “This is completely unprecedented in the history of the United States. Consequently, we are somewhat unprepared for such an outrageous and treacherous attack from within on our constitutional processes. At the moment, Slaider seems to be successfully manipulating events, fooling the people, tricking them into seeing enemies everywhere and especially at the United Nations. He has us both on the run because we are divided, protecting our own turf, so to speak. I believe we have to face up to the fact that there’s a deadly serious campaign being waged both against the United Nations and against the constitution of the United States. Do you follow me, Mr. Secretary-General?”

  “Yes,” Lal replied.

  “And Llewellyn, my god, I had more faith in him. Well, for that matter, in Slaider. Slaider is apparently pitching Llewellyn to the Congress as a compromise president. And with Jeb Paxton pitching this idea as well, it is getting some traction from what I can gather. Senator Paxton is a powerful voice on the Hill. I seem to have misplaced my faith all around. I hope I am not going to be disappointed by you as well,” Latimer concluded.

  “What are you proposing Mr. Latimer?” Lal asked with unusual directness. He did not like the prospect of being drawn into a political conspiracy. Yet he knew that conspiracy was the nature of international politics and diplomacy. There were many unpleasant things Lal knew about life, yet one did not necessarily want to acknowledge them consciously. They were part of the game, unwritten but understood rules that you followed because there was no choice but to follow them. If you were caught you would be finished, but if you did not follow them, you would get nothing important done.

  “We have to join forces. We have to counter Slaider’s offensive. We have to go on the offensive if we both want our institutions to survive.”

  “How do you propose we join forces?” Lal asked. “You realize that almost anything I do in this situation could be construed as interfering in the internal affairs of a member state.”

  “Look, the biggest problem I have is that we can’t get the goddam Congress together to confirm that I am the president. I can get any damned federal judge to swear me in but Slaider has blown so much smoke it just won’t do—it won’t give me the authority, the credibility I need to control the other branches of the military and hopefully break Slaider’s momentum. No, I need the Congress to give me its blessings.

  “But Slaider has access to every place where Congress could try to convene. He can continue his strategy of preventing the Congress from meeting. He can get in anywhere they would meet and arrange for something destructive to happen before or God forbid after they convened. The only place I can think of where that isn’t true is the UN. With its extraterritorial rights his access is limited. He can’t get in to plant any bombs. He’d have to use artillery, for godsakes, to stop a meeting at the UN headquarters. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t do that.

  “What I want you to do is to lend the facilities of the UN General Assembly chamber for Congress to convene and settle the succession issue. It will stop Slaider in his tracks, restore constitutional government to the United States, and end the UN baiting and outrageous violations of diplomatic convention that he’s perpetrating. Will you do that for me, for the United States, for the United Nations?”

  Lal thought quickly. He could not, not in his wildest dreams consent to such a role for the United Nations. Yet he did not know who would win this power struggle in the United States and he did not want to appear unsympathetic to Latimer’s predicament.

  “This is a very challenging proposal, Mr. Latimer. You know, it is fairly unprecedented for me—what you are asking me to do. It is definitely not contained within the charter of the United Nations to become involved to the extent that you are proposing, you see, in the internal affairs of a sovereign state—unless authorized to do so by the Security Council.”

  Lal paused as he raced to gather his thoughts. “I must truly say to you that I will have to analyze your request. There are many aspects of what you ask the consequences of which must be considered very carefully. Let me consider our conversation. I will speak with you again before tomorrow.”

  “Mr. Secretary-General, is there nothing I can say to obtain a decision now on this matter? I don’t know how much time I’ve got. I’ve proven to Slaider that the Air Force is loyal to the constitution and will fight to protect it. I’m desperate. In terms of military reality, my move with the Air Force is just a bluff that can only slow him down, not stop him. In fact, it might even speed him up. I don’t think we have very much time here. I’m talking about hours and days at the most before we’re both out of business—you and me.”

  “I very much understand your need for a prompt response. You must, nevertheless, understand that you are not speaking to a sovereign head of state when you make this request of me. I am a servant of the United Nations and the Security Council, and the charter whose principles I must advance. I am not the master of this house. My ability to give you a response is limited by the reality of my role. Regardless of my personal preferences, of my visceral reactions, or even of my carefully considered conclusions, I must proceed in a way that unfortunately prevents my giving you an instant decision. I can assure you that I understand your urgency and will be prudent in my use of time.”

  “Okay. If that’s the best you can do now, then I won’t keep you any longer. Please, please get back to me with your answer as soon as you can. But if it ultimately is to turn me down, recognize that you a
re probably seeing the last of constitutional government in the United States for a long time, because there will be a bloody civil war here the consequences of which will last far beyond our lifetimes, believe me.”

  “I understand. Goodbye, sir.”

  “Goodbye, Mr. Secretary-General.”

  Paul Latimer felt more and more the truth of his words to the secretary-general. Time was not friendly to his cause and he knew it. And time was running out. He had served his country in both civil and military capacities. He was not a stranger to risking his life for his country. More and more he felt his time slipping away, events that he could not control rolling over him. Events would make it impossible for Lal to respond positively to his call, his plea for help.

  83

  Defense Secretary Whittaker declared the Air Force of the United States to be in a state of insurrection and announced the dismissal of General Warren Stoner as chief of staff of the Air Force. He ordered the surrender of all Air Force bases in the United States and abroad to a temporary joint military command. Both General Slaider and the secretary of state were at his side when he made the announcement in time for the six o’clock news.

  To the horror of Alliance members, American Army and Air Force units in Germany became engaged in armed conflict with each other. Heavy armored personnel carriers, tanks, mortar companies of the United States Army, and aircraft of the United States armed forces engaged each other, at first tentatively, then in earnest as the resolve of both sides to enter air bases on the one hand and defend them on the other solidified.

  The Air Force activity was largely defensive, fending off approaching columns of Army vehicles. However, while the fighting remained concentrated near the bases, the political repercussions were spreading around the world. The specter of a nuclear America out of control left the world frozen in disbelief, immobilized by the extraordinary and unexpected turn of events. It was as if time had stopped. The entire world’s attention was caught as if a second sun had appeared in the sky.