Fueling the Rage

by Jim Wilson

  *****

  There was news. Chief Inspector Rene Gualt received instructions from the ADES directly and in person. He would pick up the Paris cell for immigration hearings. He assigned teams of ten police officers to arrest each member of the cell. The Chief Inspector believed the large show of force would reduce the possibility of a bad decision by cell members. The police were armed, but instructed not to use force unless needed for self-preservation. They completed the arrests of the five men within a two-hour period. Only James Tolue offered resistance, and reached for a concealed weapon. When his weapon became visible, his team invoked the self-protection rule. James Tolue died of his wounds.

  They delivered the four others suspects intact to the immigration court in Le Havre, and received complements from the highest levels of the French government. The immigration court ruled all of them unworthy of France, and ordered deportation to Ghana, Africa. This was the only country in the world that agreed to take them. The trial took less than one hour. Chief Inspector Rene Gualt was impressed with the fairness of the hearing.

  They were hand cuffed, taken to a French helicopter and flown away. The helicopter landed on the USS Ronald Reagan, an American aircraft carrier, which was two hundred miles west of the French coast. American sailors put black hoods placed over their heads, and placed them on another helicopter. It flew to a small private airfield in England. The four suspects and the CIA agent boarded a Naval Gulfstream IV and flew thirty five hundred miles to Accra, Ghana, Africa. The CIA agent had two important tasks. First, he needed to prevent the three attacks planned on American soil. Second, he needed to get the name of the person that provided direction and funding.

  Sam and Bill were gaining strength and Sam was now able to take his five mile run at a slow pace. Sam told Bill, “It is hard to keep you on light duty when you’re able to find enough mobility to defend against two armed attackers. One minute, you improve the neighborhood and the next minute you sit down to a nice dinner with your family.”

  Except for the CIA agent, the Group was again together at Mac Dill. He was interrogating the four suspects individually. Early interrogation revealed Jazzin, Lebanon as a possible location of a martyr cell. He needed one of the other suspects to give similar information, but he requested that the NSA satellite coverage of Lebanon increase. He sent The Group a question. “The area around Jazzin is the battle ground between the Israeli sponsored South Lebanon Army and the Iranian sponsored Hezbollah. They are surrogates for the battle between Israel and Iran. My question is why would Iran kill Americans?”

  The Group was meeting to discuss the agent’s question, and the General repeated it. “Why would they kill Americans?”

  The Major gave an answer. “Could it be Hezbollah needed money?”

  For the Hezbollah to fight the South Lebanon Army they needed lots of money and presently most of their money was coming from Iran. Maybe Iran was running a little short of funds and Hezbollah wanted a new source for extra funds. The Group relayed their answer to Accra and waited for more information.

  The Group decided it was better to concentrate on getting Sam and Bill into better shape. They were now completing eight hours a day of intensive physical training. Additionally, both spent two hours each day working on their marksmanship. They were training as if their lives depended upon it and they did.

  The CIA agent flew back to Mac Dill and delivered some big news to The Group. “One of the attacks is being planned in a cell located in Jazzin, Lebanon. We have two Lebanese names and a training location. Subuap and Atwen are the names. The operation involves the Jazzin Mosque and an improvised weapons factory run by a Hezbollah splinter group. The attack against America has a budget of several million Euros. These two people are handling the money and the mosque is importing the martyrs from Africa. It is likely that the Hezbollah is putting the project together.”

  The DCIA requested another meeting with The Group. In addition, he was including the Mossad agent that was responsible for all of Israeli’s covert actions in Lebanon. The meeting took an interesting turn. The DCIA stood and repeated their conclusion. “We will destroy the cell and capture Atwen or Subuap alive for interrogation.”

  Then the Mossad agent had an idea, “What if we could get Hezbollah to take out the cell and the mosque?” All the eyes at the meeting opened wide. "All we need to do is to convince Hezbollah that the terrorist cell is lying about what they’re being paid by the outside organization. They will not be happy if they find they have been shorted their percentage.” He unfolded a map of Lebanon on the table, and pointed to the Jazzin area. “This area is the Israeli litter box.” He knew how the Hezbollah thought. The Group liked the plan and along with the Mossad agent, traveled back to Mac Dill. Sam and Bill would go to Jazzin, Lebanon and execute the plan.

  The Mossad agent developed the logistics. “It must look like a defection to the Americans and not a kidnapping. The operation could not have any Israeli fingerprints.”

  The Mossad paid a deep cover agent two hundred thousand dollars to gather intelligence. It took him three days to locate the cell. Three days later, he relayed the cells composition, and confirmed that both Atwen and Subuap were leaders in Jazzin. The Mossad agent utilized the intelligence to develop a plan for Sam and Bill to complete the project and forwarded a copy of the report to The Group.

  Sam and Bill had not shaved for a week. Their hair had been growing for a month and they were ready for action. They received Iranian identification kits, including passports and clothing properly suited for the Lebanese neighborhood. They were wearing light body armor and each was carrying a silenced Glock 23 and a fighting knife. Bill once again carried a dart gun. It was a long flight for Sam, Bill and the CIA agent, but the Air Force G5 minimized their discomfort. They landed in Tel Aviv, Israel at midnight and drove one hundred miles to Dafna, Israel. From Dafna it was less than thirty miles to Jazzin. The Mossad had a secret listening post at Dafna. They allowed the CIA agent set up his position at the station. Sam and Bill needed had reservations at a hotel in Jazzin. It was crucial that their short trip between Dafna and Jazzin go undetected.

  As they walked outside, the CIA agent handed Sam a small GPS unit with the pickup location. “I will meet you here.” He pointed to a location on the screen. “The battery lasts thirty days, good luck.”

  “Thanks.” The three men shook hands.

  The night was overcast and moonless. At 0300 hours local time, Sam and Bill boarded a South Lebanon Army truck. They would be part of a caravan of three lightly armored small trucks. The thirty-mile trip took two hours, and they encountered no other vehicles. A taxi was waiting for Sam and Bill five miles outside of Jazzin. At 0530 hours local time the taxi dropped them at their hotel.

  They had early arrival reservations for two rooms. The staff is sympathetic to the Hezbollah. Their six days prepaid reservations listed a Tehran address for their Bank of Tehran Visa card. The address, name, and Visa card belonged to a dead Iranian worker at the Swiss Embassy, US Foreign Interests Section. Six years earlier, he died in a traffic accident, but the embassy withheld the death from Iranian authorities. They were each carrying one suitcase. The door of the hotel was locked. Sam rang the doorbell, and they waited a few minutes.

  A well-dressed, freshly shaved clerk unlocked the door and welcomed them. Two more hotel workers arrived and each took a bag and escorted them to their rooms. Sam handed each worker a Lebanese 5,000 Pound note. Bill tested his Farsi with one of them. The worker returned conversation in Arabic and Bill was able to recognize his Turkish accent. After about ten minutes, the two of them were both speaking in pure Lebanese. The conversation started with the weather and advanced to discussions of the mosque. Bill asked, “Do you know men named Atwen and Subuap?”

  The hotel worker had heard of Atwen, but had never seen him. He knew of Subuap because he ate lunch in the hotel restaurant several times a week.

  “You can tell Subuap that the men from Iran have good news for him. We need to m
eet with him,” Bill said, removing a fresh Lebanese 100,000 Pound note and handing it to the hotel worker. Bill had made a friend for life and the hotel worker asked him to address him as George. The note was equal to about sixty US dollars. “We’ll be in our rooms most of the time. If we are out, leave me a message with the time and place that he wants to meet.”

  Rented warriors take the stage

  Fighting in our hero’s stead

  Filled with vitriol and rage

  They will not stop till all are dead

  Chapter 8

  Sam and Bill had adjoining rooms. Each had a small bathroom and a full size bed. They were clean, tastefully decorated, and offered slightly better accommodations than the average American small town motel room. They decided to stay put and see if Subuap showed up. At the end of the day, George came by and told Bill that he had not yet seen their target. Bill told him in Lebanese, “We enjoyed our rest, but keep trying to find him.”

  On the second day, they were eating lunch in the hotel restaurant. George approached them. “Mr. Subuap was eating lunch alone at a table at the far end of the room.”

  Bill handed George another Lebanese 100,000 Pound note. "Invite the man to our table.”

  George approached Subuap. ”You must meet my friends, they are important Iranians.” After a few more words, they walked over to Sam and Bill.

  Subuap bowed, “My name is Ivan Subuap, but please call me Ivan.”

  Ivan knew that normally Iran did not do its own work, but paid surrogates. He examined the strangers. He thought. This is a land of quiet conversations. We talk in metaphors. What would make them address me in public? These Iranians need something important. There is money to be made. Ivan looked around the room. There were only people at one other table, and he had seen them in the restaurant before. He was like a moth drawn to the flame. He could feel he was in the presence of easy money. “What can I do for you?”

  Bill said in Arabic, “Join us for lunch. If you have a few minutes, then we could go for a walk. It would be better to talk about our business needs outside.”

  Ivan responded, “I have time.”

  As they ate, Sam studied Ivan. He is a little taller than Bill, and with the same build. He might be a difficult opponent. The three of them finished their lunch and headed outside for a safer place to talk. Bill’s spoke first. “We have been monitoring your planned action against the Americans. We have not ordered any of this.”

  “I can’t talk of these things.”

  Sam added, “If money is being paid from the outside for these planned events, we should also receive our share.”

  Bill followed, “Our organization built you from the ground up. It is too dangerous for us not to be in control of this operation. Ivan, we have a proposition for you. We will pay you to stop this. We will arrange the transfer of ten million Euros into your bank account, but you must stop this plan. You must arrange to kill everyone that has touched this action. They must all die, from the martyrs to the manufacturers.”

  Bill was carefully watching Ivan’s face. Ivan’s shock changed to interest with the mention of the Euros.

  “Ivan, can you do this?”

  “The money will be paid in advance?”

  Sam answered, “Yes it will. Do you have a contact within the Hezbollah?”

  Ivan nodded his head yes.

  “We’ll pay Hezbollah another ten million for their assistance.”

  “I have a friend named Atwen and he could be a help in this matter.”

  “No, Atwen is part of this plan. We have orders to take him to Iran for discussions. Where can we reach him?”

  Ivan told them. “Every afternoon he spends time at a Lebanese coffee house.”

  Sam moved closer to Ivan and in a whisper asked, “Where is this coffee house?”

  Ivan pointed, “It is two blocks from the hotel.”

  Bill added, “Bring in your Hezbollah contact and develop your plan, but contact us at the hotel before you do anything. We should be able to transfer the funds to him at that time.” They worked out the details of the money transfer to Ivan’s account. Bill followed Ivan’s information to locate Atwen.

  Secrecy drives all events in the world of terror. Sam and Bill had just found its weakness. When you shun modern communications, old fashion face-to-face discussions take over. They were once again in the belly of the beast. The NSA and other American agencies monitor much of the electronic traffic in this part of the world. No one uses electronic communications for questionable activities. Enemies believe the other side could be watching their every move. A simple call to Iran would have led to the death of Sam and Bill.

  Terrorism was a dangerous occupation filled by dangerous people. Subuap would use a dull knife to cut off your head and serve it on a platter. He would sponsor murder and mayhem, but if you separated him from his actions, he was simply a supervisor who worked for his employer. His local respect allowed him to give orders to those under him. He was a moneyman, and as expendable as any of the men he supervised. The men above him were not so easy to replace.

  The Group was fearful of electronic communication of any kind. They even feared the fact they had reduced the volume of their communications. The DNSA implemented the CIA agent’s request for extra satellite coverage. The NSA divided the world into areas-- satellites, spy planes, and ground antennas listen to the areas chatter. Super computers count and analyze every transmission. Complex computer programs matched chatter to events. The programs even predicted events. The DNSA was watching over Sam and Bill.

  The conversation with Ivan Subuap appeared to go well, but Sam and Bill’s lives were now on the line. Ivan could possibly sell their conversation, or warn his friend Atwen. Sam made a secure cell phone call to request the transfer of bank funds to Ivan’s account. The Group planned all electronic communications before the mission. Sam left a voice mail of coded directions to a top-secret device at the American interest center in Iran. The NSA monitored the device, informed The Group, and transferred the funds to Subuap’s bank account. The DNSA gave an order to scrutinize area chatter. They needed to know if the enemy was watching Sam and Bill.

  The volume of chatter was an important signal. The NSA used top-secret programs to measure American security agencies to determine their average use of electronic communications. A low level of chatter also reveals possible events. Other powerful countries could have technology similar to America’s, and the NSA uses a process called “Simple” to adjust chatter of secret American agencies. There were no changes in chatter level from countries surrounding Lebanon. The operation in Jazzin appeared uncompromised.

  Atwen was in direct contact with Henry and during his coffee break, he would make a very short cell phone call. Atwen would start his calls by using an 800 number to Beirut. He would get a dial tone, and then redirect the call to Chad. They believed that the local communication was less visible to the Americans. For each call, he used a new prepaid cell phone. Henry would end their discussions with a new number for Atwen to call.

  Sam and Bill received a detailed description of Atwen from Ivan. They had the time that Atwen normally was at the restaurant. Jazzin was outwardly a pleasant location, and there was very little crime. Sam and Bill felt safe enough to make their five-mile morning run. That afternoon, thirty minutes before the time Ivan suggested, they made a special afternoon run. It took them past the coffee shop every fifteen minutes. On their third pass, they saw Atwen.

  As they ran back to the hotel, Bill said, “If he always sits outside like Ivan said, I can dart him. We can just toss him into a car or a van.”

  “Maybe we can trust Ivan,” Sam replied. “The money should be in his bank account very soon.”

  Sam had set up the transfer of ten million Euros to Ivan’s bank account, but it took time for the deposit to post to his account. Using his Dell computer, Ivan reviewed his bank balance every hour on the hour for two days. His balance was always less than a thousand Euros. Fifty hours later, he saw the
deposit. His new balance was 10,000,540 Euros. He thought. The bank charged my account two hundred and sixty Euros for the transaction, but I am in no mood to complain.

  His fingers were shaking as he called his Hezbollah friend. Thirty minutes later, they met at their normal site. Ivan asked, “I want you to look at my computer.” He signed onto the Internet, pulled up his bank account, and entered his user name and password. His new balance appeared.

  His friend’s shook his head. ”I don’t believe what I see.”

  Then Ivan told him the story of the Iranians that had boldly revealed the planned attack on America.

  “I can have them pay you ten million for a little battle.” Ivan repeated his instructions, “You must arrange to kill everyone that has touched this action. They must all die, from the martyrs to the manufacturers.”

  “I can hire an army for 100,000 Euros.”

  Ivan smiled, “We’ll do this and then move to France where life could be very good, but first let’s see if it is real.”

  They went directly to Ivan’s bank. He filled out a withdrawal slip and handed it to a teller, and she called her supervisor. Neither of them was armed and for ten minutes, they feared for their lives as they waited for the supervisor to return. The supervisor asked them, “Please follow me to my office.” They followed her. “Each of these bundles contains one hundred, 100 Euro notes.” She counted out twenty bundles. “Sign your withdrawal slip please.” Ivan signed the slip. “That is two hundred thousand Euros from your account.” The supervisor placed the money into a paper bag, and handed it to Ivan.

  They left the bank and Ivan said, “The Iranians are not happy with Atwen, but let us go to my apartment and talk.”

  At the apartment, Ivan handed his friend the bag of money. “I am giving you half of the money for your people and guns, and the other hundred thousand in case the Iranians do not make the last payment. My friend, if you are not paid the ten million, I promise to give you four million of my Euros, and then we can both move to France.