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

by Phillip Strang

  There were some others to be present that Fred had not met before. James Howland, Grace’s CEO from Howland mining, a Texan, in his mid-sixties, he was as tall as he was loud. A straight talker, his conversations were direct, and to the point, he was a “call a spade a spade” or, should that be, “call a shovel a shovel” kind of person. Grace initially had been intimidated by the bear of a man when she first joined Howland’s, but in time she realised he was a gentle person with a genuine concern for the well-being of his people and his company.

  Also present were two presidential advisors, Oscan Stein and Ruby Potter. Oscar Stein, influential and well-known in the media for his academic dissertations on Western morality in relation to Middle Eastern politics, was clearly pro-Israel. He would couch his support for their militaristic stance in expansive words and detailed statements that confused most people. He was more circumspect in his deliberations, now that he was in the White House, but no one was under any illusion as to where he stood whenever the Middle East flared up. His appointment had been controversial when it had been announced by the president eighteen months earlier, but the president was loyal to his appointees, even if it had caused diplomatic frictions in the countries bordering Israel.

  Ruby Potter was plumpish, short and in her fifties. An Afro-American, she was exceptionally proud of her heritage. Her ancestors had been slaves, and here she was in the White House advising the president. A DNA check some years earlier had shown that she was descended from a tribe in the north of present-day Liberia. A brilliant scholar, she had graduated with honours in law at Yale University. She was as popular an appointee to the president, as Stein was not.

  Margaret Hausen needed no introduction, female business leader of the year many times, photo on the cover of time magazine, and a constant presence on television. At the age of thirty-five, she had been made the Chief Executive Officer and president of the largest supplier of heavy mining equipment in the world. It was constantly mentioned in the media at the time, that it was no doubt because her father had started the company, Mining Suppliers of Minnesota.

  Any concern there was, had been dispersed in the following fifteen years. She had tripled the revenue of the business.

  The clock struck ten and in strode the President of the United States. All of them were a little awestruck, and Grace was nervously shaking. He sensed this, and went straight to her and introduced himself. ‘Grace, it’s good to see you here.’ He had seen the background portfolio of those present along with their photos, prior to attending. ‘I look forward to your presentation; I am told it will be absorbing.’ With those few words, Grace was calmed by the president.

  The president had not come alone. Chris and Nick entered the room with him, as well as two obviously ex-Military men. The president duly introduced them. ‘Major General George Hampshire is a military advisor to the White House and a veteran of the first Gulf war in Iraq, and Rusty, Admiral Russell Andersson, is a former commander of the USS Independence, and served in the Indian Ocean during both Gulf Wars.

  ‘The Secretary of State was intending to be present, but he has recently departed for the Middle East. Unfortunately, the latest peace plan is unravelling.’

  How many would that be now? Ernest Caruthers mulled. He had a humorous side to his nature. He could drink more Budweiser than even Fred, at least twice as many, still be sober, and then pop up bright and cheerful the next day. In the think tank, he would be fully focussed. Beer in hand, out of hours, he was a person transformed.

  With the introductions concluded, Fred stood to speak. ‘Thank you, Mr President, for the opportunity to present the findings and recommendations of the think tank.’ He had been told to keep the introduction short, the president had a tight schedule that did not allow for excessive verbiage, not that this was going to stop Nick De Oliveira. He was quickly on his feet, he had plenty to say, and this was an opportunity not to be missed.

  Nick spoke. ‘Thank you for attending the meeting today. What we have here will be of significant interest. It will raise many questions, many concerns, and hopefully, a sense of history in the making. It is a chance to be in at the start of what is going to be a world-changing, life-changing and, hopefully for many millions, an uplifting from the abject poverty that they have endured for generations. For most of us here, this will become a major event in our lives, the event that we will tell our grandchildren around the fire at night.’

  He’s trying to take the limelight, take the glory, Fred glowered. After all that I’ve set up, he comes along with his smooth words and wows his bosses. He was not pleased with how Nick was proceeding.

  Nick, of course, was destined for politics. He knew how to ensure things fell into place for him. He ultimately had no morality, other than the morality of self. Not as the mayor of a small town in rural America, not as a member of the Senate, though that was the first step. He was going for the big one, the Presidency of his country. He would carefully nurse the Game. He would use all within his power to ensure it went ahead, while maintaining a carefully calculated distance. Then, when all was looking good, step in to claim that it was all his idea.

  It disturbed Fred that representatives from the military were there. The team were planning an economic incursion, not a military invasion. They were a group of academics, analysts, and engineers, and they had seen the resolution to the Afghanistan question. They had seen what the military could not. They had seen a solution without massive bloodletting, unchecked massacre, and the occupying armies. They were idealistic. The reality of implementation would cause them concern. However, that was for the future.

  Their analysis would ultimately lead them into the hitherto unbelievable areas of America regaining its world dominance as a military power without using that power. It would give a solution to the outrage that had become global terrorism, and ultimately, to the USA becoming the major energy provider to the world.

  For too long, the USA had been dependent on rogue nations, dictatorships, and an assorted group of ruthless international businessmen (ratbags, as Ernest, would have said) who controlled a commodity under the ground, namely oil.

  Nick concluded his opening monologue. The two senior advisors to the president, Oscar Stein and Ruth Potter, had seen through him and were muted in their sign of appreciation for his opening remarks. They had seen a dozen of his kind before. Some had lasted the distance and were now in Congress. Others, had blown it through bad associations or miscalculating the mood of politics. People such as Nick liked being in the media, even when they didn’t have much to say.

  Nick, as time would show, was smart. He may have been devious, slimy, lacking in any sense of decency and morality, but he was still smart. He was going to succeed.

  ***

  Grace was the first to present; she gave a polished performance. It was basically the same one as she had given to the think tank. She had tidied up some areas, added a little here, taken some away there, but the basic facts remained. The numbers mentioned by Grace excited those gathered, in particular, the comments about lithium.

  The president put forward a question at the end of her presentation. ‘Grace, can you please elaborate on the dramatic increase in the value of lithium, and how we would corner the world market.’ Grace had mentioned increasing the amount of lithium by a factor of five, and cornering the global marketplace.

  ‘Mr President, I would ask Nick or Chris to ask that question. I have purely stated the facts as given to me.’

  Nick squirmed on hearing Grace’s reply. He was not going to be aligned with this in case it went wrong, plausible deniability. ‘Mr President, I would ask Chris to explain as to what is inferred by Grace’s comments.’

  If Chris’s explanation went well, he could always claim he was the catalyst for Chris’s evaluation, if not he could discreetly distant himself and state that it was Chris who had initially put forward the scenario with lithium.

  Chris had prepared some notes, but he was now going to be asked to explain the details.
Lithium had seemed to be the most promising asset in Afghanistan, given the move towards electric cars. Chris now needed to give some figures that could direct American domestic and foreign policy for many years into the future. He had a couple of slides, so he just had to put on a brave face and go with it. Certainly, the President of the United States was not the sort of person, one would stand in front of with a less than polished performance. Grace had spent hours going through her presentation in front of a mirror.

  ‘Mr President, the lithium reserves in Afghanistan are immense,’ Chris was not prepared, but he had managed to get through a few dodgy presentations at University, by standing up straight, looking the audience straight in the eye, and giving a clear and confident delivery. He was about to do it again.

  ‘The majority of those reserves are in Helmand Province. They couldn’t be in a worse place, certainly not everyone’s idea of a summer holiday retreat.’ He instantly regretted the holiday retreat comment. It was frivolous considering the countless lives that had been lost attempting to control the Taliban.

  ‘From my understanding, there is government policy being formulated to enhance the move to electric vehicles in the USA.’

  The president interjected. ‘That is correct. Timing is the problem, and whether the technology would be ready. We need to understand how the oil companies and the government would be impacted regarding revenue. Tax money from the oil industry is huge. Not having that money would impact on the functioning of government, the services that it provides.’

  Chris had broached a difficult subject, and the president had responded positively. A little more confident now, he felt he could suggest and theorise without too much concern. ‘I will put forward a scenario for discussion,’ he stated. ‘Afghanistan and, ultimately, the USA would have at least fifty percent of the world’s lithium. It is a substantial quantity. If there is government legislation in the USA, to ensure that all public utility vehicles, and fifty per cent of cars are electric powered, there would be a dramatic increase in the price of lithium, at the time of the legislation being enacted. If the USA commits to such action, then the rest of the world will follow, and the demand for oil would fall.

  ‘Our reliance on Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Venezuela would diminish, their economies would be threatened and, ultimately, we will be able to gain control, or at least an upper hand, in our discussions with them.’

  The president spoke ‘We are moving down that road on electric vehicle legislation. There is in place, a group that is looking at the issues you raise. The lithium in Afghanistan, which they do not know about, or at least have discounted, has not figured in their research. I will ensure that you become a member of that group immediately.’

  Chris was excited at the response. Nick, meanwhile, was a bit miffed that he had not presented. However, he still made sure to thank Chris publicly for his clear and concise style of putting forward the facts. Nick was slimy. The president could see that, as well.

  Fred endeavoured to take control. ‘Mr President, it would be opportune for Ernest to speak now. He is well experienced with the moving of military equipment and personnel in a number of arenas of war. Instead of tanks, this time it will be heavy trucks, bulldozers, mining equipment, reclamation machinery, conveyor systems, plus housing and offices. We will also be taking in substantial power generating equipment. Ernest has done some preliminary evaluation of the road network in the country, the bridges in place and their suitability. I will hand it over to Ernest.’

  Ernest Caruthers stood up. He was unfazed; he had met prime ministers during his sojourns to the front line. A president wasn’t much different, even if this one was very agreeable. They were quite comfortable to come in just before Christmas, bullet proof jacket and helmet on; serve everyone their turkey and cranberry sauce, the jacket and helmet dispensed with, pull a cracker or two, put on a funny hat and make sure they have their photo taken with the troops.

  It looked good on TV and in the newspapers. Once out of sight of the media, on would come said bullet proof jacket and helmet, back into the waiting helicopter or plane, and leave as quickly as they came.

  He had been doing a lot of work with the think tank behind the scenes. It was still unclear as to what amounts of resources were going to come out of the country. It was not fully clear yet as to what was going in, either. There was also the most challenging issue, the need to go in through Iran. He would have preferred Fred to expand on the reasoning for Iran, but it was unavoidable. He would just have to mention it and accept the comments and criticisms as they came. The mention of Iran was sure to raise the hackles of the military men.

  ‘I would suggest that you continue with the Iran option if your analysis shows this to be the only solution,’ the president said.

  The mention of Iran when Ernest mentioned it, found an unexpected ally in Major General George Hampshire. He did not speak at this time as the president had given his tentative support. He was a pragmatist and a cautious supporter when Ernest brought up the subject of Iran. The president could not stay for the whole duration of the conference. He did not stay long enough to hear Ernie give a polished presentation.

  There was the obligatory photo-taking for the think tank group. It was not every day that you met the President of the United States. The mantelpieces at home would all have an additional framed picture.

  Before he left, the president spoke. ‘Ladies and Gentleman, what has been put forward today is of profound significance. It is visionary, it is dynamic, and it is challenging. I will ask George and Rusty to follow through to the conclusion of this meeting and to keep me posted. As in these situations, we can then make a decision on how to progress. We cannot allow Afghanistan to retreat into chaos and anarchy again. Certainly, Russia will not allow its borders to be threatened by Islamic fundamentalism, and as we know it borders onto three outposts of the former Soviet Union. All of them are Muslim and potentially militant. Inaction on our part could possibly cause the region to become more unstable than it has been for many years.

  ‘What has not been clearly explained is how we are going to be able to control the country sufficiently to allow these activities to occur. Certainly, we cannot go marching in there with an army, and it is clear that no matter how large the army, ultimately, they will only be sufficient to control for a short period. I understand that you do have a plan for this, and it is important that it is worked through to conclusion before any firm actions on the part of the Government of the USA.

  ‘George, Rusty, please stay with this. Brief me tomorrow morning 8 o’clock.’ With that, the president turned and left briskly.

  Chapter 9

  Ernest continued with his presentation. The president’s closing remarks and the obligatory photos had caused some focus to be lost. ‘Before speaking about the transportation infrastructure in the country,’ Ernie said. ‘I feel it is important to look at how we are to get into Afghanistan initially and how we intend to come out with our minerals.

  ‘Afghanistan is a landlocked country. To the north are the four former satellites of the Soviet Union, and above them, Russia. We are discounting these as our entry and exit points.’ Both the senior advisors, Oscar Stein and Ruth Potter, offered a slight nod of the head in the affirmative. The military men were more profound in their disapproval of the north as an option.

  Ernie continued. ‘We then need to evaluate the remaining three options. Firstly, the Khyber Pass from Jalalabad, into Peshawar, Pakistan and then down to either the ports of Karachi or Gwadar in Baluchistan. The Khyber Pass is prone to attack by militants. It is narrow, winding, and the road condition is not ideal. We would not be able to get the large numbers of vehicles and their weights through. The road down through Kabul gorge is extremely dangerous, many fatalities. The guard barriers in many cases have fallen away, the road surface is severely degraded, and there are numerous tunnels carved in the rock and multiple hairpins, it is just not possible.

  ‘The second option is from Kandahar, thro
ugh Spin Boldak, over the Khwaja Amran mountain range to Chaman, and then on into Quetta in Baluchistan. From there it is not far to Port Gwadar. It is close to the border with Iran in the south-west of the country. This is a possibility. We are not considering this as an option. There would be a traffic jam with mining trucks heading south to Quetta and onto Gwadar, and the Taliban fighters from the madrassas in Pakistan heading north.’

  Ernie paused for a moment, took a sip of water, and then turned back to his PowerPoint presentation. ‘Please, let me try and put forward the only solution. Port Chabahar in Iran is located on the Gulf of Oman. It is believed to be suitable, at least, in the initial phase of operations. There is a good road up to Zabol, with the border to Afghanistan thirty kilometres away at Zaranj. From there is a two hundred kilometre road to Delaram, on the A1 Kandahar to Herat highway. The Indian government used this route in 2011 to ship one hundred thousand tonnes of wheat. It is sufficiently north of Kandahar and the Taliban – certainly not far enough to negate their full impact, but at least to minimise. The Indians have also shipped some minerals, albeit a minimal amount, from the Haji-Gak iron deposits, not far from the west of Kabul.

  ‘It is our only possible route. As the Game evolves, we can then consider Gwadar, and eventually possibly out through the former Soviet satellites. Gwadar cannot be resolved for at least two years.

  ‘Returning to Chabahar in Iran, there is an Indian plan to construct a railroad from there, up through Zaranj and on into the Haji-Gak iron mine. Construction has not started.’

  George Hampshire interjected. ‘We understand the Port Chabahar option. It is complex, tough and hard to envisage at this stage. It would require a radical rethinking of government and military strategy. The Iranians are, in general, a disciplined and intelligent people. We can ultimately trust them if we manage to strike a deal concerning Chabahar. It certainly would not be possible to approach the Iranian government until there is a resolution to their nuclear capability.