‘There will still be great numbers of irate, dangerous military commanders and their rank and file, but the chain of command will have been seriously disrupted. The remaining foreign fighters, assuming they are easily accessible, will be taken out on the second and third day. On the third day, the training camps will be targeted. We have covert personnel within most of the training camps, and they will be able to guide operations from their positions on the ground.
‘I am allocating a twenty-one-day time frame, with an extension of seven days if necessary. The Taliban do not operate to such timescales, they would wait until the conditions were right, but unfortunately, we are subject to political pressure and world opinion. Besides, any longer and the element of surprise would be lost. Those we have not removed will dissipate, vanish into the population. All of this is subject to split-second timing, competent operatives, and an assumption that the Taliban rank and file will not perceive what is happening.’
‘They will find out, though. Some of the operatives will be caught, and the Taliban methods will soon make them talk,’ Steve said.
‘You are right,’ Archie replied, ‘some will be caught, but firstly the knowledge that they have will be limited to their part in the plan, and secondly, as soon as an operative is taken, we put in counter plans to minimise the damage.’
‘What about the operative?’ Steve queried.
‘There is probably not a lot we can do to help. If there is a possibility, we will send in a rescue team, but we must accept the inevitable. If they are caught, they will almost certainly end up dead. What we must do is ensure that their family is protected to the best of our ability. The operative will have very limited support.’
‘The field commanders,’ Archie continued, ‘may prove to be the most difficult to remove. They, it must be assumed have a modicum of intelligence, and would be able to quickly blend into the general population. It remains paramount that they are removed. They will soon ensure that they are surrounded by innocent villagers. Pinpointing and elimination without substantial collateral damage may prove difficult. We will have to resort to Special Forces flying in, conducting the liquidation and exiting as quickly as possible.’
‘How many of those detailed for elimination will remain at the end of twenty-one days?’ Steve asked.
‘Ten to fifteen percent seems a fair estimation,’ Archie answered, ‘and those will be substantially dealt within the remaining seven days, bearing in mind that the Pakistani military and the local villagers should help with the mopping up, especially about the foreign fighters.’
Archie was satisfied this was how the operation should be conducted. This was Machiavelli at its best.
Chapter 21
Conservatism had become increasingly more obvious throughout Afghanistan. Steve had seen it, and Latif, his manager down in Kandahar, had clearly advised after his last visit, that it was no longer safe for him to travel there.
The Taliban’s influence appeared to be in direct relationship to the foreign militaries troop reductions. The changes were subtle but noticeable, and nowhere more noticeable than in Kandahar. Women were rarely seen there now, and the majority of the men were wearing black turbans, the unofficial sign of the Taliban. The street vendors selling fake DVD’s of the latest Indian movie were gone, and the sound of music had ceased to exist.
The Afghans had always loved the Bollywood movies. They would be on the cinema screen constantly.
There were some exceptions to the fear of the Taliban, Herat still felt immune, as did some parts of Kabul. The Taliban were everywhere, their random acts of terrorism instigated without impunity in all of the major cities. Travel was seriously affected, and the normal, if somewhat chaotic mass of humanity, trucks, and cars cluttering the roads and thoroughfares had lessened.
The Kabul River flowed through the centre of Kabul, and on the dry river bed, or at least, it was invariably dry, there were always makeshift shops set up. The occasional flash flood and the busy bazaar, known locally as the Titanic market, would rapidly sink to the bottom in the gushing water. At least with the Taliban, it was experiencing a revival. The modern shopping centres that had sprung up in recent years were increasingly targeted by the suicide bombers.
The move of the Taliban through Helmand and into the surrounding districts of Kandahar came later than expected. The Afghan Army had shown a hitherto unexpected improved performance. The years of training and the quality fighting equipment had transformed them, given them a new vigour, but they were soon proved to be only a delaying obstacle to the Taliban. Nothing was going to stop them, and within a few months of relentless drive forward, they arrived poised and ready on the outskirts of their capital. They were going to take it back, and there was no military force that could stop them.
To the Western powers, Kandahar and the South West of the country were lost. Kabul was safe as long as a minimal contingent of Western troops remained in the country. Herat and Mazar to the North would be held by the Warlords, who had clearly reasserted their influence, after the years of temperance enforced by the occupying powers.
‘I am leaving Kandahar in the next day. My apologies for such short notice, but as I am sure you understand, it is not safe for me here,’ Latif said on his phone call to Steve.
‘I fully understand, but I always believed that you had connections that would have protected you.’
‘That is true. I do have contacts with the more moderate element, but the firebrands are going to come in first. After defeating the Afghan Army and reclaiming the city, they will want to conduct a purge. Anyone who has had any dealings, minor or otherwise, with the infidels will be summarily executed as an example to others.’
‘Where are you going? Where is safe?’
‘I’m going across the border into Pakistan. It doesn’t seem the ideal choice, but I can stay out of sight with my family until the madness in Kandahar subsides.’
‘Then I wish you the best of luck. We will keep in touch somehow.’
‘Mr Steve, get out of Kabul as soon as you can. It is not safe for you there. You do realise this?’
‘I know. At the present moment, I am monitoring my company’s interests. If there is any change for the worse, I will exit the country immediately.’
‘The time for you to go is now, not later. Your company or any other matter is not worth the sacrifice of your life. Think of your family first, those that you love, and those that love you.’ It was clear to Steve that Latif knew more than he was willing to state.
Steve reflected in the hours following his conversation with Latif, as to what had been achieved, since the overthrow of the Taliban back in the early years of the twenty-first century. He saw little improvement. The country was as fragmented as ever, the Taliban were back, and the Warlords were extending their sway over large areas of the country. No foreign power, no matter how benevolent and well-meaning, had been able to make a lasting impression. He felt that the latest occupiers had tried, but it had all gone wrong. How could Archie’s plan be any different? It was great to be idealistic sitting in an office in New York, but the reality transferred on to the ground invariably seemed to go awry. If Archie’s plan worked and the Taliban were eliminated and the corruption and flagrant abuse of power, whether militarily or politically were curtailed, would it make any difference? If the economy was strong and financially independent of the aid that it relied on, would it be a better place? He hoped it would be, but he remained sceptical.
The Afghan Army was to be on the front line. They may be fully trained and armed by the American government, but they had no chance against the Taliban. If the Americans with one hundred thousand troops could not sort out the insurgents, then, how could they?
It was clear Kabul was safe in the interim with the foreign military at their bases in the South, but how long before they exited the country. The plan to enter the country, to revitalise the economy with mining could not occur if the Taliban controlled the movement of vehicular traffic around the coun
try. With the changed situation in Afghanistan, the Russians were holding back. They had clearly seen that the Americans would not bring in the mining equipment and personnel while the Taliban were returning in force. There was no way that an Afghan military could deal with the Taliban, or protect a massive convoy of machinery and civilian personnel. Russia’s plans were forestalled, but not cancelled. They were still going back, it was just delayed for a while.
It was remarkable that the Taliban’s final assault had taken so long. The Afghan Army had held up well. They were motivated, and with new uniforms, state of the art weapons, and the latest training, they were feeling good about themselves. They had entered into the spirit of showing that they were a cohesive fighting team, as good as the Americans.
This was possibly true. They had evicted any country, any nation or any fighting force that had attempted to take and hold their country for thousands of years. They had kicked out the Russians, and they had kicked out the Americans.
They were right, they were a formidable fighting machine, and they could see off anyone. Unfortunately, they were not as cohesive, or as disciplined a uniformed fighting force, as they thought. For sure, they made a good effort, but it was inevitable. They were going to decay, albeit slowly, due to the inevitable need to align persons, and fighting units, and battalions, along family, then ethnic, then village lines. Family, tribal, and villages are commendable, but they don’t lend themselves to an organised fighting force. That needs the very best person in the ideal position related to their skills and abilities. The Americans understood this, the Afghan Army leadership understood the logic, but they, unfortunately, allowed themselves to be weakened internally.
‘They’ve taken the outskirts of Kandahar,’ Steve informed Archie, ‘the fighting is heavy.’
‘Get more details. I need to time the commencement of my plan.’
‘It’s unlikely that I can get any more detail than you. I have no solid contacts there now. Latif, my manager, has moved out to be with his family. He knows it will be a bloodbath once the Taliban take control, and he doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of Taliban justice.’
‘Then we probably have better intelligence than you. We have satellite images coming in, and we are dispatching drones for a closer look. It looks as if the city is encircled and anyone participating in the defence of the city will not live long after it capitulates,’ Archie said.
‘How long do you reckon?’
‘A week at the most from what we can see. Are you still in contact with your operatives down in the region, especially Helmand?’
‘They’re mostly keeping a low profile. We haven’t heard from anyone there for over a week. Some, we believe, have been caught, and we must assume that most of them are now dead.’
‘Unfortunate, but it is not unexpected. We had always maintained a contingency that some would be caught.’
‘No doubt the Taliban tortured them first to extract any information, and then slit their throats.’
‘At least, they would not have extracted your name. You’re sufficiently isolated from them.’
‘That may be the case, but if they picked up the name of their coordinator, it inevitability brings them closer to the team and me in Kabul. You better be ready to get me out if there is any trouble.’
‘Don’t worry, you’re well protected,’ Archie said, although he did not fully believe the words he had just spoken. He knew the reality, it was getting dangerous.
‘At least, we may have the senior leadership of the Taliban in one place. One drone and we can take them out, maybe even the elusive Mullah Omar.’ Archie said.
It was during the next week that Steve contacted Archie. ‘The Governor of Kandahar has been assassinated.’
‘What are the details?’ Archie asked.
‘A suicide bomber managed to get past the security at the Friday prayers. It was the twelfth attempt. He was a decent guy, well-educated, urbane. He stayed at his post, and it cost him his life.’
‘He knew it was inevitable,’ Archie said, ‘Apart from that how do you see the situation down there? What do you hear where you are?’
‘The Taliban are within five kilometres of the centre. It is only days before it falls. Then the slaughtering and the reprisals will begin.’
‘What about the Afghan Army? Any attempt on their part to exit the city?’ Archie enquired.
‘It’s hard to say. What I’m hearing is that a substantial number of soldiers are remaining in the city, for as long as they can. Besides, their chance of exiting is severely restricted. The Taliban have almost encircled the city, not many of the soldiers will get out. The officers may try with helicopters, but they run the risk of heat-seeking missiles.’
***
Five days after Steve and Archie’s last conversation, Kandahar fell. The severity of the last few days had been intense, many innocent people in the city died. With the triumphant entry into the city came the commencement of the slaughter.
The first to be targeted was the Afghan Army. Any officer captured was either shot or his neck slashed with a rusty knife. The common soldier, if they were Pashtun, were either given the choice of joining the Taliban or being killed, most joined. Non-Pashtun, they were killed without ceremony. After the army had been dealt with, their attention turned to the academics, those who had some business or personal association with the invaders. They even targeted those men whose beard was not long enough.
‘At least five thousand have died,’ Steve said.
‘How’s the mood in Kabul?’ Archie asked.
‘It’s very sombre. Entertainment, restaurants and shops selling anything remotely Western have closed. The people are very nervous.’
‘It’s to be expected. We need you to stay there a little longer. I hope that you will do that for us.’
‘I will, but don’t expect me to enjoy it or to feel safe. It’s a scary place now.’
‘Hopefully, it will not be too long.’ Archie said. ‘Has anyone mentioned Mullah Omar?’
‘He’s still elusive. I’ve not heard the name as yet. He will probably wait until it is secure down there. There is bound to be small pockets of resistance, some Afghan soldiers who will fight in preference to getting their throats cut.’
‘Any updates on your operatives? Any still in Kandahar?’
‘Some are still there.’
‘The road down through Kandahar and up to Herat is cut now,’ Steve said.
‘That road will seal the fate of the Taliban. I can see permission being granted to commence my exercise in the next few weeks,’ Archie said.
‘It’s always been my favourite place in Afghanistan. I will miss my visits down there.’
All the fundamentals were in place for Archie to be granted the permission that he required. He was, on the one hand excited, on the other, saddened, that the solution had to be so violent.
Chapter 22
‘The Taliban have taken Kandahar,’ Oleg Ivanov, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said at the hastily convened special meeting of the Russian Security Council. ‘It comes as no surprise to all assembled here.’
The Russian President was present, and he wanted answers and strategy decisions. ‘We know that. The question is how it impacts Russia.’ He interjected impatiently. He did not suffer fools, and excess verbiage gladly, and here was verbiage. Everyone, even the man in the street knew of the events in Afghanistan.
‘Update me with the facts. Don’t give an expanded lead-in. My time is valuable,’ he continued.
‘The question is,’ Oleg Kabanoff, the leader of the Russian think tank, was quick to respond, immediately regretting paraphrasing the president. ‘Why did the Americans let this happen?’
‘You should know. You tell us,’ the president said, increasingly impatient and now angry at the impertinence of Kabanoff.
‘The Americans have allowed it to occur for their own strategic advantage.’
‘Explain.’
&nbs
p; ‘We know of their intended plan to enter through Iran. We also know this will not happen with the Taliban holding any influence in the country.’
‘So, what is the American strategy?’
‘It must be part of their plan to remove the Taliban. It can only be that, and with Kandahar as the spiritual capital, it may be the best opportunity to draw out their senior leadership.’
‘If you were a strategist for the Americans, what would you be suggesting to their president?’ Now in a conciliatory mood, the president was asking his advice.
‘I would take the advantage and assassinate the leadership of the Taliban. Eliminate all that may influence this group.’
‘The Americans would never do that. They are too soft, too easily swayed by public and political pressure.’
‘Agreed, but the stakes are too high. There can be no other option. They would never have allowed the Taliban to control the main route around the country otherwise.’
‘Did we get an insider into their office in New York?’ the president asked.
‘Not with any great success. The person proved inadequate, the information received was limited,’ Foreign Intelligence Service Director Romenskaya said.
‘Why, I thought our intelligence operatives were the best in the World.’ The president was becoming agitated again.
‘They are, but the screening by the Americans was extremely detailed and comprehensive. Our man was able to enter temporarily. He was rejected when his place of birth became unclear.’
‘So, what did we find out before your inept attempt, and your even more inept employee was ousted?’
Prelude To War: World War 3 (Steve Case Thriller Book 1) Page 18
