SALIM MUST DIE Page 6

  Beirut

  14 FEBRUARY 2005

  THE CLOCK WAS ON THE VERGE OF ANNOUNCING THE TENTH hour of another beautiful morning when the motorcade, with the imposing black car at its centre, turned onto the road surfing along the sea front. The line of vehicles had just about reached the derelict St George Hotel on the Beirut seafront when one of the several nondescript cars parked on the side of the road exploded. Over a thousand kilograms of TNT had been stuffed into it. Nine people died instantly. Over a hundred were injured.

  ‘Among those killed was the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri whose motorcade had been driving past. The bomb appeared to have been directed against it,’ the smart young journalist in Beirut battle fatigues told her audience. ‘Hariri, a self-made billionaire and business tycoon, headed five cabinets during his decade long tenure. He had resigned as the Prime Minister and joined the Opposition on 20 October 2004 and was hoping to make a comeback in the legislative elections the following May.’

  A few hours later she was back on air, reading out a statement that had been issued by a little known group called Victory and Jehad in Greater Syria, which claimed responsibility for the killing. ‘The operation was carried out by one of our suicide bombers,’ the statement concluded.

  ‘However,’ the reporter added, ‘investigators doubt the veracity of this claim by the barely known group. Things are unclear at this stage, but both the US and the UK are pushing for and sponsoring a United Nations probe into this assassination. We promise to keep you updated about this shocking event.’

  A few days later she was back with the latest.

  ‘The UN probe sponsored by America and Britain has implicated several officials of the Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services for the Hariri killing. However,’ she said emphatically, ‘no one has been officially charged till now.’

  ‘We had nothing to do with it’ – Syria immediately issued strong and persistent denials.

  ‘They definitely did!’ an American spokesperson countered, without bothering to explain why or how she knew. ‘Such acts cannot be allowed to go unpunished. Syria must withdraw all its troops from Lebanon immediately. Lebanon should be allowed to pursue its political future, free from violence and free from Syrian occupation.’

  ‘You mean, just like the Iraqis are being allowed to?’ a correspondent from the Middle East asked sarcastically. The question was conveniently ignored. Nor did the American spokesperson mention that the Syrian withdrawal primarily served American and Israeli interests.

  Call to Action

  ‘THE CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATED HUE AND CRY CAUSED BY THE Hariri assassination continued until sufficient pressure had been built up on Syria and her troops began withdrawing from Lebanon on 23 July 2005,’ Rao said as the series of news clips came to an end. ‘This automatically led to a major shift in the Middle East security situation, with the balance of power shifting firmly in favour of Israel and USA. Now America had troops and military bases in Turkey, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and of course Iraq. These countries, as well as Turkmenistan, are all members of NATO's “Partnership for Peace” program and have military cooperation agreements with NATO. In other words, by now Iran was virtually surrounded by US military bases.’

  For a change, silence greeted the pause as Rao took a sip of water from the glass on the podium before he resumed.

  ‘A few weeks after the joint NATO-Israel military exercise, the NATO Secretary General arrived in Jerusalem for talks with the Israeli PM and the top brass of the Israeli Defence Forces.’

  ‘The Israel-NATO protocol that came into existence now obligates NATO to align itself with the US-Israeli plan to bomb Iran, as an act of self-defence. It also means that NATO is clearly and closely involved in the process of military consultations related to the planned bombing of Iran. In fact, just weeks after this, American Patriot missile crews stationed in Germany arrived in Israel to participate in the joint Juniper Cobra exercise with the Israeli military. This exercise specifically pertained to the deployment of Patriot missiles and was described by a US defence spokesperson as “routine and totally unconnected to events currently underway in the Middle East”. However, the fact is that Patriot missiles had seen extensive deployment and use during the first US invasion of Iraq.’

  A few voices attempted to make themselves heard at this point but Rao cut them off. ‘The Juniper Cobra exercise had barely concluded when there were a rash of news leaks in the Israeli media confirming that the Prime Minster had given the initial authorization for an Israeli attack on Iran's uranium enrichment plant if diplomacy failed to stop Iran's nuclear program. Almost simultaneously, the US Secretary of Defence embarked on official visits to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan. At this time a Russian news editor who had been watching events far more carefully than most wrote this in his column.’

  The words highlighted in a news report appeared on the screen:

  Recent American military and diplomatic moves are obviously an attempt to literally encircle Iran and find the best bridgehead for a possible military operation against that country.

  ‘This observation was not only astute, it was also a blatant warning the world should have heeded,’ Rao said gravely. ‘Unfortunately, these words of wisdom got submerged in the deluge of words unleashed by the American spin masters.’

  ‘The Iranians must be very worked up about all this.’

  ‘Of course they are… understandably so. In fact, as a direct counter to this encirclement by America and her allies, Iran has signed a military cooperation with Tajikistan, which occupies a strategic position bordering Afghanistan's northern frontier. Tajikistan is a member of the “Shanghai Five” military cooperation group, which also includes Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.’

  ‘The original Shanghai Five,’ this time the Army Chief took up the baton before anyone could ask the question, ‘had been formed in 1996 as a forum to resolve the long-outstanding Soviet–Chinese border disputes. However, under Putin, China and Russia grew much closer, bound by their mutual distrust of America and their desire to promote a multi-polar world. Consequently, on 15 June 2001 Shanghai Five was expanded to include Uzbekistan as a member, changing the orientation of the organization. Shortly thereafter, India, Mongolia, Iran and Turkmenistan expressed interest in the organisation's activities with India and Mongolia even considering membership.’

  ‘Precisely.’ Rao stepped in smoothly. ‘The obvious fact is that should India and Mongolia join up, more than half the population of Eurasia, from the Baltic to the Pacific, would soon be arrayed in a political, economic and military alliance that could pose a cognizable threat to American hegemony.’

  ‘And this, as you said earlier, would make the Russia-China-India collaboration a reality,’ the External Affairs Minister chipped in. ‘America would hate to see this happen.’

  ‘Absolutely correct, sir,’ Rao concurred. ‘To go back to my chronology, things were getting bad enough for the US Administration when there was yet another setback. It came in the form of Hurricane Katrina which swept the Gulf Coast of America. Katrina may have been only the sixth strongest Atlantic hurricane recorded, but it was the deadliest and most expensive one to ever wreak havoc on the American coastline. The death toll hovered in the vicinity of 1800 and the damage to property crossed eighteen billion dollars. To make things worse, the US Administration could not pin any of this on the Al Qaida or any other organization, real or imaginary.

  ‘In fact, reeling as they were from severe criticism for lying about WMDs in Iraq and the costly military misadventure in Afghanistan, they now came in for a massive mauling. They were still struggling to cope with this when they were hit by another new crisis.’

  There was another pause before Rao resumed.

  ‘Along the Pakistan-Afghan border, a force of approximately two hundred mujahidin fighters caught two American platoons literally with their pants down. By the time the American choppers and relief force arrived on the scen
e, only three members of these ill-fated platoons were breathing and that too barely. The others had been chopped to pieces with unbelievable savagery.’

  Rao's soft monotone did nothing to dispel the feeling of horror that gripped the room. ‘It is also certain that the mujahidin fighters headed straight back towards the Pakistani border immediately after the ambush since the choppers chased them for a better part of the way. They melted away among the tribal inhabitants of that brutally rugged area and that is where the American chase came to an inconclusive end.

  ‘The body count compelled the US administration to publicly acknowledge that Pakistan was more a part of the problem than the solution. Everyone had, of course, known this right from the beginning; however, it is never politically correct to openly discuss such blemishes in one's friends.

  ‘The strong US reaction evoked proportionately strong reactions in Pakistan. So vociferous were the protests that the echoes of the blast which decimated seven American tourists, who were dumb enough to want to visit Pakistan in such troubled times, reverberated all the way to the White House. The blasts destroyed several buildings occupied by US diplomats and businesses in Karachi. The message was clearly audible to the Americans, all the way back home – Get out and stay out.’

  ‘This is all very fascinating, Rao, but do responsible nations really behave like this?’

  ‘Why not?’ said a politician from the Left. ‘Are you aware that in the last sixty years, since the end of the Second World War, America has used military force more than 220 times? They have actually threatened the security of the world and attacked nations on the pretext that they were feeling threatened, although most of the time it has only been about money… money and, as Rao has pointed out, oil.’

  At this point, before the fracas could gain momentum, the PM indicated to Rao to announce a break for lunch and people began to trickle out, talking loudly as they went.

  ‘I think that went pretty well, Rao,’ the PM murmured as they stood back and watched people head for the banquet hall. ‘It certainly got them going… and thinking.’

  ‘I hope so, sir.’

  ‘Oh, I am sure it did,’ the PM said reassuringly. ‘Though the picture you paint does not bode well for any of us.’

  ‘I agree, sir. The world faces dark and dangerous days ahead. I just hope somewhere, somehow, better sense prevails….’

  Just then a group converged on them, seeking the Prime Minister's attention. Rao wandered away at the first opportune moment and headed for the buffet. He was halfway there when Anbu accosted him; with him were Ankita Bhatnagar and Manoj Khare.

  ‘My compliments, Mr Rao, that was an extremely illuminating presentation.’ Anbu greeted him with a smile as he extended a hand to introduce himself. ‘I am.…’

  ‘Of course I know who you are, Colonel Anbu.’ Rao returned the smile as the two men shook hands. ‘We have never had the pleasure of meeting, but who doesn't know you? Your men have done the nation proud. I am looking forward to your support in the coming days.’

  ‘But of course. I can assure you we shall do our best. And here are the two officers who are going to be with you for the next few weeks.’ Anbu made the introductions as Rao shook hands first with Ankita and then with Khare.

  ‘So, Captain,’ Rao asked Khare, ‘what do you think of all that we covered this morning?’

  ‘Well, sir,’ Khare replied thoughtfully. ‘I am no authority on geopolitics and international relations, but the way I see it, humankind comprises four kinds of people: Idiots, Wimps, Bystanders and Terrorists.’

  A hint of a smile appeared on Anbu's face. Rao, too, looked amused and gestured to the young man to go on.

  ‘One cannot say for certain whether it is the Idiots or the Terrorists who have delivered the world to the brink of disaster. However, it is certain that the Idiots could never have done it if the Wimps had not supported them. In fact, it was this support that encouraged the Terrorists to also target the Wimps and thus expand the battlefield. It is also almost certain that the march of events could have been halted if the Bystanders had shaken off their inertia and been bold enough to stand up and be counted when things were threatening to get out of hand.’

  The smiles on the faces of Khare's three-person audience broadened.

  ‘You have just started him off on his favourite hypothesis, sir,’ Ankita piped up.

  ‘That's all right,’ Rao replied with a smile. ‘I have never heard this stated in such simple terms.’ He nodded at Khare. ‘Please go on, Captain.’

  ‘You see, sir,’ Khare continued with a sheepish smile. ‘The fact remains that neither the Idiots nor the Terrorists can really be blamed since basically both are idiots and one can hardly blame an idiot for behaving idiotically. Of course, the Wimps should have shown a little spine and not gone along blindly with the Idiots. But then they too were behaving in character. So, ultimately it was the Bystanders that should have stood together, come forward and confined the Idiots, the Terrorists and the Wimps to the dustbin of history instead of allowing them to write it. But then, the Bystanders were busy being bystanders. They were either so caught up in their mundane problems of daily living or they were simply not bothered with what the others were doing. Most of them did not even realize that all those seemingly trivial events taking place in those seemingly far-off places were going to affect them as sharply as if they were happening in their own backyards.’

  ‘Very well put, young man.’ Rao beamed. ‘Colonel,’ he turned to Anbu, ‘I am really impressed with the way he has summed up the state of world affairs today.’

  ‘The first I am hearing of it myself, Mr Rao.’ Anbu smiled, but it was easy to see he was pleased with Khare's extempore speech. ‘Strangely enough, the group he refers to as the Bystanders constitutes a very large part of humanity. If they were all to get together and take things in hand, they could easily whip the Idiots, Terrorists and Wimps and send them back into their kennels with their tails between their legs. Unfortunately, most of them are busy with their own petty rivalries and do not even realize the power they could yield if they joined hands. That is why they are either sitting on their hands or busy battling the Terrorists on their own.’

  ‘Precisely, sir.’ Khare re-entered the fray. ‘The Terrorists of course are the ones who suffer the least. They don't have a conscience to appease or any rules to play the game by. They simply blame the Idiots for creating the circumstances that forced them to become what they are. They blame them for every real and/or imaginary suffering they were or are undergoing and use this as an excuse for inflicting even more suffering on everyone including their sorry masochistic selves.’

  ‘I agree. That is how it all began and that is how it continues to be,’ Rao said. ‘Unfortunately, what is certain is that no matter who is at fault, all of us are going to suffer, given the way things are beginning to spiral out of control.’

  The four of them continued to talk as they drifted towards the buffet table. They had no idea how rapidly the situation was escalating with every passing day. Unseen and unheard by most people, the world was moving towards the edge of chaos.

  A Bundle of Straws

  WASHINGTON, D.C.

  WHERE THEY FOUND THE WISDOM THE PROPHET ALONE knows, but the so-called greatest democracy of the world gave a resounding thumbs-down to the Republicans. The imminent return of the Democrats to the White House was a sure harbinger of change. The new inmates of the White House, it was hoped, would review and change most of the decisions taken by the Republican administration.

  THERE WERE ONLY THREE PEOPLE PRESENT AT THE MEETING that took place on the night of 16 December. Two of them had travelled several miles for the meeting, but the third had to walk only a hundred-odd feet since he lived in the large white house surrounded by sprawling gardens and protected by huge windows shielded with bulletproof glass.

  The most remarkable thing about the small, rather dingy-looking room where the meeting took place was the fact that it was totally and positivel
y free of electronic devices of all kinds, the ones that saw or listened and the ones that recorded. Though there was no formal advance agenda circulated for this meeting, the manner in which it was set up left no doubt in the minds of any of the three that the subjects under discussion would be extraordinary. No staff or security personnel was visible anywhere.

  ‘Everything seems to be spinning out of control,’ the big man began, lines of exasperation creasing his bovine features. ‘None of my predecessors has ever had such a high disapproval rating. Never!’ He spat out the last word vehemently, glaring at the other two as though they were responsible for the situation. He broke off the glare when he realized it wasn't bothering them very much. ‘It's not supposed to end like this.’

  ‘It certainly isn't,’ the second man agreed.

  ‘We were supposed to be the ones to change the map of the world,’ the woman said, her voice heavy with frustration. ‘We were supposed to make the world a safer place.’

  ‘Safer my arse! Who gives a crap?’ he retorted. ‘We were supposed to ensure we would be remembered as the people who had made the difference.’

  ‘Well, you can bet that we are going to be remembered, but maybe not in the way that we want to be.’ The woman's tone was nasty. It was obvious she did not like the man she was talking to, despite the fact that they both worked for the President.

  ‘Can it, both of you,’ the big man sliced in sharply. ‘We have enough to deal with, without you two getting your knickers in a twist.’ An uneasy silence fell upon the room, until he spoke again. ‘How much time do we have before the cocksuckers take over?’ No one answered since they could all count. There wasn't much time. Not for all that needed to be done. ‘We need to find a way to put an end to this… a way to ensure we go down in the history books as people who made a difference.’