In spite of the President’s comments on lunch, the kitchen served up a variety of cold cuts for sandwiches, with a half dozen spreads. Roast beef, ham, chicken breasts, turkey slices, salami, pastrami, five different kinds of cheeses, tossed salad with four choices of dressings, soda, milk, juice, water, coffee, tea, and wine, with white, rye, wheat, pumpernickel breads, completed the menu. Not bad, thought Jason Thornton. My authority around here is eroding fast, but not bad.
“OK, Hugh, what do we have for this DARPA traitor?”
“Mr. President, I believe we should build a stronger case than we have right now for several reasons. First, we cannot prove he passed his code to China. We don’t know how he did it. That is something we must be able to prove. Even though two and a half million lines of code were fed in the satellites, and his code came up, that doesn’t prove he gave it to the Chinese. Second, the defense will claim that it is impossible to get a fair trial anywhere in the country because of Chinese aggression all over Asia, and he is a Chinese American. I have absolutely no doubt that he is guilty; we just can’t prove it beyond a satisfactory doubt at this time. The only other alternatives are to either go public and fire him, in which case, he will probably sue for re-instatement, or to eliminate him, and I mean remove him from planet earth in the latter case. In the meantime, we can keep him under intense surveillance and see if he will tip his hand. I suggest we do nothing to indicate to him that he is a suspect. Perhaps DARPA can assign him to some other project or area that is not so sensitive but would not suggest that he is under suspicion.”
“What do you say, Jim?”
Jim Neville looked at his boss and simply said, “Kill him. Make it look like a hit and run. I’ll tell you why. We are on the verge of constructing a common software architecture for network centric military operations to share with our so-called military allies. We will have it this year. If he passes it to the Chinese or implants a sleeper virus in it, to be activated on command within our computer systems, especially our logistical systems, we’ve had it. Our acquisition systems aren’t fast enough to keep up with commercial development of computers and communications systems. By the time our acquisitions process procures our C4I systems, computers, and communications, and control, command and intelligence systems for us, they are already several years out of date. Therefore, we are building on commercial, off the shelf technology. Most of our computer software has been manufactured in Asia, especially China, for many years. Thank God he hasn’t already done this, or perhaps he has, and the Chinese haven’t activated it. They might be waiting for the next round. Imagine what happens if all of our transportation, communications, electrical power grid, nuclear power plants, water and sewage treatment plants were hit with a virus or viruses that destroyed the controls or shut them down for days to weeks. You want to see urban riots? Just see what happens when our cities can’t get food and water on a daily basis.”
“Ed, what does the Central Intelligence Agency have to say?”
“I agree with Jim. The man put the security of three hundred million Americans in jeopardy, and we are worried about violating his rights. What would have happened if China had those submarines launch ballistic missiles at us right off the bat to make sure we didn’t go to Korea’s aid, or Southeast Asia’s or to the Caspian Sea basin nations? They still could, if we go to their aid or assist Russia. We could have been hurt, real bad.
“What if, thanks to Choi, We Hin, China establishes a number of small, but highly complex computer bases in various places around the world and the US to conduct cyber warfare against us? Targets could include traffic management systems, air, rail, naval, banking, merchant marine, telecommunications radio attacks on satellites, computer and telephone systems. He can hurt us bad, where he now is.”
“Marge, I asked you to sit in on this because you are the most liberal individual in our inner circle here, what do you say?”
“Mr. President, I cannot condone the assassination based on what you have told me. The chances of his being guilty are obvious, but there is just that one chance in a million somebody else copied his code, or used it somehow without his knowledge. Until there is definitive proof that he is the individual who gave it to the Chinese, I say, wait. Wait until he betrays himself, which he will do, sooner or later.”
“Fred, what say you?”
“I see both sides, Mr. President. As a former practicing attorney, I would say we wouldn’t win in court. On the other hand, the man is an absolute threat to the security of our country. No telling what other projects DARPA is working on that this guy has handed to the Chinese. He could be costing us billions of dollars, decades of time, and ultimately, thousands or tens of thousands or even millions of American lives. What has he cost us? What is his life worth, what is his work in DARPA worth, and how can we trap him if he is their spy? Those are questions I would like answers to before I vote one way or the other.”
Jason Thornton said nothing. He ate his lunch as everybody else made small talk, mostly about the success of the invasion of the Canal Zone. Details were still coming in, and most were slightly excited. Finally, Jason Thornton spoke. “I’m going to have to think on this one for a while. I thank everyone for coming. If anyone has any more information or developments on Dr. Choi’s case, let me know immediately. It might influence my decision. Everybody is free to go after they finish their chow on the White House budget.” The secretaries and staffers drifted out as they finished their meals.
At 16:00, Ed McCluskey, Jim Neville and Ralph Gardner came walking in, practically arm in arm, and all smiles. Almost in unison, they said, “Mr. President,” then Jim Neville said, “OK, Ed, give it to him straight.”
“Mr. President, the Chinese convoys are turning around. Their ground forces have halted. We have intercepted communications that they are ordered to remain in place indefinitely. The Russians informed them at 12:00 hours Eastern Standard Time they would launch nuclear war against every major Chinese city with a population of over one million if the Chinese continued their attack past 18:00 hours Eastern Standard Time. That’s over two hundred cities, Mr. President. They have the rockets and nuclear warheads to do it, and the Chinese knew they would do it. It’s over, Mr. President, at least for the time being.”
Chapter 39
“The question now, Mr. President, is what to do about Panama.”
“What do you suggest we do, Marge?”
“Well, there are several options. This nation building concept has never worked very well for us; therefore I would not suggest we occupy the entire country and try to bring them up to snuff as a democracy. The concept of graft is simply too much for them. They have the concept so common in second tier nations that bureaucrats should get rich at the expense of the people by selling their offices that we’ll never overcome it. Therefore, unless we want to absolutely heavy hand that little nation, we don’t want boots on the ground down there. Let’s get out of there and leave it to the Panamanians.”
“Secretary of Defense Neville, what say you?”
“Mr. President, we have already seen the threat that can be posed from the Panama Canal Zone. I agree with Secretary Talbott that we don’t want to occupy the country, but the Canal is still vital to our wellbeing. Therefore, we should occupy the Canal Zone as we used to do. I admit this will cause problems, but if we share the wealth of the Canal, I don’t think the resistance will be anything that we can’t overcome.”
“Ed, your turn.”
“Mr. President, I tend to agree with Secretary Neville, but I admit that we will have problems if we try and control the Canal ourselves. Rather, I think we should control the bureaucrats who control the Canal. Admittedly, the Canal Zone, while still functional, has fallen into a serious state of disrepair, and it needs tens of millions of dollars to upgrade and repair it. I don’t see any reason we can’t do that. We should make it absolutely clear, though, to the Panamanian Government that we will hold them responsible for its maintenance and security. If we don’t actually control it, we should make them understand that their very lives depend on it. I am not above, shall I say, dirty business, in making sure the bureaucrats don’t sell their offices and the Canal Zone again. I am suggesting that we make perfectly clear to them that we will go to any lengths to make sure they fulfill their functions without any foreign interference except ours. Their health and wellbeing depend on it. Essentially, what I am saying is that we should control it from behind the scenes.”
“And if these Panamanians resort to their old tricks, are you suggesting we assassinate them, Ed?”
“Mr. President, that is exactly what I am suggesting. There are all kinds of accidents that can happen to people in a tropical environment. Then, too, our behind the scenes presence would help reduce the flow of cocaine, other illicit substances, and arms into the United States. It is a natural choke point.”
“General Craig, what is your opinion?”
“I can see both edges of the sword, Mr. President. There is a lot of fact in what has been said by everyone so far. My concern with Secretary McCluskey’s suggestion is that ultimately it will come to light that we are engaging in assassinations, dirty tricks, and so on that will make political hay for political opponents of your administration and the congress will threaten funding reductions, outright attempts to prevent it through legislation, and so on with the hypocrisy of the Almighty. On the other hand, the Panamanians cannot be trusted to behave on their own. It is a lesser of two evils. I would prefer that we write a strong treaty with Panama and remain in control of the Canal Zone ourselves. It is the only way we will be able to maintain it and prevent a recurrence of the scenario we just experienced. If we share the wealth, then perhaps we can keep the local resistance to a tolerable level. Of course, that means we will have our noses in Panama’s books, to make sure the people get the benefits of the Canal Zone and not enrich the bank accounts of the politicians and bureaucrats. It might be necessary to do a little of the DCI’s suggested arm twisting, so to speak, but hopefully it could be kept to a minimum. In effect, we would have to re-create the Panama Canal Zone Company backed by armed force and political intrigue as necessary.”
“Would this Panama Canal Zone Company be a U.S. Government enterprise or a private one, General?”
“There’s no reason it couldn’t be a public company, Mr. President. The Canal Zone Company can sell stock on the New York Stock Exchange to make it open to international business as long as the controlling interest remains in American hands. Panamanians themselves could own stock, giving them a voice in its operations, as long as it is not too strong a voice. Of course, we would have to present a legitimate appearance on such an action by sitting down with representatives of the Panamanian Government and making them agree to the formation of such a company. That way, Panamanians could share in the profits. Everything could be published in the public domain, in the Panamanian papers, as a quarterly report on the status and operation of the Canal, and give them a sense of pride of ownership. They could see where the money goes: into roads, hospitals, water and sewage works and other public infrastructure.”
“Are there any other opinions on this subject? If not, I’ll ponder it, and we will rehash it later. If anyone wants to write a position paper on it for the record, please do so.
“The next item I want to discuss is the military budget. It is going to have to be expanded considerably if we wish to remain a power in the Pacific and Indian Ocean littorals. We are going to have to greatly increase funding for the Navy. Admiral Stark, please prepare a budget request for Secretary Neville to reflect what it will take to contain the Chinese from expanding and dominating the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Arabian Sea. We can’t let them control those vital waterways. Don’t be modest about it. The public will support it, I think, when all the facts are out. We will make the facts public over the next few weeks and months as to how severe the threat really was. We’ll build public opinion for a dominating Navy to ensure we are not threatened like this again. We will also try a little arm twisting on our so-called friends and allies of the European Union to do their share. Perhaps if we agree to handle the maritime threat, they will agree to handle the land massed threat. They can put boots on the ground in Central Asia and the Middle East and take the heat from the idiots whose soil they are on. After all, those massed Chinese armies directly threaten them, not us.
“In the meantime, I want everyone to start thinking about a ‘Build it in America and Buy American’ campaign to restore our manufacturing and services economies.
“Let’s go to work, folks.”
Epilogue
General Craig decided that he had had enough. He could retire at the rank of full general. He willingly stepped down and supported General Anderson as his replacement for the highest military position in the Pentagon: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Legislation was passed for the inclusion of the Chiefs of Staff of the military services to be an integral part of the National Security Council. The legislation to change the Constitution requiring the President to have active military service did not. Senator Kennely decided to hold Senate hearings to determine the responsibility for the poor condition of the United States military forces. He publicly railed that he wanted to know why the current administration did not see the developing problem of Chinese aggression and plan accordingly.
The European Union requested that NATO be dissolved. The European Union would assume full responsibility for the defense of Europe to include Russia, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Turkey without involvement of the United States. Those European forces previously assigned to NATO were requested to be assigned to the EU by the EU High Commission. Any ethnic rivalries on the continent of Europe were to be decided by the vote of the High Commission. Regions were allowed to become nations if the separatist move was strong enough. No use of force would be allowed to either retain a breakaway region or to establish independence. If negotiations between the antagonists could not be reached by those involved, then the European Union retained the right to impose a settlement. No citizen of the antagonists could participate as a member of the High Commission if their native land was involved. Only the High Commission could employ force if necessary. Balkanization continued as political entities as small as provinces declared their independence. Governance of such a political mosaic was predicted to be such a quagmire that many wondered if Europe shouldn’t return to something like the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 that declared nationhood in Europe.
The Islamic nations of the Middle East requested that the United States and the European Union provide naval and air forces for their protection. Basing rights to be granted under whatever conditions the providing contingents desired. Turkey reached an uneasy truce with its own Kurdish population and that of northern Iraq. Ultimately, the independent nation of Kurdistan became reality. Turkey grimaced as the Kurds seceded with the southeastern quarter of Turkey as an independent Kurdistan to join with those of northern Iraq.
France established bases in the center and southern portions of Iraq. Iran remained sufficiently truculent to remain outside any public form of coalition. In secret treaty, however, they agreed that the United States would come to their aid with conventional forces should China’s westward expansion continue. The use of nuclear and chemical weapons is still being debated. The Trucial States and Saudi Arabia agreed to open their societies in conjunction with naval and air bases on their soil. The Royal Saudi family agreed in principle, and grudgingly committed to a formal plan for a greater role of women, and ultimately, a secular rather than a clerical government. Certain hard line Islamic clerics who protested disappeared from the scene in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
The Chinese invasion of Africa was relatively limited. China did not even attempt to evacuate their forces from the continent. Those Chinese abandoned there ultimately succumbed to guerilla warfare, AIDS, starvation and a plethora of diseases. Africa continued to smolder and burn as petty tyrants fought for control of its wealth. They usually followed tribal and ethnic lines. Mineral extraction companies from Europe, China, Japan, Australia and the United States continued to do economic battle with each other for the mineral wealth of southern Africa. Companies such as Executive Outcomes continued to do a thriving business, approaching de facto governments in some cases.
The end result was a quadri-polar world of the United States, the European Union, Japan and China. No one knows how many died; estimates from various sources widely varied. That two billion people died was the minimum in all estimates. Several considered the total to be as high as three billion, perhaps one third or more of the human population. The long-term harm to the environment by limited nuclear war remains to be seen. Radioactivity in the estuarine environments, the nursery beds of most of the world’s sea foods, is a major concern.
Choi, We Hin is still employed as a mathematician and computer scientist at DARPA. He suspects that he is under surveillance, and so continues his work without any hint of betrayal to his adopted country.
Major Bradley finally made it to Seoul. Ultimately, he was evacuated along with several other Americans who survived the second Korean War. He suffered mild to moderate radiation poisoning, receiving less fallout because his activities were in the mountainous eastern portion of Korea. He was decorated by both the Korean and American governments for his actions in Korea. The American government awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart, and promotion one grade.
Colonel Matthews was finally evacuated from Pusan. He suffered moderate radiation poisoning which resulted in his early retirement. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Legion of Merit.
President Jason Thorton continued to lead the United States of America with the resolute certainty there would be no more WWIII in 2023.
