Chapter Sixty-Three Assassination

It takes three days for Israeli Mossad agents working in Lebanon to locate Atwan. No one back at headquarters is surprised to be told he’s spending time with known leaders of Hezbollah.

The fifth week that Atwan is in Lebanon, one of the agents learns from one of his informants that Atwan is talking about a joint attack of Hezbollah and Hamas on Israel. His plan is simple: have Hezbollah strike along the whole northern border of Israel and Hamas strike along the whole Gaza strip simultaneously. According to his source, no date had yet been set as to when this is to take place.

Wattenberg doesn’t even hang up the phone after receiving this information. Cradling the receiver on his shoulder, he breaks the connection and immediately puts a call through to the prime minister. When he gets him on the phone, he quickly tells him what his agent has just reported.

“Do you believe this information to be true, Ariel?”

“Yes, Yaakov, I do. This information plus the amount of time that Atwan is spending with each group lends credence to what we’ve found out.”

“What do you plan to do, Ariel?”

“Well, our choices are that we can do nothing and just continue to monitor both groups to see if we can learn more without their realizing we know anything.”

“That’s just one choice,” Yaakov says. “What’s another choice?”

Chapter Sixty-Two Creating Fear

Standing before a crowd of thousands in the Iranian capital of Tehran, President Mahmoud Khasajani announces to the world, “Iran is coming closer to its destined position in the world. We will unite the Muslim world. We will fight the Zionist. We will conquer the land of Israel. Then the United States will taste what it is like to be alone.”

The throng gathered in front of him, there by invitation in the form of bribery, erupts into wild cheering to such an extent that Mahmoud cannot continue his speech for a full five minutes.

When he’s finally able to resume, he tells them, “Allah be praised, as I stand before you this day, you will see all of this come about.”

Every word Mahmoud speaks is being transmitted over Al-Jazeera, BBC and CNN.

Analysts the world over wonder, and start writing about, what this saber-rattling and rhetoric might signify. Is it just clichés, something to whip up enthusiasm for a populace who has suffered long and hard under sanctions imposed by the West? Or is something deeper being revealed to the Iranian people?

Is the president preparing his nation for war, or is he still just a politician full of hot air?

Two days later, London experiences another subway bombing, again at rush hour. The 2005 bombings had resulted in fifty-two deaths; this bombing kills hundreds. No one claims responsibility for it. Scotland Yard receives only a one-sentence call, made from a phone booth by a man with an Arabic accent. All the man says is, “This is just the beginning – if you continue to side with the Great Satan.”

Live Radio Interview

Yesterday, Rahel and Sonia, co-hosts of a live talk show on WSMN 1590 AM, had Joe Smiga as a guest, discussing his novel, "Behind The Lies." It was an enjoyable hour program that went out live over the greater Nashua NH area.

Chapter Sixty-One Bringing the Navy Onboard

Within a few minutes after the tea arrives, President Mahmoud walks through the door and expresses his apologies for being late. “Admiral, it is so good to see you again. It has been a while since our last meeting.”

“Yes, Mr. President. I must say I’m pleased that you remember, considering all that you have to deal with.” The president looks at the admiral and says to himself, this guy is a real ass kisser. I wonder what we can get him to commit to. His thoughts are not far different from those of the ayatollah.

Once the three of them are seated, the president begins. “Admiral, we have plans to use your Kilos that will make Iran the leader of the Islamic world.” He lets that thought hang for a few moments. Then he proceeds to say, “Our plan will make you the most heroic naval Muslim in the history of the entire Middle East.”

“Am I to destroy Israel with the Kilos?” Aziz wonders aloud. Ahmajid sits back and watches the president play this egotistical officer like plucking the strings of a harp.

“Actually, more than just Israel, Aziz. You will be attacking the United States as well.”

Second Portion of John Clayton's Column in Today's Union Leader

Serendipity

Speaking of books, there's a little thing in the publishing business called serendipity, and it comes into play when you write a novel and your fictional premise suddenly becomes a shocking truth, a truth that results in global outrage, banner headlines and round-the-clock cable news coverage.

That's what's happening to Joe Smiga.

Simply stated, the premise of his first novel is this -- Iran has nukes.

That's the central storyline in "Behind the Lies," a prescient piece of work worthy of Tom Clancy, what with Hamas and Hezbollah and renegade Ayatollahs in control of Kilo-class submarines and, in a tribute to his adopted hometown, Joe has scripted a cliff-hanger of a naval battle with a destroyer called the USS Manchester cast as a key player in the drama.

Talk about lucky timing.

"Actually, I had it planned," Joe said, and, while I thought he was joking, he wasn't.

"I'm Jewish," he explained, "I've been reading the Jerusalem Post for years and for as long as I've been reading it, Israeli intelligence has been saying that Iran would have a nuclear capability by the end of 2009, so when I started writing in 2005, that was going to be my premise." And what was his reaction when President Obama held that press conference announcing that Iran has acquired "sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable atomic bomb"?

"It's a terrifying reality, but as an author, I was thrilled," he said. "His remarks reinforced the title -- the truth 'Behind the Lies' -- and the fact that my book has a black President who's in his first term in the book strikes a chord with readers as well." If you'd like to be one of them -- readers, that is -- you can seek out "Behind the Lies" on the Amazon or Barnes and Noble websites, or if you're looking for an autographed copy, you can go to www.joesmiga.com.

John Clayton is the author of several books on Manchester and New Hampshire, including his newest title, "Remembering Manchester." His e-mail is jclayton@unionleader.com.

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Good+sales+in+this+weatherman%27s+forecast&articleId=b81784e2-9d3e-48a5-a5d9-7e2514f4e9a6

Chapter Sixty Council Pressure

Just as Ahmajid closes Atwan’s report, the five other Imams of the Guardian Council enter the conference room for their meeting. Hossein Farook, Mansour Hassan, Sayed Abbas, Karim Farhani and Rahim Givon each take a seat. The air is heavy with tension.

“How are things progressing, Fadil?” asks Farook.

“We are right on schedule. Our purchase from Russia has arrived safely. It is being held in storage within the containers it was shipped in. Our own enrichment process is still on schedule. We will have sufficient materials for twelve warheads within seven months. Our plan is to insert the nuclear materials in the missiles one week before our target date.”

Abbas says, “I hear that Jibril is in Gaza.”

“Where did you hear that?” Ahmajid snaps.

“You may think only you and the president know of this, Fadil, but there are more eyes and ears out than you realize paying attention to what we do.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, Abbas!” The supreme leader is angry now.

“I heard it from Jibril himself, if you must know. He told me he was going. What’s his assignment there? I have never known Jibril to have worked outside of Iran before.”

Ahmajid calms down. “The president wants someone to meet with Hamas and Hezbollah directly in order for them to fully understand their part in our plans. I agreed with him that Jibril would be the best person to fulfill that responsibility. He’s sending us weekly reports. I was just reading this week’s. So far he’s pleased with what he’s finding in Gaza.”

“How is it that the president and you are making all these decisions without any of the five of us being involved?” Givon questions.

Chapter Fifty-Nine January 2011

Everyone, including the president, is seated inside of the Situation Room with the exception of Maria Sterling. Anxiety has the upper hand on several of the faces around the table. The president doesn’t normally call for “must-attend” meetings.

A Secret Service agent escorts Sterling in five minutes after the hour. “I’m sorry I’m late, sir,” she says to the president. “My apologies to you all. An important phone call.” Maria looks like she didn’t get a moment’s sleep last night, the president notes.

“Well now, with everyone here, let’s begin,” says President Egan, steeling himself for what he will say next. “In front of each one of you are reports detailing an accumulation of factual information which has caused me to reach the decision I’ve made. I suggest you take ten to fifteen minutes to read your file and then we’ll discuss what I am about to do. When this meeting adjourns you’ll leave the material right where you found it. The reports will be shredded by the Secret Service.”

The president, deep in thought at first, finds himself scrutinizing each face around the table, taking mental notes on what he suspects each person is thinking. And watching the clock.

At the end of the fifteen minutes, he states, “As president of the United States of America, I am going to prepare this country for a war which appears imminent with Iran.” He pauses, then adds, “I’d like your comments.”

Chapter Fifty-Eight Before the Holidays

President Egan and Dean Hargrove are sitting on sofas in the Oval Office trying to second guess what Israel might be deciding relative to the President’s suggestion of a coordinated joint military venture. “The prime minister did say he would have an answer in two weeks,” says the chairman of the joint chiefs, “Which is tomorrow.”

“You know, Dean, if I were Yaakov, it would be very difficult for me to make the decision to place my country’s security in another country’s hands.”

“I tend to agree with you, sir,” says Hargrove. “However, we are not just another country. We have been, and will continue to be, the largest friend and benefactor that Israel has.”

“Yes, I know the logic of it all. However the gut feeling that creates, the potential insecurity of it all could work against the part we want them to play.”

Just then, the phone on the president’s desk rings and he rises to answer it.

Seeing its Janet’s line to him, he picks up the receiver. “Yes, Janet.”

“Sir, the prime minister of Israel is on a secure line and would like to speak with you.”

“Thank you, Janet. Put him through. It’s Yaakov,” he says to Hargrove before he picks up the secure line, his concern as to what the conversation may amount to showing clearly.

He picks up the phone. “Yaakov, thank you for calling. I didn’t expect to hear from you until tomorrow.”

“Well, Mr. President, Israelis can move quicker when they want to.”

“We all can move quicker, like you say, when we want to,” the president says coolly. “So – may I ask, how did our proposal go over with your people?”

“I have to tell you, there’s a great deal of concern on our part that if we give up the right to deal with Iran directly, then we are placing Israel’s safety in the decision-making process of others.”

Hargrove, watching the look of concern on the president’s face, feels his powerlessness, like a phantom observer who can do nothing but watch what’s going on.

Chapter Fifty-Seven Middle of December

President Mahmoud ends his phone conversation, hangs up and turns to Atwan first. “Jibril, good to see you again.”

“And you, sir,” answers Atwan.

“It is important for us to lay out some definite plans, now that our efforts are beginning to bear fruit, reaching the point that we can move into phase two as it were,” says the president.

“Mahmoud, we are nine months away from our target date,” says Atwan. “In seven more months we’ll have enough materials to load twelve of our Shahab-3s with nuclear warheads. In two more weeks we expect the twelve containers we purchased to be arriving in Tehran. We will then be able to say that we have nuclear cruise missile capability.”

“Excellent, excellent,” Khasanjani exclaims, clearly pleased. “Now we must think ahead so we can achieve the end of phase two on time. Phase two must get us to the point of initiating our strikes. Our strikes are phase three – the final agenda,” he adds, the final three words as quiet as any he has spoken so far in this meeting. Both Atwan and Ahmajid are struck by the meaning of these words.

“Fadil,” Khasanjani says after several moments’ silence, “what are you planning to happen in phase two?”

Chapter Fifty-Six Do We or Don't We?

One week later, the prime minister’s conference room is filled with what he calls the unholy six. Sitting around the table are Jacob Rabinowitz, Ariel Wattenberg, Yosef Bergman, Yonatan Levy and Adam Rosenberg of the Knesset; and himself.

“Don’t everyone look so damn happy,” Yaakov Brumwell opens the meeting. “If I didn’t know what was going on in this room, I would think we were sitting shiva. Cheer up. Nobody’s dead, yet anyway.”

“You know, Yaakov, this is not an easy task,” says Rosenberg.

“No shit, Adam,” Yaakov says. “If it were easy, I wouldn’t need your opinions. You left this room last week with the suggestion that all of us put our pros and cons down on paper, so that we might be able to build consensus. So who wants to start?

Chapter Fifty-Five Transporting Goods

Once their cargo is aboard there is nothing else for them to do. They board the vessel and find their cabins. The Best Eastern has it all over a freighter cabin.

Only one more item needs to be taken care of: a five day trip on the Caspian Sea before they reach the Iranian port of Khurramabad. On the third day, Hussein will wire Atwan to release the balance of the funds to Dimitri.

The following morning, the Emir leaves the pier with the assistance of tugs, standard practice for all large vessels as they cannot maneuver very easily alongside a pier.

Out in the main channel, the tugs leave the freighter, and at the end of the channel the freighter enters open waters.

Five days to digest all that we have accomplished, thinks Hussein, standing at the rail, looking across the Caspian Sea to the horizon. Five days to think about what our endeavor will deliver to the West.