Chapter Ninety-Seven Mission Accomplished

Following the Air Force bombardment, the NSA’s satellites seek to assess the damages caused by American missiles and bombers.

Each pass of the three satellites covering Iran shows Bandar Abbas’s naval base in a complete state of havoc. The missiles fired into the base have caused tremendous damage to the naval base itself but limited damage to nearby areas with civilian populations. Each of the known sites of enriching uranium or reprocessing plutonium has suffered catastrophic damage. Planes on the runways of Iranian air bases have been reduced to smoldering wrecks. The air bases themselves will be unusable for a long time to come. Training camps that were targeted are aflame.

John Walker personally views the images of the results from bombing the presidential offices and the Guardian Council building. Each building is totally destroyed. Earlier photos of the Guardian Council building indicate lights on at the very top floor. Since the Council members regularly met there, it is assumed they were there during the bombing run.

John Walker calls the president in the Situation Room. “Mr. Pres’dent, accordin’ to what we‘re seein’ over heah, I’d say we’ve achieved our objective. The devastation appears to be significant.”

“Thank you, John,” says the president, allowing himself to feel a measure of relief. “Now all we have to do is take out those Kilos.”