A Devil Is Waiting - Jack Higgins [9]
“We can’t just sit back and wait for things to happen,” Ferguson said. “We’ve got to go in hard, find those responsible for running the show these days, and take them out.”
“Well, I think you’ll find that’s exactly what the President wants to talk to you about,” Blake said. “You know he supports action when necessary. But I think you’ll find he favors a more conciliatory approach where possible.”
Ferguson frowned. “What does that mean?”
Miller put a warning hand on Ferguson’s knee. “Let’s just see what the President says.”
The general pulled himself together. “Yes, of course, we must hear what the President has to say.”
In the Oval Office, the President and Blake faced Ferguson and Miller across a large coffee table. Clancy Smith, the President’s favorite Secret Service man, stood back, ever watchful.
“London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels—it’s going to be quite a stretch in four days,” said the President. “But I’m really looking forward to London, particularly the luncheon reception at Parliament.”
“It’ll be a great day, Mr. President,” Ferguson said. “We’ve completely overhauled our security system for your visit. Major Miller is the coordinator.”
“Yes, I’ve read your report. I couldn’t leave it in better hands. What I actually wanted to ask you about was your report of the inquiry into the Mirbat ambush in Afghanistan that cost us so many lives. It seems you were right when you supposed that British-born Muslims were fighting in the Taliban ranks.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“That’s bad enough in itself, but the fact that the man leading them was a decorated war hero, that he was chairman of one of the most respected arms corporations in the business—it defies belief.”
“Talbot was a wild young man, hungry for war,” Miller said. “Originally his supplying illegal arms to the Taliban across the border was strictly for kicks, but that led to Al Qaeda blackmailing him.”
“As you can see from our report, he had Dillon’s bullet in him when he crashed his plane into the sea off the Irish coast,” Ferguson shrugged. “An act of suicide to protect the family name.”
“So his mother knew nothing about this Al Qaeda business?”
“No. And she’s now chairman of Talbot International simply because she owns most of the shares.”
“And in the world’s eyes, he just died in a tragic accident?”
Ferguson said, “Of course, Al Qaeda knows the truth, but it wouldn’t be to their benefit to admit to it. Nobody would believe such a story anyway.”
“And thank God for that, and for the part you and your people played in bringing the affair to a successful conclusion, particularly your Sean Dillon and Daniel Holley. I see the Algerian foreign minister has given Holley a diplomatic passport.”
“The Algerian government is just as disenchanted with Al Qaeda as we are,” said Ferguson. “That passport makes him a very valuable asset.”
“Who in his youth was a member of the Provisional IRA, as was Sean Dillon. Men who are the product of extreme violence tend perhaps to believe that a violent response is the only way forward.”
“International terrorism is the scourge of our times, Mr. President, powered by fanatics who insist on extreme views. It’s like a cancer that needs to be cut out to stop it spreading.”
The President said, “As you know, General, I believe in necessary force. But you can’t kill them all. The only way forward is to engage in dialogue with people with extreme views and attempt to reach a compromise. With Osama out of the way, I have great hopes for such an approach.”
“I agree,” Ferguson said. “But what about those who believe in the purity of violence and are willing to bomb the hell out of anyone who refuses to agree with them? Wouldn’t it be better to have people like Dillon and Holley stamp out such a fire before it spreads?”
“Can such actions ever be condoned?” the President asked.
Ferguson said, “In 1947, a brilliant commando leader named Otto Skorzeny was accused of war crimes because he had sent his men into action behind American lines wearing GI uniforms. Many of these men, when captured, were executed out of hand