Clear and present danger - Tom Clancy [48]
What had worked for others?
The most obvious answer was success. That which one could not defeat, one had to acknowledge. International politics had as few rules as any other major enterprise, except for the only one that mattered - success. There was not a country in the world that failed to make deals with murderers, after all; it was just that the murderers in question had to be effective ones. Kill a few million people and one was a statesman. Did not every nation in the world kowtow to the Chinese - and had they not killed millions of their own? Didn't America seek to accommodate the Russians - and had they not killed millions of their own? Under Carter, the Americans had supported the regime of Pol Pot, which had killed millions of its own. Under Reagan, America had sought to reach a modus vivendi with the same Iranians who had killed so many of their own, including most of those who thought of America as a friend - and been abandoned. America befriended dictators with bloody hands - some on the right and some on the left - in the name of realpolitik, while refusing to support moderates - left or right - because they might not be quite moderate enough. Any country so lacking in principle could come to recognize him and his associates, couldn't it? That was the central truth about America in Ernesto's view. While he had principles from which he would not deviate, America did not.
The corruption of America was manifest to Ernesto. He, after all, fed it. For years now, forces in his largest and most important market had lobbied to legalize his business there. Fortunately they had all failed. That would have been disaster for the Cartel, and was yet another example of how a government lacked the wit to act in its own self-interest. The American government could have made billions from the business - as he and his associates did - but lacked the vision and the good sense to do so. And they called themselves a great power. For all their supposed strength, the yanquis had no will, no manhood. He could regulate the goings-on where he lived, but they could not. They could range over oceans, fill the air with warplanes - but use them to protect their own interests? He shook his head with amusement.
No, the Americans were not to be respected.
6. Deterrence
FELIX CORTEZ TRAVELED with a Costa Rican passport. If someone noted his Cuban accent, he'd explain that his family had left that country when he was a boy, but by carefully selecting his port of entry, he avoided that notice. Besides, he was working on the accent. Cortez was fluent in three languages - English and Russian in addition to his native Spanish. A raffishly handsome man, his tropical complexion was barely different from a vacationer's tan. The neat mustache and custom-tailored suit proclaimed him a successful businessman, and the gleaming white teeth made him a pleasant one at that. He waited in the immigration line at Dulles International Airport, chatting with the lady behind him until he got to the INS inspector, as resignedly unhurried as any frequent traveler.
"Good afternoon, sir," the inspector said, barely looking up from the passport. "What brings you to America?"
"Business," Cortez replied.
"Uh-huh," the inspector grunted. He flipped through the passport and saw numerous entry stamps. The man traveled a lot, and about half his trips in the previous… four years were to the States. The stamps were evenly split between Miami, Washington, and Los Angeles. "How long will you be staying?"
"Five days."
"Anything to declare?"
"Just my clothes, and my business notes." Cortez held up his briefcase.
"Welcome to America, Mr. Díaz." The inspector stamped the passport and handed it back.
"Thank you." He moved off to collect his bag, a large