Executive orders - Tom Clancy [311]
Donner turned. John?
You spent many years at the Central Intelligence Agency, Plumber said.
Yes, I did, Jack agreed.
Doing what? Plumber asked.
Mainly I worked in the Directorate of Intelligence, going over information that came in through various means, trying to figure out what it meant, and then passing it on to others. Eventually I headed the Intelligence Directorate, then under President Fowler I became Deputy Director. Then, as you know, I became National Security Advisor to President Durling, Jack answered, trying to steer the talk forward rather than backward.
Along the way, did you ever go out into the field? Plumber asked.
Well, I advised the arms-control negotiations team, and I went off to a lot of conferences, the President replied.
Mr. Ryan, there are reports that you did more than that, that you participated in operations that resulted in the deaths of, well, the deaths of Soviet citizens.
Jack hesitated for a moment, long enough that he knew the impression he'd be giving to the viewers for this special. John, it's been a principle of our government for many years that we never comment on intelligence operations. I will not change that principle.
The American people have a right and a need to know what sort of man sits in this office, Plumber insisted.
This administration will never discuss intelligence operations. As far as what sort of person I am, that's the purpose of this interview. Our country has to keep some secrets. So do you, John, Ryan said with a level gaze into the commentator's eyes. If you reveal sources, you're out of business. If America does the same thing, people get hurt.
But-
The subject is closed, John. Our intelligence services operate under congressional oversight. I've always supported that law, and I will continue to uphold it, and that's it on this subject.
Both reporters blinked pretty hard at that, and surely, Ryan thought, that part of the tape wouldn't make it onto the network tonight.
BADRAYN NEEDED TO select thirty people, and while the number wasn't especially difficult-nor was the required dedication-brains were. He had the contacts. If there was a surplus of anything in the Middle East, it was terrorists, men like himself, if somewhat younger, who had dedicated their lives to the Cause, only to have it wither before their eyes. And that only made their anger and dedication worse-and better, depending on one's point of view. On reflection, he needed only twenty smart ones. The rest just had to be dedicated, with one or two intelligent overseers. They all had to follow orders. They all had to be willing to die, or at least to take the chance. Well, that wasn't much of a problem, either. Hezbollah still had a supply of people willing to strap explosives to their bodies, and there were others.
It was part of the region's tradition-probably not one that Mohammed would have approved entirely, but Badrayn wasn't particularly religious, and terrorist operations were his business. Historically, Arabs had not been the world's most efficient soldiers. Nomadic tribesmen for most of their history, their military tradition was one of raiding, later quantified as guerrilla tactics, rather than set-piece battle, which was, in fact, an invention of the Greeks, passed along to the Romans and thence to all Western nations. Historically, a single person would step forward to become a sacrifice-in Viking tradition the person was called a berzerker, and in Japan they'd been part of the special attack corps also known as kamikaze-on the field of battle, to swing his sword gloriously, and take as many of his foes off to be his servants in Paradise as possible. This was especially true in a jihad, or holy war, whose objective was to serve the interests of the Faith. It ultimately proved that Islam, like any religion, could be corrupted by its adherents. For the moment, it meant that Badrayn had a supply of people who