Executive orders - Tom Clancy [423]
Who shot it down? another reporter asked.
We're still examining the data, and-
Mr. President, the Navy has two Aegis-class ships in that immediate area. You must have a good idea of what happened. This guy had done his homework.
I really can't comment further on that. Secretary Adler will discuss the incident with the parties concerned. We want, first of all, to make sure that no further loss of life takes place.
Mr. President, a follow-up: you must know more than you're saying. Fourteen Americans were killed in this incident. The American people have a right to know why.
The hell of it was, the man was right. The hell of it also was that Ryan had to evade: We really do not know exactly what happened yet. I cannot make a definitive statement until we do. Which was philosophically true, anyway. He knew who'd taken the shot. He didn't know why. Adler had made a good point yesterday on keeping that knowledge close.
Mr. Adler returned from somewhere yesterday. Why is that a secret? It was Plumber again, chasing down his question from the previous day.
I'm going to kill Arnie for exposing me this way all the time. John, the Secretary was engaged in some important consultations. That's all I have to say on the issue.
He was in the Middle East, wasn't he?
Next question?
Sir, the Pentagon has announced that the carrier Eisenhower is moving into the South China Sea. Did you order that?
Yes, I did. We feel that the situation warrants our close attention. We have vital interests in that region. I point out that we are not taking sides in this dispute, but we are going to look after our own interests.
Will moving the carrier cool things down or heat them up?
Obviously, we're not trying to make things worse. We're trying to make them better. It's in the interests of both parties to take a step back and think about what they are doing. Lives have been lost, the President reminded them. Some of those were American lives. That gives us a direct interest in the matter. The reason we have a government and a military is to look after American interests and to protect the lives of our citizens. The naval forces heading for the region will observe what is happening and conduct routine training operations. That is all.
ZHANG HAN SAN checked his watch again and remarked to himself that it was becoming a fine way to end his working day-the sight of the American President doing exactly what he wanted him to do. Now China had fulfilled her obligations to that Daryaei barbarian. The Indian Ocean was devoid of a major American naval presence for the first time in twenty years. The American foreign minister would leave Washington in another two hours or so. Another eighteen hours to fly to Beijing, and then the platitudes could be exchanged. He'd see what concessions he could wring out of America and the Taiwanese puppet state. Maybe a few good ones, he thought, with the trouble America was sure to face elsewhere
ADLER WAS IN his office. His bags were packed and in his official car, which would take him to the White House to catch a helicopter to Andrews after a presidential handshake and a brief departure statement which would be as bland as oatmeal. The more dramatic departure would look good on TV, make his mission appear to be a matter of importance, and cause additional wrinkling to his clothes-but the Air Force crew had an ironing board on the plane.
What do we know? Under Secretary Rutledge asked of the Secretary's senior staff.
The missile was shot by a PRC aircraft. That's pretty positive from the Navy's RADAR tapes. No idea why, though Admiral Jackson is very positive in saying that it was not an accident.
How was it in Tehran? another assistant secretary inquired.
Equivocal. I'll get that written up on the flight and fax it back here. Adler, too, was pressed for time and hadn't had enough to think through his meeting with Daryaei.
We need that if we're going to be much use on the SNIE, Rutledge pointed out. He really wanted that document. With it, Ed Kealty could