Executive orders - Tom Clancy [90]
Still too much hoo-uh over there, Hamm agreed. Hey, I came here as a squadron commander, and I got my ass handed to me more'n once.
Gennady, after the Persian Gulf War, 3rd ACR came here for their regular rotation. Now, you remember, they led Barry McCaffrey's 24th Mech-
Kicked ass and took names for two hundred twenty miles in four days, Hamm confirmed. Bondarenko nodded. He'd studied that campaign in detail.
Couple months later, they came here and got the shit kicked outa them. That's the point, General. The training here is tougher than combat. There's no unit in the world as smart and fast and tough as Al's Blackhorse Cav-
Except your old Buffalo Soldiers, General, Hamm interjected.
Diggs smiled at the reference to the 10th. He was used to Hamm's interruptions anyway. That's a fact, Al. Anyway, if you can just break even against the Op For, you're ready to take on anybody in the world, on the wrong side of three-to-one odds, and kick their ass into the next time zone.
Bondarenko nodded, smiling. He was learning fast. The small staff that had come with him was still prowling the base, talking with counterpart officers, and learning, learning, learning. Being on the wrong side of three-to-one odds wasn't the tradition of Russian armies, but that might soon change. The threat to his country was China, and if that battle were ever fought, it would be at the far end of a lengthy supply line, against a huge conscript army. The only answer to that threat was to duplicate what the Americans had done. Bondarenko's mission was to change the entire military policy of his country. Well, he told himself, he'd come to the right place to learn how.
BULLSHIT, THE PRESIDENT thought behind an understanding smile. It was hard to like India. They called themselves the world's largest democracy, but that wasn't especially true. They talked about the most high-minded principles, but had, when convenient, muscled neighbors, developed nuclear weapons, and in asking America to depart the Indian Ocean-It is, after all, called the Indian Ocean, a former P.M. had told a former American Ambassador-decided that the doctrine of Freedom of the Seas was variably applicable. And for damned sure, they'd been ready to make a move on Sri Lanka. It was just that now, the move having been foiled, they were saying that no such move had ever been planned. But you couldn't look in the eyes of a chief of state and smile, and say, Bullshit.
It just wasn't done.
Jack listened patiently, sipping at another glass of Perrier fetched for him by a nameless aide. The situation in Sri Lanka was complex, and did, unfortunately, lend itself to misunderstanding, and India regretted that, and there were no hard feelings at all, but wouldn't it be better if both sides stood down. The Indian fleet was withdrawing back to its bases, training complete, and a few ships damaged by the American demonstration, which, the Prime Minister said without so many words, wasn't exactly cricket. Such bullies.
And what does Sri Lanka think of you? Ryan could have asked, but didn't.
If only you and Ambassador Williams had communicated more clearly on the issue, Ryan observed sadly.
Such things happen, the Prime Minister replied. David-frankly, pleasant man though he is, I fear the climate is too hot for one of his age. Which was as close as she could come to telling Ryan to fire the man. Declaring Ambassador Williams persona non grata was far too drastic a step. Ryan tried not to change his expression, but failed. He needed Scott Adler over here, but the acting Sec-State was somewhere else at the moment.
I hope you can appreciate the fact that I am really not in a position to make serious changes in the government at the moment. Drop dead.
Please, I wasn't suggesting that. I fully appreciate your situation. My hope was to allay at least one supposed problem, to make your task easier. Or