Lethal Trajectories - Michael Conley [118]
Backlash Brewing from U.S. Call for Chunxiao Moratorium: Following Chairman Lin Cheng’s abrupt departure from scheduled UN meetings last week, the United States issued a surprise statement calling for a full moratorium on the Chunxiao Incident until the Saudi oil crisis is resolved. Japan and several other nations blasted the United States for failing to back their allies and honor commitments.
Saudi Forces Amassing on Borders of Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE: Saudi tank forces and repeated flyovers by Saudi warplanes near the borders of GCC-member countries have caused alarm among all OPEC nations. Iran has mobilized its military and warned the Saudi government that aggressive action against any OPEC nation will be met with force.
Saudi Prince Denounces King Mustafa as a Fraud: Following a shocking press conference in which Prince Khalid ibn Saud, currently in exile in Geneva, denounced King Mustafa as the perpetrator of the Saudi coup, OPEC nations expressed willingness to reinstate oil shipments should the accusations prove to be true—a significant setback for the Mustafa regime.
Big Joe thought the Saudi crisis was the number-one newsworthy story, but the president’s resignation would net the most readers. Everyone knew it was coming, but no one had imagined it would be so soon. Speculation was rampant that the president might even be on his deathbed.
As a grizzled newsroom veteran, Big Joe had heard and reported on the worst stories humanity had to offer. But nothing had ever come close to the explosive combination of events unfolding before him. He could only wonder what was now happening behind closed doors in Riyadh, Geneva, Beijing, and the White House.
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Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
9 October 2017
A furious King Mustafa paced as he waited for his cabinet to arrive for their morning meeting at the palace. Prince Khalid’s press conference on Al Jazeera had sent him into an apoplectic rage.
As they entered the room, Mustafa’s subordinates knew immediately that the veneer of civility was gone. It was going to be an ugly meeting.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard Prince Khalid on Al Jazeera. Due to your failure to remove him, Prince Hahad, we now have a major problem on our hands.
“Your Highness,” sputtered Hahad, “I had no way of eliminating Prince Khalid. He left for Geneva before our forces had mobilized, and I had no way of knowing that he was leaving so early for the OPEC meeting. There was no way I could have detained him, even if I had known he was leaving, without arousing suspicion.”
“I am not looking for excuses, Hahad,” Mustafa sputtered. “We’re beyond that. Now we must deal with the damage Khalid has done.
“I am concerned with Khalid’s press conference for many reasons, people,” Mustafa continued, not wishing to address them as brothers at this precise moment. “He has done much to harm our cause. First, he has countered our claim of a Zionist- and CIA-led coup and called our motives into question. Certainly, we’ll denounce his accusations as false, but even without hard evidence, his point that a coup of this magnitude could not be pulled off by a handful of rebels has a ring of authenticity. Our story may be believed by some, but not all of our Arab brothers are buying it—at least, not based on the reports I’ve seen.”
“The schools and clerics will toe the line, King Mustafa,” said Mullah al-Hazari. “We can help interpret what they have heard and point them in the right direction, but we can’t block everything they hear. Many of them follow underground news sources.”
“I appreciate that, honored Mullah, and I know you will execute your orders faithfully,” Mustafa replied, directing a venomous glare at Prince Hahad.
“Unfortunately, the goodwill we have generated by defeating an apparent international plot against Saudi Arabia is evaporating. It would be best to have the goodwill of our OPEC partner nations, but it looks now like we may have to take matters into our own