Lethal Trajectories - Michael Conley [120]
“We will also revisit the curricula of our school systems, and they will be purged of all inessential teachings. The curricula will be modified and strengthened all the way up to the University of Medina and the King Abdul Aziz University. Greater emphasis will be placed on our solemn obligation to proclaim our true Monotheistic beliefs through armed jihad or other means.”
“Thank you, esteemed Mullah,” said Mustafa. “Your words and your deeds are an inspiration to us all. It is alarming how even our Muslim brothers degenerate without proper religious instruction and adherence to shari’a law. Thank you, my brother.” King Mustafa was finally working himself into a better mood.
“Prince Hahad ibn Saud,” he continued in a more respectful voice, realizing that he had crossed the line earlier, “how are the Royal Guard and internal police handling the new imperative to improve our society?”
“Your Excellency,” answered the prince in a firm voice, “we have been most active in eradicating opposition fighters and expelling foreign infidels. These tasks are now all but completed.”
“Thank you, Prince Hahad, for your efforts. For the record, let me state that I understand your earlier statements about the impossibility of stopping Khalid without compromising our plan. However, I will feel better once I know that your security apparatus has permanently disposed of Prince Khalid and his followers. Am I clear on that, Prince Hahad?”
“Absolutely, Your Highness, and you can rest assured that we have committed ourselves to wiping him off the face of the earth. In addition to our highly trained assassination squads that are looking for Khalid, we have posted a reward of one hundred million American dollars for his head. He will not be around much longer to bother any of us—of that I can assure you.”
Mustafa nodded his approval and continued. “I am not pleased with the foreign response to our Five Demands. While the Israelis have their hands full with multiple insurrections by our brothers in faith, only a handful of nations have broken diplomatic relationships with the Zionists. Frankly, I expected more from China and Russia. We must accelerate our efforts to supply our brothers in Hamas and Hezbollah with dirty bombs. If we can provoke Israel into action, it will build support for our cause and negate some of the fallout from Khalid’s broadcast.
“I am also unhappy with Iran’s warning that we should go easy on OPEC nations. We can’t allow Iran to become a rallying point against our cause. How are we doing with our chokepoint strategy, Prince Al-Bawarzi?”
“Your Majesty, we are reviewing plans for an attack on the Strait of Hormuz. An effective attack would immediately deprive the world of large amounts of Iranian and Iraqi oil and severely damage both economies. Unfortunately, the Americans and Iranians also know this, and the region is heavily fortified. A dirty-bomb attack on a couple of key port areas could accomplish the same thing. We are exploring all possibilities, but we must also remember that Iran would be far less hesitant to unleash their nuclear weapons against us than the Western infidels. They may even relish the opportunity.”
“Very well, Prince Bawarzi, keep working on your plans,” Mustafa replied with an air of caution, then continued. “I’m afraid we’ll have to put heavy pressure on our Gulf neighbors. They are fair-weather friends at best; once their oil revenues decrease, they will sell their oil on the black market, weakening our embargo. They’re also susceptible to a foreign invasion, and we need them as a buffer zone against our enemies. I had hoped it would not come to this, but perhaps Plan B cannot be avoided. We’ll see.”
“On another note,” Mustafa continued, “the satanic Americans announced they will be changing leaders tomorrow. Burkmeister fawned all over the royal Saudi government. I know very little about his successor, McCarther—excuse me, McCarty. What can we expect from