Lethal Trajectories - Michael Conley [140]
“Thank you, Mr. President. There are really three things I’d like to report on. The first is my clandestine meeting with Prince Khalid ibn Saud—and by the way, Tony, your CIA boys did a great job in Geneva.” Mullen nodded in appreciation.
“I’ll report on the operational framework we’ve agreed to thus far with China in our alliance against the Saudis, and last, I’ll talk about the global oil rationing protocol we’ve roughed out.” Jack launched into his report with vigor, mostly holding the floor until an argument broke out on the 10 percent oil contingency reserve requirement on domestic production.
Clayton listened to their spirited debate and was amazed at its similarity to Jack’s private reports on his discussions with Wang Peng. This will be a tough sell with Congress, he mused, particularly if America has to pony up even more oil to prop up Japan, or maybe even Israel.
“I suppose it’s an inequity of sorts,” Jack interjected, “but as Wang Peng also pointed out, features of the plan require sacrifice from China as well. Regarding Israel, we’ll have to figure out a way to assure them that their oil and security needs will be met. If they don’t get what they need, they may feel compelled to take a whack at someone. Prince Khalid told me in no uncertain terms that the United States is responsible for keeping Israel at bay and that any attacks by Israel will automatically end any arrangements we might have with him or other Arab countries. One way or another, we’ll probably be sending oil to Japan and Israel.”
“I don’t think any of this is a surprise; we’ll just need to be prepared as we plan. Thanks, Jack, for a great job,” Clayton said emphatically, “and I’d reiterate what you said about this not being a done deal with China. We’ll need a sign-off from the Politburo, and it’s not a no-brainer. Jack and I will call Chairman Lin and Wang Peng after this meeting to confirm our position, and they in turn will review it with the Politburo and get back to me. As a precaution, I’m preparing two versions of my speech—one with China in the deal and the other without—but I sincerely hope for the former.” They all nodded in agreement.
Clayton called a short coffee break before leading the group into the crucial part of the meeting. He had struggled for days to find an effective way to deliver his complex message to the American people in an understandable way. He knew what he wanted to say but was unsure of how to frame such an enormous, interlinked amount of information into a tight speech. His epiphany had come two days ago, in the shower, and he was anxious to run it up the flagpole.
The group reconvened, and Clayton opened, “I’d like to share with you now the basic content of my speech. I ask that you hold off on questions until I’ve finished. It’ll come in three parts. The first part defines the challenges we face using the perfect storm metaphor to describe our current situation. The second part describes our strategic response in the form of our Safe Harbors blueprint. The last part describes what it’ll mean for America and her people. This is a fight for survival, and they need to know what we’re up against; I won’t sugarcoat it.
“These multiple challenges intersect in complex ways. A picture’s worth a thousand words, and I’ve decided to use a perfect storm visual to help describe the challenge.” He brought up his diagram on the large wall screen and gave them a moment to review it before continuing.
“I plan to present this in what many would consider an unorthodox manner. I’ll have this image flashed up on big screens in Congress, and for television viewers I envision a split-screen layout showing both the visual and me. I’m most concerned about making sure the concepts are understood, and this seems to be the most practical way of doing it. The illustration, viewed as I speak, will help tie it all together.”
After a pause to let them read the diagram, he continued.