State of Siege - Tom Clancy [45]
"Probably." Herbert's mouth twisted unhappily. He glanced across the table at Lowell Coffey.
Rodgers caught the look. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Mike," Herbert said, "we're on pretty shaky ground as far as Striker is concerned."
"Shaky in what way?" Rodgers asked.
Herbert raised and lowered a shoulder. "In a lot of ways-was
"Spell them out. Morally? Legally? Logistically?" "All of the above," Herbert said.
"Maybe I'm being a little naive here," Rodgers said, "but what I see is a strike force with extensive antiterrorist training moving into position to deal with terrorists. Where's the moral, legal, or logistical shakiness?"
Attorney Coffey spoke up. "For one thing, Mike, we haven't been asked to help the United Nations with this situation. That in itself weighs pretty heavily against you."
"Granted," Rodgers said. "Hopefully, I can arrange that when I get there, especially if the terrorists start sending bodies out. Darrell McCaskey's communicating with Chatterjee's security staff through Interpol-"
"At a very low level," Herbert reminded him. "The UN security commander isn't going to put a lot of stock in what an aide tells him secondhand through an Interpol guy in Madrid."
"We don't know that," Rodgers said. "Hell, we don't know anything about the commander, do we?" "My staff is reviewing his file," Herbert said. "He's not someone we've had any dealings with." "Regardless," Rodgers said. "He's in a situation where he's probably going to have to look outside for help. For real, solid, immediate help, wherever it's coming from."
"But Mike, that's not the only problem," Coffey said. Rodgers looked down at the computer clock. The chopper would be here in less than twenty minutes. He didn't have time for this. "Countries that have no interest in the outcome of this situation will absolutely not want a covert team of elite, United States forces moving through the Secretariat building."
"Since when are we worried about hurting the feelings of Iraqis and the French?" Rodgers asked.
"It isn't a matter of feelings," Coffey pointed out. "It's a question of international law."
"Christ, Lowell-the terrorists broke that law!" Rodgers said. "That doesn't mean we can, too," Coffey said. "Even if we're willing to break international law, every Striker action to date has been executed according to Op-Center's charter-U.s. law. Specifically, we've gotten the permission of the Congressional Intelligence Oversight Committee "I'm not worried about a goddamn court-martial, Lowell," Rodgers interrupted sharply.
"This isn't about personal culpability," Coffey said. "It's about Op-Center's survival."
"I agree," Rodgers said. "Its about our survival as an effective, counterterrorist force-was
"No," Coffey said, "as a division of the United States government. We were chartered to act, and I quote, "when the threat to federal institutions or any constituents thereof, or to American lives in the service of those institutions, is clearcut and immediate." I don't see that here. What I do see is that if you go in, whether you succeed or fail is irrelevant."
"Not to Paul and the other parents."
"This isn't about them!" Coffey snapped. "It's about the larger picture. The American public will applaud. Hell, I'll applaud. But France or Iraq or some member nation will pressure the administration to take us to task for overstepping our mandate." "Especially if the terrorists turn out to be foreigners and any of them are killed," Herbert said. "American soldiers effectively executing foreign nationals on international territory with every media outlet in the world covering the event will destroy us." "And they'll do it with American law, not international law," Coffey added. "Congress will have no choice but to pull everyone in this room in front of the CIOC. Never mind our careers. If they vote to dissolve Op-Center or even just Striker, how many future lives will be lost? How many battles won't we be able to fight that have a direct influence on the security of the United States?" "I can't believe this,"