The Faithful, North African and Middle Eastern Islamic nations, are plotting to seize the oil resources of the Middle East. By controlling the earth's oil and its major trade routes, they plan to bring the world to its knees. Then, when the entire world is kneeling, the Faithful of Allah will read to them from the Koran, preaching the message of Islam, the True Faith. The Faithful will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. But how far will they go? And how many lives will it cost?

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3 Gambits

3.2 Tunisia

3.2.1 Council of the Faithful

Imam Abdul Khalil Kamsanni sat quietly in the Chamber of the Council of The Faithful, considering the consequences of the report his son, Chief of Staff, General Yusuf Kamsanni, was delivering. The Imam’s mind wrestled with each subject as his son presented it.

'The cowardly Moroccans have allowed the Americans to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar with only the merest token of resistance? This confirms what Hammad Hassan told me. The Moroccans are ruthlessly murdering those of The Faithful who tried to sink the American aircraft carrier. This is bad news, indeed. What should I do about the Moors?

'What was this? My son is speaking of a new plan? I must listen to this.

General Yusuf Kamsanni looked up from his prepared text, studying the Councilmen, as he spoke extemporaneously. "I have spoken with the chiefs of staff of both Algeria and Libya. We believe we see an opportunity to inflict great losses upon our enemies. It is our opinion that we cannot attack Egypt as long as the American fleet lingers off our shore. Their mobility and air power are too great. Therefore, we offer the following broad outline of a plan, hoping that it will find Allah’s grace.

"We shall unite with our brothers in Algeria and Libya to attack the American fleet when it passes through the narrow Straits of Sicily. We shall wait until the American fleet is northeast of Cape Bon before we strike.

"As the Americans pass into those narrow waters, the Algerians will strike from the rear with their naval forces, supported by their air forces. Our fleet shall attack from the south near Pantelleria Island under the protection of our own aircraft. Our Libyan allies will use their high-speed missile boats to strike the Americans from the east. The Americans will be forced to retreat towards the Sicilian coast. That is where Libyan submarines will sink the American fleet."

General Kamsanni paused for a moment, unrolling a large map of the familiar waters northeast of their homeland. He pointed dramatically to a place just off the coast from the Sicilian town of Agrigento. "That is where the American Navy will be sunk!"

The Council of the Faithful grabbed at the straw proffered to them. At first, there were only a few reticent questions, but, as they warmed to the plan, each of the Imams began to offer suggestions which he deemed would be helpful. Then, the Imams began to discuss each phase of the plan in exquisite detail.

The bane of the military has always been the politician who thought he knew more about war than the people who had spent their entire lives practicing its arts. The general had to stop them. "Father! Uncle Hassan! My dear friend, Gamel! The arts of war are written in all our hearts. Within each of us dwells the true courage of a warrior of Allah, but we all serve Allah in our own way. You serve Him by leading us and reminding us of our Faith. Without Faith we are lost.

"I have long studied the arts of war, the development of soldiers, and the use of weapons. I have studied our enemy’s tactics and dispositions. I have spent my entire life, as have many others, working towards this day.

"I would be a fool to argue with you the writings of the Prophet or the will of Allah as given to him. When it comes to this battle, I must insist that you not argue with me.

"I cannot guarantee success. Only Allah, in His infinite wisdom, can do that. However, I can assemble the resources, men and materiel needed to complete this campaign. I can develop the plan, determine the tactics and timing of the attack. I can assign targets. I can develop the plans for withdrawal, for safety and for rearming. That is the path Allah has chosen for me to follow, and I have done my best to serve Him.

"I can guarantee this: If you meddle with this plan, or any part of its implementation, we will surely fail. We need only look to the examples of the Persians when they battled the Iraqis, or when the Iraqis battled the Americans to see for ourselves the wisdom of this course of action. It is up to you to tell me to go to war, or not to do so, as Allah guides you. It is up to me to carry out the will of Allah and the orders of the Council of the Faithful. I will do what can be done, but I must be free to do it.

"If this council believes in its heart that you can do a better job, then I ask you to accept my resignation. Appoint someone who does have your faith and let me serve him. But, regardless of whom you appoint, let him do what he has been trained to do."

General Kamsanni had said all he could. His fate, and that of his daring plan, hung in the balance. Seven of the most holy of men would ponder and decide his fate.

Finally, Imam Hammad Hassan looked up, and spoke quietly, "I see the light of Allah in your eyes, my young friend, son of my friend and friend of my son. I understand the point of your impassioned plea, and in part agree with it.

"As you have so eloquently stated, it is the Council of The Faithful which must decide. If we are ignorant of what you are doing, how can we help, or provide the guidance of Allah that you so desperately seek? So, I will suggest a compromise. If you accept it, then I, for one, will not accept your resignation, so nobly advanced in Allah’s name. If you do not, then I will accept your resignation and another will be appointed in your place. Can we agree to this?"

"I do not know, Uncle. What is this compromise of which you speak?"

"It is this: My son, Gamel, who is your friend, shall accompany you. He will give you guidance and inform The Faithful of your plans and activities so that we may guide, but not necessarily oversee, your battle plans. Is this acceptable to you?"

Yusuf looked towards Gamel, and their eyes locked. Both of them smiled broadly. "Yes, Uncle," Kamsanni replied, "This is an excellent compromise. With Allah’s guidance, Gamel and I will find surer paths to victory and speed the time of Allah’s Kingdom on Earth!"

3.2.2 Preparations

That afternoon, General Yusuf Kamsanni and Imam Gamel Hassan traveled to the Islamic Republic of Tunisia’s military headquarters. Upon their arrival, they proceeded directly to the War Room, twenty meters below the surface, where thirty senior officers and their aides from each of the three services had gathered. Each of the officers was surprised to see that an Imam had come among them.

The Chief of Staff motioned to a young communications officer, who quickly punched a few keys on his console. The large screen that dominated the front of the room sprang to life. On the right-hand side was Kamsanni’s counterpart in Algeria, and on the left his opposite number in Libya. Behind each of them was a large room, filled with people and computer consoles, which had an eerie resemblance to the very room in which they sat.

Kamsanni began the meeting in the tradition manner. "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is His Prophet." After each of them responded, Yusuf continued, "I have spoken with the Council of The Faithful, and they have agreed to the plan as far as it has gone. In their wisdom, they have asked that Imam Gamel Hammad," Kamsanni directed their attention to his friend seated on his right, "should be a part of this process, to provide us with Allah’s blessings. I have whole-heartedly agreed with this decision. Like all of us, I pray for Allah’s guidance in this difficult undertaking.

"My brothers in Islam, what have you determined?"

The Libyan Chief of Staff spoke first. "We are ready to commit our entire naval and air strength to defeat the Americans. We still chafe over the American bombing of Libya more than half a century ago, and their interference in our uprising to overthrow the dictator. With Allah’s guidance, we will avenge ourselves.

"We will commit both of our destroyers, both of our corvettes, six high-speed missile boats, and both of our submarines as planned. We will also commit three regiments of fighters and two more of bombers."

Kamsanni leaned over to his friend and explained that, under the Libyan system, a regiment of fighters consisted of three squadrons of twelve aircraft, while a regiment of bombers was three squadrons of nine planes. So, the Libyans were committing over one hundred fighters and more than fifty bombers to the battle ... a majority of their forces.

The Libyan continued, "Our problems are those of timing and of fuel. Let me explain our findings in more detail, my brothers.

"We could sail from our ports in Banghazi, Misratah, and Tarabulus. However, the voyage would be long, up to eight hundred kilometers, and we fear discovery. Similarly, our aircraft would have to fly for extended periods over water. The distance is great, so we would have to use much of each aircraft’s capacity for fuel rather than for ordnance.

"We have sought Allah’s guidance in this matter, but we have found no answer which provides us with both the range and the striking power we need. It is our hope that you will be able to provide us with other plans."

The Algerian Chief of Staff agreed. "We, too, have determined similar problems with our plan. We can commit our destroyer, both of our frigates, and eight missile-boats. We can also commit two squadrons of fighters and one squadron of attack planes to the battle. But, we do not have the capacity for all of these aircraft to fly from Annaba. We would have to fly from at least three bases - Annaba, Skikda and Qacentina.

"We have also determined that our ships will have severe difficulties in attacking the Americans. Even if all our vessels proceed at maximum speed and the Americans are steaming at only twenty knots, we will only have a ten knot advantage. Under those conditions, it will take us thirty-six hours to be in position to attack them. If they should increase their speed, only our missile-boats would be able to catch them. Regardless, they would have a day and a half to detect our passage and take defensive measures against us.

"Furthermore, we would have difficulty in maintaining air cover at those distances, even if we used every plane in our inventory. Unless we can find some other way to do this thing that must be done, I fear that the Algerian Navy will have ceased to exist before we can come to blows with our enemy."

The three senior generals sat quietly looking at each other’s images on the screen in front of them. Then, Kamsanni turned to his friend, asking, "Imam, we are at an impasse, militarily. How shall we proceed?"

"My brothers," the holy man began, "I see the difficulties we are facing. I now understand why my friend was so eager for me to be a part of these discussions. The problem of time and distance can not be overcome by any of our technologies. Therefore, if the mountain will not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain.

"Since our lands are adjacent to the Straits where the Americans must pass, would it be of help if we could arrange ports and airfields that could accommodate you? Please, generals, be specific. Although I am not trained in the military arts, I have listened attentively to my friend, General Kamsanni, for these many years. I will know, and Allah will tell me, if you are being less than complete in your discussions."

The Libyan, again, spoke first. "Imam, thank you for your kind words. Indeed, many of our difficulties can, at least partially, be solved by launching our attacks from Tunisian soil. The distances, as you have pointed out, are shorter. We can arrive at our battle stations more quickly and with greater loads of weapons. Further, our chances of being discovered are lessened."

"I would agree with my brother," the Algerian confirmed. "Our difficulties with timing and with our attempt to engage the Americans from the rear would be greatly improved if we were closer to them when we began. Also, our aircraft, especially our attack planes, would be able to double their loads of bombs and missiles if they flew from Tunisian lands rather than our own."

Gamel Hassan knew that this whole charade had been staged just for him. He could see that the three generals were hanging on the edge of their seats waiting for his answer. He could defer it to the entire council, but he judged that the council had placed him here to make exactly these kind of decisions. At the same time, he was uneasy about having large numbers of Algerian and Libyan troops, planes and ships in his country. He decided to temporize. "Where exactly would these ships, planes and personnel be located?"

The screens before him split again. The images of the two Chiefs of Staff shrunk into the top half of the display, while the entire bottom of the screen was filled with a detailed map showing the coasts of North Africa from Al Diazair to Tarabulus, including the Straits of Sicily.

General Kamsanni began his presentation. "Our thoughts on this subject are as follows. First, there is the port of Tunis. The Gulf of Tunis is long, but the Americans can look along its whole length. They can see anything that moves within it, except here at the Isle of Zembra. Radar can not see through rock, so anything behind Zembra could not be detected. Then, as the Americans steam further east, the peninsula of Cape Bon blocks their view.

"At that time, if the Algerian fleet were to emerge from behind Zembra, it could steam rapidly past Cape Bon and remain undetected. It might take up to an hour for the Americans to detect our fleet because the radar images reflected from the land would obscure the small echo from our ships. By then, the Algerians could be thirty or forty kilometers behind the Americans. Algerian missiles have an effective range of sixty kilometers, so they would be well within firing distance and ready to attack.

"Similarly, the Cape Bon peninsula protects any ships behind it from the American radars until they pass by and can peer down its length. At that time, the Island of Pantelleria would lie to their southeast and anything behind it would be invisible. If our destroyer escorted our six missile-boats to that region, they could emerge from behind the island as the Algerian fleet attacked from the rear. The estimated distance from our fleet to the American fleet would be about sixty kilometers. This is maximum range for our missiles, so we would be within striking distance immediately. But, we would also try to stay within the island’s radar 'shadow' for as long as we could.

"The composition of the Libyan fleet is very different from either our own or that of our Algerian brothers. While we had always thought in terms of defending our shorelines, they have been planning offensive operations for many years. The two Libyan destroyers are well suited for the anti-aircraft and anti-ship roles, while their corvettes provide additional anti-aircraft capabilities in addition to their customary roles in anti-submarine warfare. Also, their missiles have a longer range than ours, so their missile-boats can be further away and still deliver their warheads on target.

"Therefore, they will sail with our fleet initially. As we veer towards the American fleet, they will continue northward in order to attack from the east. This combination of attacks will force the Americans to deploy all of their escorts towards us, while their carrier moves northeast to remove itself from the danger of our missiles. This will be their downfall.

"As you heard, both of the Libyan submarines will be lying in wait off the Italian coast near the town of Agrigento. Their submarines will rest upon the bottom just beyond the place where the sea begins to deepen again after its passage through the shallow straits. This will mean that the sea floor will protect the submarines from the American sonar, just as the islands will protect us from detection by their radar.

"The Libyan submarines will be able to hear the American fleet easily, because sound travels well in the water. When the American aircraft carrier runs from the fight with our fleets, the submarines will know where he his. They will fill the water with homing torpedoes, which will automatically seek out the American and destroy him!

"That, my friend, is our battle plan. As you can see, it is dependent upon surprise and timing. We cannot give the Americans time to detect us or to determine what we are doing. We must force them to rely upon instinct and the false notion of their superiority. The Algerians will have to be in the Gulf of Tunis long before the Americans are aware of their movements out of their home waters. The Libyans must be by our side at the moment of our attack. We must deliver a killing blow, or we ourselves may be killed.

"To accomplish this, we recommend the following dispositions. The Algerian Navy will anchor in the port in Tunis tomorrow night, and the Libyan in Sousse. Our fleet will assemble here at Nabeul, and our own Air Force will assemble there also. Tonight, the lead elements of both the Algerian and Libyan Air Forces will begin to arrive. The Algerians will fly to our air base in Bourguiba, while the Libyans will arrive in Kairouan. It is essential that our allies arrive tonight, because, in most cases, their aircraft are different from ours, so their supplies and replacement parts are also different. If we are to bring this plan to fruition, we must proceed immediately."

The Imam sat back, his mind reeling at the grandeur of the battle-plan. 'Allah be praised!' was all he could think of for many minutes. His friend and his Islamic brothers had assembled a plan of such audacity that it would sweep the Americans from the seas! Without Yankee interference, Morocco would realize the full depths of their transgressions, and Egypt would fall like a ripe fruit into their hands. Then, they would deal with the Jews, and wipe them from the face of the Earth. 'Allah be praised!'

The Imam representing the Council of The Faithful nodded his head in consent. The battle was in Allah’s hands.