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?

8. Counter-Attack

8.6 Israel

8.6.1 Borders

Major David Weissman was totally exhausted. Ever since that glorious day when his brigade had broken through the Iraqi tanks, the Israeli army had rolled on from victory to victory.

As First Division was advancing into Damascus, all the other brigades had spread out in pursuit of the enemy columns fleeing into the east. Second Division had moved up the ancient road to Dayr az Zwar, while Twelfth Brigade drove southeast towards the border between Syria, Jordan and Iraq.

For the first day or two, the Iraqis fought an effective rear-guard battle. Hours of high speed travel and monotony were interspersed with moments of terror.

After the second day of pursuit, the Iraqis just seemed to give up. Every kilometer was littered with clothes, guns and ammunition discarded by their tired and disheartened troops. Their vehicles were abandoned along the side of the road, generally because they were out of petrol. Every day, there was a congregation of Iraqi troops which had just stopped. They had gone as far as they could go and were waiting by the side of the road willing to accept their fate.

At first, it had been heartening for the Israelis to see their vanquished enemies. After a while, the endless streams of faces bereft of all hope and comfort began to tell upon the victors.

Second Division split into brigades at Palmyra. Second Brigade continued north towards Dayr az Zwar, while the Eleventh turned east and south towards Abij Kamad. The only resistance to Second Brigade's progress was made the following day at Dayr az Zwar.

A large body of Iraqis gathered on the east bank of the river and prepared to contest the Israeli crossing. They opened up with their few remaining field guns, while several of their tanks fired into the onrushing Israeli brigade.

It was a futile gesture. One Israeli regiment drove over the top of them while the other battalions swept around their flanks. The Battle of the Tigris lasted only fifteen minutes, and in the end, the Israelis captured three thousand Iraqi soldiers.

The problem became one of logistics, except in reverse. Instead of trying to maintain and support the army in the field, Israeli supplies were being eaten up, literally, by tens of thousands of starving prisoners of war. The IDF was close to the limits of its ability to supply its own forces.

Yet, the Israelis were driven men. They were driven to rid themselves once and for all of the Arabs who had tormented them for almost a century. In every earlier war, the rest of the world had condemned Israel for her aggression and had intervened before final victory had been achieved. Now that the rest of the world was fighting the Arabs, it was suddenly all right to destroy them. Israel was determined to destroy her enemies and sow them to salt!

On the sixth day after the break-through, David stood at the border between Syria and Iraq, marked by only a simple pillar of stone. He had been told that once he got there, if there were no enemies in sight, he could turn around and come home. David doubted that he would be able to see them even if they stood before him. Yet, there was still one thing he had to do.

Slowly and with a great effort, he clambered down from his command Impala and walked to the stela. He stood very carefully on "his" side of it so that he could not be accused of invading Iraq. Then, he lowered his zipper and directed the contents of his bladder onto the lands of his enemies.

8.6.2 Insanity?

"What? Are you insane?" she asked.

"No, Madam Prime Minister," the American ambassador replied. "I assure you that I am either as sane or as insane as you are. That has nothing to do with my country's request."

"No, you must be!" she replied, shaking her head in anger and disgust. "We have just fought a great war for our own survival. We have won that war, and, because neither you nor anyone else interfered, we have a real chance at peace and tranquility for the first time since the foundation of Israel.

"Now, you inquire as to whether I can gather my scattered armies, who are now pursuing our enemies as well as yours, then march them for two thousand kilometers across the greatest desert in the world to save another of our enemies from the same ones we are busy vanquishing? You must be insane, Mr. Ambassador."

"No, once again I assure you, Madam Prime Minister, that my request for information is legitimate. My government sees the possibility, albeit slim, that you may be able to do a great service both for our allies and for yourselves. If this opportunity should present itself, we need to be able to propose it. If it does come to pass, then it will immeasurably strengthen the bonds between yourselves and your neighbors, giving Israel a real opportunity for the kind of peace you have always dreamed about, but that has always slipped between your fingers.

"I ask you again, Madam Prime Minister, if closer relations between yourselves, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States as well as the United States are a goal worth pursuing?"

He gazed at the floor for a moment. "You asked if I was crazy. Well, maybe I am. I've always thought that people should live in peace." He looked up, staring directly into her eyes. "If this is the way we can achieve such a goal, then I am for it. If that's crazy, then so be it!"

She smiled wryly. "Well, Mr. Ambassador, maybe we both are. Let me talk with my military councils and see what can be done and what can't. We will talk tomorrow at this same time?"

"Thank you, Madam Prime Minister. I will see you tomorrow at this time."

She sat for many minutes after the American ambassador had left. Yes, she decided, he was crazy. However, this scheme was just crazy enough that it might work. But, how to present it to her military so that they wouldn't lock her up and throw away the key?

She punched an intercom button. "Get me General Isman Eban. Tell him I need to see him immediately."