Jihad
10.15 America
by Red MacDonald
Copyright© 2013 Red MacDonald
All Rights Reserved.

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?

10 Finale

10.15 America

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10.15.1 Peace Imposed

The Americans, British and Italians slowly occupied the belligerent countries. They met with considerable resistance. The governments had been defeated, but the military, for the most part, remained in the field. In Libya, Iran and Iraq the allied armies fought pitched battles against local warlords and military leaders who didn't realize or weren't convinced that it was over.

The Persian city of Shiraz defended itself against an American force by using poison gas. The following day, that city ceased to exist. That same day, Adabah was leveled following a massive attack by American B-2s and by wave after wave of attacks from Admiral Duncan's carriers. In Bejaia, thousands, screaming "Allah", attacked British soldiers. The British burned the city to the ground. The Italians were attacked in Algiers and, after a two-day battle, over forty-thousand Algerians lay dead. As the Moroccan President had predicted, the conquerors were indeed pitiless.

Neither the President of the United States nor the Congress were ready to accept anything but complete and absolute capitulation. New constitutions were written for each belligerent country. In most cases, the constitutions were jammed down their collective throats.

The constitutions guaranteed personal freedoms of thought, speech, and religion. However, the separation between church and state was paramount. Equality of the sexes was guaranteed with absolute codes written right into the constitutions themselves. Free and open elections were guaranteed by the military power of the Allies. Any attempt to overthrow the elected government or to impose religious law was a declaration of war against the allies.

The exception was the government of Premier Dingjatha of Tunisia. He eagerly accepted the new constitution and earnestly cooperated with the occupation forces. His Chief of Staff, Admiral Tafid Kamsanni, readily pledged the full support of the reorganized Tunisian Armed Forces. For his help and cooperation in ending the rule of the Imams, the Allies allowed Ahab Dingjatha remain as interim Premier until elections could be held. Those elections would be fair and open, as guaranteed by the new constitutions, but the Allies were eager to assist the new Premier. Their support would go a long way towards assuring his election.

The Allies also seized all of the belligerent's oil resources. They were determined that oil would never be the source of revenues to begin another war nor would oil become a source of international conflict. They established the Oil Commission to regulate and control the industry. One commissioner came from each of the six allied countries. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, Britain and Italy each had one vote. The commissioner from the United States had two.

The revenues received by the Oil Commission were to be used in and for the country from which it came. The commissioners could also use the revenues in any other way they saw fit to bring about world peace and understanding between nations. In their first act, the commissioners voted to finance one-fourth of the Edifice of the Book.

The Oil Commission set aside huge sums to aid the victims of the nuclear war, both in America and in the lands of the belligerent states. The Commission also established a permanent army to guard the oil resources of each of the countries. If necessary, that army could also be used to restore order in any of the belligerent states. Of course, the cost of the occupation armies was also funded directly from the oil revenues.

Many countries complained bitterly about the American takeover of the Middle Eastern oil fields. The loudest of these protests came from France. American diplomats reminded the French that they had been given every opportunity to participate in the war. Instead, they had done nothing. No French ships had sailed. No French troops had landed. No French aircraft had been seen, except those flown by the belligerents.

The matter came to a head when the French President threatened to take the matter to the United Nations. The President of the United States ridiculed the Frenchman, saying that he could visit the radioactive site once called New York anytime he wished. In the meantime, the allies would do what they damned well pleased!

The French countered with a declaration of intent. It declared that France had a unique and historic relationship with Algeria and Tunisia and that France would defend it by force of arms.

Two American aircraft carriers diverted from their previous courses and took up stations off the French coasts. American aircraft flying from those battle groups sent hundreds of sorties into French territory. American B-2s flew undetected over French cities. When they were over their "targets", they opened their bomb bays exposing themselves to radar. One of them flew over Paris, dropped a single bomb and escaped in spite of the best efforts of the French Air Forces. The bomb exploded high above the Chamber of Deputies and rained thousands of pieces of paper over the city. Each of them read, "Bang!"

After three days of intense, eyeball to eyeball confrontation, the French blinked, declaring that they would rely upon the good will of the Oil Commission, America and her allies.

The United States of America was adamant. A Pax Americana would be imposed on the whole world if necessary. The occupation of North Africa and the Middle East might be long, costly and bloody, but there would never be another Jihad.

* * * * *

10.15.2 Bombs

How many did they have, and where were they? Those were the two questions which burned in the hearts of the intelligence agencies. The FBI was embarrassed that it had allowed three nuclear weapons to enter the country. It was mortified that they had been used. The CIA and DIA were equally embarrassed. They had no inkling that Iran had such weapons. They had no idea of where they had come from or how they had arrived in the United States. Nobody could determine if there were others.

Military intelligence, the DIA in particular, ransacked Teheran looking for documentation on the bombs, but they ran into roadblocks and dead-ends. Few Americans understood Farsi, and nothing in Iran was on computers. Digging through the masses of hand-written papers was slow going.

The first break came in Los Angeles. A carton in a shipping warehouse had been smashed in the earthquakes, and its contents had spilled out. Among them was a metal sphere which nobody could identify. A customs agent, fearing the worst, called the FBI.

Nuclear experts studied the device, piecing together its origins from its parts. The klystrons had been stolen five years earlier from a U.S. Government laboratory. Some of the electronics bore Chinese markings. One transformer had been made in North Korea.

With those slim leads, the FBI and the customs service tore apart every warehouse, supply depot and storage area near every port in America. Six weeks later a fifth bomb was discovered in New Orleans. It was intact, and it was never discovered why it hadn't been used.

The answer was that the man who was supposed to have activated the bomb had "gone native". He was an Iranian émigré who had become an American citizen. His son was serving aboard the USS Halsey. He couldn't bring himself to destroy his American home, or dishonor his son.

Slowly, the furor died down, but the investigators could not give up. They tried to question Imam Hammedyanni, but he died mysteriously in Pakistan, and his son, the ex-Army Chief, had no knowledge of the weapons. The only scrap they could find was in the minutes of the Revolutionary Council. Even that one piece of evidence was unclear. There could have been only five bombs, but there could also have been six.

Three years later, the search was officially terminated. Only five were found.

But, there was a sixth bomb. The problem was that it wasn't in the United States. It was sitting in a private warehouse in London, Ontario, quietly awaiting the day when it would be awakened by a single radio pulse.

* * * * *

10.15.3 Launching MacDonald

The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral James Thomas Duncan stood on the high platform next to his friend, Captain Dominic Russi. The ship before them was a beauty.

Four thousand tons of fast, maneuverable and relatively inexpensive frigate was about to be launched. Her forward deck was clean, except for the small, semi-rectangular area housing her array of forty-one missiles. Between her vertical launchers and the bridge was a step for her single five inch, rapid-fire mount. Her superstructure was a thing of molded beauty: streamlined, sleek and somewhat stealthy. She had a long hangar, capable of holding two ASW choppers, above which was her Close-In Weapons System. She was a classy ship that had been built to take a beating and not to burn. She was the first ship of her class and its namesake. She was the most modern frigate in the world, and the Admiral was proud of her.

As they stood on the platform, a mixed flight of aircraft thundered overhead in the "missing man" formation. His son, "DJ", the newly promoted CAG of the Halsey, was in the lead position flying his Hornet. Next to him were Pepe Gonzalez flying his Avenger and Connie Fink in his Viking. Outside, flying the Tomcat in the lone position, was Buck Henry, the CNO's new Naval Air Commander, who had taken the day off for this special tribute.

After they had passed, the CNO and the captain together held a bottle of champagne and raised it high above their heads, poised to strike the ship's bow. Together they struck the blow, chanting, "I christen thee the Muriel MacDonald!"

The bottle broke splashing them both with its effervescent liquid. Everybody cheered, except the two Naval officers, who stood solemnly saluting the departing hull.

Quietly, almost as though it were a prayer, the Admiral said, "This is for you, Mac. Keep 'em all safe."

The Italian Captain had tears in his eyes once again. "Bellisima! Accompany me on a tour of Napoli, and afterwards, Commander Mac, afterwards ... who knows?"

The End<-B>

I thank all my readers for their kudoes and their comments. I'm pleased that you enjoyed this little novel. Unfortunately, mine is just one of many such scenarios, which, in real life, could bring about a disaster of epic proportions. Let us all dedicate ourselves to ensuring that it doesn't happen.

With love,

"Red"