The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

looked forward to meeting you for some time, Dr Ryan.'
Jack sipped at his coffee. It was thick, bitter, and hideously strong.
'Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you also for agreeing to see me in the place of
a more senior official.'
'The most effective efforts at diplomacy often begin informally. So, how may I
be of service?' Ali smiled and leaned back in his chair. The fingers of his left
hand toyed with his beard. His eyes were as dark as flint, and though they
seemed to gaze casually at his visitor, the atmosphere in the room was now
businesslike. And that, Ryan saw, was fast enough.
'My country wishes to explore a means of – that is, the rough outline of a plan
with which to alleviate tensions in this area.'
'With Israel, of course. Adler, I presume, is delivering the same proposal to
the Israelis at this moment?'
'Correct, Your Highness.'
'That is dramatic,' the Prince observed with an amused smile. 'Do go on.'
Jack began his pitch: 'Sir, our foremost consideration in this matter must be
the physical security of the State of Israel. Before either of us was born,
America and other countries stood by and did very little to prevent the
extermination of six million Jews. The guilt attending that infamy lies heavy on
my country.'
Ali nodded gravely before speaking. 'I have never understood that. Perhaps you
might have done better, but the strategic decisions made during the war by
Roosevelt and Churchill were made in good faith. The issue with the shipload of
Jews that nobody wanted prior to the outbreak of war of course, is another issue
entirely. I find it very strange indeed that your country did not grant asylum
to those poor people. Fundamentally, however, no one saw what was coming, not
the Jews, not the Gentiles, and by the time it became clear what was happening,
Hitler had physical control of Europe, and no direct intervention on your part
was possible. Your leaders decided at that time that the best way to end the
slaughter was to win the war as expeditiously as possible. That was logical.
They might have made a political issue of the ongoing Endlösung, I believe the
term was, but they decided that it would be ineffective from a practical point
of view. That, in retrospect, was probably incorrect, but the decision was not
made in malice.' Ali paused to let his history lesson sink in for a moment. 'In
any case, we understand and conditionally accept the reasons behind your
national goal to preserve the State of Israel. Our acceptance, as I am sure you
will understand, is conditional upon your recognition of other people's rights.
This part of the world is not composed of Jews and savages.'
'And that, sir, is the basis of our proposal,' Ryan replied. 'If we can find a
formula that recognizes those other rights, will you accept a plan in which
America is the guarantor of Israeli security?' Jack didn't have time to hold his
breath for the reply.
'Of course. Have we not made that clear? Who else but America can guarantee the
peace? If you must put troops in Israel to make them feel secure, if you must
execute a treaty to formalize your guarantee, those are things we can accept,
but what of Arab rights?'
'What is your view of how we should address those rights?' Jack asked.