The Shaddad Conspiracy

Chapter 8: The past determines the future

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Little did he know that Alexandra Russell had heard the previous comments about her hips and was now exacting her revenge with her subtle hip movements.

**

Eat your heart out, Colonel. You haven't seen a real woman in a long time, have you?

Good.

Feast your eyes because that's all you're ever getting.

JOINT TERRORISM ANALYSIS CENTRE

THAMES HOUSE

MILLBANK

LONDON

Ronan gunned the car's engine and entered the underground garage as he questioned Christopher. "How well did you know this Captain Al-Mezroui?" The armored Audi cleared the security positions and proceeded to its assigned parking spot under one of the most secure buildings in the United Kingdom.

The two men exited the garage and strode to the mantrap doorways on the eastern walls. Christopher removed his beret as he entered the first partition. "As well as any foreign Muslim officer I met in Afghanistan, Ronan. I assisted them when they arrived in 2002. Jordan, Turkey, UAE, Albania all sent troops. All those countries fight on the front line and provide aid to their sectors. Not like some of our NATO allies." Chris chuckled as he submitted his ID for inspection through the partition's basket. "I don't think anyone in the West even knows that the Arab armies were there other than the few who might have viewed that BBC Report two years ago. If you listen to CNN, ITV and the rest, it's the Americans taking the fight to the infidel and 9/11 terrorists." He chuckled as he accepted his ID card through the receptacle.

"When you compare number of troops deployed, even you must admit that the Arabs have only sent small contingents when compared to the Americans." Ronan swiped his ID and submitted to an iris scan.

"I agree with you when it comes to absolute numbers, Ronan, but most of these countries have populations smaller than New York City or London. Jordan, UAE and Lebanon have less than six million living beings. That includes women and children, Ronan. These nations when combined together do not equal one third of the Pashtun tribe. The Pashtuns are forty million people; these nations collectively do not even meet twenty million. Do we expect them to send their entire male population?" Christopher stopped and shook his head. "Ronan, the combined American armed forces and our forces could not stabilize Iraq with its population of twenty-eight million – twelve million less than the Pashtuns. Do you think we will defeat a tribe who can field fifteen million fighters if we piss them off?"

"Be that as it may ..." Ronan signaled for Chris to take the leftmost corridor. "...we'll have to head down two levels to see what the Inspector has found on your Captain."

Chris stopped and stared at Ronan in surprise. "Are you telling me you have no human assets in the UAE? Christ, how have the intelligence services fallen from grace! I thought only the Armed Forces suffered from budget cuts..."

"...don't laugh, Christopher, for the last fifteen years, we've been influenced by the Americans - more high tech and digital - less human assets. Thank God, I'm retiring soon."

"By the way, is your Inspector cleared for Shaddad?"

Ronan nodded as he guided Christopher into a small conference room. "She was cleared yesterday. Sir William personally approved it and advised the PM. Be easy on her. She's had a tough time since her divorce. She'll get her job done, but she needs some time to emotionally recover."