The footsteps echo down the long hallway and the sound of leather and concrete connecting reverberate off the walls and the loud noise of a security door's latch release reminds one this is not a normal meeting.

I am sitting across from Cheney in a very secure room in an underground facility which officially doesn't exist, much like Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.

Rumsfeld is sitting in one corner of the room in a large easy chair, he loosens his cobalt blue tie and then sits with his head back and hands folded in his lap.

Cheney's Executive Assistant Debra Heiden, who normally remains in DC, is present and after some instructions from Cheney, leaves the room.

Cheney is not a real tall man, and as I listen to him he reminds me of an innocuous accountant or bookkeeper. His pens in his shirt pocket and laptop accompany him wherever he goes.

He is speaking of his visit with South Korean Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan, the South Korean's reluctance for covert operations actions in North Korea and as he speaks has a tendency to slightly smirk with the left side of his mouth. He always finishes his statements with an anticipatory posture as if he eagerly awaits responses.

"...and as he parted he wanted to know if late April was too early for a visit from their President."

"Screw Roh Moo-hyun." Rumsfeld interjects, "This guy lets those anti-US protests occur, takes absolutely no strong pro-US positions and now wants us to nursemaid them through deals with Pyongyang and that crazy ----, Kim Jong Il."

"Normally, I'd agree but we have to deal with this guy for the next while and a visit might serve as a media distraction for a few days while pulling some of the war coverage at a time when it will probably be brutal." Cheney says.

"Let's just tell the Chinese and Russians we're going to take out the plant and then do it, before they build up a whole arsenal of bombs. Diplomacy wont work with this guy. We all know that. Better stop him when he has 10 nukes than 110. When I spoke with Japanese Minister of State for Defense Shigeru Ishiba, he was almost overjoyed at the prospect of a decisive US tactical action, so that they would not have to." says Rumsfeld impatiently.

Cheney turns to me, "What sort of force can we put in there?"

"We want to put a JDAM on target, but to avoid releasing any radiation and cause a humanitarian disaster, we want to take out the main control room only. Their reactor doesn't have a distributed control system and they would have to shut the reactor down with the auxillary shutdown room.

The real ticker is they have their spent fuel rod storage in a large underground concrete vault which has pipelines extending underneath the main control room! So we can't strike the control room with a direct hit or we risk exposing highly irradiated gases. So in light of this restriction, we figure an offcenter hit will destroy the upper facility without destroying the storage vaults pipes. It should also trigger a "seismic event sensor" which should start shutting down the plant automatically from the auxillary shutdown room. Without the main control room, and with their limited access to parts and contractors - that plant would be out of operation for at least six months to a year.

To top it all off, we have a few MIGs with current Russian or Chinese markings and registation numbers, beacons, the works and can take it out with slightly modified foreign munitionsand make it look like we did not do it."

"Would that work?" asks Cheney, "Wouldn't a Russian or Chinese denial to Pyongyang expose our hand?"

"Not necessarily. They might think they are just maintaining deniability. They may also think we coerced them to act. The reason I prefer this method is because it makes it less likely they will rebuild the control room, fearing further potential reprisals - even if Russia or China do deny it."

Silence grips the room for a few moments as what I have said slowly sinks in, and I can see they are thinking about the various downsides. Fortunately, I have thought of these too and have made sure there are precious few.

"How much do you get paid again? Whatever it is - it's not enough." laughs Cheney.

Rumsfeld turns to Cheney, "Let's not do cartwheels just yet, shall we."

He is smiling as he says it though, which is the way you can tell if Rummy really likes an idea.

"What if they believe we did it anyway and retaliate?" asks Rumsfeld, "What's our defensive position?"

"Well all our sources indicate that Kim Jong Il really can't afford to go to war with US or anyone else. In all the strategic scenarios, as you well know, they lose. With B2s ready to go, they won't do diddly squat except shout from the rooftops."

"What about missiles. Can they strike out at an ally such as Japan and think they will not get obliterated?"

"No way. They have patriot3 systems we can deploy in short order and the ---- system is already in place. We also have several Arleigh Burke class DDG's ready to attempt an intercept including the John S. McCain and the Curtis Wilbur. I don't think they would chance it. They're not totally insane."

"That's up for debate." says Rumsfeld.

My mouth is dry and I reach for my Caffeine-Free Diet Coke and take a swig.

Rumsfeld and Cheney discuss strategy and Rumsfeld opens a remote commlink and presses a code. The seventeen foot LCD wall-screen monitor to my right flickers to life and upon it a multiple split screen shows a MilStar videoconference in session.

Generals are communicating with eachother regarding operation Iraqi Freedom's progress and our remote room camera activates and suddenly puts all of us in one corner of the screen, somewhat like Alice popping in the center of the Brady Bunch opening grid.

Rumsfeld turns and says, "Give me an update."

The generals proceed to tell him that the Battle for Baghdad has begun on schedule and that forces are advancing on the (deleted)

I watch as our modern technology keeps the battlefield linked together from Defense Secretary to General to Private in absolute realtime.

I look around the room. The tired faces and ringed eyes tell the tale of stress we all our under at this time. The fate of the world and the US is at stake and no one here fails to realize this stark reality.

I take another swig from my Diet Coke and realize I haven't had anything to eat since two hardboiled eggs at breakfast. Suddenly I realize I am tuning out the war reports and wonder if I, too, am starting to succumb to the war-weariness.

To remind myself of the Iraqis plight I quote to myself parts of the Declaration of Independence:

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Yes, we will act as Iraqis' security for awhile and then we shall move on and the birth of a new Iraq will be borne out of these efforts and yes, these ringed eyes.

SDAI-Tech1


DISCLAIMER
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No part of this post is true. All events are completely fictitious although the names and events may indeed appear to be very, very similar to real folks or events. ;-)
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