Chapter 188

Friday started off with updates from General Ingram - all ground forces were preparing for a push next weekend into the northern region of Iran. There were several very large cities - including Tehran - that could be problematic. Logistics was moving men and equipment closer and building stockpiles of supplies.

By pushing it off to next weekend the troops would have plenty of time to rest, rearm and rejuvenate. It would give the Generals more time to divide the northern region into sections and quadrants and then assign adequate troops and equipment to take control of the sector - hopefully preventing friendly fire incidents.

There were two more airports that would be ready to accept the C17 and C5 planes.

After the General left, the crap hit the fan. Manuel Santos - Secretary General of the UN - called and wanted another video conference. I had Troy set it up for 1100. That would give me time to check in with Victor Mason - our Ambassador - to find out if anything had been going on behind the scenes in New York.

I found out Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Bahar Farzad had spent the last two weeks wheeling and dealing. I was pissed that Victor didn’t think it important enough to keep me informed. An email or a quick call was all it would have taken.

At 1100 Secretary Dean of the State Department, General Ingram and my group of advisors were sitting at the fancy meeting table with me at the end with the US flag and the Presidential Flag behind me and off to the side so they would be seen on the video feed from the room.

At 1115 - fifteen minutes late - Secretary Santos came on the screen.

“It’s time you stopped your military action against Iran. You have been bombing 24/7 for three weeks. Hundreds of thousands have been killed according to the information we have.”

“I have been working on a solution with member countries in the area. This is what we have come up with,” he said.

“UN peace keeping troops from Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and Turkmenistan will take positions between the northern and Central sections of Iran. You will pull your troops back fifty miles to allow them to create a neutral zone.”

“The Iranian Ambassadors from Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Ambassador Farzad will form a new government for Iran that will comply with all UN administrative directives.”

“An oversight committee formed from other Muslim countries from the North African and Middle East countries will have veto authority over the new government for five years.”

“Once the new government is formed and established according to these terms, you will withdraw all US troops and equipment and remove all Navy and Air Force from the region including the Indian Ocean,” he said.

“Same old faces, same old extremist politics, same old government policies and nothing new,” I said.

“I told you three weeks ago what had to be done to end the conflict and ground war. It still stands. Unconditional surrender by Iran is the only end to this conflict as you call it that I will accept.”

“If you send any UN peace keeping troops to Iran, make no mistake - I will send them home in body bags - all of them, no matter where they come from,” I said.

“I cannot make it any clearer than that.”

“It amazes me to think you do this without the blessing of the Security Council. Ambassador Mason will veto that proposal and any like it and I know I can count on several more council members to vote the same way,” I added.

“You must end this conflict. Think of the humanitarian crisis it is causing. Thousands of people are fleeing and starving,” he said.

“I don’t know where this humanitarian crisis is. I have seen no reports of it. Food and water deliveries are continuing at pre-war levels. Medical teams are attending the sick and injured. Utilities are operating in the central and southern regions twenty four hours a day- something that has not happened in a decade,” I said.

“I have no reports of any exodus of the population,” I added.

“You are being fed a pack of lies and misinformation. Don’t bother me again with this useless bull shit. You have the terms and conditions that I will accept. Good Day,” I said as I cut the feed.

“It’s time for lunch! Anyone want to join me?” I asked.

Troy, Connie and General Ingram were the only ones that accepted. The others quickly scattered.

As I was eating lunch I was thinking about the UN call. I wondered what the next step would be. If the Iranian Ambassador had gone to all that effort, there was more. Was this just a smoke screen, a diversion?

“General, please send a memo to all commands for the Iranian operation. Remind them the No - Fly zone over all of Iran is to be strictly enforced including shoot down if necessary,” I said.

“Do you think they are going to try something?” General Ingram asked.