Chapter 2

"The time is almost right. Within four months, everything will be in place. At last, what I have been working for my entire life will be achieved. The spread of the Islamic Revolution! The destruction of the infidels! The beheading of the Great Satan! Allah ahkbar!"

With these words to his closest aides, the Ayatollah Makhtol had set into motion a plan that would alter the course of history. The date was October 29, 1997. The meeting had been called by the Ayatollah to discuss arrangements for a bold idea that would paralyze the country most feared by the mullahs controlling Iran, the United States of America.

"What kind of progress are our agents making? Will they have enough weapons and explosives to do what is required of them?"

"Yes, Imam," replied Suliman Khataf, the chief of covert actions, including terrorist activities, undertaken on behalf of the Islamic Revolution. "Our agents are making the necessary preparations for the uprisings scheduled to begin twelve hours after our little diversion, which will paralyze the West, particularly the Great Satan, and will ensure the success of our Holy Mission."

"This will teach the United States to support the infidels and Zionists!" commented the new leader of the world's only theocracy, who had seized the reigns of power after a four year blood bath that had followed a period of calm immediately after the death of the inspiration for the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Ayatollah Makhtol turned to his chief terrorist. "Why don't you tell the others about our diversion?"

"Well," began Khataf, "we had to find a way to keep the United States from acting to stop the spread of the Revolution. We have come up with the perfect solution."

He paused for effect. The effect he created was the one he had desired as Ali Makhtol, the Ayatollah's son and one of his closest advisers, led the demand for more information that he wanted shared with himself and the three others who had not been involved with devising the plan.

"Well, what is this perfect plan that you have come up with that will prevent the United States from interfering with our Revolution and its spread throughout the world?"

"There is one time each year that the entire upper echelon of the United States government is together in one place. That is when the President delivers his State of the Union message to a joint session of Congress in the Capitol Building. The entire Cabinet is there, the Supreme Court is there, the heads of the F.B.I., C.I.A. and National Security Council are all there, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are there. If we could get an explosive powerful enough to destroy the Capitol, we could pretty well wipe out the United States government. The Great Satan would be paralyzed."