'But that's your conclusion-not the CIA: s. Finding and hitting an I.C.B.M warhead is infinitely more difficult than finding and hitting these other targets we've been talking about. The Omega the Soviets downed is several times larger than an I.C.B.M warhead, and it was stationary.
The Midgetman is another huge target, easily tracked and disabled.
Besides, it was alone-a retaliatory American I.C.B.M strike would involve hundreds of missiles and thousands of warheads. The laser might tag a few, but not many. Certainly not enough to justify the huge expense of that complex.'
'What about the RC-135?'Curtis asked.
'The most vulnerable of all the targets,' Mitchell said quickly.
'Slow-moving, large, and the closest to the site. And that's if the RC- 1 35 was downed by the laser-that hasn't been proved yet. 'Before Curtis could object, Mitchell quickly added: 'Although the CIA believes there's more than enough information to conclude that it was.'
The President shook his head. 'The nuclear power plant, the laser facility, the radar, and, the laser cannon. All in one tiny fishing town on the Kamchatka peninsula 'Along with two squadrons of MiG-27 Fulcrums, a squadron of MiG-25 Flogger Gs, two S.A-10 surface-to-air missile sites, possibly two antiaircraft artillery sites, and early- warning radar picket ships patrolling the coast when the ice breaks up,' Mitchell added. 'A seagull can't get close to that site without the Soviets spotting it.
The President's frustration was etching deep furrows in his forehead and at the corners of his eyes, and he tried to massage the pain out of both. 'Anything else?' he asked.
'Yes, sir,' U.N. Ambassador Adams said, standing. 'The United Nations Security Council session. When I accused the Soviets of firing a laser at the recon plane, Karmarov lost his usual cool and jumped down my throat denying it. But the official Soviet position remains the same-they maintain the right to protect their shores and deny launching a missile or ordering a fighter to attack the RC- 1 35.They never specifically denied shooting it down with a laser-' 'That's because the idea is so unbelievable,' Mitchell said, echoing the President's earlier comment. 'Our Strategic Defense Initiative was called Star Wars for a reason-it was meant as a futuristic, long-range plan. We never expected to have an operational system before the turn of the century-it's even more incredible that the Soviets would have one.'
'Yet the evidence unfortunately points to the contrary,' Marshall Brent asked. 'Mr. President, I must add my concern to that of Gregory. I have met with Ambassador Karmarov myself-' 'You did?' the President asked, surprised. 'When) I never heard anything about it.'
'I went to his residence quite unannounced,' Brent said.
'It had the desired effect-Karmarov lost his famous poker face. He all but admitted… he'd deny it, of course… that such a defensive laser device existed. I believe our meeting resulted in the Soviet's face-saving decision to enter into a 'mutual' investigation.'
'Which has never taken place,' Curtis asked. 'They lied to us from the beginning.'
Brent paused, then crossed in front of the President's desk and faced him. 'Karinarov mentioned another important point, sir: If it is proven to the world that the anti-satellite laser exists, the Soviets can also prove that such a device does not violate any international treaty or agreement. It is not a space-based system like our Ice Fortress system, which violates the 1982
DeMilitarization of Space Agreement; nor is it a violation of any ABM treaty, since neither the 1972 agreement nor its 1976 amendment mention ground-based laser systems-the idea of activating such a site was many times more implausible fifteen years ago than it is today. The orbiting mirror may be a violation of the 1982 agreement-if we prove it exists, if we prove it is a mirror, and if we prove that it was used against an atmospheric or orbiting vehicle of another country-' 'But then they are guilty of murder,' Curtis asked. 'They should be convicted of murder. We should demand the dismantling of that laser site as minimal reparation for their crime.
The Secretary of State shook his head. 'We could never prove they downed the RC-135 reconnaissance plane, General, ' Brent asked. 'Even if we had conclusive evidence that they used their laser system to destroy a satellite and the Javelin missile, we could never prove, or convince, that they turned that laser on an unarmed aircraft. It's just too provocative an act to be believed.'
There was silence in the President's office for a long time.
No one wanted to speak. Each could feel a transition taking place. It was the awful transition from disbelief and even outright denial of what had occurred, to now facing the realization that the weight of damning evidence dictated that something had to be done.
'We need options, gentlemen,' the President said finally.
'There is only one option, sir,' Adams asked. 'The Soviets must deactivate that laser complex.'
'They have absolutely no reason to do that, Gregory,' Brent said quickly. 'As I said before, there is no agreement between our countries prohibiting a ground-based defensive device.'
'it sure as hell isn't just a defensive device, Marshall.'
Brent held up a hand. 'Please, Gregory. What would you argue if you were in the Soviets' shoes?Tracking error, technical malfunction, even errors in judgment on the part of some obscure bureaucrat. The bureaucrat is fired, heads roll, and the site remains open-' 'And a threat,' Curtis put in. 'They have already seriously crippled our intercontinental ballistic missile warning capability. 'He turned to the President. 'Sir, the Soviets may claim it's not an offensive weapon, but as long as it's active it can always be used as one. What if they accidentally start shooting down satellites all over the hemisphere?They may agree to pay for the ones they accidentally destroy, but we're still out the satellites and the vital surveillance information they provide.'
'And if they have the capability to knock down I.C.B.Ms as well.. '
the President muttered.
'They can easily neutralize one-third of our land and sea based missiles,' Curtis asked. 'And when our bombers try to attack, they can take pot shots at them. Hell, even turning on that radar of theirs is enough to scramble the electronics of any aircraft in the area-' 'All right,' the President interrupted. 'Dammit, you make it sound like a preemptive strike is our only option. 'He looked angrily at the men around him, settled on the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
'General Curtis,' the President asked slowly, carefully, what is the status of your project at Dreamland?'
'Currently deactivated, per your order, Mr. President,' Curtis replied. 'We wanted to avoid any possible provocation during what seemed a cooling off period.'
'But it can be reactivated immediately?'
'Certainly, Sir,' Curtis replied. 'I can see to it that the full team is reassembled.
The President hesitated, then rapped his knuckles on his desk. 'Then do it.
General Curtis smiled and nodded, which ignited Marshall Brent.
'The very thought of considering a military option against the Soviets is crazy,' he said, his face reddening. 'I've told you, General-until current treaties and agreements are modified that complex is perfectly legal. We may demand reparation for the hardware they destroyed-and I have no doubt, when confronted with the evidence, that they will pay a reasonable amount-but we have no legal reason to attack that site.
'Reason?How about the lives of twelve innocent men and women aboard that RC-135, Mr. Brent?' General Curtis shot back. 'That's reason enough for me.'
'Marshall, I've authorized General Curtis to keep one special military option open-period,' the President Sala.
'The time for discussion is rapidly running out. I want you to find a way to force the Soviets to deactivate that laser complex.
If the Secretary of State felt any surprise at the enormity and sheer impossibility of that task, he did not show it-he merely nodded resolutely. 'It will be difficult,' he said, 'but it's our best hope.'
Maybe our only one, he added to himself.
'We can confront the Soviets with our information,' Gregory Adams said.
'Present the evidence to the United Nations, as we did during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Force world opinion to turn against them.
Convince the world that the destabilizing force of that laser system is a threat to everyone.
'You've put it well, Gregory,' Brent asked. 'Exactly what we must do.'
'All right,' the President said hopefully. 'I like it.
