children. Third, the men don’t sit around and chew khat or herd goats as the Bedouin do. In fact, they train with rifles. Also, we spotted a mortar and rocket launchers, which are not typical Bedouin armaments.”
Chet concluded with a smile, “But the big clue is that Sheik Musa told us the location of this camp that he rented to Al Qaeda.”
Right. Aerial reconnaissance analysis is impressive, but nothing beats someone on the ground telling you what you’re really seeing from the air.
Brenner asked, “Why does Al Qaeda think we wouldn’t figure this out?”
Chet shrugged, then said, “I don’t think they fully understand what we can see from the air, and that we can accurately analyze what we’re seeing. Also, they don’t know that we’ve dramatically increased the number of Predators in Yemen.”
I watched the image on the screen and saw a few men in white foutehs walking around. So this is where Rahim ibn Hayyam lived for a few months before he was sent to attack the Hunt Oil facility. Even from the air, the place looked like a shithole. He’s better off in jail.
Chet further informed us, “The camp once held about a hundred fifty men, but now we’re counting about fifty. About a hundred jihadists have left the camp-half on their way to the embassy and half on their way to the Sheraton in Aden.”
Right. And maybe the other fifty were headed for the Crow Fortress. But Chet or the Predator pilots who were watching twenty-four hours a day would notice if more men started leaving the camp.
Chet said, “It’s not a large camp, and it will be much smaller after the fighter-bombers level it.” He added, “There are about five more camps like this in Yemen, and this is when we need to start eliminating them-because if we don’t, there will be fifty, then a hundred, and then we have a real problem.”
Right. Kill the beast in the cradle.
Chet reminded us, “We still don’t know where The Panther’s personal hideout is, and as with bin Laden in Afghanistan-or maybe Pakistan-it’s almost impossible to locate a few individuals who are most likely living and hiding in caves. So we have to get The Panther out of his cave and kill him in the open.” He added, “They all come out in the open eventually, for one reason or another.” He looked at us and said, “And you, who have just been eyeball to eyeball with Al Qaeda, are a very good reason for Bulus ibn al-Darwish to come out of his cave.”
No one had anything to add to that, but I confessed, “We came close to wasting those assholes.”
“Not a smart move,” said Chet.
Brenner said, “A bird in the hand.”
“Tempting, maybe. But we have a bigger animal to kill.”
I asked Chet, “What’s the plan now?”
“We wait.”
“We’re out of tuna.”
Chet didn’t even smile, and he said, “I can almost assure you that Bulus ibn al-Darwish will have an answer for Sheik Musa within two or three days.”
Buck needed to speak to Yasir, Arab to Arab, so he left the van. Kate and Brenner volunteered to put our cozy quarters back together, so they, too, left. I said I’d be along shortly.
Alone now in the van with Chet, we looked at each other for a few seconds, then he said to me, apropos our last private discussion, “There’s no problem. Never was.”
Wonderful news. I really felt awful about being paranoid and threatening Chet’s life and all that.
I said to him, however, “There
He didn’t reply.
I left Chet to watch his monitors and think about his problem.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
The A-team of Operation Clean Sweep, including Chet, gathered in the mafraj, whose high, open arches gave us an unobstructed view of the terrain for miles around. These watchtowers were the Predators of the last millennium. Hey, Abdul, there’s a bad guy-drop a rock on him.
We all had our M4s and Kevlar, and Zamo did his march around the perimeter of the mafraj. The rest of us stood on the carpet of bird crap.
Buck began, “Yasir had little to offer regarding whether or not the Al Qaeda delegation seemed suspicious about this kidnapping. Yasir did say, however, that he didn’t like these men, and especially didn’t like Nabeel, al- Amriki.”
Well, if Nabeel al-Samad was an American, then I’m a Bedouin. But from the Bedouin’s perspective, Nabeel could have come from Mars.
Buck also told us, “Yasir says he thinks that only Nabeel was a Yemeni. The rest, he believes, are from someplace else.” Buck added, “The Bedouin do not trust these people.”
And the feeling is mutual. Recalling Chet’s newfound concerns regarding Sheik Musa, I asked, “So do you think we can still trust Musa and his men?”
Buck replied, “The Bedouin practice a primitive democracy. Which means that even if their sheik wants to switch sides and make common cause with Al Qaeda, the tribesmen won’t necessarily go along with it.”
We could use some primitive democracy in the ATTF.
Anyway, it occurred to me that the Bedouin tribesmen might not actually know that The Panther and his retinue were going to be vaporized by Hellfire missiles, so I asked Buck and Chet about that.
Buck replied, “Musa and his men who will be with him obviously know what’s going to happen at this meeting. And if one Bedouin knows something, they all know it. Also, the Bedouin know this was a sham kidnapping, so they all understand that the Americans aren’t really being offered to Al Qaeda.”
Brenner said, as he did back in Aden, “That is a massive security breach. All it would take is one Bedouin to tip off Al Qaeda.”
Chet replied, “We’re trusting that whatever the Bedouin know stays with the Bedouin.” He reminded us, “They are very clannish.”
Let’s hope so. Otherwise we have a problem.
Buck also told us, “From what I can gather from my conversations with them, the Bedouin think that one of the purposes of this meeting is to discuss important matters which need to be resolved between the tribes and Al Qaeda.” He added, “Sheik Musa is wise to take that approach, and it’s a compelling reason for The Panther to show up in person. The two warlords need to talk. And even if they can’t agree about the Americans, they have other pressing issues to discuss, man to man, chief to chief.”
Right. Like the rent on the Al Qaeda camp. Musa is smart. Five million bucks makes you think.
On another subject, Buck said, “As we also know, neither the Sheraton Hotel in Aden nor the embassy in Sana’a have been attacked, and I believe, as do my colleagues in the embassy, and Chet’s colleagues as well, that The Panther has put those attacks on hold until he makes his decision.”
Good news for everyone in Aden and Sana’a, except people like Captain Mac who were looking for a fight.
Chet added, “Those attacks could end in disaster for Al Qaeda, and they are signs of The Panther’s desperation or recklessness. The Panther, however, now sees an easier way to score a win.”
Buck continued, “And The Panther knows he can still order those attacks after the deal is done with Musa.” He reminded us, “But of course he’ll be dead if he shows up at the meeting, and those attacks, we believe, will probably not be ordered by his successor.”
Well, not right away. But someday.
I thought the mafraj meeting was over, but then Buck, who saves the best for last as he did at the Bilqis ruins, said, “Yasir gave me a sealed envelope that was given to him by Nabeel.” He pulled a long white envelope from his pocket, and I saw that the logo on it was from the Bilqis Hotel. Our bill?
Buck told us, “Nabeel told Yasir it was for Detective Corey, but I took the liberty of opening it.” He explained, “In case it contained anthrax, or a letter bomb.”
