“They tend to complicate things. And they’re not team players.”
“Neither are you from what I hear.”
“If I’m on the team, I play with the team.”
Kate said, “That’s true.” She remembered to add, “But John sometimes makes up his own rules.”
You see why I love my wife.
Brenner stayed quiet a moment, then said, “To further answer your question, it’s my understanding that Predator drones with video surveillance cameras are an important part of this operation. And as you may know, in Yemen only the CIA has operational control of the Predators. So that’s why we need a CIA officer with us when we go into the Badlands-to control the Predator drones on aerial reconnaissance missions.” He explained, “We can have real-time video surveillance transmitted directly to a video monitor on the ground.”
“And then the Predator launches a Hellfire missile against the target.”
He didn’t reply for a second, then said, “I suppose that’s an option.” He added, “That has been very effective here and in Afghanistan. We’ve killed dozens of important Al Qaeda leaders that way.”
“Right.” They leave their cave or mud hut to go take a leak, and next thing they know, they’re holding their dick in Paradise.
I asked Brenner, “What about taking this suspect alive?”
Brenner shrugged and replied, “I don’t know. I’m not sure what the actual goal is.”
“That makes three of us.”
He continued, “The way I see it, Washington would like to take this guy alive, but it’s easier to kill him. So maybe if the opportunity to capture him presents itself, then that’s what we’ll try to do. But if that seems impossible-or too dangerous-then we fix his location and call in the drones and Hellfires.”
I nodded, and added, “Then we Ziploc some pieces for ID.”
“Right. We have the suspect’s prints on file-and also DNA from his family.”
Kate commented, “Maybe I don’t need my arrest warrant.”
Brenner assured her, “We need you and your arrest warrant in case we have the opportunity to apprehend the suspect.”
Kate nodded tentatively. Actually, Kate and her arrest warrant were cover for what was most likely the assassination of an American citizen. I had no problem with that, and I was happy to have the cover in case this thing came back to bite us in the ass vis-a-vis Mr. and Mrs. al-Darwish’s lawsuit, or some other silly legality. Fucked-up war.
Kate also asked, “If we do apprehend the suspect, do we turn him over to the Yemeni authorities, then ask for extradition, or do we attempt to get the suspect out of the country?” She added, “In other words, extradition or rendition?”
Brenner shrugged again and replied, “This is all beyond my pay grade.”
“Why,” I asked, “is State Department Intelligence involved?”
Brenner replied, “First, keep in mind that Buck Harris is officially a diplomat, attached to the economic assistance mission, which is why he travels around the country. Forget SDI. Second, we want a diplomatic component to our operation.” He stressed, “We want to involve the State Department.”
“Right.” Meaning that if things went wrong-or even if things went right-the State Department could do what they do best: apologize to the host government for violating their sovereignty and offer them a few million bucks to forget it. That’s what diplomats are for.
Brenner reminded me, “Buck is an invaluable asset. He knows the country, the people, and the language.”
“Right. We love Buck. But he knows more than he’s sharing.”
Brenner said, “Let’s take it a step at a time and see how it plays out.” He also suggested, “We’ll get some clarification from our Agency guy.”
Paul Brenner had apparently not worked with the CIA before.
Our food came and it was served family style in big bowls, and everyone around us was eating directly out of the bowls with their fingers. We, however, had plates, serving spoons, and utensils. The food actually tasted good, whatever it was. Did I take my Cipro this morning?
I said to Brenner, “Tell me about this wounded Al Qaeda guy that we’re seeing in the slammer.”
Brenner told us, “We got this appointment because we told the PSO that we think this attack could have been planned by one of the Cole plotters. Therefore, Mr. John Corey of the FBI Evidence Response Team would like to speak to the prisoner.” He added, “We have an understanding with the Yemeni government, based on cash and other good and valuable considerations, that they will cooperate in anything having to do with the Cole.” He concluded, “I have no idea if this prisoner knows anything about the Cole or The Panther, but we’ll certainly ask.”
“Can we torture him?”
“I’m sure that’s been done.” He added, “But the PSO was probably focusing more on the oil installation attack than on The Panther.”
“Right. But when we ask this guy about The Panther, the PSO guys who are present will know what our focus is.”
Brenner replied, “That’s okay.” He explained, “Assuming someone in the prison is reporting to Al Qaeda, then this is one way of getting the message to The Panther that John Corey is in town looking for him.” He reminded me, “That’s the point.”
“Right. Why do I keep forgetting I’m bait?”
“Not bait,” Brenner corrected. “That’s such a negative word. I like to think of you as a lure.”
Funny? Maybe not.
Kate asked, “Will Colonel Hakim be at the prison?”
Brenner replied, “Probably.” He explained, “He seems to be the PSO guy who is assigned to keep an eye on the American Embassy.”
I asked, “Whose side is he on?”
Brenner replied, “The CIA thinks he’s loyal to the Yemeni government-but what does that mean? It doesn’t mean he’s pro-American, or anti-Al Qaeda. Like most people here, his first loyalty is to himself, then to his faith-or vice versa. His next loyalty is to his ancestral tribe, his clan, and his family, followed by a loose loyalty to the concept of being a Yemeni. His last loyalty, if it exists at all, is to the government.”
I could see why this country wasn’t working. I said to Brenner, “The question is, Does Colonel Hakim have ties to Al Qaeda?”
Brenner replied, “He may have contacts. Most high-ranking people do. But in this country, that doesn’t make him a traitor. It makes him smart.” He added, “People with money or power are covering all their bets until they see who looks like the winner here.” He further explained, “The Americans are putting their money on a bad government, but it’s the only play we have.”
I suggested, “Let’s whack who we have to whack to avenge the Cole, and get the hell out of here before we get in deeper.”
Brenner thought a minute and said, “It sort of reminds me of Vietnam… a corrupt, double-dealing government, backed by the U.S. out of necessity, fighting a tough, single-minded enemy who terrorized a population that didn’t care who won as long as they could live in peace… Even the hill tribes here remind me of the hill tribes in Vietnam who hated and fought both the government and the Viet Cong. And we were right in the middle of it. The quagmire. And we keep doing the same thing, expecting different results.”
No argument there.
Kate said, “It’s the same situation in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Brenner seemed to have returned from the jungles of Southeast Asia to the sands of the Middle East, and he said to me, “I understand you’ve had some experience with interrogating Cole suspects in Aden.”
“Right. But not too successfully.” I explained, “Everyone had fun lying to the Americans-the police, the PSO guys, the prisoners, and even the translators. And after we left the prison, they probably all had a khat chew together and yucked it up.” I added, “Assholes.”
Brenner assured me, “The Yemeni government is a little more worried now, and they’ve been more cooperative.”
“You mean like Colonel Hakim at the airport?”
