A major gateway to the global market for tens of millions of manufacturers and consumers across the United States, the busy port of Long Beach has had over $105 billion in trade move across its wharves in one year. The 3,000-acre facility provides excellent service for its numerous customers, who represent some of the largest and most prestigious shipping lines. No doubt about it, the Long Beach facility was considered one of the most efficient ports in the world. It had the ability to move large amounts of goods across the land-sea interface.
The port also was extremely critical to the base infrastructure of California. The state depended on a single pier for off-loading 45 percent of all maritime crude shipments to California each day. This amounted to approximately 25 to 30 percent of the crude oil consumed by the state during each twenty-four-hour cycle.
Farooq al-Zawahri, a trusted employee who had worked on the piers for over three years, was getting worried. His shift was about to come to an end, and his long-awaited mission had not been completed. He worked rapidly, filling out forms to accompany cargo that had arrived from Honolulu. Glancing at the wall clock every minute or so, he kept an ear tuned to the marine radio.
Al-Zawahris supervisor, Mariano Aguinaldo, a retired U. S. Navy chief petty officer, had not noticed that his protege had become more restless in the past few days. But tonight he saw a clear difference in al-Zawahri s behavior. The younger man, who normally worked at a leisurely pace, was constantly in motion and unusually quiet.
"Farooquie." Aguinaldo affectionately called him this. "Are you feeling okay? Stomach bothering you?"
"No, I'm fine."
Aguinaldo had reservations. "Why dont you go ahead and take off. Go get some sleep."
"No, I'm okay."
"Sure?"
"Uh-huh."
"Suit yourself."
The Lucille Garrett, one of the largest containerships in the world, was fifteen minutes from sailing through the Queens Gate entrance to the port of Long Beach. The 1,124-foot vessel was carrying the equivalent of 5,200 maritime shipping containers. The behemoth ship, which drew 46.5 feet of water, was loaded with many varieties of cargo from various ports in Southeast Asia.
Only a tiny fraction of the thousands of containers aboard the Lucille Garrett would be opened by the Customs Service inspectors. There was not enough time or manpower to check even 10 percent of each arrival. Otherwise, ships would start backing up ad infinitum.
Under a moonless sky, a lightly armed U. S. Coast Guard patrol boat pulled alongside the Lucille Garrett. An armed team boarded the ship, half the men going to the bridge, the other half remaining in the engine room until the vessel docked. The patrol boats men would accompany the big containership, as they did with cruise ships, supertankers, bulk cargo ships, vessels from Middle Eastern ports, and other high-interest ships.
Overhead, a coast guard HH-65A Dolphin helicopter slowly circled the Lucille Garrett. The helicopters powerful searchlight constantly scanned the dark waters, looking for anyone who might attempt to commandeer the vessel and ram it into another large ship or petroleum storage tank.
The Lucille Garrett was running late and al-Zawahri was becoming more nervous by the minute. There was no way to know its exact location unless he tried to raise it on the radio. That would be too risky, with his boss sitting nearby. The minutes seemed to pass more quickly than usual, and al-Zawahri s shift was about to end.
"Hey, time to go," Aguinaldo said to al-Zawahri as their replacements arrived. "Want to get some breakfast?"
"Thanks, but I have a few things to do," al-Zawahri said mechanically Til see you tomorrow."
"Okay, take care."
"You, too," al-Zawahri said, as his boss greeted the newcomers and then left the building. He chatted amiably with the two men and then heard the radio announce the news he had been waiting for. The Lucille Garrett was about to enter port.
He excused himself and went to his locker to retrieve his oversized lunch pail. Saying good-bye to his co-workers, al-Zawahri left the office and walked to his car. Instead of leaving the port, he drove to an area where he could watch the Lucille Garrett enter the harbors narrow entrance.
Opening his lunch bucket, he attached two wires from a battery pack to his transmitter. Farooq al-Zawahri was about to create some major headlines around the world. Patiently, he waited for the huge ship as the helicopter slowly circled the vessel. Al-Zawahri was beginning to feel ebullient when a security guard stopped his vehicle nearby and shined a spotlight at him.
This can't be happening. He reached under his seat, pulled out a 9mm Beretta, and placed it in his lap.
The guard drove up next to al-Zawahri s well-used Ford Escort and stopped. "Everything okay?"
"Yes, sir." Al-Zawahri smiled and showed the man his credentials. "Just passing time, watching the stars and the ships."
"Yeah, its kinda relaxin, aint it?"
"It sure is, especially on a clear night like this."
The young security guard continued a steady stream of banal blather as al-Zawahris nervous system went on edge. Go away, before I have to blow your head off.
Time was rapidly running out. The bow of the Lucille Garrett was about to enter the crowded port. In desperation, al-Zawahri triggered the powerful bomb on board the containership. Twice as potent as the Khobar Towers bomb, the thundering explosion blew the ships massive hull wide open on both sides.
With his mouth agape, the dumbfounded guard became hollow-eyed. "Holysonofabitch! Gotta go!" He roared off as total chaos erupted in the port.
The Lucille Garrett's bow and a long section of the keel were already dragging on the bottom. She sank with her stern thirty yards inside the harbor s narrow opening. Many of the maritime shipping containers and the twisted superstructure of the ship jutted out of the water like a macabre sculpture.
Although the shock wave from the mind-numbing explosion severely rocked the coast guard helicopter, the pilot maintained control of the craft. The Dolphin worked with the damaged patrol boat to rescue eleven of the fifteen crewmen and all the coast guard team.
The other members of the crew either perished in the explosion or drowned after they panicked and jumped overboard without their life jackets.
Smiling with great satisfaction, Farooq al-Zawahri drove to the edge of a remote pier and tossed the incriminating evidence into deep water. He did not want to be seen leaving the port after the calamitous event. He would wait until midmorning when things settled down. Al-Zawahri had been instructed to remain on his job and wait for further orders.
Trying to temper his feelings of elation and accomplishment, he drove back to the familiar parking lot to sleep in his car. However, he soon discovered that it was impossible to sleep with all the commotion caused by the deadly assault.
The terrorist attack would close the port of Long Beach for many long weeks. Because California's refineries were operating at full capacity, only a small supply of petroleum was stored in the state. The crushing disaster would seriously erode California's gasoline supply, causing great damage to the economy of the western United States.
Chapter 21
Located in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains and the famous 14,110-foot Pikes Peak, Peterson AFB was one of the finest military installations in the world. The clear atmosphere, idyllic blue skies, and wide variety of recreational activities beckoned nature lovers to the facility. Usually quiet at this time of morning, the base was buzzing as officers and enlisted personnel waited for the president of the United States to arrive.