“So, let’s talk about how I see what’s going on here before we open this up to discussion,” Warner said. “First, Japan, feeling threatened by Greater Manchuria because of the possibility that Greater Manchuria could attack Tokyo, decides to take out the Greater Manchurian nuclear weapons. Next, Kurita is exposed doing what he denies.”
“I suggest two ways of looking at this. One, the Greater Manchurian nuclear weapons were dangerous and destabilizing. The Japanese in one sense did our work for us.” Warner rubbed her eyelids, looking tired for a second.
“Now the nukes are gone and the East Chinese or the West Chinese or the Russians may invade Greater Manchuria and take over their territory. One headache gone, a bigger new one replaces it. This is unacceptable for us, we need a real balance of power there, not one all-powerful Far East nation.”
“Now focus on Japan. We can say, for argument, that Greater Manchuria had no intentions of threatening Tokyo whatsoever, that their missiles were a deterrent to Russia and the Chinas. The attack by Japan on continental Asia is another example of Japan’s new militarism. Let’s look at the last five years. We essentially stopped trade between Japan and America. Europe followed suit. Japan was hurt, and badly. They turned their industrial strengths into rearming, building up a threatening military.”
Pacino could almost hear in Warner’s words Donchez’s briefing. She must have liked it, found it convincing, because here she was speaking just as Donchez had a few days ago.
“Next we see a Japanese strike against an Asian nation. They took matters into their own hands rather than consulting with the rest of the world. Our response now is critical. If we look the other way, we encourage Japan to keep using its military. Some of my advisors indicate that in another five years or less, Japan could well invade continental Asia and expand. They would have an empire greater than in 1941. And that means China, Korea, Greater Manchuria, Indonesia, southeast Asia, all of it, back in aggressive Japanese hands. By then, there would be no stopping Japan without a major blood bath involving another world war. On the other hand, we could move in and stop this now, and turn the tide. How many of us would argue, if we could go back in time, with stopping Hitler when he tried to make his move into the Sudetenland? We could have averted World War II. An early confrontation avoids a later war, if we learn anything from history. So, in spite of Japan’s military strength, or because of it, I believe we should seriously discuss a military option. I am also open to other options. I’d like to go around the room now and ask each of you for your opinion.”
Warner was famous for this approach, Pacino thought. Her advisors hated it, but it allowed her to get to a decision quickly at the risk of generating great conflict among the cabinet. Warner was convinced she could manage the clashing egos, but the recent resignation of the attorney general had shaken the administration, and his replacement had yet to be chosen.
“Alex, you get the honor of speaking up first.” Alex Addison was the soft-spoken chief of staff. He was fiercely protective of the president and her schedule but otherwise — as Donchez had described him — he would mostly be a good guy to have a beer with. He was short and balding but trim and well-dressed, still in his suit coat while the rest of the men were in shirtsleeves.
“Thank you, Madam President,” Addison began so softly that Pacino had to strain to hear. “I think we should hammer the Japanese. We’ve always been reasonable with them, but now they need to be taught a lesson — that they can’t just attack a neighbor without retribution.”
“Short and strong and to the point, Alex. What about the people? Remember Vietnam. Do you think the voters feel as you do?”
“Yes, Madam President, though I’d leave the specifics of a military option to the pros.” Addison nodded at the generals and to Pacino. “Indeed, I believe the people are very tired of the way we have tiptoed around Japan.”
“We cut off nearly all trade with them after they tried to raid AT&T and IBM.”
“Right, and they still flourish.”
“It has hurt them—”
“And they are more dangerous than ever. I believe the American people would support a military option.”
“Thank you, Alex. Al?”
Vice President Meckstar cleared his throat and stretched his neck. “Well, we can’t just go in there bombing and shooting. We have to have a clear objective. We have to figure out what we want. I’d say our position should be that we are going after Japan to dismantle their military. After all, their own constitution prohibits them from having a military.”
“We blew off that rationale during the Cold War with Russia,” National Security Advisor Cogster said. “Kind of hard to invoke it now, over a half-century later.”
“Getting back to our objective, Al?” Warner prompted.
“Yes. We want the Japanese to dismantle any more of these dirty radiation bombs, decommission their navy and sell their fighter planes. They won’t do it, so we help them.”
Cogster interrupted, “You’re talking about an invasion. Does anyone here remember their freshman year history? This is the country we dropped two nuclear weapons on to avoid invading.”
“Good point, Steve,” President Warner said to Cogster. “Well, Phil, it’s time for some of your inimitable wisdom,” Warner said to Secretary of State Phil Gordon, walked to the back of the desk, parted the curtains and stared out at the city.
“I’ve been thinking about this for some time,” Gordon said. Pacino leaned forward. “If we go in for an invasion, we go too far. We lose — millions killed, loss of prestige. If we do nothing, we do too little. Much too little. Loss of world respect, administration appears weak—”
“That’s not going to happen,” Warner said, her voice momentarily rising. She frowned, hearing it.
“Absolutely not. Madam President. So we’re walking a tightrope, as usual. The middle course seems the best all around. We put up a blockade around Japan. Nothing goes in. Nothing comes out. They’ll be in serious domestic turmoil within three months. Before that happens I believe they’ll let us inspect their weapons, even allow us to take away the nastier ones, quietly let the air force and navy decline. By then, some new crisis will come up, the revolution in India and that wild man Nipun, and we can let Japan save some face. We mostly need to worry about how to prop up Greater Manchuria for the next month or so.”
“Great,” Cogster said. “Our best option according to Phil is to starve the Japanese. The little children starve to death on the APN network, bellies all swollen, tears coming down their sweet dirty faces, and it will be our fault. Or worse.”
“Worse?” Warner asked. “Yes, ma’am. The Japanese could well come out fighting. That is their heritage and history, after all.”
“And what would they do? What is their capacity?”
“Perhaps our Admiral Pacino should answer that question,” General Clough said. The people in the room all turned to stare at Pacino. The moment he had dreaded. Well, time to get on with it, he thought.