Larchmont shifted his weight, then winced. “There’s more to it than that.”
“I’m sure there is. Groups like these usually can’t work together. Egos, philosophical differences, get in the way.”
Larchmont snorted. “Power and money, remember? So much to gain, too much to lose by bickering with each other. Especially with our other partner.”
Uzi thought for a moment. Who’s that other partner? An influential intermediary? Or someone with leverage who could keep them together in spite of themselves— An outsider? Someone with leverage. An outsider. “Al-Humat.”
Larchmont nodded. “They funneled twenty-five million dollars to the NFA. And Russian and Chinese assault weapons, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles, and enough Semtex and C-4 to bring down two World Trade Centers.” Perspiration had pimpled Larchmont’s face, his complexion looking a bit pasty. “Please,” he said. “My foot—”
“What’s al-Humat’s stake in all this?”
He blew some air through his lips. The pain was beginning to worsen. Uzi knew his time was growing short. He shoved his S&W into Larchmont’s groin. “Quickly!”
“Power and money, goddamnit! Look at who their partner is, who’s bankrolling them — al-Qaeda — and what their long-term strategy is. Control over our Mideast policy, for starters. They wanted us out of their affairs, our military bases off Arab soil — Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait— The Pentagon’s one of the world’s largest land owners. We’ve got over seven hundred bases in a hundred fifty-six countries.” He wiped his moist cheek against his right shoulder. “They intend to close down as many of them as they can.”
“To reduce our global influence. Shift the balance of power.” Uzi tilted his head. “But even controlling the presidency, I can’t see them running roughshod over the Pentagon and getting anything like that through Congress.”
“I told them they had some unrealistic goals. But they didn’t want to hear it and we needed them as partners. Still — it’s not as far-fetched as you think. We’d save a trillion dollars over ten years by closing the bases and selling off the land. Our debt load’s at unsustainable levels, and the people want more entitlement programs and fewer taxes. It doesn’t add up. To the average American, this would be an easy, painless fix. But I certainly had no interest in letting them eviscerate us. I figured I’d do my best to make sure we got everything we needed, and they didn’t get everything they needed.”
“Remind me to pin a medal on your chest. And al-Humat’s part?”
“What do you think? Internally, they want to wrest control from Hamas. But in the US, their goals are to facilitate the destruction of Israel.”
“And they really think they can turn the US against its only democratic ally in the Middle East?”
“Their plan’s obtuse, insidious. They’d advocate for expanding the basic needs of their young country — the construction of an airport in Palestine. That would be followed by the demand for basic defensive military capability. I don’t have to tell you that’s a nonstarter for Israel.”
And Uzi knew why. The country’s geography made it virtually impossible for Israel to defend itself against a Palestinian air attack before massive casualties would be realized.
“The Palestinians would file an application before the UN Security Council,” Larchmont continued. “And without the US to block it, they’d start a covert program to import offensive weapons through the Gaza-Egypt network of tunnels. It’s not always easy to draw the line between offensive and defensive weapons. And with al-Qaeda their new partner in crime, the chances of pulling this off are pretty damn good.”
Uzi’s jaw muscles tightened — as did his grip on the S&W. “I get the power part. What about the money?”
Larchmont smirked, as if Uzi should know the answer. “Oil. Does that surprise you? Tie up our alternative fuels industry in red tape, slow it down, divert funding, hamstring it. Put moratoriums on domestic offshore oil drilling and shale gas fracking. Reverse the huge influx in Canadian and Mexican petroleum imports.
“Bottom line, they want America back on a steady diet of Persian Gulf oil. OPEC’s bean counters hired some big-time consulting firm, commissioned a top secret report. America’s shifting energy policy alone will cost them nine billion a year in lost oil revenue. Not even the explosive demand from China and India will make up that kind of money. If the US is able to move off oil, China will follow. It’d be the end of the only leverage the Arabs hold over the world. Their economies would collapse. They’re a one-product region.”
“But a president’s hampered by the whims of Congress. These issues don’t get decided by unilateral presidential decrees.”
Larchmont stifled a sardonic laugh. “I’ve been in politics two decades, Agent Uziel. Never underestimate a popular president’s persuasive powers — and the power of the presidency on foreign policy matters. At times he needs congressional approval, absolutely. But it always comes down to the commander in chief. There are lots of ways he can influence decisions, directly and indirectly. And with sympathies high for a man who survived a terrorist attack that killed his family, he’ll start out with a tremendous bank account of compassion — and a very high approval rating. If Congress fights him too hard, they’ll look like bullies.”
Uzi couldn’t dispute that.
“And they have plans to cultivate senators and congressmen who share their views. It won’t be in your face like the Tea Party— It’ll be done insidiously, bankrolling candidates who either buy into their scheme or who are downright co-conspirators. But,” Larchmont said, “I think their biggest play is something they’ve kept to themselves. Provoke us into invading a Muslim country, make us look like the bad guys, the infidels forcing democracy down their throats, trying to destroy their religion—”
“And then, after multiple terror attacks against US assets, they draw us into wars all over the place, draining our money and manpower, bringing our economy to the brink of default by financing several wars on multiple fronts. I’m well aware of Saif al-Adel’s treatise.”
Larchmont winced and leaned forward to get a look at his foot. “It worked with the Soviet Union, and almost worked on us, with Iraq and Afghanistan. With their own commander in chief pulling the strings, reacting — or overreacting—to large-scale terror attacks here and abroad against our allies, their end game’s to bring America to her knees once and for all. If you think a debt load of $15 trillion is bad, you haven’t seen anything. And if China smells blood and calls their debt due, we’ll be royally fucked.”
Uzi squinted. “But China’s interests are best served by America paying off its obligations and continuing to buy its products.”
“China’s a rising superpower. They know it’s only a short time before they supplant the US. Their goal is to bring us down slowly — a soft landing, a slow decline. They’re after our technology and resources, weapons expertise and military systems. That’s why they’ve launched repeated cyberattacks on our government and corporations—”
“Best clandestine war ever.”
“I believe their goal is to eventually ‘own’ the United States… force us into defaulting on our debt, leaving us vulnerable to just about everything.” Larchmont leaned back and closed his eyes. “I was a partner in this, but that partnership only goes so far. I can be that inside source that keeps them in check.” He turned to Uzi. “Make me a deal, send me back in there to give you a window into—”