publically demanding a complete withdrawal of all Japanese armed forces and the removal of the blockade."
The Premier nodded. This strategy of Putin's was not a surprise to him due to Russia's trade relationships with the Koreans and the Japanese, in spite of the fact that the annexation of the rocks with the gas reserves under the ocean would put those relationships at risk by being the justification for the act of aggression.
The Foreign Minister continued. "Yet they are in a difficult position because any public statement of disaffection would put at risk any planned actions in Turkmenistan." He took off his glasses, having finished reading the notes from his staff.
The Premier silently mused on the updates for a few moments as the various members of the Central Committee decided to take the opportunity to break and stretch their legs.
Traditionally China had always taken a neutral position in acts of aggression by member states of the United Nations around the world, preferring instead to trade with both sides of the dispute. In this case though, such a move was unthinkable due to China's historical relationship with Japan and the fact that this was a threat and direct challenge to its position in Asia and it was happening right on their doorstep.
Once everybody sat back down the Premier spoke again.
"If we let the Japanese and the Americans get away with this act of aggression, we will look weak in our own garden," he said, stating the obvious to his colleagues and opening the floor for further discussion.
Wang Jing raised his hand to speak. The Premier nodded for him to do so.
"Colleagues" he started, "It is time for China to stand up against the Americans and the Japanese naked aggression-"
Two hours later, by the time he had finished explaining what China's response should be to the world via a plan and a presentation, the shocked Premier neither believed the plan nor could he believe that his colleagues had voted for it. With little option but to follow his colleagues in order not to weaken his position, the Premier nodded and followed suit.
The situation room of the White House was abuzz with the continued hum of low voices as each member of the NSS sat digesting the latest in a series of intelligence reports from the last forty-eight hours. During this time President Parker had not slept longer than three hours. His eyes ached. His back ached even more and he was already on his fifth blue shirt and blue tie having done five briefings to the American public during that time as well. Such was the hour-by-hour ever-changing dimension of this crisis.
As if the Japanese using the shared military exercises with the U.S. Navy as cover to their annexation of the Rocks together with the Russians building up their armed forces in South Dagestan, for what the CIA believed was in readiness for an invasion of Turkmenistan, was not bad enough.
The language down the telephone to him when Hong, the Korean President, had accused the United States of acting in cahoots with the Japanese and stated Korea's intention to defend its borders with all options at its disposal after Parker had informed the Korean a day ago that it was America's intention to remain neutral and push for the International Courts to decide on the matter was spicy to say the least.
Ever since then Hong had continued to ignore his requests for further telephone calls in an attempt to stop the crisis snowballing further. Then barely three hours later the situation got even worse when the Chinese annexed the set of small Islands in South China Sea known as the Senkaku! The final icing on the cake was their statement that they supported the position of Korea in their dispute with Japan. Leaving him to face the biggest crisis that his nation had faced since the declaration of war in 1941.
The President rubbed his head and then his eyes. He took off his reading glasses and looked at the Secretary of State.
"David, please explain to me why I have to support the request of the Japanese who have broken a trust by indirectly involving our armed forces in an act of naked aggression against Korea and then have the 'balls' to demand we defend them against the Chinese?" asked the confused President for the record, having just been told by the Ambassador of Japan that he must do so as part of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation thirty minutes before.
The Secretary of State paused for a moment. He theatrically took a sip of water, much to the annoyance of the President in the process.
"Sir-" he started before going on to explain that because his predecessor had declared unequivocally that the islands would be protected by the United States in the event of an armed attack on them, America was left with no choice but to do so.
"If we stand by and do nothing then the word of United States around the world with its sister nations would be destroyed," Young said ending his lecture.
The President looked at his Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of United States Armed Forces a fifty-eight-year-old former Green Beret and veteran of both Gulf wars and Afghanistan five-star general.
"General, what are our options?" he asked.
"If you direct us to take RAPESEED then we have a plan in place to use the III Marine Expeditionary Force that is based in Japan," the General answered, using the codename for the Seyiou Islands.
"With RAPESEED not being the biggest in terms of real estate, the plan entails using the Navy and air assets already in theatre on their own to take out the Chinese. The plan we developed during the previous administration tenure determined that forcible entry via landing craft would most likely not be required," he answered before continuing for twenty minutes via a presentation on the large flat screen as to how the Marines would carry out their assault.
The President nodded his thanks the moment the General finished.
"Air strikes and a blockade," he said with a shake of his head to reflect his limited options. This time it was the General's turn to nod.
The President looked again in the direction of the Secretary of State.
"What will be the Koreans' response to all this if we protect the Japan rights and not theirs?" he asked, trying to get a gauge on the geo-political fallout for America in helping the Japanese and not them.
Young took a deep breath.
"Unfortunately, a precedent is going to be set and Pandora's box will be opened," Young said truthfully.
The President's head to begin to ache as Young continued to outline the likely impact such a debt of honor would have on the United States of America's foreign policy for decades to come. His headache was then compounded by the Treasury Secretary's presentation that followed as to what the likely impact would be to his nation's economy, from China biggest nonlethal physical weapon, that would be would be just as devastating.
"China's position as America's biggest debt holder-" started the Treasury Secretary before going on to show how and explain what steps would be needed to safeguard the United States of America's economy.
The over reliance on China's RMB currency was something he had made great political capital of during his election campaign but as the mid-western accent of the Treasury Secretary continued to drone on Parker never thought in a million years he would ever have to face up to fact he was actually going to have to deal with it during his Presidency.
Consequently his headache got even worse and was turning into a full-blown migraine.
"David, you want us to get involved in a game we cannot win," the President bitterly confirmed to Young once the Treasury secretary finished.
"I am afraid so, Mr. President," Young answered, ignoring the acid undertone without any regret in his voice. "Honor demands it," he said using the famous words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on December 8, 1941, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced their bombing of Oahu.
The young Minister of the Economy was presenting to the assembled Russian leadership within the confines of the French renaissance decorated Emergency Situation Room under the Kremlin. He had been doing so for the last thirty minutes.
"The United States economy will suffer for their failure to engage in diplomacy," he said before going on to explain how economic activity
in the United States would be within weeks reduced by twenty percent as a direct result of supporting Japan over the invasion of the Senkaku Islands via the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation.
The Mayor looked in the direction of Alexei. He needed to gauge what the SVR assets were reporting from America and Japan before he formulated a position. The reply was that intelligence had confirmed that the crew of the U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard's, the Marine landing force carrier with its amphibious assault operations by helicopter, F-35 Aircraft, landing craft and amphibious vehicles currently deployed in Japan, had had its shore leave cancelled and the ship was currently being made ready for sea.
He then informed him that the SVR illegal officers located America within its media organizations and its various state departments assets were reporting that within the next twenty-four hours, the President was going to publically set a deadline for China to withdraw.
The young Minister of the Economy raised his hand to speak again having finished reading a note that his assistant had just sent him on his BlackBerry. The Mayor nodded indicating for him to do so.
"Vladimir Vladimirovich, my ministry is receiving reports that the Chinese are starting to sell out of their American positions and as a consequence this is setting off a ripple-effect across the world financial markets of a movement from dollars into gold, Euros, and sterling."
The Mayor nodded. He knew what the Americans' response to the Chinese economic attack would be-the likely freezing and sanctions being leveled by the U.S. on Chinese individuals.
"So what is your recommendation?" he asked the forty-one-year-old former hedge fund whizz kid.
"As the world needs China, our institutions would prefer a solution that eradicates U.S. and Japanese influence from the region so it creates a change in the monopoly on the economic activity that is currently blocking India's growth. This would then force European Union's member states to shift alliances away from North America," he responded.
It was the turn of Lavrov to raise his hand this time, a gesture that surprised the President, as his trusted diplomat rarely took a position of recommendation before being asked. Interested in what the old sage of diplomacy had to say, he indicated for him to speak.
"I agree with Nikolai Nikolayevich's synopsis," he stated in his elegant non-forcible Georgian tone using the Christian names of the young man for the first time as a sign of respect since he become Minister. "If Russia takes a position of publically supporting China then we would have to take a position of supporting Korea also," he opened. "But we could do this without the need for us to use our military capabilities. Instead we could use the United Nations to demand that the other members of the Security Council use their economic potencies against Japan. Forced into a corner United States would have to use its veto to stop us, once they have done this we could chip away on the United States' traditional position with its European allies. Such an action potentially allows Russia to take a new leadership role in world political affairs. For the first time in the history of the United Nations the United States would be forced into a subordinate position!"
The Mayor smiled. Lavrov's synopsis pleased him.
"Economically, what would be the outcome of such a position within the region by us?" the Mayor asked the young Finance Minister, taking his cue from Lavrov.
"Obviously we would lose Japan as a market for our gas in the short term but gain from increased trade links with Korea and China. If Korea and China attack Japan then this would see Taiwan opening as a market alongside other Asian nations in the region," he continued giving the unabridged version.
"With Chinese withdrawing its funding of the United States and thereby creating a massive trade imbalance due to a massive decline in economic activity, the political result of this would be that it would force Parker to turn towards isolationism and its pre- Second World War position," Lavrov stated with authority.
"This alone would stop their attempts in the short term to impede the Russian and the Chinese efforts in Africa and Latin America through their proxies of oil and gas companies and the CIA."
Not wanting to be left out, the Prime Minister joined the open discussion.
"I don't agree with Sergey Viktorovich; I believe this will give Parker's administration the excuse they have been waiting for to impose martial law and then invite global cooperation to create a new program for controlling the behavior both politically and economically for American citizens," he said, countering Lavrov's position of America becoming a hermit state.
The Mayor looked at him for a moment. Despite their close association at heart he was still a lawyer and spoke like one, always playing the Devil's Advocate.
He pondered on the views of the cabinet for a moment. He doubted the rhetoric that America and China would come to blows over the islands despite their 'sword rattling' nor did he believe the American people would ever allow marital law be applied. He did recognize however that Parker would most likely use it to restrict the freedoms of America's citizens further via a set of economic controls and electronic monitoring. Despite this, he was certain of one thing: if they did do the unthinkable and have an engagement with each other in the Japan Sea, ultimately Russia would win geo-politically. The sensible approach would be to do nothing, just as Lavrov was implying.
"Just sit and wait for things to calm down, then start to trade again with Japan," he reflected before his mind focused on the opportunity this crisis was presenting him.
The spat in Crimea had taught him a lot. At the time the power of the U.S. financial institutions had cost Russia dearly. The only reason this didn't happen again in the Adwalland crisis was because ultimately Russia had, through Litchfield's organizations, allowed them access to the oil rights and then had further allowed them to save face on a conflict their own agents caused. In that crisis he had been more concerned about not being forced into war by his Prime Minister's clever use of Russia's national security and protection law to try and force a political putsch against him.
Since then though it had not been lost on him that the American oil and gas companies had outbid its Russian counterparts at every turn in Africa and Latin America.
Like young Pisarev, the whizz kid in his cabinet, the Mayor knew full well that the financial weapons were always the most potent up to the point physical force was used. It was why he stopped short of actually ordering the annexation of Turkmenistan this time. Yet as the Mayor thought about all these elements he pondered on the one fact that drove his political career: the reclaiming of Mother Russia's traditional borders.
If Russia sat back on the sidelines and did nothing, they would miss the golden opportunity to send a message to the former states of Mother Russia that he was coming for them. With the eyes of the world now turned towards the growing crisis in South East Asia he concluded that it would be a bigger crime to squander the chance to bring into line the renegade states (with Turkmenistan leading the way), as he thought of them, and force them to return to the fold.
It was something he decided to share with the room by the time the meeting finished thirty minutes later. The map of the world through Russian eyes was about to be redrawn into that would have looked similar on the classroom walls of the 1930s.
34
Moscow
O inwardly was pleased. The final part of Humble Servant was progressing better than the Dear Leader, his father, or he and his team of strategic planners that belonged to the plan's secret committee had ever hoped. As he stood waiting for the Russian Prime Minister's symbolic handshake to announce the strengthening of economic ties between their nations, the map of the Asia was finally being redrawn.
The last seventy-two hours had seen him on a whistle stop tour of Korea's key trading partners as they sought to break the resolve of America's continuing support of Japan's effort to find a diplomatic solution with regard the Rocks.
On the face of it he had continued to look and be a loyal servant. He resolutely defended Korea and the position of his President
, even getting the Chinese to announce they would welcome closer ties with Korea whilst underneath making sure that he undermined Hong through offering everything short of help to the man at every turn.
This was achieved by his continued resolve that Korea would not break the accords of the Geneva by not allowing the deployment of former North Korean units into the South and he was constitutionally able to do this because it required his signature and not Hong's, while using it as a clever strategy to enable to position himself to the hated Americans as a man of his word. Yet time was running out. He could only stall Hong for so long before he went public to the Korean people.
His regular back channel conversations through his trusted messenger and old friend Robin Ashley had ensured him that David Young would use the U.S. media to paint him as the bearer of peace and thereby the man the Americans could do business with in an attempt to force Hong back to the table and act reasonably.
"Appear weak when you are strong," O mused as the equally smiling Prime Minister of Russia took hold of his hand to the flashing light bulbs of the world's media.
Thomas shook O's hand firmly and quickly, unlike his meeting of only an hour ago with no cameras in attendance when the Prime Minister of Korea followed their handshake with his usual firm bear hug and warm smile despite the pressure showing in his eyes and face.
With pleasantries out of the way both men sat down in the presidential suite of the famous luxury building owned by TLH known as the Hotel Smolensk located just off Red Square.
Thomas then started the conversation. "O, you are showing great resolve," he said, ever the diplomat, only for O to stop him in full flow by cutting across him.
"Thomas, I fear on my return to Korea I will be left with no choice but to order the deployment of the North's divisions," he said with great pain and stress on his face.
Thomas blanched. He knew full well what that meant. A deployment of troops would break the peace treaty that the six parties signed just two years ago and what would most likely follow would be outright war between Korea and Japan.
He selfishly concluded that would be something that would add further pressure on the agreement that TLH had with CORETEXAS, whose refinery was still being allowed to supply Japanese via its Taiwan subsidiaries. The outbreak of hostiles between the two nations would end that in a heartbeat. Worse still, Thomas knew it would bring misery to millions of people in Korea and Japan.
"I have just agreed with your Prime Minister that Korea will support their peacekeeping mission into Turkmenistan," O sighed.
Thomas nodded while still trying to process the news of moment ago. That agreement was not