Free End of Enemies by Grant Blackwood Page A

we’ve never seen them exercise this close to a changeover period. The other elements are remnants from the downsized Golan Task Group—the Third Armored and Tenth and Eleventh Mechanized. On the upside, the Dar’a Task Group isn’t involved; all its units are accounted for.”
    â€œPretty big exercise,” said Talbot. “They moving in any particular direction?”
    â€œIt’s early yet, but it doesn’t look like it. We have no idea about the mission or duration, but it matches previous exercise profiles, if a little larger. The other interesting thing is the commander in charge: General Issam al-Khatib.”
    â€œHow do you know he’s in charge?”
    â€œHe was at the site.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œWe photographed him.”
    Both the president and Talbot glanced up in amazement.
    â€œKhatib was formerly in charge of the Saraya and Difa Defense Companies, about twenty-five thousand special forces soldiers, until it was re-formed into Unit five sixty-nine, ostensibly a regular armored and mechanized group,” Mason said. “He’s also part of Assad’s inner circle, fanatically loyal, and an Alawite to boot.”
    â€œAlawite?” said Talbot.
    â€œAssad’s religious sect,” Mason explained. “It’s a Muslim minority group, but it has key members in positions of power in both the government and the military. After Khatib left the defense companies, we lost track of him for a year. There were rumors he was attached to Air Force intelligence, which handles terrorist liaison: recruitment, training, supply, that sort of thing.”
    â€œIs that significant?” asked the president
    â€œMaybe, if it’s true. Like his father, Bashar Assad has always placed someone from his inner circle in those kinds of roles. It could have been nothing more than a career builder. At any rate, wherever Khatib was, he’s in the desert now.”
    The president said, “So, bottom line?”
    Mason paused. His boss wanted a prediction. Like most laypeople, the president didn’t recognize the difference between capabilities and intentions. In the intelligence community the rule was: Never talk about intentions; talk about capabilities. Talk about what the enemy can do if he decides to do it. Intentions were, after all, products of the human brain, which is an unpredictable organ at best
    Mason smiled, spread his hands. “Syria is conducting a military exercise.”
    The president smiled. “Okay. Jim, any statements from Syria?”
    â€œNo, Mr. President”
    â€œLet’s let ’em know we’re curious. Have State handle it and do it quick, before the Israelis get nervous. Dick, your boys will be paying close attention, I assume?”
    â€œWe’ve retasked the bird to include the exercise area in the Golan sweep.”
    â€œGood. Anything else?”
    â€œOne thing, sir. SYMMETRY.”
    â€œThe Beirut operation.”
    â€œYes.” Mason briefly explained their loss of Marcus.
    â€œDamn it! How in hell does something like this happen!”
    â€œIt just does, sir. Not often, but it does happen. Especially in Beirut”
    â€œSo I’ve heard. What are we doing?”
    â€œWe’ve ordered the network to go quiet and we’re working the product. Maybe Marcus was onto something we missed. Also, we’re checking OpSec—”
    â€œOpSec?” asked Talbot.
    â€œOperational security. That includes all the communication and cover procedures we had in place: dead letter drops, safe-call locations. As far as who took him, we’re stumped. No ransom, no body … nothing. No one is taking credit for it, either. That worries me. Usually, they can’t wait to let the world know they’ve snatched someone.”
    â€œSuppose this isn’t a routine kidnapping. Suppose somebody took him for a reason,” Talbot said. “What then?”
    â€œIf they’ve