In the Shadow of the Eagle by Stefan Gymning (good summer reads .TXT) 📕

look like they want to disappear from the earth.
“Mr. President.” Heads turned like in a tennis match when Silver spoke. “My advice is that we need to get further confirmation before taking action,” he said. “It will be a serious embarrassment for us if we send in troops and then…,” he said and went quiet.
“Then what?” the President said.
Nothing happened.
“I’m not waiting for a new crisis will appear,” the President said. All he wanted was to get the control of the situation.
“I agree, sir. On principle,” Silver said as the President had expected. “But my concern is that we would not gain any support from our allied or nations in the region.”
“I don’t agree,” the President said.
Silver shrugged. “Mr. President?”
The President glanced at Philmore, his Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, gesturing with a hand for him to speak.
“Sir. We can’t admit our part in the operation.”
“Why not?”
“Sir. Can you imagine the political, diplomatic and not to forget the military embarrassment that will be resulted of this?”
“I believe so,” the President sighed.
“Besides, we will have a nightmare over us if we go in.”
“I might have been born a night, but not last night,” the President said and waved away the comments.
“Sir,” the chairman for the Air Force said and got the complete attention from the group of gloomy looking men. “With your permission, sir.”
The President gestured with a hand that the general would continue.
“We should send in a listening post to the area and gain access to their radio traffic, sir.”
“Is that also your suggestion, general?”
Heads turned again as the President had talked to the Philmore.
“Sir, I must admit that could be the first step,” he agreed before looking at Silver. “I must also suggest that our intelligence community put all their best efforts in and find what really going on.”
“That sound as the best way,” the President said and glanced on Silver. “Right, Nick?”
At that moment had the Air Force general almost threw himself over a phone he had snatched up to his ear and as he was giving order, the President looked on a bundle with printouts, maps and charts. The look Silver had got told him that the whole operation had gone down the toilet.
The President pulled up his sleeve to check his wristwatch, a gift from his time as Governor for a North-East State, “I have the Albanian ambassador here so if there is nothing else for now will I say that we continue with this meeting after lunch.”
The sound of chairs been pulled out stopped when the President pointed a hand on Silver.
“And you will join me.”


The Diplomatic Reception Room had been an entrance to the South Lawn but had been turned into a reception room for foreign ambassadors to present their credentials on the ground floor. The room was the point of entry to the White House for a visiting head of state following the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. It was also one of three oval rooms in the residence of the White House.
It was in the room that the President found the Albanian two-man delegation, a small delegation with the Albanian ambassador and an aid.
The ambassador stood and admired the sweeping panorama on the walls when the President entered. The Zuber wallpaper, titled Scenes of North America, was printed from multiple woodblocks and features historic scenes. In 1962, with advice from an antiques expert, had the First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy the room papered with antique French scenic wallpaper produced by Jean Zuber.
Other thing in the room was the fireplace. In 1935 had Franklin Roosevelt a chimney opened so he could conduct his famous "fireside chats."
Ambassador Vangjush Agaj was a man of average height, with heavily lined and wrinkled face, framed by sideburns that went in black as his close cropped hair. He was dressed in a brownish-greenish suit with a green shirt without any an orange tie.
Agaj had got his given name after the Albanian painter Vangjush Mio, an Albanian impressionist painter that was born in 1891 and died 1957. After years of studying, working and painting, he achieved fame and also the title of People's Artist in Albania. What the President had been informed had Mio mostly painted Albanian landscapes and portraits. He had also made scenes for the local theatre and was the topic of a dozen exhibitions both in Albania and abroad. The story that had amused the President was that Mio had been forced to stop painting nudes in Albania. That when the communist regime was not very eager to allow young ladies pose very easily.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” the President said with a toothy smile and a firm handshake. “But the work keeps me busy,” he continued and motioned a hand towards a suite of lancet arched side chairs and a pair of sofas with splayed legs upholstered in a yellow silk damask.
Soon had Agaj found out that the coffee which a mess steward had and poured into exquisite China with gold trim and the Presidential logo, was excellent.
“I will cut the chase and go directly to the reason why I asked you to meet me,” the President said like it was possibly to say no if the President asks for a meeting.
Agaj frowned. “Mr. President?” he said and placed back his cup and it rattled on the saucer when he did so.
“We are just attempting to defuse a volatile situation,” the President said to the man in front of him that didn’t believe one word of what was said. “And,” the President continued with a smile. “The United States intends to closely watch the situation and will continue to uphold the principle of freedoms, as we have done for over two hundred years.”
“Pretty words from a nation who drops bombs on kids and their allies’ friend,” Agaj said bitterly.
“The United States has a global responsibility as we like it or not, but that’s the reality. This goes far beyond maintaining freedom and supporting our allies in times of crises. Whether we like it or not, most of the world’s nations look upon us as a leader and they see us as the world’s policemen.”
Agaj smiled, shook his head and leaned toward his aid and whispered something, which got the aid to nod.
“Have I missed something?” the President asked.
“What I know, Mr. Policemen,” he said with a hard time to hide his dislike, “is that over the last half century and more, you’re poorly conceived and ill executed foreign policy has evicted you from something like 75 percent of your bases, yes?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ambassador, but-”
“We are done here, Mr. President,” Agaj said and was followed by his aid when he got up on his feet. “Be sure, Mr. President, that I will bring your points back home. I thank you for your time, Mr. President.”
“That didn’t go well, sir,” Silver said when the door closed behind the Albanian delegation. While his head had started too spun of possibility to through further, had after a deep sight, the President walked over to a table where he scooped up a newspaper. He held up Washington Post with the front cover that showed the wreckage of the downed F-16. “They are out with the news,” he said and handed Silver the paper. “You haven’t seen it?”
“Mr. President,” Silver said but trailed off when he picked up the newspaper. Headline story, sidebar and a bad photograph. All was about the F-16 that had been successfully shot down by a SAM in Albania.
“You better get your guy in there and get the pilot out. I am damn sure we can explain the plane but if they capture the pilot and get him to talk, we will be deep into it.”
“Sir. I will deal with it.”
“Better than the other I hope,” he said and was on his way towards the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room when he stopped at the door where a suited Secret Service agent stood. “By the way, I want a word with general Byars. Arrange that, will you, Nick?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good boy,” the President said as he took the lead towards the gathered press. Now he had, as the President of United States, to explain for the American people what brought them to this stage.
After the make-up artist done her thing, the President took his seat in front of a camera team. The lights were already set up and a technician put a microphone on the table in front of the President, and there came the reporter.
The President took a deep breath. This was it…

The end...

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Publication Date: 04-03-2010

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