"Ten seconds, love." Tim was ready and so was Jan. Counting down from ten, Tim began to roll as soon as he hit "one." The red light was on and so was Jan.
"Tonight, on Christmas Eve, it appears that the world will be given the gift that the birth of a poor boy in Bethlehem two thousand years ago promised — peace. Less than an hour ago the Egyptian minister of defense announced that elements of the famed Republican Brigade made contact with units of the 1st Egyptian Army surrounded since December 18th. The minister went on to say that with the destruction of the Libyan field force in Egypt and Cyrenaica and the relief of the 1st Army, all military goals and objectives had been achieved. When asked by this reporter when we could expect to see Egyptian forces withdrawn from Libya, the minister responded by saying that units of the 1st Army would begin moving back into assembly areas in Egypt tonight. He further stated that all forces would be back on Egyptian soil within forty-eight hours.
"Despite the fact that some type of compromise was expected due to the pressure applied by the American government on the Egyptian, the mood here is one of victory and great joy. Though the Egyptian forces did not seize Tobruk, military experts have rated the performance of the Egyptian military, at all levels, as good. Some foreign experts are now saying, in light of Egyptian performance, that intervention by U.S. forces was unnecessary. Even if that is so, the Egyptian government is not downplaying the role American forces played. Every Egyptian official I've talked to today has had nothing but praise for the performance and assistance the Americans gave in, as they say, 'their time of greatest need.'
"That sentiment has resulted, according to one official in the American embassy here, in a win-win-win situation that has made the compromised end of this conflict possible. For the Egyptians, victory on the battlefield, the destruction of four Libyan divisions, and finishing their operations on Libyan soil gives them a clear tactical victory. This allows them to end their punitive operations in a manner that fits their stated prewar goals.
"For America, though the intervention of U.S. forces was of short duration, it came at a critical time. Operations involving American troops appear to have been a key element in turning back the Libyan threat to Alexandria and allowing the Egyptians to mass for and launch their counteroffensive so quickly. If that is so, then the Department of Defense will also be able to claim tactical victory of its own, using this conflict to prove that it is able to rapidly project combat power anywhere, anytime. In addition to the military aspect, both the administration and the State Department will, in the future, be able to use this operation to demonstrate that the United States is ready and willing to stand by its friends and allies when needed.
"On the other side, the Soviets can do likewise. Though the Libyan forces were defeated, once in the opening Egyptian attack and again during the Egyptian counteroffensive, the Soviets can point to their allies and claim victory. The speed with which the Soviets massed forces in Libya, and their willingness to use them to support a third-world country, came as a syrprise to most Western military analysts. Like the American intervention, though limited, it too had a decisive influence on the shape and outcome of this conflict. As the British military attache in Cairo said earlier this evening, it is safe to say that had the Russians not been in Libya, the Egyptian 1st Army would have been washing the dust of Cyrenaica off their tanks with water from the Gulf of Sidra.
"Of the major players, on the surface the Libyans seem to have lost. That, however, is only a matter of one's perspective. According to news broadcasts from Tripoli, the capital of Libya, the announcement by Egypt that its forces were withdrawing was hailed as a decisive victory for Libya. In a speech to his people, the Leader of the Revolution has claimed that had it not been for the treasonous acts of Colonel Nafissi, Libyan minister of defense and commander of all forces in Cyrenaica, total victory would have been realized. Charged with the illegal use of chemical weapons and mismanagement of the defense of Cyrenaica, Nafissi has been arrested. In order to absolve the government of Libya of blame for their army's poor performance, Nafissi will be used as a scapegoat, receiving a quick public trial before he is found guilty and executed.
"Tonight it is too early to determine what effects this conflict will have on Middle Eastern and world politics. It will be weeks before the dust settles and the causes and results can be carefully studied, measured, and weighed in the capitals of the world. All that, however, is of little concern here and in Matruh, where Americans who fought this war await their return to the United States. Though separated from their home and family, most, if not all, have been given a Christmas gift that only a soldier who has seen battle can appreciate — peace.
"From Cairo, this is Jan Fields for World News Network. Goodnight, and merry Christmas."
EPILOGUE:
Eternal peace lasts only until the next war.
Deciding that he had sat enough all day, Dixon set the retch green paper tray holding his meal on the hood of his hummvee and prepared to eat standing up. As he opened the plastic package of flatware, Dixon looked down at his tray of food. For a moment he watched the steam rise off the food into the cold night air. There was little point, he thought, of trying to figure out what the assorted piles of food were supposed to be. He didn't have much of a choice — eat that, eat another cold MRE, or starve. The meal on the tray was at least hot, his first hot meal in over three days. Whether or not he would enjoy it was immaterial.
Digging into his food with a tiny plastic fork, Dixon began to mechanically shovel it into his mouth, slowly chewing it without much thought. The last thing Dixon wanted to do right now was think. His only concern at that moment was the warm meal before him. Its main course was some type of meat covered by a heavy gravy that had the consistency of paste. Still, it was warm. That in itself was something to be thankful about. He was also thankful that the war was over. In addition, their arrival in the assembly area had been greeted by rumors that redeployment would commence on 25 December, Christmas Day. Those rumors had been confirmed in the middle of the afternoon when word arrived that Division had published its order for that operation. Though the Egyptian 1st Army still had to withdraw from Libya, and stray Libyan units in Egypt needed to be rounded up, the war was over.
Dixon was no more than half finished when Captain Armstrong, the A Company commander, came up to him. Still unsure of the quiet lieutenant colonel who said little, thought a great deal, but seemed to be everywhere, watching everything, Armstrong stopped and saluted. Dixon returned the captain's salute by touching the tip of his tiny plastic fork to the rim of his helmet. "What can I do for you on this fine night, Armstrong?"
Armstrong was brash, his speech strong, sure, as he began to talk to Dixon. "I've been wanting to talk to you, sir. But if you're busy, it can wait."
Swallowing a clump of meat, Dixon paused before he answered. "Not a problem. What's on your mind?"
"Well, sir, some of the other officers in the task force and I were talking about this last operation. We understand what we did, but none of us can quite figure out why we quit just when we had the chance to do some serious ass-kicking."