Stepping back from the window, Vorishnov straightened his tunic, turned toward the door where the two guards stood, and continued down the hall. As he approached the guards, they stood at attention but continued to bar the door. Stopping two paces from them, Vorishnov flashed his pass and announced, "Lieutenant Colonel Vorishnov to see General Uvarov." Stepping to one side, the guard on the left opened the door and allowed Vorishnov to enter the outer office.
At a desk across the room sat a lovely young woman. Vorishnov was taken aback by her. Not only was she not in uniform; her manner of dress, hair style, and makeup were totally out of character for a military secretary. There was even a vase of fresh flowers sitting on her desk. Her soft, flowing brown hair fell loosely about her shoulders and framed a face that showed a quick smile and bright blue eyes when she looked up at Vorishnov. "Comrade Colonel, the general will see you now," she said as she pointed a pencil toward a double door to her rear. Though he tried not to, Vorishnov continued to stare at her as he went by and opened the door to the general's office.
Upon entering the main office, Vorishnov was confronted by Colonel General Iriska Uvarov. He was leaning on the front edge of his desk, arms folded, and deep in thought as he gazed at a large map of the world that covered an entire wall of his office. Uvarov was a young man for a colonel general. His face showed few wrinkles, his short-cropped hair no gray. Although he was as tall as Vorishnov, Uvarov was slim. Stopping several paces from the general, Vorishnov considered the man before him as the general continued to contemplate the map.
Uvarov was one of the few men to emerge from the Iranian war with his career enhanced. Commanding a motorized rifle division in the 28th Combined Arms Army, Uvarov had been detached from the 28th Army and given the mission of creating a diversion in the western mountains of Iran to draw American forces away from the main effort. The operation didn't unfold as planned. The 28th Army, the main effort, failed to break through the Americans and reach the Strait of Hormuz. Uvarov, on the other hand, not only succeeded in diverting considerable forces from the main battle area; his division mauled the American 52nd Infantry Division, secured the oil fields in Iran's southwest, and actually reached the Persian Gulf. During the American counteroffensive in the closing days of the war, Uvarov's division, though decimated and nearly isolated, not only held its ground but, through aggressive counterattacks, made some gains. For his performance Uvarov was promoted and became a military advisor to the Politburo.
Although Vorishnov knew the general was aware of his presence, the general did not acknowledge him or change his stance. Not knowing what else to do, Vorishnov clicked his heels and saluted. "Lieutenant Colonel Anatol Vorishnov reporting as ordered, Comrade General."
Instead of returning the salute, Uvarov continued to stare at the map and mused, as if to himself: "We have an interesting problem to solve, Comrade Colonel. It seems that the Americans feel the need to demonstrate that they can deploy an armored division from the continental United States to the Middle East in less than five days."
Vorishnov, bringing his arm down from his unreturned salute, thought about the general's comment for a moment before replying. "With their prepositioned equipment, they can do that, Comrade General, and there is nothing we can do to stop them."
For the first time since Vorishnov had entered the room, Uvarov turned away from the map and looked at him. A slight smile lit across the general's face. "You have done your staff work well. Unfortunately, you are correct. We cannot stop them from conducting this peacetime deployment exercise." Pushing himself up from his reclining position, the general started to walk about the room as he continued. "We can, however, discredit that achievement by demonstrating that we also can move forces to any trouble spot on short notice."
Vorishnov was not surprised. He had worked on the contingency plans to do so, though he never thought that anyone would seriously consider executing them. To commit the Soviet Union to such a provocative move seemed foolhardy, especially since it would be almost impossible to maintain a clear line of communications with them by sea or air once they got there. Without thinking, Vorishnov blurted out, "Putting Soviet ground forces in North Africa would unsettle the balance of power the two superpowers enjoy in the Mediterranean. A simple unilateral blockade by the American 6th Fleet — one that the Black Sea Fleet had no hope of lifting — would be enough to isolate our troops."
Turning toward Vorishnov, Uvarov raised an eyebrow. "You think the United States would try to stop us?"
Vorishnov was astonished by Uvarov's question. "Of course, Comrade General. The Americans would never allow us to introduce ground forces in Libya without demonstrating the ease with which they could isolate them. Our move to discredit their achievement would lead to an effort by them to do likewise. It would be a peaceful confrontation, but a confrontation nonetheless. To allow us free rein would, in their opinion, unhinge the entire balance of power in the Middle East — not to mention the threat that our forces would create to NATO's southern flank. To place ground forces in such a situation would only lead to another—" Vorishnov was about to say "defeat" but stopped short. Despite what he knew to be the truth, he could not openly admit to himself that they had been defeated in Iran.
" 'Defeat/ Comrade Colonel? Another war that the Red Army cannot win?" Turning away from the window, Uvarov moved to his desk and plopped himself down into the overstuffed leather chair that sat behind his desk. "No, I do not believe so. Though the possibility of another Iranian disaster is very real, even if the Americans wanted to do something, they won't. They are just as jaded by their experience in the last war as we are. No. This operation will be a simple exercise in world diplomacy. Remember: the purpose of the Red Army includes more than the defense of the Soviet Union. Military power is a means for communicating our interests to the world, building prestige and reassuring friends. When it so suits the United States, they use their military for the same purpose. In this case, Bright Star is a demonstration of their desire to keep peace in the region and assure all pro-Western nations there that they, the United States, can come to their aid when necessary. We, with Winter Tempest, will simply show that we also have our own interests and friends there and that we are capable of assisting them in their time of need."
Uvarov let that little lesson in geopolitics sink in before he continued. As if to reassure Vorishnov, he repeated himself. "In this case, the United States will do nothing about our operation, even our use of the airfield in the Sudan. They will conduct their exercise, watch ours, move their 6th Fleet here and there, and, in the end, accept a new status quo — one that recognizes that we are both capable of rapidly moving forces to our respective areas of interest — and leave it at that."
There was a long pause. Sensing that the general was allowing him the freedom to speak his mind, Vorishnov abandoned all caution. "If the general is referring to the popular antiwar and disarmament movement that is sweeping through the United States, then those who believe that such sentiment will prevent positive action by the United States are wrong. As in Iran, the United States will act, invoking their policy of containment."
Uvarov allowed himself to sink deeper into his chair as he studied Vorishnov. For a moment Vorishnov feared that he had misread the general and had overstepped his bounds. Then the slight smile returned to Uvarov's face. With a sweeping motion of his hand, he signaled Vorishnov to take a seat. Pressing a button on the intercom, he ordered his secretary to bring them tea before he continued. "I am pleased to see that I was not wrong about you, Anatol Vorishnov. You are both intelligent and practical. Nor are you afraid to speak your mind — truly a rare commodity these days. I could see that in the manner with which you wrote your report."