"The size of the ground forces Egypt intends to use is questionable. Despite years of peace that resulted from the Camp David accord, the bulk of the Egyptian forces remained oriented against Israel. Even in this crisis, it is believed that no more than four divisions have been moved into the Western Desert. If this is true, then the campaign Egypt is intent on launching is more along the lines of a punitive raid, very similar to those Egypt carried out against Libya in 1977.
"This theory, supported by most Western diplomats here in Cairo, is further supported by the failure of the Egyptian government to recall reserve forces or shift all major combat forces from the east to the west. Official news bulletins continue to emphasize the role Libyan terrorists played in the December seventh attack. What is missing now is the fervent rhetoric of December eighth and ninth, when the Egyptian leadership spoke of a war to crush the Libyan threat once and for all. Instead, the government spokesmen now speak of a measured response, aimed at punishing Libya, not destroying it. The word 'war' has been supplanted by 'retaliation' and 'punitive action.'
"Efforts by the Soviet Union and the United States to defuse the situation here have continued to snag on the issue of withdrawal of troops and air units from those two countries. Each is insistent that those forces will be needed to ensure the safety of their respective citizens and property in their client state. To date, neither country has been willing to make the first move.
"In the capitals of Western Europe, an official wait-and-see attitude has replaced the earlier condemnations that were leveled against Libya for its role in the assassination attempt. Publicly, European officials have repeatedly stated that this is a matter best left to the United Nations. The potential that this border skirmish could escalate into superpower confrontation, however, has led to low-keyed discussions between European leaders on how best they might assist in defusing the situation.
"Little has come out of Libya in the past few days. Reports that the Soviets are rushing in additional quantities of equipment and technical advisors have been difficult to confirm. Since air traffic from the Soviet Union across the Mediterranean has been near normal and the Soviets continue to use the airfield at Al Fasher in the Sudan, there seems to be little to substantiate those reports. In the words of Dr. Henry Millerent of the World Strategic Institute, the Soviets would have little to gain from backing Libya with other than token logistical support and advisors.
"Regardless of what the Egyptian government calls it and how the Soviets respond, what is certain is that in the next few days, the outcome of this conflict will rest with the men and equipment that passed through this city. From Cairo, this is Jan Fields for World News Network."
Jan held her stance until the camera crew gave her the high sign that they had finished shooting. Relaxing, she called out, "How long was it?"
The chief of the camera crew, the same British crew that had been with Jan on 7 December, looked at a stopwatch. "Two minutes, twenty-eight seconds, love."
"Damn," Jan sighed. "Fifty seconds too long. Well, Fay has her work cut out for her tonight." Pulling the mike off her safari jacket, Jan looked up. "Gentlemen, we have a deadline to meet. This tape needs to be edited and out in less than two hours. Let's get moving."
Turning off the television monitor, the operations officer turned to the general. "That tape is less than two hours old. NSA picked it up as it was being fed back to the U.S. from the World News people here in Cairo and thought we might be interested in a sneak preview."
Leaning back slightly, General Horn chuckled. "Jim, I wish I could get that kind of concise analysis from your people." The other officers in the room chuckled. "Where's she getting her information from? Is there a leak somewhere in Cairo?"
Colonel Ed Linsum, deputy chief of staff for intelligence of 2nd Corps, didn't look up at Horn. Instead, he continued to play with his number-two lead pencil, doodling on the yellow legal pad in front of him. "General, I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, Fields is cleaner than Snow White. She just reads the tea leaves better than your average TV reporter."
"Well, Ed, find out what kind of tea she uses and buy some for your people." Horn waited for the laughing to stop before he continued. Sitting up straight and turning his smiling face into a deadpan stare, he signaled the start of serious business. "Okay, let's be different tonight and start with the current Egyptian order of battle and dispositions."
From across the room, Dixon watched and waited for someone to shoot a snide remark about his wife's role with WNN in Cairo. Since the beginning of the crisis, his boss, the same full colonel who had taken over the Bright Star exercise plan he had developed, had pulled him over twice to warn him about passing classified information to the media through Fay, even accidentally. The first time Dixon shrugged it off as simple stupidity on the part of the colonel for even thinking that he would do such a thing. The second time the colonel collared Dixon and addressed the issue, however, Dixon became livid. Shoving his face within inches of the colonel's and spitting as he talked, Dixon told the colonel either to produce evidence that he was doing so and relieve him or to back off. The colonel, completely taken by surprise, backed up two paces, looked at Dixon, then turned and walked away. Nothing was ever said about Fay, or the incident, again.
Dixon knew that there was no need for anyone to worry. He hadn't seen Fay since the night of the assassination attempt. Returning home to clean up and change his uniform, he had found Fay waiting for him. Instead of a hug and concern, he was greeted with a slap in the face. Reeling from the blow, Dixon pulled back in amazement and fell backwards over a chair and onto the floor. Fay, following up the blow, began to scream at him as he lay there. He was barely able to understand her as she babbled that he had lied to her, that he had gone back on his promise that he would never again put himself in a position of danger. All she ever had asked for, she said, was a live husband, not an American flag neatly folded into a triangle. He had no business, she yelled, throwing himself in front of that jeep full of terrorists.
Dixon, exhausted by the stress of his brush with death and by hours of dealing with the crisis, also snapped. Without thinking, he bounded up off the floor and rushed at Fay. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he began shaking her like a rag doll, screaming in her face to shut up. He was still shaking her and screaming when his younger son came out of his room. Neither Fay nor Dixon noticed the boy until he started hollering, "Mommy, Daddy, don't hurt each other! Stop it, please! Stop hurting each other!"
The sudden realization of what he was doing hit Dixon harder than Fay's slap. Releasing her, he stepped back and tried to collect his wits. The boy instinctively ran up to his mother and grabbed her leg, still hollering uncontrollably. Without saying another word, Dixon turned around and walked out. After that, he didn't return.
As he mulled over those dark images, he missed his first cue from the general. The chief of staff finally got his attention. "Colonel Dixon," he called out, grunting, "if you would be so kind as to join us…"
With pointer in hand, Dixon stood, stepped up to the operations map, cleared his throat, and began his briefing. "Sir, the Egyptian order of battle in the Western Desert is shown here. Attached to the 1st Army, now headquartered in Matruh, are the 22nd Mechanized Division, reinforced with an artillery brigade, deployed south of Solium; the 5th Armored Division, deployed west of Sidi Barrani; and the 14th Armored Division, reinforced with the 7th Mechanized Brigade, around Bir Bayly. The Republican Brigade, which we believe to be the 1st Army's main reserve and exploitation force, is located here, at Bir al Khamsa. In addition, an airmobile brigade has been moved from Alexandria forward to Siwa and the parachute brigade is on stripe alert in Cairo. These last-mentioned units are believed to be under the control of the Egyptian General Staff, not the 1st Army."