"At the moment it appears that possession is nine-tenths of the law," Rosario commented. "Our intelligence now indicates that Argentina has seized all four of the British installations on the peninsula in a well-coordinated military action."
Van Lynden frowned. "What's the status of the British base personnel?"
"That's one of the few straight answers we've been able to get out of Buenos Aires since the incident began. With one exception, all the British are alive and well. They will shortly be repatriated through Chile. That one exception is the captain of the British research ship. The Argentines claim he was killed when they were, and I quote, 'forced to take defensive actions.'"
One of the briefing-room printers began to buzz and rasp softly. Rosario swiveled his chair around and accepted the sheet of hard copy it produced.
"It's a new estimate on Argentine force deployment from the Defense Intelligence Agency, Mr. Secretary."
"Let's hear it."
"Estimated platoon-strength units of the Buzo Tactico at each of the captured British installations and at each of the secondary Argentine bases. At their main San Martin base, they've airlifted in a full mountain-infantry battalion, plus additional light artillery, combat support, and heavy-lift helicopter elements. Currently, they have over two thousand combat troops deployed on the peninsula."
The Secretary of State remembered his days as a Marine butter bar second lieutenant and what he had learned about the logistics of hostile-environment combat operations. Whatever the Argentines were up to, they were going for broke. An operation of this size and complexity was probably pushing their capacity for long-range power projection right to the limit.
"My instinctive first question is why?" Van Lynden said. "Why launch a military action that will no doubt scar Argentina's relations with the major powers for years? Why all this over an area that's primarily a scientific curiosity?"
"Possibly because Antarctica is also the last great untapped pool of natural resources on the surface of the Earth," Dr. Towers replied soberly. "Our mineralogy surveys have discovered indications of a wide spectrum of valuable metals, copper, titanium, iron, silver, even uranium and gold. The South Americans have been concentrating on this line of research far more than we have. They could very well have located commercially viable deposits.
"In addition," she continued, "we know that the Antarctic has the world's largest deposits of coal, and, we suspect, oil and gas reserves over three times the size of the Alaskan North Slope fields."
"But what good are they if no one can get at them?"
"Until recently that has been the case, Mr. Secretary. The Antarctic's nearly impenetrable ice pack and extreme climatic conditions have made commercial development impossible. That's what has preserved the continent in its nearly pristine environmental condition."
"Probably that's why we were able to get the Treaty of 1961 in the first place," Rosario commented. "None of the signing powers really had anything to lose."
"Quite right," Towers agreed, "but times and technologies change. In Alaska, Canada, and Siberia, oil drilling and mining operations are routinely being conducted north of the Arctic Circle. Soon, it will be just as feasible to operate in the Antarctic."
"Such things are currently against international law down there, aren't they?" Van Lynden inquired.
"Yes. The Wellington Accord of 1991 extended the Antarctic Treaty's ban on mining for a further fifty years." An element of anger and frustration crept into her voice.
"Many of us in the Antarctic community wanted something more permanent. And, damn it all, until this thing came up, I thought we had it."
"The international park?"
"Exactly, Mr. Secretary. For decades, the Treaty states have been considering the concept of having the Antarctic declared an international park under the protection and administration of the United Nations. The entire continent would be held in perpetuity as a wilderness area and a scientific preserve with all commercial exploitation, barring a degree of tourism, banned."
"But hasn't that always been just a concept, Doctor?" Rosario asked. "I know that in recent years, the United States has come to favor the park idea but that there still wasn't a solid consensus among the Treaty states yet."
"As I said, Mr. Rosario, times change. Some low-profile but very intense lobbying has been going on within world science circles these past few months. At last we've succeeded in turning several key obstructionist governments. At the next full meeting of the Antarctic Treaty states this July, we were sure that we would have the majority needed to get the act passed and the park created."
Dr. Towers leaned forward across the table and her voice took on intensity. "Next year, 2007, has been named the second International Geophysical Year. A major Earth sciences program is being planned that will involve almost the entire global scientific community. It will be the premier international research project of this half of the twenty-first century.
"The original Antarctic Treaty was a direct outgrowth of IGY One back in 1957. The committee we've had working on the park project couldn't imagine a better tribute to the concept of international scientific cooperation than to be able to take the next step with the actual creation of the park."
Dr. Towers leaned back into the padding of her chair. "Or at least that's how we thought the scenario would go."
Van Lynden cocked an eyebrow. "Is it necessary to ask who the opposition was?"
"Argentina and Chile fought us every step of the way. Brazil too, to a lesser extent. Their stake in the Antarctic is somewhat smaller and of a lower national priority. Apparently the Argentines are willing to fight us with more than words."
"You can almost see their point of view," Rosario mused. "For the last couple of centuries, exploitation has been the name of the game. Then, just as they get ready to do some exploiting of their own, somebody changes the rules on them."
"Point of view or not, Steve, the Argentines have used armed forces against a close ally of the United States. They have also put their foot through a treaty to which we are a signatory. If I know our boss, he isn't going to take this lightly."
"He's not, sir."
Rosario lifted his briefcase onto the surface of the table and thumbed the security lock-check pads. He popped the latches and passed Van Lynden a dark blue folder bearing the embossed golden seal of the presidency.
"Your instructions, Mr. Secretary. In summary, you are to proceed to Buenos Aires and seek to consult directly with President Sparza. You are to ascertain the intent of the Argentine action and you are to express in the strongest possible terms the opposition of the United States to these acts. You are to request that the Argentine government withdraw their troops and that they abide fully by the Antarctic Treaty of 1961."
"I gather that those are to be firm requests?"
"Yes, sir. The President has also sent along an official note of protest to be delivered by you to President Sparza. A copy of the text has been included in your briefing file."
"Very good. Now, has there been a military response ordered?"
"Yes, sir. Atlantic Fleet Command has been ordered to dispatch forces south. There is a major British deployment under way as well. CINCLANT will be ready to update you on that situation at your pleasure."
"Again, very good." Van Lynden opened the file on the table before him. Settling his wire-framed glasses a little, he began to skim the opening paragraphs. After a moment, he looked up.
"By the way, have the Argentines made any hostile gestures against any of the other peninsula installations — ours, the Chileans', the other European powers'?"