“I apologize, sir, but as you can see, things are very serious here and I’ve been engaged almost continuously. I assume this call is in regards to our current antiterrorist operations in Iraq?”
Gardner’s eyes bulged in disbelief by what he just heard. “No, sir, I’m talking about your invasion of Iraq!” Gardner exploded. “Because if this was just an antiterrorist operation, I’m sure you would have told us when, where, and how you were going to initiate it, is that not correct?”
“Mr. President, with all due respect, that tone of voice is not necessary,” Hirsiz said. “If I may remind you, sir, it was a lack of respect such as this that caused this ill will between our countries in the first place.”
“And may I remind you, Mr. President,” Gardner retorted, “that Turkish warplanes are bombing bases and facilities manned by Americans? May I also remind you that I sent Vice President Phoenix and Secretary of State Barbeau on a diplomatic mission to Iraq to meet with their counterparts, and Turkey used that meeting as a smoke screen to attack positions inside Iraq, placing the vice president in mortal danger? The vice president is an emissary of the United States of America and my personal representative. You have no right to initiate military action when at the same time you…”
“I need no reminding from you, sir!” Hirsiz interrupted. “I need no lectures on when Turkey may initiate military actions against terrorists threatening our people! The Republic of Turkey will do whatever is necessary to protect our land and our people! It is America and Iraq who must help us defeat the terrorists! If you do nothing, then we must act alone.”
“I’m not trying to lecture anyone, sir,” Gardner said, forcing his anger back down into his chest, “and I agree that Turkey or any nation may take whatever steps are necessary to protect its self-interests, even preemptive military action. All I’m asking, sir, is that you inform Washington first and ask for advice and assistance. That’s what allies do, am I correct?”
“Mr. President, we had every intention of notifying you before the commencement of hostilities, if time allowed,” Hirsiz said. Gardner rolled his eyes in disbelief but said nothing. “But it did not.”
“That’s the same thing you said before the attack on the border, which resulted in over a dozen American casualties,” the president interjected. “Apparently you don’t feel the need to consult with Washington on a timely basis.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. President, but what I tell you is true—we are under enormous pressure to act before any more loss of life occurs,” Hirsiz said. “But we have taken extraordinary care this time to minimize noncombatant casualties. I have ordered my minister of defense to inform and constantly remind our division commanders that only PKK terrorists are to be targeted. We have taken extraordinary steps to minimize noncombatant casualties.”
“And I acknowledge those efforts,” Gardner said. “To my knowledge, no Americans or Iraqis have been killed. But there have been injuries and substantial loss and damage to equipment and facilities. If the hostilities continue, there could be bloodshed.”
“Yet to my knowledge, sir, there has already been substantial, deliberate, and egregious Turkish loss of equipment—and at least one death, caused by American forces.”
“What? Americans?” Gardner stared at his national security adviser and secretary of defense in surprise. “I’ve been assured that none of our combat units engaged with anyone, let alone Turkish forces. There must be a mistake.”
“Then you deny that an American flying-wing reconnaissance aircraft was orbiting over northern Iraq, with orders to use its radiation weapons to shoot down a Turkish combat support aircraft?”
“Flying-wing…reconnaissance aircraft…radiation weapons…?”
“We have observed this aircraft flying near the Turkish border for many days now, sir,” Hirsiz said. “Although it resembles an American stealth bomber, our intelligence analysts have assured our government that it was an unarmed reconnaissance aircraft owned and operated by a private contractor for the United States Army. The air attaché at the American embassy in Ankara acknowledged this to be true.
“Apparently our analysts were wrong, and your ambassador lied to us, because the crew of a combat support aircraft reported being under attack by that very same aircraft,” Hirsiz went on. “The surviving crewmember reported that the so-called reconnaissance aircraft was in fact firing what he described as a radiation weapon; he reported feeling intense heat severe enough that it killed the pilot and destroyed the aircraft. Do you deny such an aircraft was operating at the time of our actions over Iraq, Mr. President?”
The president shook his head in confusion. “Mr. President, I don’t know anything about such an aircraft, and I certainly did not order any American aircraft to attack anyone, let alone an allied aircraft,” he said. “I’ll find out who it was and make sure that no such actions happen again.”
“That is little consolation to the family of the pilot who died as a result from the attack, sir.”
“I’ll find the ones responsible, Mr. President, and if it was a deliberate attack they will be punished, that I promise,” Gardner said. “What are Turkey’s intentions in Iraq, sir? When are you going to begin withdrawing troops?”
“Withdrawing? Did you say ‘withdrawing,’ sir?” Hirsiz asked in a high-pitched, theatrically incredulous voice. “Turkey is not withdrawing, sir. We are not withdrawing until every last PKK terrorist is dead or captured. We did not begin this operation and risk thousands of lives and billions in valuable equipment simply to turn around before the job is done.”
“Sir, Turkey has committed an act of armed aggression against a peaceful country,” Gardner said. “You may be hunting down terrorists, sir, but you’re doing it on foreign soil, terrorizing innocent civilians, and damaging a sovereign nation’s property. That cannot be allowed.”
“And how are our actions different from America attacking Iraq, Mr. President?” Hirsiz asked. “That is your doctrine, is it not—hunt down and destroy terrorists wherever they may be, at a time of your own choosing? We are doing the very same.”
Joseph Gardner hesitated. The bastard was right, he thought. How could I argue against Turkey invading Iraq when that’s exactly what the United States did in 2003? “Um…Mr. President, you know it’s not the same…”
“It is the very same, sir. We have a right to protect ourselves, just as America does.”
Fortunately for the president, Walter Kordus held up a Post-it note with the letters U.N. scribbled on it. Gardner nodded, relieved, then spoke, “The difference, sir, is the United States received authorization to invade Iraq by the United Nations Security Council. You did not seek such approval.”
“We have sought that approval for many years, sir,” Hirsiz said, “but it was always denied. The best you or the United Nations could ever do was declare the PKK a terrorist organization. We were authorized to call them names, but they could kill Turks with impunity. We have decided to take matters into our own hands.”
“America was also offered assistance by many other nations in the effort to hunt down al-Qaeda terrorists and jihadists,” Gardner said. “This sudden attack looks more like an invasion than an antiterrorist operation.”
“Are you offering assistance, Mr. President?” Hirsiz asked. “That would certainly speed up our progress and ensure a more rapid retraction.”
“Mr. President, the United States has often offered assistance in hunting down PKK terrorists many times in the past,” Gardner said. “We have provided intelligence, weapons, and financial resources for years. But the intent was to avoid open warfare and violations of sovereign borders—to prevent exactly what has occurred, and what other calamities might happen if hostilities do not end.”