Part 30 (1/2)
Over the next few months, both sides grew optimistic that it was possible in their lifetimes. s.h.i.+tes who had found safety in Iran from Saddam's persecutions were returning to Baghdad to run the government, to open businesses, and increasingly to fight the Sunni sheiks and military men who did not want to give up the privileges Saddam had lavished on them. The American coalition was losing control of Iraq, while the country disintegrated into violence. For many it was disaster, but for al-Sabah, Tabrizi, and the Iranian mullahs, it was opportunity. That was when al-Sabah began working with Ayatollah Gilani to fund and train s.h.i.+te freedom fighters to come from around the world, especially from Iran, to put Iraq finally and irrevocably under s.h.i.+te control.
Nothing happened quickly in the Middle East, and certainly nothing as drastic as a political union between the Persians of Iran and the Arabs of Iraq, two ancient civilizations that had warred against each other. But now, at last, they were on the brink of success.
As if Gilani were reading al-Sabah's mind, he said, ”One of my a.s.sistants told me yesterday, 'Iran's history is so magnificent that the world should listen to us.'”
”Yes, of course,” al-Sabah agreed. ”Iranians are nostalgic to be a superpower again.”
Beginning with Cyrus in the sixth century B.C., the Persian empire had become the largest, most powerful kingdom the world had ever seen-the world's first superpower.
”Mesopotamia had also more than its share of glory,” al-Sabah reminded him, his tone amused at the recurring debate between them. Neither expected to win, and in the process they somehow grew closer by sharing the storied greatness of their ancestors. ”More than two millennia before your empire-in fact, in 3000 B.C.-we gave you writing. We gave you the wheel. We were the cradle of civilization. And by the way, we gave you the Arabic language, too-the language of the Prophet, blessed be His name.”
With a smile, Gilani inclined his black-turbaned head. ”And then our kingdoms came together. The Prophet brought us together.”
In the seventh century, after Muhammad's death, the Islamic armies of the caliphs rode out of Arabia and conquered Mesopotamia and Persia. The vast majority of both countries converted to Islam. Over time, Baghdad became Islam's capital and intellectual center, the wealthiest and most beautiful city in the world, where art, science, and philosophy thrived.
Al-Sabah and the ayatollah followed their usual path across the courtyard and through an archway into another corridor. It had been a warm afternoon, but the enormous mosque was cool. Pipes on the roof trapped the breezes and circulated them all the way down to the cellar. As they walked downstairs, al-Sabah could feel the whispers of fresh air slipping past the stone walls. It was almost as if the mosque were breathing.
”They are hard at work, as you will see.” Al-Sabah opened one door after another, showing small windowless rooms where cl.u.s.ters of men sat at computers, alternately typing and sifting through doc.u.ments and printouts. All were s.h.i.+tes, some wearing the white robes and head cloths that marked them as Arabs, some in the long robes and turbans of Persians. The ayatollah greeted each group and blessed them.
As they left the last room, the ayatollah asked, ”How is security?”
”As always, impeccable,” al-Sabah a.s.sured him. ”They are doing Allah's work. They won't betray Him.” In addition, s.h.i.+te black hatters had created unbreachable computer security.
Still in the bas.e.m.e.nt, they entered an office, another whitewashed room but large and with a bank of television screens turned to International Al-Jazeera and news stations in both Tehran and Baghdad. All were muted, with captioned translations in Old Arabic, the language of the Koran. In Tehran was a duplicate office where, on alternating months or immediately, if events demanded, al-Sabah and Gilani met to address concerns and continue negotiations and planning.
Two a.s.sistants quickly got to their feet, and again the ayatollah greeted and blessed them.
”You have the new opening to the const.i.tution's preamble?” al-Sabah asked. It had been the cause of much heated discussion and had finally been approved at the highest clerical levels in Iran, and by both Tabrizi and al-Sabah, who, a.s.suming all went according to plan, soon would be running Iraq's government.
The a.s.sistants handed copies to al-Sabah and Gilani. They read silently: May Allah guide us as we create a living embodiment of the Koran and the Hadith, joining our two great nations, Iran and Iraq, in an Islamic theocratic federation called the Union of s.h.i.+te States. Each nation will be partially self-governing, with the division of power between the nations and the central government to be spelled out in our const.i.tution. Just as Islam was born of the fire and blood battles of Mecca and Medina when the Prophet, blessed be His name, stood fast against the infidels, Iran and Iraq will stand fast against all necessary obstacles to create our federation. We hope that this century will witness the establishment of a universal holy government and the downfall of all others.
Islamic lawyers and scholars were working on a const.i.tution in which the two nations would be united under a s.h.i.+te central organization. They would integrate their school systems to teach both Farsi and Arabic. Citizens would have the right to cross their shared border without restriction. All cross-border tariffs and duties would be eliminated. Additional highways and rail systems would be built to speed commerce between the two states of the union. Groundwork would begin for a unified currency and economy. Each nation would have its own sharia courts, but there would be a Union of s.h.i.+te States supreme sharia to which questions and disputes would be referred.
As with NATO, the two states would share defense responsibilities. Iran was far stronger militarily. It had established a military self-sufficiency program in the 1980s, and today it not only bought but built its own jet fighters, tanks, missiles, submarines, torpedoes, and drones. It had the largest military in the Gulf region and controlled the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world's oil pa.s.sed every day. Iran's proven oil reserves and natural gas reserves were sizable, but Iraq had the advantage-its oil reserves were even larger. Together, they were sitting on most of the globe's oil and natural gas, with the result that the USS would have all of the wealth, influence, and power that came with such rich petroleum and gas reserves. At last, the world would again give them the respect they deserved.
Al-Sabah and Ayatollah Gilani exchanged gratified smiles.
”I'm satisfied,” Gilani said.
”Yes,” al-Sabah agreed. ”I'm also satisfied.”
They left the room together, walking side-by-side down the narrow stone hall.
Gilani stroked his long beard thoughtfully. ”How are your plans developing for tonight?”
”In a matter of hours, it will all be over,” al-Sabah a.s.sured him. ”Tonight's action will shake my people to the core. There's nothing worse than to lose confidence in one's government, and Iraqis' confidence, which is already shaky, is going to evaporate. Our friend Tabrizi will be elected prime minister and appoint a cabinet of s.h.i.+tes, either religious or easily controlled.”
”My fellow mullahs are ready to move forward,” Ayatollah Gilani told him gravely. ”Everything depends on you now. What exactly is this 'action'?”
Al-Sabah hesitated. Then he quoted: ”'It is He who makes the lightning flash upon you, inspiring you with fear and hope, and gathers up the heavy clouds. The thunder sounds His praises, and the angels, too, in awe of him. He hurls his thunderbolts at whom He pleases. Yet the unbelievers wrangle about G.o.d.'”
Gilani pressed his Koran against his heart. ”Allah is ever all-aware. Yes, I understand. Muhammad was forced into a violent armed struggle against his enemies. We should expect nothing less.”
They exchanged farewells. Wis.h.i.+ng the ayatollah a safe journey back to Tehran, al-Sabah headed upstairs and out into the warm Baghdad afternoon. With each step he remembered his years in Islamic Jihad, when he had fought with sincere dedication to restore the caliphate to s.h.i.+te Islam; then there were his years as ”Seymour,” feared international a.s.sa.s.sin; and finally, now, there was his life in Baghdad and the happiness he had found here. He had come full circle. At last he was able to plant the roots of his boyhood dream of an all-powerful s.h.i.+sm, and it would be right here in Baghdad, in the city of myth and legend. His myth, his legend.
74.
It did not look like the Wild West, but it had the feel of it, Judd thought as he and Bosa stepped inside Sindbad's Oar. It was the new, hypermodern nightclub where they were to meet Mahmoud Issa. The nightclub was in Karada, an affluent area in central Baghdad.
Past the entryway, Judd could see tables and customers and a large, high-ceilinged room decorated with chrome, leather, and fake leopard skin. The noise of many voices, clinking gla.s.sware, and chairs sc.r.a.ping across the terra-cotta floor was bruisingly loud.
”Are you packing?” The young man wore tight jeans and an even tighter T-s.h.i.+rt. In one hand he held a walkie-talkie, the omnipresent sign of authority in Baghdad. He spoke to them in Arabic. ”If you are, you have to check it.” He waved a ticket. ”We'll take good care of it and return it when you leave.”
Judd simply nodded and handed over his Beretta and a fifty-dollar bill.
”Ohhhh, I'll take very good care of it, sir,” the youth crooned. He gave Judd a ticket.
Bosa had said nothing, but Judd could feel disapproval radiating from his pores. Finally he handed his Walther to the young man. ”I'll kill you if it's not waiting for me undamaged and unused.”
”I'm sure you will, sir,” the youth replied. ”But then everyone else will kill me, too, if I don't have their guns for them. There won't be much of me left. I lead a very dangerous life.” He turned and opened a narrow door. Inside were wall hooks holding an array of weapons.
A middle-aged man walked toward them from inside the nightclub. Muscular, he had an oval face and a cropped brown beard. His eyes were sunk deep in dark hollows. ”No, Imad,” he told the youth. ”These are my guests. Give them back their toys.” He smiled at Judd and Bosa and introduced himself. ”I'm Mahmoud Issa.”
”Yes, sir.” And that was that. The young man returned the Beretta and the Walther. Reluctantly he offered Judd the fifty-dollar bill.
Judd waved him off.
”Thank you, sir!” He beamed.
Mahmoud led them into the nightclub, and they skirted the room. The patrons were mostly men. The few women wore head scarves. The tables were piled high with food, the spicy aroma enticing. Waiters in black b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rts and s.h.i.+ny black suits took orders and carried trays.
With Mahmoud in the lead, they climbed stairs and paused at the top where a wide balcony overlooked the dining area. Mahmoud studied the patrons below, his head moving every time someone new entered. At last he lit a Gauloise cigarette. ”We're religious here in Iraq now-no alcohol, no pop music, no p.o.r.nography, but smoking is tolerated. I'd been watching for you on our security cameras. Did you see anyone following?”
”No,” Judd told him.
Giving a nod of approval, he tapped on a door. There was no door handle, no apparent way to open the door. ”This is where our security gets closely controlled.”
The door was opened by a man the size and shape of a side-by-side refrigerator. Inclining his head to show respect, the man stepped back.
Mahmoud gestured, and they walked into a softly lit room. Tiles painted in stunning mosaics covered the floor and climbed halfway up the walls. Tall narrow bureaus appeared to be made of mirrors, reflecting the rich furnis.h.i.+ngs and the men and beautiful women there.
While all the men appeared to be Arab, the women were black-, brown-, and white-skinned. There were brunettes and redheads and one blonde, all dressed in sheer, flowing abayas, their nipples and pubic hair on display through the silvery see-through fabric. The women served drinks, filled hookah pipes, and sat with their arms wrapped around the men, who were dressed in desert robes, business suits, or suede sports coats and baggy jeans.