Part 134 (1/2)
”Yes,well, and I have learned much, as have hundreds of students that attend my classes However, with all due respect, I think wethe work that our esteeoes very well - in our favor”
”I understand,” Rafjani said with respect ”You are honored for your sacrifice, living a the infidels”
”It must be done I mean no disrespect”
”You do not speak disrepectfully, Ahmed Shah Your work is important to your people If that is your wish, continue, for you do it well”
”Thank you, thank you Even though one grain of sand has bloay, the rest of the desert retains great power”
”Ahmed Shah, may Allah be with you”
Chapter 27
Thursday, January 21 The White House, Washi+ngton, DC
He wanted to make them wait
The President decided to walk into the breakfast roo a few minutes late Even with intimates, the awe of the Presidency was still intact His tardiness added to the tension that they all felt as a result of the recent revelations Perhaps the tension would further hone their atten- tion and dialogue
He had not slept well the night before; he was prepared for anything he understood, but computers were not on his roster of acquired fluencies A President has to h decisions, life and death decisions, but decisions of the type that have a history to study and a lesson to learn And like h decisions, right or wrong Presidents have to have the self confidence and internal resolve to commit themselves, and their nation, to a course of action This President's political life trained him well; lawyer, local politics, state politics and then Washi+ngton
But not computers He was not trained in computers He had learned to type, a little, and found that sending E-Mail ame Since the first days when overn- ton, he had been able to insulate himself from their day to day use All the same, every desk he had occupied was adjoined by a powerful raphics, the best printer and an elite assortment of software He used the memory resident calculator and sent and received electronic eneration, accepted the fact that co match
Especially the military The communications and computer sophis- tication used by the Allies enthralled the world during the Iraqi War: boh to pick whichthey would enter before detonating, h to fly at 2000at 3000a bullet with a bullet was possible after all
Intuitively, the President knew that the crisis developing before his eyes e, and the repercussions would be felt through the economy and the country
However, the President did not have enough coin to understand the proble his administration that major tactical and policy decisions would beThat worry frustrated his atte And then, of course, there was the press
”Gentle towards his chair at the head of the large foror to startle his guests He ait as he noticed that there were new faces present
In addition to the inner circle, Marvin Jacobs asked two key NSA security analysts to be observers at theOnly if the President asked a question was it then all right to speak
Accorave, under admitted duress to repay a previous favor, was Paul Trump, Director of NIST, the eternal rival of the NSA in uests and s was beginning already Maybe the coht
”Marv,” the President said leaning away fro his coffee This was the sa liquid in his lap last uess it's your show, so I'll just sit back and keep my mouth shut” He leaned even further away as the waiter's clumsiness did not inspire confi- dence
Group chuckle notwithstanding, everyone in the inner circle knehat the President really ry and Marv Jacobs would not be eating breakfast He would be answering questions
”Thank you, sir,” Marv said as he courteously acknowledged the presence of the others He handed out a file folder to everyone in the rooether with a red strap labeled TOP SECRET that sealed the package Not until the President began to open his package did the others follow suit
”We've only had a day to prepare” Marvin Jacobs began
”I know,” the President said wiping the corner of his mouth with a white linen napkin ”That should have been plenty of ti to the President's barb He took the caustic hit as the other breakfast guests quietly thanked the powers on high that it was soh, the President was ahis verbal tirade the day before But, if needed, the acerbity of his biting words would silence the boldest of his advisors or enemies The President was still royally pissed off
”We have developed a number of scenarios that will be refined over the next weeks as we learn more about the nature of the assault by homosoto” He turned into his report and indicated that everyone should turn to page 4 ”This is sketchy, but based upon e have seen already, we can estie 4 contained three Phrases
1 Malevolent Self Propagating Software Progranetic Pulses and Explosions 3 Anti-TEMPEST Coherent Monitor and Pixel Radiation