INTRODUCTION

 

he evolution of the terrorist phenomenon is not a 20^th Century anomaly. However, claims that the Zealots of the First Century were some of the first recorded terrorists as written about in The History of Terrorism by Chaliand and Blin I believe is false. Terrorism by definition is armed violence against unarmed or civilian targets to achieve a political goal. The Zealots, for example, attacked primarily Roman soldiers and their supporters they considered opposed to their beliefs, not just any civilians. It was considered dishonorable to attack an unarmed individual.

It was however, when the Zealot leaders, circa 63 A.D., decided to extend their covert stabbings and assassinations to civilian 'officials and their supporters that the emperor sent in the troops to erase the territories of Canaan ending in the fall of Masada and the annihilation of Jerusalem about eight years later.

Politics, like religion, is by its very nature controversial because, like religion it is largely composed of opinion. Some even argue that politics is a religion and vice versa. Even the most steadfast researchers and factologists disagree on what certain, 'well documented' events mean. Toss in a healthy measure of skepticism followed by a heaping tablespoon of home-grown paranoia flavored with a sprinkle of bias and the end result is at best arguable.

Task Force Romeo is a work of fiction framed by historical events and deals with the rise of the terrorist group calling themselves Hezbollah, 'The Party of God'. They were formed in the early Eighties evolved from a small coalition of jihadists who came to believe the forces fighting to expel the Westerners were not radical or violent enough and had not killed enough of these 'infidels'. The fact that these French, Italian, British and Americans were genuinely trying to help bring about peace and rebuild Lebanon was summarily ignored.

In conjunction with Hamas, both largely funded by Iran in the east and left wing liberals in the west, they have grown to be the dominant threat to peace in the Middle East.

Following the Carter years, which were unquestioningly marked by weak even flaccid foreign policy, the overt aggressive nature which had won Reagan the election, seemed to amplify with each successive speech and each new proposed foreign policy shift, particularly in the military arena. By September 1983 and the events of The '83 Nuclear War scare chronicled in Children of the Nuclear Gods,, Reagan’s distain for the Soviet leadership had swelled to the point that Andropov's Operation RyAn was instituted.

RyAn was undoubtedly a panic response on the part of the Politburo to Reagan's aggressive approach towards foreign policy. Inclusive in his foreign policy plans was his covert approval of the overt PSYOPS intrusions into Russian territory and the so called ‘Star Wars’ system which was later exposed as a scam, as at that point in time the required technology was not only non-existent but decades away.

The fact that the most massive and audacious PSYOPS operations were launched in the first quarter of his first presidency is indicative of the mentality he entered into public office with. From all contemporary indications Yuri Andropov had no illusions about which way the foreign policy winds would shift once Reagan got in and so initiated his own covert Intel measures.

Some Americans have argued Andropov was ‘backed into’ his moves by Reagan’s aggression. The historical record doesn’t support this. Yuri Andropov’s predecessors had long sought conquest by overt force for example their activities in the Pacific basin, Africa and invading Afghanistan less than two years before Reagan was elected.

It was no coincidence that almost immediately after Ronald Reagan took office the American hostages, after 444 days as political prisoners of the far left Iranians, were released.

By way of example the year-long pointless negotiations with the Iranian terrorists pretending to be students showed no signs of resolution during Carter's tenure but the day after, when Reagan got the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Tehran magically offered a solution.

On the other hand, the shoot down of the passenger liner KAL flight 007 on August 31^st, 1983 which may or not have actually been a passive probe to agitate Soviet defenses over one of their most sensitive installations, Petropavlovsk Naval Air Base near Vladstok, and was certainly one of their most vulnerable, was the bitter icing on the cake for Andropov and the Politburo.

There is no shortage of proof that Moscow was advising the hostage takers in Iran, (atheist communists advising radical Muslims? There's a black Sit Com waiting to be written!), but it was just one more step inching us closer to the inevitable confrontations of 1984, the story you are about to read featuring much of the same characters albeit on much different situations.

How is this relevant to today?

Given that both Reagan and Andropov were victims of distorted views of the other's intentions and as such were acting on mis or incomplete information, one need only to peruse the latest headlines to read the rampant distortion of events by today's major news networks a.k.a. the Mainstream or ‘Legacy’ media.

Facing frigid relations with Canada on the northern border after shutting down the Keystone pipeline while endorsing the Russian oil pipeline to Germany, Chinese expansionism in the Pacific with this morning's crowing coming from Beijing of potential nuclear war with America, invasion and chaos on the southern border and damaged relations with the E.U. to the east, all aggravated by Russian cyber-attacks, the present administration is showing the limitations of yet another flaccid leader.

However, to the detriment of America, this one is surrounded by economic illiterates, left wing radicals and overt racists pointing the finger at anyone who disagrees with them while labeling those accusers racists, sexists and white supremacists.

Under the current democratic leadership, with inexorable financial ties to China and Russia where they have, on multiple occasions, demonstrated that they can be bought and sold to the highest bidders and that those now in power will do anything to stay in power, the people of the United States are today faced with a decision. A decision they have faced before. A decision, it appears, most will cower from.

That decision is first to recognize the new threat from the Chinese communist leadership and whether or not to once again confront those that advocate peace at all costs, even if it means war, or to allow the country to be plunged into a socialist system and then face war with itself.

This will of course require Americans to remember what their country is and what it was founded on. It seems that in the din of the race hustlers and victimologists and their sorry, largely fabricated and phony cries of oppression, many have forgotten this.

This book is a work set several months just after Children of the Nuclear Gods and is of historical fiction, however the names, dates and places of the terrorist attacks and military responses are factual. The TFR, though a fictional anti-terrorist group are composed of real men I served with during my 13 years in U.S. Special Operations.

The U.S./U.S.S.R. military and political events which transpired through the month of January of 1984 occurred pretty much as written and followed the events of the 1983 Nuclear War Scare chronicled in Children of the Nuclear Gods.

As with all my novels I write books dealing with events which have never been novelized before and this book is a work of Roman a Clef fiction founded on real world experiences but it is not a documentary, not a history book. It is a work of fiction.

Thank you for taking the time and I hope you enjoy the read.

 

*******

 

 

 

PROLOGUE

 

In September of 1972 at the Olympic games in Munich a small band of disturbed, Palestinian fanatics declared war on the West. It was only years later that they were associated with the PLO.

Their cowardly actions against unarmed civilian athletes forever cemented the word ‘terrorist’ into the Western consciousness.

A short three years later, backed with money and weapons from Iranians posing as holy men, offshoots of these terrorists saw further opportunities to kill perceived enemies, almost always unarmed civilians, and attack those with a different god then their own. They are directly responsible for dozens of kidnappings, bombings and assassinations.

In addition, their actions helped to accelerate a deadly civil war in Lebanon which would last fifteen years, produce over 120,000 known casualties and displace over a million people.

Fortunately, they have now been mostly eradicated, and although other religious fanatics have taken their place, since the 1972 Munich massacre the United States is not alone in contributing brave men and women from all over the world who have also arisen to fight this scourge of civilization who kill in the name of a mythical pedophile who rode a white, winged horse to heaven while swinging a flaming sword.

One such group of those fighting terrorism is a group of men who call themselves TFR . . .

Task Force Romeo.

 

*******

 

“If he is terrorizing the terrorists, if he is terrorizing America the terrorist [...] I am with him. Every Muslim should be a terrorist.”

― Zakir Naik

 

 

“Is killing a known terrorist wrong? I ask this, did the terrorist allow any of his victims quarter? No, then allow

him no quarter and hoist the black flag.”

― T. R. Wallace

 

 

“The reality is that any peacekeeping force sent to Beirut was put in a position which made it virtually impossible to be seen as neutral by any of the warring factions.”

 

― The Long Commission, 20 December, 1983

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

ruce McCandless half stood half floated just above the deck, staring upwards as the long cargo bay doors slowly lumbered open and the lifeless, inky black of the most hostile environment known to man stared back, challenging him.

“Via con dios partner!” Crackled in his ear.

“I'll tell ya Vance, it might have been a small step for Neil . . . but it's one helluv'a big leap for me!”

“We got ya back, brother!”

After mustering the required seven million pounds of thrust shuttle Discovery had reached and maintained its orbital velocity and now, on their fourth day in space, the crew prepared to execute their next mission.

The crew of STS 51-A, space shuttle Discovery, included Vance D. Brand, mission commander, pilot Robert L. Gibson, and mission specialists Robert L. Stewart.

Now suited out in the MMU, Manned Maneuvering Unit and preparing to exit the aircraft, which was traveling at 17,500 miles per hour, to execute the first untethered spacewalk, was the youngest crew member Bruce McCandless, a member if NASA's Group 5. Group 5 composed a select group of 19 astronauts chosen in the late Sixties to lead the way to achieve the moon landing and beyond. A fourth crewman, McNair stood by to assist McCandless.

Liquid nitrogen hissed from his back tanks and astronaut McCandless was, for the first time ever, gently propelled from the cargo bay of STS 51-A to float out into space without benefit of any restraint. 

Now in its fourth day it was earlier in the mission that the crew had deployed two communications satellites but neither reached geosynchronous orbit after booster rockets on both satellites unexpectedly shut off after only about 20 seconds, putting additional pressure on McCandless' Extra Vehicular Activity, or EVA, as well as ratcheting up crew tension. Nobody wanted to return home with a failed mission on their score card.

Following literally thousands of simulations in rehearsal of the planned EVA, the Boston born, third generation naval officer, McCandless was chosen to be the first person to attempt the unfettered spacewalk.

Only an hour ago McCandless had completed his final pre-check of the Manned Maneuvering Unit or MMU, essentially a space-age jet pack-suit with twin liquid nitrogen tanks powered by a NiCad battery.

To avoid the point where orbital mechanics would take over and they would dangerously separate at an exponential rate, distance management was critical. The back-up plan, in the event McCandless could not safely return to Discovery , was to maneuver the shuttle to intercept the runaway astronaut, open the cargo bay doors forming a giant catcher's mit and essentially play a life and death game of catch with McCandless as the baseball.

Following literally thousands of simulations in rehearsal of the planned EVA, it was via what must have been the first helmet cam that the images of McCandless floating through space on his own were being transmitted to the shuttle as he also hurtled through space at 17,500 mph.

It was a well-publicized mission, one that would produce one of the most iconic photos of the NASA program.

Wow, if I don’t mess these pictures up, I’m going to get the cover of Aviation Week. He quietly mused to himself.

“Getting a little far out there partner. Better pull her back a touch. Something happens to you I don't wanna be the one to have to face your wife when we get back!” Commander Brand radioed.

“Can't say as I blame you Vance.” McCandless returned as he activated his retro unit and started a 180.

McCandless continued pulling the trigger on his arm rest but as he completed a partial rotation the retros on the MMU stopped responding. He tried several times pulling the trigger on his arm unit but still there was no response.

“Bruce you plan on taking the long way round back to the ship?” Commander Vance radioed. There was no response and through the port side cockpit window McCandless seemed to now be drifting further away at an obtuse angle relative to the ship.

“Bruce, can you read me buddy? I think we're at the furthest edge of the excursion. Time to reel it in.”

“Ahh, think I've got a little problem here skipper. The retros aren't responding.”

“None of them?”

“Ahh that's a negative. I don't seem to have any directional control.”

“Stand by one.” Vance turned to Bob Stewart who sat next to him in the co-pilot's seat. Bob how long to get the second MMU unit up?”

“It's up.”

“Have we got Gibson on standby?”

“Already ahead of you!” Stewart shot back as he pushed from his seat in the cockpit and quickly floated back down to the cargo bay.

“Bruce, keep playing with it, we're gonna send Gibsy out there to give you a hand.”

Ahhh,  Houston here. Do we detect a problem up there?

“Ahh negative Houston. We think we have a small problem with Mac's MMU. We're working on it. Under control at this time. Will keep you advised, Discovery  out.” Brand then retransmitted to the crew. “Guys Houston just gave us a call. We're two and O, top of the ninth.”

As Houston control essentially sits on pins and needles from the moments before each lift-off to final touch down and so has a tendency to cancel experiments or even entire lift-offs at the slightest provocation, crews on a mission are reluctant to give ground control an excuse to cancel anything.

Prior to lift off each astronaut team agree on a word or phrase to switch off coms with Houston and turn to a predesignated channel as a signal to each other to speak freely. Whoever remained at the control panel in the cockpit would still have multi-channel control and so would still be able to intercept coms from ground control in the cockpit.

Discovery's crew agreed on the code 'two and O', a baseball term.

Down in the cargo bay Gibson, already suited up and having launched off for his EVA was also immediately in trouble. His Snoopy cap strap had popped open as he yawned to decompress and was now, in the weightless environment, working its way up his head. With his entire head set including mic, sitting over the cloth cap he was now partially deaf and dumb in terms of ability to communicate. His chin strap and mic floated in front of his face significantly blocking his vision.

“How we looking Bruce?” Vance asked.

“Been better.” Now more than 120 meters out in space all were getting genuinely worried.

“Still no luck Skipper.” McCandless radioed back.

“We just sent the cavalry out there to give you hand. So hold on.”

Gibson was cautious as he drifted out into the void because he had to maintain a steady speed as he maneuvered himself towards McCandless. Able to discharge only short bursts he had to judge each release just right or risk overshooting his colleague, worse yet possibly mis-vectoring the intercept and then having to try to correct.

Once reaching McCandless  it was near impossible, with their bulky stiff space suits to reach for each other much less grab on due to the rigid arm rests which house the controls of the MMU's. This required Gibson to do all the maneuvering to get behind Mac then work his way around in front of him, a task made nearly impossible due to his Snoopy cap and headset now nearly blinding him altogether compounded by the sweat caused by his cooling system which was now blocked by ice in the narrow hose system.

“Bruce we got us a little situation here.” Gibson calmly confessed.

“Why do you sound so faint? Your comms okay?” Bruce asked.

“My damn Snoopy cap's come loose, slid down and I can't see.” Gibson yelled at this mic set. “I'm gonna need you to guide us in back to the ship.”

“Roger that buddy! We're looking to be about 150-180 yards out from the port side of the ship which is now off our three o'clock and drifting fast.”

“Keep holding on, turn me in the right direction as best you can and tell me when to fire off!”

Bruce, now sweating as well due to the extra exertion, struggled as he pushed against the nothingness of open space only barley managing to point them in the general direction of the ship.

“Fire one. Give it one to two second blast.”

Gibson obliged and they were on their way.

“Skipper do you read?”

“I copy Mac.”

“Skipper open the cargo bay doors all the way, we're coming straight in and have Rob standing by to anchor us, once we're aboard.” McCandless requested.

“Will do Mac!”

Ten minutes later, employing their improvised, buddy-tandem method they were back in the cargo bay.

Discovery, Ground here. How’re we looking?

“Discovery to Houston. We read you Houston. Bruce had a slight problem with his retros, but we're looking good now. Discovery out.”

An hour later, the cargo bay doors were closed over, the ship re-pressurized and the crew were back on track.

“Things your master's degree doesn't prepare you for, huh?” McCandless commented to no one in particular as he climbed out of his MMU rig.

“Had us worried there for a minute partner!” Stewart patted him on the back.

“That's why we get Hazardous Duty pay.” McCandless quipped.