Own Goal

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The meeting with the National Security Council had ended late and had been somewhat contentious. There were a few who wanted the United States to intervene directly in the current crisis between India and Pakistan. The President had listened to all the various points of view, then had ended the meeting. It was nearly time for the satellite overflight of the Punjab.

After the meeting had adjourned, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations had requested a short meeting with the President.

"What does this pertain to, Mr. Ambassador?" Bill Aspinall was direct and to the point, he had no time for the diplomatic niceties. Truth was, he was exhausted.

James van de Burg, a career diplomat who had been born in the Netherlands but had come to the United States as small child, smiled.

"To the point, I like that. I have someone with me who the President should meet, her name is Hamara Segrah Kaur, she's a Pakistani Sikh with close ties to the Sikh separatist movement. She is not part of it but her brother is high up in that group."

"Interesting, when do you propose?"

"Now, Mr. Aspinall. I took the liberty of bringing her with me to the Pentagon. She is outside as I could not get her a visitor's pass."

Aspinall thought for a moment, then nodded. "Josh, got a minute?"

LCDR Higgins came over to the two men, "What's up, Bill?"

"You know our UN Ambassador, right?"

"I do, good to see you, Mr. Ambassador." Higgins said while extending his hand.

"I'd like you to go with the Ambassador down to security and help him get a visitor's pass for a lady he's brought in as a subject matter expert on the Sikh separatist movement. She might be useful over the next few hours."

Higgins nodded, "Please come with me, Mr. Ambassador."

Privates Keshav Chakarvarti and Jeet Bakshi were manning their machine gun position at the Kartarpur Corridor. The Corridor had been set up to allow Sikhs from India a place to cross over into Pakistan to visit the nearby Gurdwara Darbar Sahib where the founder of Sikhism had settled after his missionary travels. Guru Nanak had lived there for 18 years until his death in 1539.

Neither man was a Sikh, nor was their Sergeant, Ganesh Padhya. Their captain had advised the men of their platoon the night before that a reconnaissance aircraft had spotted Pakistani tanks and armored personnel carriers moving in their direction. All of the men had been briefed on the current tensions between Punjab and the central government in New Delhi.

Both men remembered the captain's last words to them that morning, "Do not fire upon the Pakistanis unless they fire upon you. This may just be a move showing support for the Sikhs, or it could be in response to the troubles in China. The world is a dangerous place lads, let's not add to that."

Chakarvarti nudged Bakshi when he saw a dust cloud in the distance, "That's a lot of vehicles, Jeet. Do you think it's the Pakistanis?"

Bakshi, the elder of the two men by three years, shrugged and said, "I doubt it's farmers going to market, laddie."

"So you see, Mr. President, Pakistan has a large Sikh minority in the Pakistani province of Punjab." Hamara Segrah Kaur explained.

Which got a raised eyebrow from Nakagawa.

"Yes, Pakistan and India both have provinces named 'Punjab,' it was all one place before the partition of 1947. To be honest, relations between the Muslim majority and the Sikh minority in Pakistan have never been very good. They are worse now, many Sikhs would love to have their own nation, comprising both parts of Punjab."

"What do your contacts within Punjab think, is there going to be war?" Nakagawa asked.

"My brother would very much like to see a Sikh nation, but he is also a realist. I spoke with him not three days ago, he thinks that the Pakistani Intelligence Bureau is behind this submarine incident. My brother has contacts within the Indian Navy, they were stunned that the Chakra was equipped with nuclear torpedoes, something not in the Indian Navy's inventory. Speculation is that the Chakra surreptitiously made port in Karachi to take those torpedoes on board."

Nakagawa sat up straight in his chair, "Are you telling me the Pakistani Navy gave the Chakra those torpedoes?"

"Not officially, Mr. President. There are elements within Pakistan, in the government and in the military, that desperately want to add Jammu and Kashmir to the national territory. These elements, so my brother says, would benefit greatly in the event of war between China and India."

"Idiots!" Marine General Wurther snapped from the back corner of the room.

"You have something to share, General?" Nakagawa asked, slightly annoyed at the interruption, but agreeing with the sentiment.

"When are those in power going to realize that you take something from somebody, people are going to die? Not their sons, but the sons of the middle class and the poor. Idiots. Sorry Mr. President but this kind of shit, sorry ma'am, drives me crazy."

Nakagawa looked Hamara Segrah Kaur in the eye and asked, "What would you have the United States do, if it was up to you?"

"Nothing, Mr. President. As I understand it, the Chinese are busy with their own demons right now. I suspect that the Pakistani Army will step in to curb their rogue forces. If not, the Indian Army will make short work of them. Attacking India is a very bad idea, as much as we Sikhs love our religion and the thought of our own homeland, I know many Indian Sikhs who will rally to New Delhi due to this potential incursion."

Nakagawa almost sighed with relief, instead he stood up and offered his hand, "Thank you, Madam, you have given me some very good advice I think."

As she and the UN Ambassador turned to go, Nakagawa spoke, "Ambassador van de Burg, please come see me at your earliest convenience."

"I will, Mr. President."

The alarm klaxon began to sound as the column of Pakistani armor drew near the border. The head of the column had already crossed the Ravi River. The column began to deploy into a combat formation when Sergeant Ganesh Padhya saw two aircraft approaching from the left. Bringing his field glasses up, he identified them as Pakistani Air Force Dassault Mirage 5s.

"Where the hell is our air force?" He muttered as he scrunched down further into the machine gun position. It was fairly proof against bullets, but bombs? He thought not.

The two jets dropped lower and made a very high speed pass over the lead tanks of the Pakistani column. They then continued at a very high rate of speed up the river valley until they were out of sight.

"What was that all about, Sergeant?" Private Chakarvarti asked.

"I don't know, son. You'd think they would be making that low pass over us, in preparation for a bomb run ... Dear Lord." Padhya stopped as he saw the two jets approaching again, from the opposite direction, but again seeming to head for the Pakistani column.

Padhya watched in shock as the aircraft dropped their ordnance on the lead Pakistani vehicles.

"What in the name of all that is Holy is happening here?" Padhya muttered.

"Was that what I think it was?" the President rose to his feet in horror.

"Yes Sir, the Pakistani Air Force, well two of their jets, just bombed elements of the Pakistani Army." General Wurther couldn't believe his own eyes, but the satellite coverage was so good that they could even make out the insignia on the Pakistani jets, Mirages he thought.

Bill Aspinall spoke, "Look Sir, the lead elements are turning back from the border. Well, what's left of them."

Nakagawa could see that. He also saw at least three burning tanks, "Well okay, one tank and two APCs on fire," he thought.

The phone on the desk he was using buzzed, he picked it up, "Nakagawa here."

"Mr. President, I have the Prime Minister of India on the line ..."

"Put her through."

"Prime Minister Chetti, it's good to hear your voice. How can I be of service?"

"Mr. President, things, as you might well imagine, are very hectic here at the moment. But I wanted to let you know, I've had a call from the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zaahir Banuchi, and he assured me that the government of his country has had nothing to do with the incident with our submarine Chakra, and the troubles along the Punjabi border. I'm having my forces stand down to a lower level of readiness in order to ease tensions. Both Pakistan and India are having trouble with dissident elements who seek to overthrow the established governments of our nations. Internal problems, such as the United States has experienced lately as well. I personally wish to thank you for your support and your forbearance in these matters."

"Certainly, Madam Prime Minister. If there is anything my government can do to reduce tensions in the region, please don't hesitate to let us know."

"I will, Mr. President, again, thank you."

After she had broken the connection, the President set the phone back on its cradle. He said nothing for a moment, then sat up and said, "If everyone will excuse us, Mr. Aspinall and I need to talk."

When the last person had left the room, he turned to his friend and aide, "So Bill, doesn't it strike you as odd that three of the world's major powers, the U.S., China, India, are suddenly having these internal troubles? Distracting us if you will."

"I cannot think it's a coincidence, boss."

"Nor can I, there's someone behind this, someone with lots of money. Drug cartels? Some wealthy financier working behind the scenes? Who stands to benefit?"

"Sir, if I were you, I might have a long talk with the President of Russia."

"What time is it in Moscow?" the President asked as he glanced at his watch, he saw that it was nearly three in the morning.

Aspinall thought for a second, "It's morning there, about nine I think."

"Arrange the call, Bill. I want to talk with Maksim Vladimirovich. I don't think his government is involved but ..."

"Russian Mafia?"

Nakagawa nodded, "They've got the money, they've got the motive, and this is certainly an opportunity with all of us focused inwards. Could well be."

"I'll make the call, boss."