Chapter 3 1. Operation New Moon

In the early morning, in the official residence of the Prime Minister of Kuwait, Prime Minister Abra Shawkad got up very early.After he finished wudoo, the servant laid out the prayer mat for him, and he performed the morning prayer piously as usual, first stood and recited, then kowtowed, prostrated on the ground with the tip of his nose and forehead, and then sat down cross-legged, with his hands stretched out and the backs of his hands down : "I begin my prayer by praising the beloved leader of mankind..." Shawkard spent almost half his life in the non-Islamic world.From the age of fifteen, his father sent him to England to study at Cambridge University.After entering politics, he has served as ambassador to the United States and China... He is recognized as a minister with modern thinking and flexible means, but this has not affected his religious piety in the slightest.

As he stood up he said Tasmi: "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Merciful." This ended the morning prayer, and he hurried to breakfast.The secretary, Mr. Hamiller, came in and said: "Your Excellency, Mr. Jivad from the Ministry of Intelligence has arrived. The ambassadors of the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea will make appointments at 8:30 and 12 o'clock in turn." "Okay, let Givaud come in." The stout Jivad took out some documents from his leather bag and spread them on the prime minister's desk, briefly summarizing the information about Iraq in January:

"At the beginning of August, Mr. Schmidt, the US ambassador, passed on top-secret information from the US Central Intelligence Agency, that Iraq will take the Crescent Operation against Kuwait in mid-October, which is likely to be an undeclared war similar to that in August 1990. Later The intelligence agencies of Israel, China, and Egypt also issued the same warning. We immediately concentrated our efforts on closely monitoring Iraq, but so far, we have not found any noteworthy movements.” It seems that Jivad was very confused by this result, He listed in detail the major events in Iraq in the past month:

"On September 5, Kurdish armed forces in northern Iraq attacked the Iraqi army. This was the first exchange of fire in ten years. The Iraqi army immediately entered the city of Erbil. But since then, the Iraqi army has exercised restraint and the fighting has not expanded further. April On the 12th, Iraqi President Gamil Salami delivered a public speech at the Baghdad Theological Seminary, which was nothing more than repeating the old tune of 'Arabs must be united'. Mr. Prime Minister, I really don't understand." Jivad smiled wryly, "Why does Iraq Some political freaks are often hatched. Is the seal of the Prophet Muhammad on the magic bottle invalid? There was Saddam in the 20th century, and Salami was born in the 21st century. Salami is very good at demagoguery. He worships this modern prophet who is committed to Arab unification to the point of fanaticism! According to intelligence personnel, the seminary students are all crazy after listening to his speech, rushing to kiss his shoes."

The Prime Minister was unhappy, he knew that this kind of fanaticism would pose a threat to the weak Kuwait.Givaud continued: "On September 20th, Iraq was vaccinated against Hantavirus. President Salami personally went to the Zubair Industrial Zone to vaccinate his children. As you know, Hantavirus was first discovered in Argentina in 1996. Due to its special variability , so far no vaccine for it has been developed. Baghdad found 8 cases of patients 3 months ago, and then they announced that the vaccine was successfully developed. We think this is probably a psychological warfare. It is a means to reshape Iraq's image and avoid a decline in tourism. , and it is not ruled out that Salami is using this to buy people's hearts."

The Prime Minister frowned and asked, "Do you suspect that the Hanta vaccine is fake?" "It could be glucose or normal saline, Salami is a madman who dares to do anything." The secretary interjected: "The intelligence personnel should get some vaccines and send them back to Kuwait for identification." Jivad smiled bitterly: "We have already thought of it, but we haven't got it yet. Iraq's defense measures against the Hanta vaccine are extremely strict. It is really a strange thing! This also shows that there must be ghosts in it." The Prime Minister pondered for a while and said, "Go back first. The American ambassador is coming soon."

Ambassador Schmidt arrived at the prime minister's residence in a Chrysler electric car.In Kuwait, the charging service for lithium-ion car batteries is still far from perfect, and the outlets are not complete enough, which often caused him some troubles. How nostalgic is that beautiful Mercedes-Benz gasoline car!But in an era when the world's oil reserves are about to run dry, the U.S. government has mandated that all government agencies use electric vehicles, and he has to obey, at least in official business. The Prime Minister was already waiting at the door.The Prime Minister is thin and small, wearing a white Arab robe, with a friendly smile and sharp eyes. When he sees him, he immediately greets him and shakes hands with him according to Western etiquette:

"Welcome, Your Excellency the Ambassador." "Hello, Your Excellency the Prime Minister." After the two sat down, the Prime Minister smiled and said: "Thank you, Ambassador, for the information you forwarded. In the Gulf War 47 years ago, your country and other members of the international family sent troops to drive out the invaders from the territory of Kuwait. We will always remember this in our hearts." The silver-haired, handsome ambassador bowed his body: "You're welcome, that's what we should do." The Prime Minister said: "When the disaster strikes again, in addition to praying to Allah, we hope that the international family will uphold justice for us again. May I ask, do you have any new information about Operation Crescent in Iraq?"

"Not yet. The KH-23 spy satellite has not found any signs of Iraqi military mobilization. But I think I can't sit back and relax. Your Excellency knows that President Salami has been in power for 18 years and has exploited domestic oil reserves plunderingly. Petrodollars are frantically expanding their armaments. Now the Iraqi army has returned to 1 million troops, and its comprehensive strength has ranked among the top 10 in the world. It cannot be ruled out that they are still producing biological and chemical weapons. If they want to occupy Kuwait, which is indefensible, they only need a short Days of mobilization."

A hint of sarcasm emerged from the corner of the Prime Minister's mouth.He thought that Ambassador Schmidt must know that three-fifths of the Iraqi army's equipment came from Hughes or Lockheed of the United States.Since the lifting of the arms embargo against Iraq, American arms dealers have flocked to Iraq, determined to recover the profits lost during the embargo period.Of course, he would not say these words.He said earnestly: "We have great confidence in the friendship between Kuwait and your country. We hope that your country can intervene as soon as possible this time, so as not to allow the aggressors to set foot on our territory and cause heavy losses like last time."

Ambassador Schmidt said with a wry smile: "We will do our best. Kuwait is the only remaining major oil-producing country in the world. Of course we know the importance of your country's security to the world economy. However, today is not the 1990s, The 21st century is the century of Asia, and frankly speaking, the United States is no longer capable of organizing this international intervention, please find those aggressive neighbors in Asia." There was a bit of jealousy in his words. The Prime Minister smiled and said: "Thank you for your suggestion. But given our special relationship with your country, we still hope that your country can actively participate." "Please rest assured about this." When that Chrysler EV drove away, a luxurious Hongqi Type III gasoline car took its place.From the end of the last century until now, the Hongqi sedan has been favored by car collectors, at first because of its political commemorative significance, and later because of its solemnity-this kind of technically perfect car cannot be born. At the right time, it is destined to only be used as a sacrificial object for the oil industry. Ambassador Nan Huairen stepped out of the car, wearing a well-crafted navy blue suit and tie, with an elegant demeanor.The prime minister had already gotten acquainted with Nan Huairen during his stay in China, so the two quickly got to the point. Ambassador Nan said earnestly: "Prime Minister, please rest assured that both China and Iraq and Kuwait have good relations, but once a certain country dares to blatantly trample on international law - you must know that this is the 21st century! - the family of nations will never The Chinese government has initially agreed with several countries, including Russia, the United States, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, to hold a long-term joint military exercise near the Persian Gulf, which can serve as a deterrent It also facilitates a quick response.” "Thank you very much for your country's decision." "However," the ambassador's tone was slightly hesitant, "as a friend of the Prime Minister for many years, I would like to make some suggestions in my personal capacity. According to a friend of mine in the Ministry of State Security of China, he has a very strong feeling, 'Xin Yue "The intelligence of the operation belongs to the kind of 'too real' intelligence. The intelligence personnel of several countries stole this secret almost at the same time. But on the other hand, the reconnaissance satellites have not found the actual signs of the army assembly so far. The contrast between the two is too great, It's not normal." Before this, the Prime Minister had never doubted this very conclusive information, and he was a little surprised: "You suspect it's false information?" "It's too early to tell. If it's fake, why did Iraq throw it out? To attract the attention of international public opinion? A smoke screen to cover other actions? It's hard to explain. But the way of thinking of the 'leader' is different from ordinary people Yes, we can't guess with common sense." The ambassador ended the conversation with a smile. "In any case, please trust our promise." The prime minister glanced at the vertical wall clock. There were still 20 minutes before the appointment time of the Japanese ambassador. He smiled and bowed to Ambassador Nan: "Let's put politics aside and talk about a little personal topic. During my tenure as an ambassador in China, what I felt the most, you know what? Is the envy of your country and the Chinese nation, it can be said to be jealous." He emphasized his tone Said: "You have two of the richest historical heritage, a vast country; a nation that endures hardships and stands hard work, has a large number of people, and has a strong centripetal force. Therefore, even in the most difficult period of the Opium War, you still have the hope of revival .What about Kuwait? You know that the name 'Kuwait' means 'small fortress', but this small fortress is impenetrable; 2 million people, 58% are expatriates, and 42% of Kuwait are in oil Those who grow up on the dollar are grown up with the pacifier of the government's welfare policy, and have long lost their vigor. This is doomed to us only relying on the kindness of big countries." Nan Huairen heard the deep pain of a politician from this frank conversation, and he comforted him: "Your Excellency, the Prime Minister, is a politician with great vision. Twenty years ago, when you first came into power, you cut 70% of oil production in spite of the opposition of almost the whole country. It has established Kuwait's absolute advantage in today's oil market. I really admire the prime minister's foresight and determination." The Prime Minister shook his head: "It's hard to get back. Even the oil wealth that I have tried my best to save may become the cause of disaster. How does that Chinese idiom say? Is it a crime to conceive jade?" "Every man is innocent, but pregnant is guilty." "Yes, at least in the eyes of that neighbor in the north, the Burgan and Lauzatain oil fields are his fat that grows day and night." He changed the subject; "I have to thank your country; a Chinese doctor cured My son's chronic illness." "yes?" "My youngest son, Fahmi. He was born with allergies, and at the age of fifteen he had a bad cold, which made him allergic to almost everything, and he had to live in a glass mask all year round. It was an exquisite cage, yes It is too cruel for a lively and active young man! I have taken him to almost all famous hospitals in the world, such as the Hamburg University Medical Center in Germany, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the United States, The doctors at the University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology and Immunity, Harvard Medical School, Tokyo Medical University, etc. can do nothing. But a month ago, Allah gave us a young Chinese doctor who cured my son with miraculous ointments and injections strange disease." Ambassador Nan was secretly ashamed. He knew about Fahmi's condition and had introduced Chinese doctors to him.But he didn't even know about the young doctor's arrival.He asked carefully: "This young doctor..." "He is visiting the Gulf. His name is Huangfulin. I heard that he is the successor of Mr. Huangfu Youshan, a famous school of balance medicine in your country." Nan Huairen was secretly surprised.He is not ignorant of the domestic situation, but he has never heard of any balance school.Could it be that this is some quack doctor?He couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. If the doctor cures the deaf man into dumbness, it will inevitably cause some minor troubles in diplomacy.After thinking about it for a while, he thought it best not to talk about his worries, and asked with a smile: "Has your son recovered?" "Healed completely. A month ago, he couldn't go out, and even if he went out, he had to wear gloves and a breathing purifier. Now he plays with Huang Fulin on the beach every day, like a pardoned prisoner. He is so happy! " The prime minister's joy was beyond words, and the ambassador was also very happy to have such a happy ending. He said with a smile: "My sincere congratulations to your son on his recovery. I would like to ask my government to honor this doctor." The Hongqi III car was speeding along the coastal avenue of Kuwait City. There were small buildings with satellite antennas on both sides of the road. Several seawater desalination towers stood by the sea. The tall A-shaped towers were strung together with one or two shining The round ball, which is a wonderful combination of grandeur and exquisiteness, has become a symbol of Kuwait.There are many pedestrians on the roadside and on the beach, and it is easy to distinguish Pakistanis, Indians, Iranians, etc. among them by their skin color and clothing, but Kuwaitis are rare. Inside the car, Ambassador Nan Huairen has been meditating with his eyes closed. This so-called "inheritor of balanced medicine" always makes him feel uneasy.After thinking about it, he turned on his mobile phone and wanted to call Dr. Guo in the embassy: "Hello, Old Guo." "Hello, where are you now? Is there any emergency?" "No, I'm just asking about someone. Do you know that there is a school of balanced medicine in China? Please try to collect some information. I'll introduce it to me when I get back later." When he returned to the embassy, ​​Dr. Guo was already waiting for him in his office and asked: "Old Nan, why are you suddenly interested in balance medicine? There is no information about it here, but I know it is a school of folk medicine in Mengcheng, Anhui." "What do you think of it?" Dr. Guo laughed: "You only need to know two things. The patriarch of balance medicine, Huangfu Youshan, publicly claimed that one medicine can cure all diseases. Anyone with a little scientific knowledge would not believe this myth. Also, he actually It is too arrogant to completely deny the modern medicine that has been tempered for thousands of years. What's the matter with you? You seem to be worried." The ambassador briefly introduced the situation: "If this young man is a folk witch doctor or a liar, it will inevitably cause diplomatic troubles. But according to the Prime Minister, his son Fahmi has indeed recovered from his chronic illness." Dr. Guo shook his head and said: "Some folk doctors do have some proven prescriptions, and they are also good at using patients' beliefs to cure diseases. You know, patients' psychological factors can indeed affect the medical process. But this 'sincerity leads to wisdom' method is Witchcraft rather than medicine, I don't want to comment." The ambassador looked at his watch. It was already the agreed time for the call. The country was still waiting for the report on the Iraqi dispute. He said to the doctor: "You can go. Pay attention to Fahmi's condition in the past few days." He came to the secret room, which was a tightly sealed cage with multiple layers of metal and rubber to prevent any form of eavesdropping.He reported the situation to Foreign Minister Qiao Ye on the encrypted phone. Minister Qiao said: "The decision for the military exercise has been made, and it will be announced at 8:00 am tomorrow in Beijing, Moscow, New York and other places. my country will send a task force headed by the nuclear aircraft carrier Deng Shichang, and Russia, the United States, and the Pan-European Union will also send task forces. Japan sent observers. The location of the exercise is in the southeast of the Gulf of Oman, at 22.5° north latitude and 62° east longitude. Please predict how the Arab world will react if the situation develops to the point where it has to confront Iraq with war?" "Arab governments will not have objections, because the so-called Arab unity of Salami is a threat to them. Individual countries may remain neutral. After all, Iraq is a close neighbor and the number one military power in the Arab world. I don't think there will be any Which country openly supports Iraq. But Salami has many fanatical believers in various countries, and there are some small radical organizations, and they will fiercely oppose foreign interference.” Minister Qiao smiled wryly and said, "Why are we willing to go! However, the improvement of our international status over the past few decades has also put heavy shackles on us. Do you have anything else to do? Goodbye."