Chapter 15: Big Trouble in Little Kirkuk

A/N: Meh.

"I'm up. I'm up," I wheezed as I dragged Saddams middle aged body out of bed. My brain fog had disappeared and my heart was racing.

Kamal helped me into my shirt as I zipped up my pants. "What's the current situation? Have the attackers been neutralized?"

"The news is very patchy and delayed your Excellency. I believe some of the attackers had been killed but a firefight was still ongoing," Kamal replied.

"Who is the main commander of our forces near the oil field?" I asked Kamal as we rushed towards the new war centre that I had had purpose built as an annexe to the Presidential Palace.

"I believe there is a Captain in charge of the squadron directly dealing with the terrorists. Captain Kirdar. The overall in charge for the Kirkuk area is Lt. Colonel Salah. You promised him from Major after the...recent purge."

Along the way Ahmed joined our contingent without a word or a pause.

"Ahmed, I want you to get in touch with this Captain Kirdar. If we can capture even one attacker alive he should try it, albeit without risking out troops overtly. Also speak with Lt. Col. Salah, he is to enforce a strict curfew around Kirkuk and the oil field. Our army should control the region with an iron fist."

"Yes sir, right away," affirmed Ahmed as he peeled off to find a military phone.

Kamal and I almost barged into the War Room. The table in the center wasnt circular, that would have been too strangelove, but it was long and oval. My senior most military commanders were already arrayed around it, engaged in a furious discussion which halted as I rushed in. They leapt to their feet and saluted.

"At ease," I said distractedly as I dumped myself into the seat at the head of the table. "Status update?"

"Your Excellency the latest report is that our forces around the oil field have neutralized all but three of the terrorists who are holed up near an equipment storage godown. Three of the oil wells are on fire. We believe that twenty two of the workers lost their lives because of the initial explosion and three soldiers were killed in the ensuing gun battle," said a man closest to my right. This was Lt. General Faoud, formerly a Brigadier General. He was young to be a Lt. General, essentially the second highest army rank.

"Your Excellency I suggest we ask the commander in charge or Kirkuk enforce martial law of the region," said the oldest of the group -Lt. General Saad al Hashimi. He was the only one at the rank of Lt. General whose career survived the purge of 1979. My interviews with army officers who served under him suggested that while not strategically minded at all, al Hashimi did not have a political bone in his body and was a competent if dull commander.

"Already taken care of," I replied.

We stayed in the war room for another half hour discussing and implementing tactical points about strengthening the supply line to the Kirkuk regiment from the South. I think by that point we all suspected that the attack had been launched by the Kurds. I was still hoping that wasnt the case because it would mean war and I desperately wanted to avoid getting mired in a conflict.

But half an hour later Ahmed handed me the receiver of a red telephone telling me, "Captain Kirdar from Kirkuk with an update sir."

"Hello, Captain. This is Saddam. I hope you have good news for me."

"Sir!" came a sharp but young voice across the phone. "The gunbattle is over. We lost four soldiers but all eight of the attackers have been neutralized. We managed to capture on alive. He has been wounded, shot in the stomach. When we found him, he was moaning in Kurdish...we will interrogate him once the doctors have him stabilised."

"Excellent work under pressure Captain. I am truly sorry for the loss of our soldiers. But you have done well in taking control of the situation quickly," I said. "Give your squadron a well deserved rest, Lt. Col. Salah will relieve you and take command of Kirkuk."

"Sir!" he replied sharply before signing off.

"Gentlemen," I said turning to my waiting seniormost officers, "the situation is now under control."

There was real life cheering in the war room. I realised then how battered the military must have felt by the constant purging and corruption of old Saddam. This must have felt like the first true victory in ages although in reality we had our asses handed to us in a surprise attack.

I allowed them their moments of jubilation. "It is almost certain that the Kurds are behind this. I am disappointed that they have responded in this manner to my overtures, but this is now an armed rebellion and we will take back control."

I saw a lot of firm nodding, my men wanted revenge.

"This will NOT be about revenge," I said firmly. " We will keep our objectives in mind. The kurds are also Iraqis. Our actions will be to defang the rebels and take back control. We will not punish innocent civilians."

I looked around the room with a glare.

"What I want by 1700 hours gentlemen is at least three different strategies that we can pursue to win. I dont want pies in the sky I want real implementable strategies. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Sir what about the oil well fires?" Faoud asked.

"I'm afraid we will need external help to put those out quickly. The armys task should be to evacuate the population to a safe distance. I want all potential flammable material to be removed from around the area asap."

"Very well sir."

"Kamal get me Ambassador Dickman on the phone. Gentlemen, quick thoughts and quick action. What we do in the coming months will define the Iraqi military for generations."

I sighed as I left the war room. I had strong hope for my military. It was the first institution in which I had begun the process of introducing a strong meritocracy but the issue was the purge of 1979 had removed the General of the army as well as most of the Lt. Generals and even some of the Air Force Lt. Generals. What I needed now was one of the new Lt. Generals to step up and show strategy and steel. Saad al Hashmi was an option but the old timer wouldn't be a strong General I could already tell.

Back in my office, Kamal had roused Dickman who by this point had been made Ambassador of Iraq and Kuwait and was now based in Baghdad much to Kuwaiti displeasure.

"Your Excellency I've heard the news, how can I help?" asked Dickman sounding tired but alert.

I had no time for niceties. "Are you aware that three oil wells have caught fire?"

"Yes."

"I want Red Adair."