Virginia, Langley, CIA Headquarters Building.
The first high-level eting chaired by the new acting director, Simon, had a slightly reserved atmosphere.
The chiefs of the Directorate of Operations (DO), the Directorate of Intelligence (DI), the Directorate of Science and Technology (DS&T), and the Directorate of Support (DS)... all those in control of the United States' overseas intelligence and clandestine operations gathered, with the aroma of coffee in the air and a subtle tension brought by the new official's arrival.
Simon sat at the head position, leaning slightly back to appear composed and unhurried.
He placed his hands crossed on the smooth tabletop, his expression perfectly controlled, blending authority, genuine attentiveness, and just the right amount of concern.
"Colleagues,"
Finally, Simon broke the suffocating silence.
"I believe everyone has seen the briefing. It's completely out of our previous intelligence analysis and predictions that Halaib was actually held by the governnt army, whereas the logistics hub at Dehuk of 1515 was taken out instead."
At this point, he paused and glanced around at those present.
"Abu Omar—the leader of the 'Victory Front', was very likely sent to Hell with a single shot from over a kiloter away by that guy nad Song Heping."
He looked around, observing everyone's reactions.
"An officially designated and registered 'terrorist leader', now becoming a battlefield hero of the Damascus regi, potentially even altering the trajectory of the local conflict single-handedly. What does this an for our strategic layout, our regional prestige, and even our reputation? How should we respond? I would like to hear your opinions, speak your mind freely."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jackson, the Deputy Chief of the Directorate of Operations—a forr Delta Force officer temporarily filling the position due to the mysterious death of the previous chief, Kelly—straightened his back imdiately.
"Sir,"
Jackson's voice was loud, carrying the crispness unique to military personnel.
"I believe this is a fantastic opportunity. An opportunity to completely nail Damascus and its supporters on the pillar of sha in terms of public opinion and morals. We can leak the intelligence about Song Heping's close cooperation with the Silia Governnt Army, or even potentially receiving honors, through the credible channels we control, 'precisely' to The New York Tis, CNN, or BBC. I've even thought of the headline for them—'Brutal Terrorist Becos Damascus' Distinguished Guest, Assad Regi Colludes with Terror Forces!'"
He paused for a mont, enjoying the focus of everyone's attention, and continued: "This wave of public opinion should be enough to create huge waves in the international community, hitting Damascus and its backer, the Kremlin, hard, causing them to be diplomatically overwheld and struggling for a long ti to co. We can take this opportunity to increase military and economic support for the Freedom Army (FSA) and other 'Moderate Opposition', and even push for more stringent sanctions at the Security Council level to further isolate the current Silia regi. Then, we could rightfully have the military bomb Damascus, and our task force would infiltrate the hinterland to mark Song Heping's position, providing the Air Force with the coordinates for a decapitation strike."
Simon remained silent, nodding slightly, while quickly calculating internally—
A public opinion offensive?
Then bombing?
Idiot.
If isolation through public opinion was enough, the CIA would have taken out Song Peace a long ti ago.
That guy has already been listed as a KB leader.
What's more serious than that?
Besides, now the West plainly wants to take down the Hafez regi in Silia, do you think they would be foolish enough to abandon cooperation with Song Peace out of fear of being isolated by you?
The guys from Delta are indeed all muscle, no brains.
Sure enough, Erin, the Chief of the Directorate of Intelligence, imdiately pushed her exquisite gold-rimd glasses, calmly pouring a bucket of cold water.
Known for her ticulous logic and thorough analysis, this female expert spoke with a calm yet undeniable tone: "Jackson's idea sounds tempting, and strategically it fits our usual cognitive warfare pattern, but forgive for being blunt, this plan is too idealistic and overlooks huge potential risks."
She scanned around, her gaze finally resting on Simon.
"First, we must soberly recognize that our direct military intervention in Silia is currently very limited, mainly intelligence support, financial aid, and a small number of Special Forces advisers. If we stir up this topic through public opinion, the world's attention will focus here, followed by public opinion and those guys in Congress will press us: 'So, what does the great United States plan to do?' Send planes to bomb Damascus? Dispatch Special Forces for a decapitation strike, going deep into the Russian military's air defense zone to take out Song Heping? This is almost tantamount to openly declaring war on the Russian-supported regi, pushing NATO and Russia, the two nuclear powers, to the brink of direct military confrontation."
She emphasized: "Gentlen, let's not forget, we just withdrew from Illiguo less than a year ago, and the chaos from the withdrawal plan has not yet subsided. The war situation in Afghan is still entangled in a stalemate, and the montum of the Taliban's resurgence is fierce. Dostic anti-war sentint is at an unprecedented high, and the White House and Congress will definitely not approve any adventurous action that could lead us into another major Middle Eastern ground war, or even cause a direct conflict with Russia. We cannot afford this political cost."
Ending her words, she lightly tapped the table: "Especially don't forget, at the beginning of this year, the Cria Peninsula incident, we're already in a tense standoff with the Russians, and just a little spark can ignite a big war, this consequence must be taken into account."
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