Henriksen looked over at Dr. Brightling for approval and got a nod. "How would they like to get even with the SAS?"
"That has been discussed many times, but it is not practical. It is like sending a bank robber into a guarded bank - no, that is not right. It is like sending a robber into the government agency which prints the money. There are too many defensive assets to make the mission practical."
"But they actually wouldn't be going to Hereford, would they? What if we could draw them out into the open, and then stage our own little surprise for them?…" Henriksen explained on.
It was a very interesting idea, Popov thought. But: "It is still a very dangerous mission."
"Very well. What is the current condition of the IRA?"
Popov leaned back in his chair. "They are badly split. There are now several factions. Some want peace. Some want the disorders to continue. The reasons are both ideological and personal to the faction members. Ideological insofar as they truly believe in their political objective of overturning both the British rule in Northern Ireland and the Republican government in Dublin, and establishing a `progressive socialist' government. As an objective, it's far too ambitious for a practical world, yet they believe in it and hold to it. They are committed Marxists-actually more Maoist than Marxist, but that is not important to us at the moment."
"And the personal side?" Brightling asked.
"When one is a revolutionary, it is not merely a matter of belief, but also a matter of perception by the public. To many people a revolutionary is a romantic character, ii person who believes in a vision of the future and is willing to risk his life for it. From that comes his social status. Those who know such people often respect them. Therefore, to lose that status injures the former revolutionary. He must now work for a living, drive a truck or whatever he is capable of-"
"Like what happened to you when the KGB RIF'd you, in other words," Henriksen offered. Popov had to nod at that. "In a way, yes. As a field officer of State Security, I had status and importance enjoyed by few others in the Soviet Union, and losing that was more significant to me than the loss of my modest salary. It will be the same for these Irish Marxists. And so they have two reasons for wanting the disorders to continue: their political ideological beliefs, and their need for personal recognition as something more than ordinary worker-citizens."
"Do you know such people?" Henriksen asked pointedly.
"Yes, I can probably identify some. I met many in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, where they trained with other 'progressive elements.' And I have traveled to Ireland on occasion to deliver messages and money to support their activities. Those operations tied up large segments of the British Army, you see, and were, therefore, worthy of Soviet support as a distraction to a large NATO enemy." Popov ended his discourse, looking at the other two men in the room. "What would you have them do?"
"It's not so much a question of what as of how," Bill told the Russian. "You know, when I was in the Bureau, we used to say that the IRA was composed of the best terrorists in the world, dedicated, smart, and utterly vicious."
"I would agree with that assessment. They were superbly organized, ideologically sound, and willing to undertake nearly anything if it had a real political impact."
"How would they view this mission?"
"What mission is that?" Dmitriy asked, and then Bill explained his basic mission concept. The Russian listened politely and thoughtfully before responding: "That would appeal to them, but the scope and the dangers are very large."
"What would they require to cooperate?"
"Money and other support, weapons, explosives, the things they need to carry on their operations. The current faction-fighting has probably had the effect of disrupting their logistical organization. That's doubtless how the peace faction is trying to control the continued-violence faction, simply by restricting their access to weapons. Without that, they cannot take physical action, and cannot therefore enhance their own prestige. So, if you offer them the wherewithal to conduct operations, they will listen seriously to your plan."
"Money?"
"Money allows one to purchase things. The factions with which we would deal have probably been cut off from regular funding sources."
"Which are?" Brightling asked.
"Drinking clubs, and what you call the 'protection racket,' yes?"
"That's right," Henriksen confirmed with a nod. "That's how they get their money, and that source is probably well controlled by the peace factions."
"So, then, how much do you think, Dmitriy?" John Brightling asked.
"Several million dollars, I should say, at the least, that is."
"You'll have to be very careful laundering it," Bill warned their boss. "I can help."
"Call it five million?…"
