“Sir, our objective from the beginning was not to get into a big furball with dozens of aircraft in this area,” Curtis explained. “If we had huge waves of fighters up there, it might’ve looked like an invasion force. Besides, we had no way of knowing the Chinese would not only send fighters to chase down our recon planes, but launch antiship missiles as well…”
“I should have known.” The President sighed. “I should have erred on the side of protecting our troops…” “Perhaps it would have been better to have more fighters up initially,” Curtis allowed, “but our aircraft were in international airspace and outside the established Philippine air- defense zone at all times. Our reconnaissance plane came no closer than forty miles to a Chinese vessel that was fifty miles offshore — well within the law. Our aircraft broadcast identification signals, they were in constant contact with international overwater flight-following agencies, and they used no type of jammers whatsoever. The
“It seems that we underestimated the Chinese, then,” Thomas Preston said. “This is no mere foray they’re involved in — this is a major military operation. They are prepared to defend their positions with everything they have and do whatever it takes — including attacking a United States aircraft carrier.”
“And that should not be tolerated,” General Curtis added. “They’re professing their innocence and at the same time blasting away at our reconnaissance aircraft and carriers—”
“Hold on, hold on, Wilbur,” the President interrupted. “I understand your anger — believe me, I share it. I need to hear some more options first before I consider a military response.” He turned to Secretary of State Danahall. “Dennis, you said you had something for us on the ASEAN meeting?”
“Yes, sir,” Danahall replied. “The Association of South East Asian Nations concluded its emergency session in Singapore yesterday. We’ve got Deborah O’Day over there as our observer.” Curtis glanced quickly at Thomas Preston and detected a slight edge in his expression. O’Day was once Preston’s Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Pacific — one of a multitude of positions she held in two White House administrations — and had been fired from that post for her outspoken advocacy of expanded involvement in Pacific affairs in general and specifically her opposition to the U.S. pullout of the Philippines. Curtis could imagine the reception O’Day got from the predominantly Moslem and generally anti-female men.
“Miss O’Day reports,” Danahall continued, “that the vote to bring sanctions against China was defeated in the ASEAN assembly.”
“What?” the President asked, alarmed. “But they can’t… The Chinese are tearing up the Philippines and ASEAN isn’t going to do anything about it…?”
“That’s not all, sir,” Danahall said. “After the meeting, O’Day was briefly kidnapped…”
The room crackled with tension.
“She’s all right, sir. Not a scratch. Her assailant says he was sent by Second Vice President Samar to officially request military assistance from the United States — and O’Day reports that Samar had delivered a warning not to enter the Celebes Sea region because the Chinese Fleet Admiral was ready to attack.” He held up a sheet of paper. “Here’s her communique from the embassy in Singapore, dated sixteen hours before the attack began.”
The President scanned the communique quickly, then returned to his chair stiff with shock. He turned to Preston, then to Curtis. “Did you know about this?”
“Yes, sir,” Preston replied. “I immediately issued a message to Admiral Walheim about the warning, but we gave this warning little credence at the time.”
“Why?”
“Because the
“We did everything we could do to protect the fleet, sir,” Curtis said. “The proper warnings were issued, the commanders in the field knew the situation…”
“I take full responsibility, sir,” Preston said uneasily. “I should have brought the matter to your attention immediately.”
