Diamondhead by Patrick Robinson Read Free Book Online

media of both countries could hardly wait to savage the military that guards their freedoms and keeps their nations safe.
     
    One “enterprising” journalist made a phone call to the U.S. military in Iraq and was told, “Yes, we do have a report of an armed clash along the Euphrates, and yes, there is a Navy SEAL commander assisting right now with an internal investigation. We have reports of some casualties on the U.S. side, no knowledge of Iraqi casualties.”
     
    By the time various editors and rewrite men had finished with this and added it to the “report” from Abdul in the attic, it was on for young and old.
     
     
     
    MASSACRE ON THE EUPHRATES—SEAL COMMANDER FACES COURT-MARTIAL
     
     
    There was, of course, an absence of real facts, like what caused the battle? Which side opened fire first, and with what? Did Americans die, which compelled their colleagues to retaliate? Did they come under attack, unprovoked, from roadside weapons? Was there any complaint from official Iraqi authorities?
     
    Never mind all that. What mattered was the chance to demonstrate murderous bullying by U.S. troops, shooting and killing innocent Iraqi farmers, slamming the iron fist of Uncle Sam into the guts of unarmed Bedouins.
     
    There had plainly been glaring failures by U.S. commanders to control their unruly troops. And how did this make the USA appear in the eyes of the world? (See editorial on page 21.)
     
    Not since the disgusting behavior by U.S. troops in Abu Ghraib prison in the spring of 2006 has the ethos of the United States military been called into such question . . . etc., etc.
     
    This bombardment of journalistic half-truths, misapprehensions, and exaggerations almost caused the roof to fall in at the Pentagon, especially on Corridor 7 on the fourth floor, in the head offices of the United States Navy. SEAL activities have been known to raise the blood pressure of navy chiefs, but mostly at the HQ of SPECWARCOM in San Diego. Only when an incident looks likely to spiral out of control does general disquiet start rippling along E Ring and into the office of the chief of naval operations.
     
    Adm. Mark Bradfield, a former U.S. Navy carrier battle-group commander, occupied the CNO’s chair in the Pentagon. Right now he was staring at the front page of the Washington Post, and uttering the time-worn phrase of those in high command but not on the battlefield—“What in the name of Christ is going on over there?”
     
    His personal assistant, Lt. Cdr. Jay Renton, was staring at the front page of the New York Times, and grappled for the most calming phrase he could think of. Jay’s kid brother was a SEAL, serving in Afghanistan, and he knew firsthand about the low cunning of the Taliban and al-Qaeda, the way they had open lines to al-Jazeera and reported the most lurid and unlikely scenarios to the Qatar station, the way they knew how swiftly the left-wing press of the United States would jump all over American troops. “Looks like a pretty nasty battle along the Euphrates, sir,” said Jay. “And, like always, the insurgents get to al-Jazeera television a long time before we’re on the case.”
     
    “Doesn’t say anything about al-Jazeera here,” replied the CNO, somewhat gloomily.
     
    “It does here in the Times ,” answered Jay. “Quotes the source of the story as al-Jazeera, the authoritative Arab-based television station. ”
     
    “Hmmmmm,” replied the CNO, an element of suspicion entering his voice.
     
    “Sir, Garrison Hitmen is probably eight hundred miles from Qatar. Now how do you think the television station found out? Because some al-Qaeda killer hopped into a chicken shed and phoned ’em—with the information that a dozen of his guys had been shot. Never mind why, never mind the circumstances.”
     
    “And how did al-Jazeera find out about the SEAL platoon?”
     
    “They did not find out about it. The U.S. media phoned through to Iraq and discovered the SEALs had been in