Brown, Dale - Independent 01 Read Online Free Page B

Brown, Dale - Independent 01
Book: Brown, Dale - Independent 01 Read Online Free
Author: Silver Tower (v1.1)
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“The
tentative scenario has been approved by the Politburo,” Khromeyev began. “The
ultimate objective of Operation Feather is to consolidate the Persian
Gulf region under complete political and military control of our
Soviet Communist party. The party, through the defense council, has ordered the
Stavka to accomplish the objectives set out in these orders.”
                Khromeyev
referred to a folder on the long conference table as a detailed
computer-generated map of the Persian Gulf appeared on
the screen. “Forces employed will consist mainly of air, land, and sea forces
under the command of the Southern Military Theater. Operation Feather will be
conducted using forces generated during Operation Rocky Sweep, our annual Southern
TVD military district combat exercise. The forces mobilized during
Rocky Sweep will be augmented by reserve forces for home defense as Operation
Feather is implemented. A small but dramatic Iranian attack against one of our
destroyers in the Persian Gulf will precipitate our
defensive containment response. The attack will be preplanned by GRU and KGB
agents in place in Iran ,
and will use Iranian Silkworm antiship missiles fired from Bandar-Abbas near
the Strait of Hormuz .
                “We already
have an entire carrier task force in place. The Mockba-class Leonid V. Brezhnev aircraft carrier is
stationed in the Persian Gulf . The Brezhnev battle group is nearly unopposed—the Americans, I’m glad
to say, still refuse to put one of their carriers in the gulf out of fear of
reprisal. The Brezhnev has six
cruisers, ten destroyers, and ten support vessels. When the destroyer Sovremennyy is attacked, the battle
group will attack the Iranian military ports of Abadan ,
Bandar-Abbas, and Bushehr. The group will be reinforced by Tu-95 and Tu-121B
naval bombers from our ports in South Yemen . Control of
Bandar-Abbas will give us control of the Straits of Hormuz, the major
chokepoint, as you well know, of the entire Persian Gulf .
The southern Teatr Voennykh Deistvii will occupy Tehran , with assistance
from three divisions from Afghanistan ,
which will control the eastern border. Southern TVD ,
Caspian flotilla, and Iraqi forces will capture the western frontier.”
                Czilikov
noticed a few nervous faces in the Kollegiya. They were not, it seemed, itching
for battle. They would follow orders, but this was a far more ambitious
operation than they had expected.
                Khromeyev
pushed on. “Syrian and Iraqi forces will contain any American military reaction
from Turkey ,
and the Brezhnev carrier battle group
in the Persian Gulf will close off the air and sea
approaches to the Persian Gulf , the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian
Sea .” Czilikov stood and faced the Kollegiya. The computer map had
frozen with the scene of red sickles and hammers spread from Syria to Pakistan .
                “In one
week we will occupy Iran ,”
Czilikov said. “A coup will reinstate the Islamic regime of Larijani, which
will, as mentioned, unify Iran under the Islamic Republic of Persia. We will retain both political and
military control of the region and prevent the United
States from ever regaining a strong
strategic foothold in the Persian Gulf .”
                There was a
low rumble of voices. Czilikov sat, folded his hands before him on the table,
waiting for the rumble to subside. A few short years ago such a bold plan would
have provoked vigorous, angry protests. No longer. Already the men surrounding
Czilikov began to quiet. The members of the Kollegiya were either too
dumbfounded or afraid or both to speak out. Czilikov let his words linger for a
few moments, then said, “Your comments, tovarischniyes.”
                “It’s a
brilliant plan,” Ilanovsky said enthusiastically. “A swift,
crushing pincer that will grab the entire region away from the U.S. ”
                “I assure
you the

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