George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 197

George W. Bush’s Great America – Episode 196

France’s President Jacques Chirac finished reading the final chapter of a comprehensive report analyzing the Riga incident. He tossed it onto his desk, feeling his strength wane and his blood pressure rise, barely managing to contain himself.

“So, we know what caused Riga’s downfall.”

The cause wasn’t discovered by the United States, Russia, or Latvia, but by France. Because the hijacked aircraft were French, all the prisoners were handed over to France. This gave France the authority and rights to interrogate them.

A significant achievement, an opportunity to increase influence. The EU was rife with infighting over this, but France’s counter-terrorism unit, the GIGN [Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale, a special operations unit of the French Armed Forces], had stormed the planes and subdued the terrorists without a single casualty.

During interrogation, a mid-level terrorist offered crucial information in exchange for acquittal. Granting outright acquittal to terrorists who hijacked three planes and caused hundreds of millions in damage by bombing an illegal airfield was impossible, requiring lengthy negotiations.

Finally, today, under parole conditions monitored by the French government, he spoke. If his information proved insignificant, they planned to charge him with contempt, but everyone was shocked by what they heard.

‘I want to beat the hell out of those damn al-Qaeda bastards.’

This was around the time China was on the verge of reverting to martial law and a rationing system. It wasn’t just Chinese people working in China. After the Chinese Communist Party opened the economy and granted employment qualifications to foreigners, many Middle Easterners worked there.

Some were ‘al-Qaeda.’ It was hard to find a country al-Qaeda hadn’t infiltrated, but surprisingly, there weren’t many members in China. This was partly due to China’s paranoia about foreigners and its closed-off nature until recently, resembling North Korea. Moreover, despite advertising religious freedom, all religions, including Buddhism and Christianity, were suppressed.

The important part starts here. Some al-Qaeda members from the Chinese branch, fleeing the crackdown, returned to the Middle East and brought SARS with them. This was one route through which SARS was introduced to the Middle East. There may have been other routes, but al-Qaeda truly spread SARS throughout the region.

Al-Qaeda has several factions, almost like warlords. Some fanatic groups thought, ‘The chosen ones will survive, and the unchosen will die!’

The chosen ones meant those truly chosen by Yahweh [God in Judaism and some forms of Christianity], meaning themselves. Not just any Islam, but their specific interpretation. The unchosen meant everyone else.

Regarding the ‘Super SARS’ outbreak, they identified mutations in the poor environment of the Middle East, but no one knew why it spread so quickly worldwide.

Everyone blamed poor border control, but that didn’t explain how it penetrated developed countries with strict quarantine measures.

The answer was that they constantly shipped items used by Super SARS-infected individuals to other countries, widely distributing them to poor countries as relief goods, and deliberately getting pickpocketed in slums or popular tourist spots in developed countries.

That’s how Super SARS spread. However, they didn’t know they were spreading Super SARS, and the collapse of Riga was unexpected, a product of coincidences, a tragic outcome.

Al-Qaeda issued statements, proclaiming, ‘This is the divine punishment we are delivering on behalf of God!’ but no intelligence organization took it seriously, assuming it was just bluster.

But it actually happened.

‘If we handle this well, the EU could completely control the Middle East for half a century. That’s enough time for oil to be replaced by alternative resources.’

There was no reason to hide this information. However, France had its own way of using it for its national interest. For example, the French army could prepare first and then announce it, potentially allowing France to lead a significant portion of the EU forces.

As Jacques Chirac pondered how to best utilize this, his aide rushed in with a document.

“What is it?”

“Your Excellency, this is new, urgent information.”

Urgent usually meant more pressing than the current task. Could anything be more urgent than this? He didn’t hide his doubt and displeasure.

“Speak.”

However, the moment Jacques Chirac heard the urgent information, his indifferent expression froze.

“A significant number of Middle Easterners who escaped from Riga and formed warlords are Kurds.”

At the same time, in a forest on the outskirts of Riga, Sergeant Boris of the Russian Volunteer Corps was in an absurd situation. A civilian with arrows dangling from his bag appeared and started bawling uncontrollably, pleading with a pale face and desperate expression. Boris couldn’t understand a word.

Originally, each squad had a translator or soldier who knew Latvian, but that person had to drop out due to gastroenteritis. The squad leader, thinking he could manage with simple phrases like ‘Get lost’ or ‘Fuck off,’ proceeded, which was now a problem.

‘What’s wrong with that guy’s gastroenteritis? I’ll beat him up when we get back.’

The reason for his trouble was that the person who shot the arrows confidently stepped forward. He seemed not to think he would be shot, which drove Boris crazy.

‘Who’s white and who’s black? Or are they both black?’

This was mind-boggling. Were two looters fighting, and one ran to them for help? However, the archer’s attitude was too suspicious.

“We need to control the situation.”

He muttered, urging himself on.

“Drop your weapon!”

Listening to the story could wait. Boris decided to force the archer to drop his weapon, using Russian, broken English, and body language.

‘If he doesn’t understand and disobeys, it wouldn’t be a problem if an unfortunate accident occurs.’

Boris was a soldier. His mission was to regain control of Riga from illegal armed groups, not to judge right and wrong. Civilian casualties or unfortunate incidents could be justified. Other units might hesitate, but not this elite unit.

“Drop your weapon now!”

He definitely understood. Usually, they understand instinctively. But why wasn’t he dropping it?

“You’ll only get two warnings!”

He wouldn’t take his life, but he intended to send him to the hospital.

“No.”

However, Boris had to take his finger off the trigger. The word from the archer was a Latvian word he knew.

“I was thinking of introducing you to some new friends I made.”

That brief hesitation was fatal. Hundreds of lead bullets rained down on the Russian Volunteer Corps from all directions simultaneously.

“Shit!”

The Russian volunteers reflexively went prone, but many were already mortally wounded. This was partly due to lax perimeter security, but the critical factors were the open space and the time they gave the enemies to prepare.

A soldier in an open field was a stationary target, no matter how well-trained. They couldn’t suppress or do anything. The ten-year training to become an elite force collapsed in a moment.

‘Damn it! Almost the entire squad wiped out by one mistake!’

However, even in the moment of falling, experience didn’t die. He poured his remaining will into the trigger, firing wildly into the forest. Screams and foreign curses indicated hits. The effort put into the tower proved worthwhile, even in its collapse.

“Where did that damn archer go…!”

He had to kill that archer. It was a classic feint. Without that man, they wouldn’t have been ambushed. He turned his gun to where the archer had been, but only saw an arrow flying towards him.

Arrows are slower than bullets, but not slow enough to dodge at 50m.

“Damn it!”

A shock hit his head. The arrow hit his bulletproof helmet. He would have died without it. Resentment surged.

‘Damn, was it a problem that I habitually aimed for the forehead?’

Levitz, hiding behind a giant tree, clicked his tongue. It was his first time fighting soldiers. He had worn helmets before, but crude, homemade ones easily penetrated by arrows.

‘It was the right choice to establish political cooperation.’

Levitz wasn’t on anyone’s side. However, he didn’t want to hand over Riga to the government. Riga had to belong to the people of Riga.

“Anyway, they’re scary. The Kurds.”

Despite being foreigners, they quickly united, pushed out local forces, and occupied one of Riga’s largest districts. Most incoming workers were Kurds. They united easily because of their shared ethnicity, combat experience, and ability to survive in harsh environments.

They were confronting the Russian army with guerrilla warfare. If the Russian army started bombing or shelling, they would collapse, but that was impossible. Riga had already been burned down. Burning the forest could become an international issue. And the fact that they were volunteer soldiers, foreign troops, also played a role. The Russian Volunteer Corps had to fight limited battles with limited resources in foreign territory.

The Kurds seem oppressed in the Middle East, but that was their problem. It didn’t change the fact that they had helped ruin Riga.

‘I’ll eventually have to take care of them with my own hands…’

Levitz’s hand, holding the bow, tightened.

This conflict wasn’t isolated. More than half of the battles fought by the Russian Volunteer Corps were against the Kurds.

This news reached Putin, who sent the Russian Volunteer Corps, and Bush, who unleashed the CIA.