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." The two men looked at each other, united for a moment in exasperation at the thought of having to waste precious hours in the Commons."Charles, you must be prepared to open the debate for the Government, and Simon, you will wind up.At least the debate will be on Thursday afternoon; that way some of our colleagues may have gone home for the weekend, though frankly I doubt it.But with any luck we will have secured a moral victory at the United Nations, and we can keep the Opposition minds concentrating on that.When you sum up, Simon, just answer the questions put during the debate.Do not offer any new initiative." She then added, "Report any news you hear directly to me.I shan't be sleeping tonight." Charles walked back to the Foreign Office, thankful at least that Amanda was off somewhere in South America.Simon returned to the Joint Chiefs to find a large map of Libyan territorial waters pinned to a blackboard.Generals, admirals and air marshals were studying the contours and ocean depths like so many children preparing for a geography test.347FIRST AMONG EQUALSThey all stood again when Simon entered the room.They looked at him in anticipation, men of action who were suspicious of talk.When Simon told them the Cabinet's decision was to back the Ministry of Defense, the suggestion of a smile came over the face of Sir John."Perhaps that battle will turn out to be our hardest," he said, just loud enough for everyone to hear."Take me through the plan again," said Simon, ignoring Sir John's comment."I have to present it to the Prime Minister by ten o'clock tomorrow." Sir John placed the tip of a long wooden pointer on a model of HMS Broadsword in the middle of a stretch of water in a well-protected bay.When Charles reached his office, the international telegrams and telexes of support for a diplomatic solution were piled high on his desk.The Permanent Under Secretary reported that the debate in the United Nations had been so onesided that he anticipated an overwhelming majority when they came to vote.Charles feared his hands were tied; he had to be seen to go through the motions, even by his own staff, although he had not yet given up hopes of undermining Simon's plan.He intended the whole episode to end up as a triumph for the Foreign Office and not for those warmongers at the Ministry of Defense.After consulting the Permanent Under Secretary, Charles appointed a small "Libyan task force" consisting of some older Foreign Office mandarins with experience of Qaddafi and four of the department's most promising "high fliers." Oliver Milas, the former ambassador to Libya, had been dragged out of retirement from his comfortable Wilshire home and deposited in a tiny room in the upper reaches of the Foreign Office so that Charles could call on his knowledge of Libya at any time, day or night, throughout the crisis.Charles asked the Permanent Under Secretary to link348FIRST AMONG EQUALShim up with Britain's ambassador at the United Nations."And keep trying to raise Qaddafi."Simon listened to Sir John go over the latest version of Operation Shoplifter.Thirty-seven men from the crack Special Boat Service, a branch of the SAS regiment which had been involved in the St.James's Square siege in April 1984, were now in Rosyth on the Scottish coast, preparing to board HMS Brilliant, the sister ship to Broadsword.The men were to be dropped from a submarine a mile outside Rosyth harbor and swim the last mile and a half underwater until they reached the ship.They would then board Brilliant and expect to recapture her from a mock Libyan crew in an estimated twelve minutes.Brilliant would then be sailed to a distance of one nautical mile off the Scottish coast.The operation was to be completed in sixty minutes.The SBS planned to rehearse the procedure on Brilliant three times before first light the following morning, when they hoped to have the entire exercise down to the hour.Simon had already confirmed the order to send two submarines from the Mediterranean full steam in the direction of the Libyan coast.The rest of the fleet was to be seen to be conspicuously going about its normal busi- ness, while the Foreign Office appeared to be searching for a diplomatic solution.Simon's request to the Joint Chiefs came as no surprise and was granted immediately.He phoned Elizabeth to explain why he wouldn't be home that night.An hour later the Secretary of State for Defense was strapped into a helicopter and on his way to Rosyth.Charles followed the proceedings at the United Nations live in his office.At the end of a brief debate a vote was called for.The Secretary General announced 147-3 349FIRST AMONG EQUALSin Great Britain's favor, with twenty-two abstentions.Charles wondered if such an overwhelming vote would be enough to get the Prime Minister to change her mind over Kerslake's plan.He checked over the voting list carefully.The Russians, along with the Warsaw Pact countries and the Americans, had kept their word and voted with the UK.Only Libya, South Yemen and Djibouti had voted against.Charles was put through to Downing Street and passed on the news.The Prime Minister, although delighted with the diplomatic triumph, refused to change course until she had heard from Qaddafi.Charles put the phone down and asked his Permanent Under Secretary to call Ambassador Kadir to the Foreign Office once more."But it's two o'clock in the morning, Foreign Secretary.19 "I am quite aware what time it is but I can see no reason why, while we are all awake, he should be having a peaceful night's sleep."When Mr.Kadir was shown into the Foreign Office it annoyed Charles to see the little man still looking fresh and dapper.It was obvious that he had just shaved and put on a clean shirt."You called for me, Foreign Secretary?" asked Mr.Kadir politely, as if he had been invited to afternoon tea."Yes," said Charles."We wished to be certain that you are aware of the vote taken at the United Nations an hour ago supporting the United Kingdom's Resolution 12/40.9' "Yes, Foreign Secretary." "In which your government was condemned by the leaders of ninety percent of the people on the globe"---a fact the Permanent Under Secretary had fed to Charles a few minutes before Mr.Kadir had arrived."Yes, Foreign Secretary."350FIRST AMONG EQUALS"My Prime Minister is still waiting to hear from your head of state." "Yes, Foreign Secretary." "Have you yet made contact with Colonel Qaddafi?" "No, Foreign Secretary." "But you have a direct telephone link to his headquarters." "Then you will be only too aware, Foreign Secretary, that I have been unable to speak to him," said Mr.Kadir with a wry smile.Charles saw the Permanent Under Secretary lower his eyes."I shall speak to you on the hour every hour, Mr.Kadir, but do not press my country's hospitality too far.1)"No, Foreign Secretary." "Good night, Ambassador," said Charles."Good night, Foreign Secretary.Mr.Kadir turned and left the Foreign Office to be driven back to his embassy.He cursed the Right Honorable Charles Hampton
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