Mrs. Goldbloom was reading the report on Wednesday's raid on the bases in Iran, which had just arrived on her desk, of course, she had been briefed verbally by Minister Marks very early on Wednesday morning, but here was the official detail. The report, marked 'PM Eyes only' also contained a goodly amount of intelligence that had been collected from the materials salvaged from the underground base, and, it seems, from several of the personnel evacuated. The most interesting piece of intell was that there was at least one other missile base within Iran. The PM was just musing over this information when her secure com- unit chimed. “Yes,” she said abruptly after she saw who the caller was.
“This is President Attar of the UIS Madam Prime Minister,” the caller announced.
“I know who you are Mr. President, How can I help you,” she asked.
“There is concern about a pre-emptive raid on Iranian territory on Wednesday morning by your forces,” said Attar.
“Mr President, there is great concern in this country over the existence of a twenty silo ICBM missile base, especially when we also have intelligence that Iran is planning some sort of insurrection aimed at the west.”
“This is news to me Madam Prime Minister,” said Attar, “the UIS is certainly not aware of any such plan.”
“Of that I am not surprised Mr. Attar, Iran has never had a particularly transparent government.”
President Attar spoke to someone who was out of range of the com-unit's camera and he had obviously muted the microphone, then came back to address the PM. “I am troubled by your use of the initials ICBM, according to our records Iran is not supposed to have any long range missiles, what proof do you have of this accusation,” he asked.
“I am not about to share our intelligence with the UIS Mr. President, but yes we do have proof,” said Mrs. Goldbloom.
“I appreciate your reluctance to share sensitive information,” said President Attar, “but I need to have something to quell the anger of our other members.”
“OK President Attar, I will consult with my Minister and get back to you.”
“Thank you Prime Minister, let me assure you that the UIS has no plans for any action against the west, or against Israel, we are quire satisfied with the conditions laid down in the Calcutta Accord. I hope to hear from you soon, As-salam alaykum,” the President said and cut the connection.
The Prime Minister pressed a virtual button that connected her with Minister Marks, “Ben we need to talk, can you pop over please,” she asked.
The package deal for the 'Christmas in Crete' holiday had been a fortunate opening, and luckily there were only three places left. Now it was just a matter of making the connections to enable him to join the package tour in London and there was not much time between the connections. The flight to Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport was scheduled to leave at eight-thirty and was due to land at Beirut an hour and a half hour later at o,nine-hundred local time. The British Airways flight from Beirut to London was due to take off at nine forty-five for the three hour and forty minute flight to London, Heathrow, landing at eleven thirty-five. His check-in at Heathrow must be before twelve-thirty, with Cooks Travel. Zaid Farrah was travelling with his wife of convenience, supposedly on their honeymoon, they had been married the day before by an Iraqi cleric, but they were wed more from their common aims than their emotions. They believed what they had been told about the Cretan discovery, that it was a cunning plan of Satan's to discredit Islam. Both were willing to become martyrs for Allah, and both were professional actors, who knew how to play a role. To all around them, they were a couple deeply in love.
The explosives for their operation were already on Crete, and had been delivered earlier the previous week, they had been hidden in the iconic clock-tower of their destination, The Candia Resort Hotel. The plastic explosive, together with the detonators, had been delivered by boat on a moonless night by three ex-Iraqi army officers. There was enough plastic to make two large bombs and two detonators both ready matched to one remote, in order to guarantee simultaneous detonations.
The Iraqiair flight 233 took off on time at just seconds past eight-thirty and soared into the cold, dry air, made a one hundred and thirty degree turn, then headed west to Beirut.