Storms Over Zimbabwe

By Jack Kassinger

Jack Casey has finally retired from years of service to the CIA and he and his wife, Cherie, couldn’t be happier. Finally, she can stop worrying about her husband every time he walks out the door, and for his part, Jack can finally pursue other interests. The Caseys plan to move to Kenya, Africa and spend retirement working with wildlife conservation. They already have a beautiful home in a lovely new area—and they are more than ready for a safari.
Meanwhile, a political storm is brewing in Africa when a group of activists in opposition to the current president begin to plan a coup d’état. President Mkipii of Zimbabwe goes from being a political hero—after helping his country gain independence from Britain—to a full-fledged dictator. The people of Zimbabwe have been stripped of land as well as their income from agriculture and tourism, and even their rights as citizens. The people have had it, once and for all, and a new man has been chosen to take over as interim president. All they need now is a little outside help to carry out their mission...
...which is where the United States Central Intelligence Agency comes in.

The CIA’s involvement in the overthrow of President Mkipii has as much to do with domestic interests as it does with the aiding and assisting the Zimbabwean people. Chinese pursuits in Africa have won them plenty of favor with the African people, as well as with land and oil. Now, the United States is ready to get their fair share, and the best way to do that is to offer political support.
While the CIA is organizing an intricate operation to take place in Zimbabwe, current U.S. President Martinez is thinking about re-election. In an effort to divert attention from the state of the economy, Martinez hopes to shift the focus to his foreign policy initiatives. Therefore, this is certainly not the time to tarnish his name as far as foreign relations go. He doesn’t need any bad press interrupting the likelihood of his being re-elected.

The CIA puts together a team to aid in Zimbabwe’s dictatorial overthrow, but there is still one key position that needs to be filled and there is absolutely no other agent who can fill the bill better than Jack Casey...
...but the Agency is going to have to get through one very influential individual first — his wife.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brighton Publishing LLC
• Release date: Feb 5, 2013

Jack Kassinger

In terms of spy genre, Jack Kassinger, as an author, is one of the best there is. His novels include: Noble Cause: A CIA Spy Thriller, Storms Over Zimbabwe, and The Hunt for Njonjo and each provides the reader suspense and drama based on real life experiences. PURSUED is his fourth novel to be published, and is a continuation of his masterful writing.As a former United States Marine and CIA veteran, Jack Kassinger spent his formative years growing up in the small rural town of Livermore, Kentucky. After high school, he joined the Marine Corps and served in Viet Nam. He was wounded in action on Memorial Day 1969. Following his tour with the Marines he joined the Central Intelligence Agency and served overseas in various locations. He retired from the CIA in 1995 as a Senior Intelligence Officer.During his service with the CIA, he received numerous awards for valor and heroism. His awards include the Intelligence Medal of Merit, twice awarded, the Intelligence Star for Valor, and certificates of appreciation from the Joint Special Operations Command.He currently resides in Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas with his wife Cherie. They have two married children.

Book preview

Storms Over Zimbabwe

The OPCON Finding

by

Jack Kassinger

Brighton Publishing LLC

501 W. Ray Road

Suite 4

Chandler, AZ 85225

www.BrightonPublishing.com

E-Book

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Copyright © 2012

ISBN: 978-1-621830-84-9

Cover Design: Tom Rodriguez

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The Central Intelligence Agency requires all former employees to submit their work for review, before publication, in order to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

CIA Disclaimer

All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the CIA or any other U.S. Government agency. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. Government authentication of information or Agency endorsement of the author’s views. This material has been reviewed by the CIA to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

Other Books by Jack Kassinger

Noble Cause—Holding Hands with Heroes

Jack Kassinger brings his personal experience as a career intelligence officer to plot what could have been ripped from the headlines and delivers an adrenaline-fueled, nail-biter of a novel that will amaze and entertain. We live in a scary world, but few things compare to the realpolitik imagination of Jack Kassinger and what he has in store for his readers.

***

Put James Bond aside. Holding Hands with Heroes truly describes the essence of intelligence work and the foot soldiers on the frontlines that get it done. Jack Kassinger’s book is a story of a family collectively serving our nation against a background of today’s challenging world. From the first days in boot camp—a day that many of us remember—to the tragic days in Mogadishu, Somalia, Jack’s book is captivating and an outstanding read. The efforts are a family affair. Many thanks to Jack and his family for their service.

***

Jack Kassinger has captured the essence of what it means to be a Support Officer in any business or profession. That he was able to do this for an essential government agency, providing the kind of service that made the operations and activities successful, is a tribute to his talent, dedication, and devotion. That he has written about it with such clarity is a testament to his literary skills. This is an exciting read, as Jack takes us through a career with ever greater challenges as he builds the confidence of the agency’s operations chiefs, finding him contributing in a major way to many CIA activities in most of the world’s hotspots over the past three decades.

***

Author has lived a golden life and served our country in the process. Being in the right place at the right time has allowed him to experience many historical events. Good read!

***

"This is a great book. Jack Casey and crew provide a look as to what may really be going on to protect our security. I would encourage all readers to read the author’s first book, Holding Hands with Heroes. It was a true story and sets the stage for his second book, although it is fiction."

Part I —The Concept

Chapter One

The White House, Washington, DC

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Bill Davis was sitting in his office on the second floor of the South Wing, lost in thought as he leaned back in his chair, staring out at a snow-covered lawn. He was a recent addition to the White House staff, having arrived just three months earlier from Chicago where he served as a political advisor to the mayor. Snow had been falling for most of the early morning and showed no sign of letting up. His thoughts of his pending meeting with the president were momentarily interrupted as he gazed out the window.

If this keeps up, OPM will be forced to shut down government operations. But, that’s not my worry, he thought.

He leaned forward in his chair, reached across the desk, and picked up a folder containing notes he planned to use with President Martinez—the first Hispanic to be elected President of the United States.

He gulped down one final sip of coffee and headed to the presidential office suite.

Morning, Betty he said to the president’s secretary.

Good morning, Bill, you’re a little early for your nine o’clock appointment, aren’t you?

Davis looked at his watch.

Yes, I guess I am, but better early than late. He smiled and then took a seat in a sofa chair situated against a far wall.

Betty Fitzwater was on a reimbursable detail to the White House as the presidential secretary, but since taking the job, he’d had very little time to get to know the specifics of her assignment.

You’ve been here for a number of years, haven’t you, Betty? Still enjoying the work?

Almost seven years now. It’s an exciting job, but the commute from Reston to the White House is beginning to get to me, especially in weather like this. I’m ready to head back to Langley, but the president won’t let me go—says he likes having someone around who knows how things work here in Washington.

Langley. Davis hadn’t realized that Fitzwater was on detail to the White House from the CIA. It was something that he would have to look into.

Reston is out in Virginia, near Dulles airport, right? I can’t imagine having to make that drive every day. It’s one of the reasons I took an apartment here in the District—didn’t want to be faced with fighting the traffic as well as the politicians here in Washington.

Betty nodded her head in agreement.

It’s no great pleasure, especially when it snows like this, she said, picking up the phone handset and hitting the intercom button.

Mr. President, Bill Davis is here. May I send him in? She nodded and then put the handset down and looked up at the Chief of Staff.

He’s ready, Bill. Go on in.

Thanks, Betty, he said as he rose and walked over to the door leading into the president’s office.

Good morning, Mr. President.

Morning, Bill. I just finished reading portions of the PDB, some very interesting developments taking place around the world. After hearing the briefing this morning, I wanted to read the portion dealing with Africa. I’m able to remember facts and retain information longer if I read something versus just listening to a briefing.

Davis knew that the Presidential Daily Brief, the PDB as it is commonly referred to throughout the U.S. Intelligence Community, was briefed each morning to the president at 0700 by a senior Directorate of Intelligence analyst from the CIA. Davis’ own phone calls to one particular analyst at CIA during the past three weeks had proved to be very enlightening, but hearing what was being briefed to the president by other senior CIA officials might be a good idea. He made a mental note to start sitting in on the briefings.

Mr. President, I think that’s the case with most of us and—

President Martinez interrupted, Bill, our Ambassador to the U.N. will be heading to New York this afternoon for a Special Security Council session on Zimbabwe. There have been many political storms over Zimbabwe since the country gained independence from the British, and now, President Mkipii is hell-bent on repatriating land currently held by expatriate farmers to people of his native ruling party. The report that I just read states that President Mkipii, over the course of the past few years, has destroyed a significant segment of the country’s agriculture-producing industry and inflation is a thousand percent higher than it was just a year ago. It’s a bad situation, Bill. Expatriate farmers are being killed trying to protect land and homesteads acquired and built during the days of British colonization. Additionally, thousands of ethnic Zimbabweans are starving to death because the food supply that, in years past, was provided by the expatriate farming community is no longer available. The British government wants the U.N. to do something about the repatriation issue, but it is doubtful they can get the Chinese to go along with any action directed at Mkipii or his government. I’m telling you this as I think through what the U.S. position should be relative to what the British want. The president put down the PDB and turned his attention to Davis.

Okay, Bill, enough about the U.N. meeting, what’s the cause for you coming in so early this morning? You changing our routine? I was just getting use to our late-afternoon sessions.

No, no change in that regard, Mr. President; this is an exception. I needed to catch you before your meeting with Helen Conroy.

Conroy had been Martinez’s opponent during the primaries, and a good one at that. But she had so far shown herself to be an excellent Secretary of State.

Davis sat down on the sofa and opened his briefing folder on the coffee table in front of him. Mr. President, I need to have a frank discussion with you about the state of our economy and the effect it is going to have on your re-election bid. If there are no signs of improvement over the course of the next year, we will need to find another policy issue to get the media to focus on—something besides the U.S. economy. Otherwise, you won’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting re-elected. It was a callous statement that commanded the president’s attention.

That’s a pretty harsh assessment, Bill. What’s brought this on?

Mr. President, six months ago you asked me to take the job as your new Chief of Staff because you thought I could bring a different perspective, a different look at some of the nagging political problems you’ll be facing in your bid for a second term—and that’s less than two years from now. We both know, Mr. President, that the U.S. economy is being held hostage by the high price of oil. Rising gasoline prices have critics calling for you to lift restrictions on offshore drilling, but that’s not an option you are in favor of. What I’m about to say may be a little disconcerting, but hear me out, Mr. President. It’s something you need to seriously consider.

Okay, Bill, you’ve got my attention, go ahead. We’ve got about thirty minutes before Helen arrives to update me on the State’s position regarding the Security Council meeting.

Yes, I know, Mr. President, that’s exactly why I wanted to have this discussion beforehand. I talked to her briefly yesterday. In addition to the Security Council meeting, she wants to get your views on the situation in the Sudan. Her concerns with the Sudan are the ongoing civil war and its deleterious effects on the people in the southern portion of the country. People are starving there and the Sudanese government’s abusive tactics and the predatory practices of rebel forces and government-sponsored tribal militia have turned the ongoing famine into a disaster that likely will require the largest emergency food relief operation since Somalia in the early 1990s. That’s according to a recent report released by the Human Rights Watch Council.

"I understand the situation very well, Bill. Robert Mkipii is employing similar tactics in Zimbabwe and the leadership of the opposition party has little chance of bringing about democratic reform as long as the military continues to support him.

Helen thinks we should be doing more in Africa. Not only to support a food relief effort in the Sudan, but more in terms of providing nation-building financial support to broaden our influence with some of the lesser developed countries. She wants more program money for the Africa Command so that we can increase our on-continent support activity. In case you didn’t know, AFRICOM, as it is generally referred to, was created by the Pentagon back in 2007; the Secretary of Defense agreed to a dual-leadership role with the Department of State. Helen’s officer stationed with the command in Stuttgart is the one arguing for more operating funds in the coming fiscal year. It’s something we’ll have to work on with the House Oversight Committee, but Helen knows that.

Well, I think she’s right regarding more activity to increase our influence on the continent, commented Davis, because that is exactly what the Chinese are doing in an effort to gain access to the some of the lesser developed African oil-producing countries. The Chinese economy is booming and the government is intent on securing the necessary oil resources to sustain that growth. They have invested heavily in the Sudan because the country has a large oil reserve and there is little we can do, now, to thwart that effort. We believe, the intelligence community, that is to say from what I’ve been told, believes the Chinese are targeting other African countries as sources to satisfy their increasing demand for oil imports and Zimbabwe is one of the countries high on their list. I’ve discussed this with some of the analysts over at CIA—the ones responsible for monitoring oil resources on a worldwide basis. They tell me that U.S. industry analysts are certain that Zimbabwe has significant undiscovered oil reserves. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, Mr. President, to figure out why the Chinese are cozying up to Mkipii.

Where are you going with all this, Bill?

Mr. President, in the coming months, we need to divert the U.S. media’s attention to certain aspects of your foreign policy initiatives. We need to get them to focus on something besides the economy and your domestic policy initiatives. I believe the growing international concern by western governments regarding the actions of the Mkipii government, and the devastating effects those actions are having on his country, represent an opportunity.

An opportunity?

Yes, Mr. President, an opportunity to undermine the Chinese effort in Zimbabwe. I think, from a policy perspective, you really need to give some serious consideration to slowing down their foray into Africa, said Davis, looking at the president over the frame of his wire-rimmed glasses.

And just how do you suggest we do that, Bill? I don’t think sending them a diplomatic note will have much of an effect on their foreign policy objectives in Africa? That aside, this discussion started with you inferring that I needed to do something to mitigate the high price of oil as a means to help improve the situation here at home. How does taking on the Chinese in Africa help that cause? I’m a little lost here, Bill.

Mr. President, if the U.S. energy industry has access to Zimbabwe’s significant oil reserves, it will help our economy in the long term. More importantly, from a policy perspective, if we can stop the Chinese effort in Zimbabwe, we will be sending them a pretty strong message—one that specifically shows that we are not going to sit by and watch them grab up all the oil reserves from the lesser-developed countries in Africa without a fight. A successful endeavor to halt the Chinese oil-grabbing foray into Africa might get the U.S. media to focus on something besides your domestic energy policy.

The president looked at his Chief of Staff, seeming to let the words sink in.

I think I see where you’re heading with this, Bill, the president said. You want me to authorize a presidential finding to remove Robert Mkipii from power, don’t you?

Think about it for a moment, Mr. President. An aggressive and well-executed plan could result in the removal of Zimbabwe’s ruthless dictator, something that most western governments would acknowledge as a good move. By installing Mkipii’s political opposition as the new government, we put in place a bureaucracy that looks less favorable to the Chinese with one more closely aligned to the United States.

Interesting proposition, Bill. Do you think the American people—or the press, to be more precise—will regard such an action as justifiable in terms of our national security?

It was a question that Davis had anticipated.

"In my judgment, Mr. President, I think it would be fully justifiable in terms of our national security. I’ve brought along a copy of Title 50 which deals with presidential findings. Let me go over certain elements of the law for your consideration.

"Chapter fifteen, subchapter three, section 413B describes the approval process for a presidential finding and the reporting requirements for authorized covert actions. The law basically states that the president may not authorize the conduct of a covert action unless the president determines such action is necessary to support identifiable foreign policy objectives of the United States and is important to the national security of the United States.

I believe we’re on solid ground in this regard, Mr. President. One can certainly argue that mitigating the Chinese foreign policy objectives relative to oil resources in Africa is in the national security interest of the United States.

I’m listening. Go on, Bill.

Each finding, Mr. President, shall specify the department, agency, or entities of the United States Government authorized to fund, or otherwise, participate in such action. Any employee, contractor, or contract agent of a department, agency, or entity of the United States Government other than the Central Intelligence Agency, directed to participate in any way in a covert action, shall be subject to the policies and regulations of the Central Intelligence Agency. But, such action may not be authorized if it would violate the U.S. Constitution or any statue of the United States.

The intercom buzzed and the president responded, Yes, Betty?

Helen Conroy is here a little early due to the snow, do you want me to send her on in?

The president looked at his watch. No, Betty, just give me a few minutes and then I’ll be ready.

We need to wrap this up, Bill. You’d better leave me a copy of Title 50. I need to have a good understanding of the law before giving your recommendation any serious consideration. Oh, who have you discussed this with besides me?

No one at a senior level, Mr. President, I’ve only talked to one analyst at CIA who’s done the bulk of the research on Zimbabwe.

Only one analyst? asked Martinez.

Yes, Mr. President, only one analyst who has promised to keep our conversations confidential. He’s my nephew and possibly a distant relative of yours.

Really, who could that possibly be?

Years ago, Mr. President, my sister, Nancy Davis, married Ricardo Alvarez, who I believe is a distant cousin of yours. This happened while you were running for Chicago’s south side city councilman seat—which you won, marking the beginning of your political career. Anyway, their son, William Denton Alvarez, graduated from U.C. Davis and worked in one of your election campaign offices while waiting for his CIA clearance to come through. He’s worked there for almost a year and half now. I’ve asked Denton—he goes by his middle name—to keep our discussions confidential, as I said before.

Denton Alvarez, stated the president. He paused. I believe I remember the young man, he said, followed by another pause and then, okay, let’s move on, Bill, I’ll give your recommendation some thought.

Do you want me to sit in on your meeting with Helen?

No, I think I can handle this one by myself, but, thanks anyway.

Davis rose and handed the president a copy of Title 50. As he turned for the door the president spoke again.

Bill, I appreciate your insight. It’s the reason I brought you on board. Thanks for enlightening my perspective on these issues.

You’re welcome, Mr. President, I’ll see you later on this afternoon.

Chapter Two

CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia

Friday, January 15, 2010

It was almost ten days, to the hour, after President Martinez and his Chief of Staff had met to discuss the economy and the president’s re-election, when Jack Casey stepped off the elevator with his wife, Cherie. Accompanied by an officer fulfilling her security requirement, the Caseys made their way down the sixth floor corridor to the office suite belonging to the DDO—Deputy Director of Operations. Casey had walked down the corridor many times during the course of his career as an operations officer, but this time would be his last. He had turned in his retirement papers in late October 2009, concluding twenty-five years of service with the CIA and was going to visit the DDO to be awarded his retirement medal and a pat on the back.

As they made their way down the hallway, Casey held Cherie’s hand and smiled at the people they passed. Some he recognized and others were just faces without names. It all seemed like a blur as he briefly reflected on his time at the Agency. The latter part of his career had entailed assignments to Central America, the Balkans, Central Asia, and Africa where he was involved in or responsible for managing covert operations in support of specific presidential foreign policy initiatives. The assignments, although career rewarding in terms of promotions, had not been easy. They were often long, temporary assignments, away from a wife who constantly worried about his safety. He winced with pain and his grip on Cherie’s hand tightened, just a bit, as the thought of safety conjured up memories of two friends, subordinates operating under his control, who were killed on his last field assignment.

Cherie squeezed back and said, Relax, it’ll all be over soon and we can be on our way.

Casey smiled at his wife without saying a word. The memory hadn’t left him yet: loading the bodies of two colleagues on a Black Hawk helicopter as they were being extracted from the southern environs of Mogadishu.

How many times is the Agency going to send men back into Mogadishu? The thought caused him to reflect on the details of his last Agency operation.

Years earlier the military had lost eighteen good men fighting clansmen who opposed a food relief effort. But the cause was different this time when he went in with two other men: the purpose of the mission in Somalia was to target al Qaeda terrorists.

It was a dangerous assignment working with local assets to identify and eliminate terrorists using one of the CIA’s high-flying drones. The success of their three-week mission was short lived when their operating location was discovered or revealed by one of the local assets.

Casey knew that he was lucky to be alive given the number of mortar rounds that landed in their camp that night. But the two colleagues he’d worked with hadn’t been so lucky. They paid the ultimate sacrifice for God, country, and the CIA. They, like him, had accepted the risk of a dangerous assignment without any expectation of receiving public recognition or gratitude for the sacrifices they’d made. And, now, two new stars had been etched on the smooth, white marble wall located in the lobby of the main entrance to the CIA Headquarters building. But, that was all behind him; once the retirement ceremony was over, Cherie and he would embark on a new adventure, one that would take them back to Africa—to a place in the Kenyan highlands known as Mukima Ridge.

They walked into the foyer of Ted Peterson’s office and were immediately greeted by his secretary, Dottie. Peterson, as the Deputy Director of Operations, was the man responsible for all clandestine operations at the CIA.

Hello, Casey. Good morning, Cherie, it’s so good to see you both again. Her smile and tone indicated great respect and affection for the Caseys.

Good morning, Dottie, replied Casey as he gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek.

Hi, Dottie, said Cherie. Sorry we’re late, it took us a little longer to get here than expected. Casey has forgotten just how bad the traffic can be on Route 123 coming in at this time of the morning.

Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem, but I’ll go ahead and let Ted know you’re here. He wants to personally escort you two up to the seventh floor conference room where the ceremony will be conducted.

On that note, the protocol officer who had escorted the Caseys to Peterson’s office said, I’ll leave them in your good hands, Dottie.

She turned to leave and was almost out the door before turning back toward the Caseys. I almost forgot; I’ll see you folks at the follow-on reception.

Casey smiled and said, Okay, while looking at Cherie and shrugging his shoulders to indicate that he didn’t know anything about a reception.

Just then, Peterson, who had heard bits and pieces of the conversation, put down the document he was reading, and walked out into the foyer. He’d been anxiously awaiting their arrival. It wasn’t anxiety over Casey’s ceremony, but the briefing he would have to give later in the day. He had received a call the day before from the staff director over at the HPSCI. The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence wanted an update on a particular operation that was creating a problem for certain committee members. It was an untimely and completely unnecessary briefing in Peterson’s judgment, but one that he was obliged to give.

Peterson had great respect and admiration for Casey. This was a man he’d sent to the field on several occasions and who always succeeded, no matter the degree of difficulty or how dangerous the assignment. He was, in Peterson’s mind, one of a kind and a great loss for the clandestine service.

Hello, Casey, good to see you again, same to you Cherie, he said, while reaching over to kiss her cheek. I hope to hear more about your retirement plans. I’ve heard rumors that you’re considering taking up residence in Nanyuki, Kenya, is that true? Come on, he said, without giving them a chance to respond, you can tell me more about it on the way up to the director’s conference room.

They used the director’s private elevator, located just a short distance from his office where a security officer waited with the elevator door open to escort them to the conference room. It didn’t take long to get there and there wasn’t enough time to share retirement plans with Peterson.

This way, said the security officer. Everyone is seated in the conference room, including the director.

As the party entered the room, the Caseys were welcomed with a warm and gracious applause by the attendees. Casey looked around the room and made eye contact with each person. He knew them all, some better than others. There was the Director of Central Intelligence Agency, his deputy, the Associate Deputy Director of Operations (A/DDO) and all five of the division chiefs who manage clandestine operations on a world-wide basis. The directors of the Counternarcotics Center, the Counterintelligence Center and the Counterterrorism Center were also in attendance.

As for personal guests, neither Casey nor Cherie’s parents were still alive, they had no children, and it simply would have been too much of a headache, from a cover perspective, to invite friends from outside the Agency for a pat-on-the-back retirement ceremony. After they were seated in two vacant seats between the director and his deputy, Ted Peterson walked to the podium and began reading from a prepared speech.

Good morning, everyone, he said. We are gathered here to bid farewell to one of the finest officers ever to have served in the clandestine service of the CIA. Jack Casey is a man with great integrity. He is both an outstanding husband and officer.

As Peterson spoke, Casey’s eyes began to glisten. He was a hard man, but the stress of having lost two colleagues on the terrorism battlefield, his decision to immediately retire after returning home from Somalia, and the events leading up to the retirement ceremony, were more than he could stand. His emotional relief valve had opened, but only for a few seconds. He quickly wiped his eyes to check the flow of tears.

As Peterson continued with his eloquently delivered speech, Casey fell away from his surroundings. His mind wandered aimlessly back in time, revisiting places, events, and people he had served with while working at the Agency. He was oblivious to everything and everyone in the conference room until applause shocked him back to the present.

And, now, stated Peterson, the Associate Deputy Director of Operations will read the citation for the Distinguished Intelligence Cross.

Casey quickly looked at Cherie and then back at Ted Peterson. Although Cherie had been given a heads up a few days earlier by Dottie, the award was a complete surprise for Casey. The medal is awarded to an employee of the CIA for a voluntary act or acts of extraordinary heroism involving the acceptance of existing dangers with conspicuous fortitude and exemplary courage.

After the A/DDO finished reading the citation, the director, Jeffery Donovan Weaver, a one-time federal judge from the northern district of Illinois, better known as JD to his friends, awarded Casey the medal. After a short photo op, the Caseys were escorted to the executive dining room for the reception. It lasted no more than thirty minutes—just enough time for drinks and a small sampling of hor d’oeurves.

The exigency of business was such that Director Weaver, who had recently been appointed Director of the CIA by President Martinez, left early and headed back to his office. He, like Peterson, needed time to prepare for his first congressional oversight briefing. His deputy, David McGrath, left shortly thereafter.

The DDO watched the two men leave and, in an anti-climactic move, walked over to Casey, gave him a hug and whispered something in his ear. Looking into Casey’s eyes, Peterson said, "Goodbye, my friend, take care and good