WASHINGTON, D.C.
There really were only variations of the same option. Once there was a decision to go to war, or retaliate, or bring serious harm to another country, then it simply boiled down to deciding the how and what the consequences might be.
Vaccaro was a soldier first and a politician second. She loved being the first and tolerated being the second. She wanted Pakistan to understand at their molecular level that what they had done would not go unanswered, could never be forgotten, and for the foreseeable future would not be forgiven.
The issue for President Vaccaro was disproportionate proportional response. She wanted the Pakistani government and its people to feel pain, fear, trepidation, hopelessness, and know from whom it came. She wanted the rest of the world to be reminded of the lessons of the first two World Wars: that once truly awoken, the United States of America would demolish its enemies.
The briefer was the new secretary of defense, Leon Ford.
Ford had been a soldier in Vietnam, wounded three times. He had an impeccable reputation and understood immediately what Vaccaro and the nation needed. His briefing with maps and slides of planes, type of bombs, destruction, collateral damage, and safety of the crews was precise and without ambiguity.
It was delivered without emotion.
The recommended strike packages would be specific and simultaneous, executed in collaboration with India and Israel. His plan was designed to cripple Pakistan’s military and known ISIS encampments. Plus it included the destruction of Abbottabad, the home of one of Pakistan’s military academies, and the place where the Pakistani government helped hide Osama bin Laden. The estimated loss of life in all combined strikes was between six thousand and ten thousand lives—and unlike in New York City, most of those lives would be either military or terrorist in nature.
The president wanted to hurt Pakistan, not destroy it.
Vaccaro looked around the room and said, “Let this decision be recorded—hell, everything in this room is recorded anyway—that I ordered this. I am not asking for a vote, opinion, or advice. The time for all that was before this briefing. Mr. Secretary, proceed with the attack.”
“Yes, Madam President. We go live in thirty-six hours.”
Turning to Wright, she added, “Meanwhile, John, let’s make sure we get every American citizen evacuated from Pakistan before the bombs start to fall.”
“Yes, Madam President.”
“And get me the Israeli prime minister and the president of India on the phone,” she added. “I need to make sure they don’t get cold feet.”