Satan's Spy (The Steve Church saga Book 2) AndrĂ© Gallo (top 100 books of all time checklist TXT) đ
- Author: André Gallo
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Hafizadeh stroked his beard and said, âPerhaps âhelpâ is not the right word. We donât want the type of help that you imply. No money, no secret operation to overthrow the government, no repeat of 1953. Thanks be to God.
âIn fact, we want your assurance that you would leave us alone. We want you to know that we exist, that we have our own plans, that powerful forces are at work, and that one day we will take over the government, one way or another. Once we are the government, we only request you to recognize us as the legal government of Iran. When we have your overt backing, other countries will recognize us as well.â
âIf I hear you correctly, you want the United States to give you carte blanche merely on the basis that you are not Ahmadinejad,â Steve replied. âWhat would be different in your policies?â
âThe people who voted against Ahmadinejad would be free to speak out. Those who have been arrested would be released from jail. Reforms would be instituted, the same reforms that have been suppressed over the last thirty years.â
He paused as if to give weight to what he going to say, making sure he had his audienceâs full attention. âWe are no longer convinced that Velayat-e Faqih is right for our country, at least the way it is being practiced now, as the absolute guardianship of Islamic jurists over every aspect of government. We are discussing a more limited guardianship concept. It would be the most radical departure since the 1979 Revolution.â
Steve nodded to acknowledge the significance of Hafizadehâs words although he wasnât sure that he totally understood.
âI will be asked, and I need to be able to answer, questions about your nuclear program, your backing of Hamas and Hizballah, your assassinations, and terrorist operations abroad.â
âI can say this,â Hafizadeh said, looking earnestly in Steveâs eyes, âexcept for the development of peaceful nuclear power, most other issues could be on the table. We would be willing, and expect, to negotiate with your government.â
âI must reiterate that your message will have no weight if itâs not associated with a name.â
âIf I tell you, you must agree that we will help you get out of the country,â Hafizadeh said. âWe cannot take a chance that you will be captured. We donât know how you plan to do that of course. So weâll do it and make sure you donât fall in the hands of Mousaviâs interrogators.â
Steve leaned back in his chair to take the aggression out of his statement.
âMullah Hafizadeh, please donât negotiate with me. I personally donât care if your message gets through or not. Iâm not the only channel. You could go to the U.S. Interests Section. You could travel to another country and go to the American Embassy. Hell, as long as you can travel, why not go directly to Washington and make your case?â
âBecause each one has its drawbacks. And youâre here and available. This is the expedient way, the practical way.â
Steve sat forward again to indicate his agreement. âWe would be fools not take your advice on how to get out. We reserve the final decision. Our lives are at stake.â
Hafizadeh looked at the men who had come with him for a second and then got up to go speak with them. Maybe they arenât bodyguards after all, Steve thought. Hafizadeh returned to the table and sat down.
âOur leader is Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami. He is a former president and a well-known reformist. We are talking with Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, and he is sympathetic. Also Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is chairman of the Assembly of Experts, the body that chooses the Supreme Leader.â
With that, Hafizadeh and his men abruptly left the room.
* **
After a few moments, Kella almost exploded. Is he kidding? Lech Walesa? I donât think so. The liberals may have started the demonstrations but Hafizadeh canât masquerade his boss as cut from the same cloth. Okay, the senior clergy and Ahmadinejad are not friends. The liberals are not the main players. Itâs a battle within the religious establishment. Rafsanjani and friends are fighting back against Ahmadinejad who has been cutting their influence. These are the old clerics fighting to keep their perks.â
Steve rubbed his stubbly beard, which he had let grow ever since he had moved from the hotel, and asked, âHow is it that youâre better informed on Iranian politics than I am, by the way?â
âBelieve it or not, Farah and I didnât spend our time discussing fashionsâwell, not all our time.â
âIâm more worried over how easy it has been for Hafizadeh to track us than who wins this tug of war between the ayatollahs. Iâm thinking that Jemshid and Maryam couldnât keep a secret.â
âThey did manage to drop Khatamiâs name as one of their friends. He is from Yazd, they said, and has been to their house. I donât think it was an indiscretion. I would bet that Maryam, who I got to know a bit ⊠sheâs a clever woman ⊠whispered in Jemshidâs ear that he should let Khatami know about us for political cover, for protection in case we and they got caught. Then Khatami saw an opportunity and he seized it.â
âYouâre probably right,â Steve said. âBut, this is way above my pay grade, especially since Iâm not getting paid,â he smiled. âItâs not my job to make a decision on whoâs going to be the king of the hill. All I can do is pass the message on. Iâve agreed to a meeting in Europe in two weeks between the agency and Khatami. If Iâm wrong, we wonât show. By that time, Iâll be out of the picture.â He looked at Kella and smiled, âOn vacation, right? Where do we want to go?â
âDepends. Are we going to be doing a High Altitude/Low Opening
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