Standing in for Dad Ch. 38

"What would your preferred plan of action be if Americans were taken hostage by a foreign actor?"

"Simple! I would ask for their release and invite the parties to sit down and talk about any grievances after they were released. If the hostages were not released I would go scorched earth. I would save the hostages if humanly possible. If the hostages were killed, even by accident, I would be arriving with the full might of the American military machine and hell would be coming with me."

"And if they hid behind their own countrymen and women?"

"That is a violation of the Geneva Convention, and my hands would be clean. I would try to minimize non-combatant casualties as a matter of course, but the perpetrators would die regardless. If they truly cared about their own countrymen and women, they would not be putting them in harm's way. If they make that decision, then they will die with the consequences. I will not feel pity for cowards or remorse over their deaths."

"What about prisoners?"

"We would hit so fast and so hard there would not be time for anyone to surrender. If they make their bed, they can lie in it. I have no interest in letting such people play games with me or my country. Hopefully, diplomacy will win the day before such actions have to be put into motion. But once that line is crossed, there is no going back. I will not have those watching from the sidelines getting any stupid ideas."

"No offense, Mr. Ambassador, but many might find that approach a bit heavy handed and lacking sublimity."

"What is sublime about the taking of hostages? What is sublime about threatening the safety and well being of others? If you don't want to deal with the heat the solution is simple; don't go into the kitchen. I assure you, I don't go into another's kitchen without being invited to do so. The recent actions in Mexico are a perfect example."

The French Ambassador then asked, "Are you saying you were invited to act in Geneva?"

"I would have thought you realized I could not have been in Geneva and in Washington D.C. at the same time."

"Yes, that is quite the enigma. The Swiss have yet to decipher it all."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Your counterparts in D.C. have verified I was there and not in Geneva. I do not know what else I can say on the matter. If I ever meet the person or team that made that happen, given the nature of the participants of that get together in Geneva, I am not sure I would not be congratulating them."

"Yes, well one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."

"Let us not confuse fighting for freedom with using terror as a means to fight a coward's war."

"Some would say your scorched earth approach would be a form of terrorism. No?"

I chuckled, "Just don't attack my family or my country or its citizens and this becomes a purely academic discussion, gentlemen. There is no act of terror when we are not the initial mover or perpetrator. And I would come to your country's aide should it happen to you; upon your request of course."

The Spanish Ambassador commented, "You are a very plain speaker, Ambassador Walker."

"Thank you. I find there are fewer misunderstandings that way. I have always preferred to know where I stood with others. I am not a big fan of hiding behind ambiguous words."

The Russian Ambassador lifted his glass, "Indeed, you are quite refreshing, Ambassador Walker. If not a bit intimidating. What would be your response to a country threatening the United States with nuclear war?"

"Well, intimidation really was not my intent, Sir. I note I was being asked some very direct questions and I gave very direct answers. Answers that will not be changing with the tides. And to answer your question directly, I don't bluff and cannot be intimidated. I would assure them they would not survive that idiocy. Should we have cause for diplomatic discussions in the future, we will know what to expect and where the line is drawn. Yes?"

He nodded and sipped his drink.

The Brazillian ambassador then spoke up, "So the rest of the world would be dealing with a nuclear armed bully once again."

"Not at all, Ambassador: What part of leave me and mine alone and we will get along just fine did you not hear? In fact, the opposite is true. I will not allow any country to bully America with impunity. That is true with trade, relations with others, political interference, or social interference. And:" I lifted a finger and raised my eyebrow," I will practice the same when dealing with other countries."

China then asked, "Are you an isolationist?"

"Not at all, Ambassador. I will just stand my ground and do what is best for my country. Same as any patriot should do and the same as your governments do. I just don't see where appeasement has ever worked for American interests so I will go the other way should the need arise. If a country does not want the eagle to land in their back yard and sit for a while, best not ruffle its feathers in the first place."

Bill pulled me to the side with a shit eating grin on his face. "Damn Harry if you didn't just throw down the gauntlet with the rest of the world!"

I shrugged, "They wanted to know about me. I told them. But I also told them that when I visit I would be available to discretely help them with issues stemming from the power vacuum created with the deaths of so many heads of terrorist organizations. Think of it this way, Bill. By the time you retire from office, you will have ushered in a new era of unprecedented peace for the entire world. Something not possible with evil people in power."

"Because I don't care about having to do dirty work for them, they not only respect me but are also in my debt."

"You also become one of their biggest liabilities."

I looked at Bill and smiled, "It has been tried before. If anyone is stupid enough to try again and they get the same response, what do you think will be their reactions then?"

"They will likely leave you the fuck alone as long as you don't talk in your sleep."

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