U.S. Intelligence Scenario No. 9 “The Ghenghis Khan Gambit”

(Afghan border, sometime in the near future) - The rocks didn’t move but the darkness did. This part of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan was a no man’s zone of war torn rubble, overlaying centuries of weather beaten rubble. To call it an alien moonscape would be kind.

Just before dawn, many dark forms quietly move in harmony toward the outer ring of the new installation. Each of the shadows was determined to drive out the foreign devils behind the new fortress walls. They were told that their history would record this day's action as a great victory for Allah over a people and culture alien to the Afghan people.

This unit of special warriors had been hand picked by the supreme command. They had fought many such battles with the outside world forces for years. They were used to surprise, brutality and victory. In each of their minds, today would be the same.

Within just a few feet of the first outer ring checkpoint, all motion stopped. There was a strange eerie stillness about the checkpoint. No humans were manning it. The giant gate/checkpoint structure had only system lights, cameras, dials, scopes, and feeling of wrongness about it.

Using only hand signals, the elite forces made their way into the second ring of the base. Here were the trucks, cars, small utility vehicles, and several landing zones for unmanned drones. This is where the unit’s leader had his first feeling that something was wrong.

They had been alerted of a weapon system protecting the outer ring check point. They had set mini charges to take out the laser systems. They now penetrated over 100 feet into the  complex. Yet the leader felt uneasy. No resistance. No contact with any soldiers. No pride in killing the enemy. Just stillness that clawed at him. An itch that wouldn’t go away.    

The leader took two more steps and died. The burst from the hidden energy weapon blew him into small modules. There would not much to clean up. Within 35 seconds all 100 elite Afghan warriors ceased to exist. They did not just die, they became nothing.

From high a top the installation, Colonel Yang, of the Chinese People’s Army Extraordinary Resource Extraction Force smiled. All systems had worked just as the techs had predicted. High tech had won against ignorance and foolish traditions.

Thousands of miles away deep inside a darkened command & control center, the national security advisor to a US President spoke,”Gentlemen, as you can see from these satellite images, our problem in Afghanistan may be solved. These old line warriors and wannabe terrorists now will have to deal with the Chinese.”

Leaning forward, the President spoke softly to his security advisor,” Tell them of our agreement with the Chinese.” 

Looking down the table of the President’s inner circle, he began. “What we have is a new understanding of how this part of the globe will work. From this point forward we will become an ally within a revised and re-energized joint command with the European nations over administrating the wealth of this area. This new understanding will include the policy of pre-emptive noninterference within the new China Sphere of Influence. 

China will provide a new set of boots on the ground as we withdraw and restructure our military for this new century. They will have total authority for dealing with the Afghan and other governments in the region.”

As he spoke, many of the men in the room were also watching the three wall size video screens.

The first showed a long American convey.  Over a thousand trucks were making their way south through the wilds of Pakistan. The satellite feed showed drones stationed over the convoy.  Units of the Red Chinese Army were visible sweeping the flanks for signs of terrorists or the Pakistani Army.

The second screen showed in real time Chinese drones attacking and wiping out whole villages where the families of the newly slain Afghan warriors called home.

The third screen held in place over the new installation that the Afghans had assumed was a new kind of fortress. In their world they were right. However, in the outside world, if word ever leaked of this place even existing, it would be called by another name.

As the National Security Advisor ended his presentation, he stopped for dramatic effect. “What we have just negotiated is our ticket to the future. We will now have a secure line and supply of a very rare commodity for our economy.” As his words drifted across the room, Screen No. 3 focused on giant claws and mining machines chewing up the landscape of a super strip mine operation. The view also showed a sign at the installation.

It read: Mutual Alliance Mine No. 1---Rare Earth Extraction.

The last words of the meeting were to be from the President.

“Make no mistake about these events. It is the beginning of a new world map. It is a place where America will have a seat at the table without the troop losses or public outcry.

I chose to bring our troops home. Let the Chinese deal with the ignorance, subversion, and hatred of these cultures. I chose to unleash the centuries of genetic coding the Chinese have for wanting to regain their empire. They will finish the job started by Genghis Khan. They will disarm the nuclear madness of Pakistan and Iran. They will deal with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, all the little Stans with the same methods as they are using in Tibet.

And we in the West will call it regional peace in our times. And we will have rare earth for our cell phones, our IPads and our computers.”

All in the room nodded in agreement.

So the great observer we call current events will write in the pages of tomorrow’s history that at the end of hostilities the great American entrance in regional warfare in the mountains of the Middle East was not about oil or principle of fighting evil, but rather it was about securing a commodity to keep its high tech empire alive and healthy.

Once again, the peoples of the harsh Afghani plains will be traded for their geography.

Rare earth minerals will bring them a new master.