[Chapter 544: A Country Was Lost]
Everyone knew that Saddam would cause trouble; they just didn't expect him to move so quickly or to act so absurdly by outright occupying a country.
Kuwait was far too weak; aside from minor skirmishes around the palace, there was almost no resistance, and the news shocked the world.
In this era, it was unthinkable that such a bizarre event of territorial expansion would happen, as no major power would agree to it -- not even the Soviets dared to do something like that.
The military-industrial companies were panicking; if there was no war, who would buy their planes and missiles?
The Soviets seemed to be hanging on by a thread. The world seemed very secure until suddenly this oddball appeared and raised tensions around the globe.
The desert tycoon abruptly realized just how dangerous his situation was; he had a madman next to him, and at any moment, he could be eliminated. No matter how much money he had, it wouldn't mean a thing.
As for Saddam showing off, let that slide -- Wall Street was hyped beyond belief.
It appeared that war was the only option. How could Americans hand over oil security to someone else? Saddam demonstrated to the Americans that he was just a complete moron.
The U.S. suppressed oil prices not to make driving cheaper but to crush the Soviets. Did he dare act without knowing anything?
Fund managers naturally favored military companies. However, those stocks had already begun to surge, and William White showed no intention of unloading any.
What a joke! The U.S. had sent six aircraft carriers, hundreds of cruise missiles, and ground forces nearing six hundred thousand.
Seriously, who has that many troops during peacetime?
American soldiers receive salaries; fighting is just a job for them, so how many weapons do these troops really need?
Statistics from later years calculated the direct military spending at seventy billion dollars -- indirect costs were immeasurable. The desert tycoon had already begun shopping, with at least two hundred billion dollars worth of arms being sold to him.
If this round of military procurement lasted more than ten years, the value of these military stocks was easy to imagine.
The sudden changes caught Washington off guard. First, they were unsure of how foolish Saddam truly was; second, they never expected Kuwait to be so weak.
"If you hold out for three days, at least two aircraft carriers will arrive," they said, but everything ended just hours later.
People escaped, leaving all their possessions behind. After fighting for eight years, the eyes of Saddam's army were all eager, and it went without saying how poor their discipline was.
This was America's staunch supporter, and they absolutely could not tolerate such a situation.
America's international influence had been declining in recent years. If the Soviets hadn't sabotaged themselves so thoroughly, not many would still fear America.
Saddam believed he wasn't far behind; after all, he had money. Don't doubt it; he saw himself that way. Later stats showed that the equipment he lost against America and other damages were valued at two hundred billion dollars.
Furthermore, the army of Saddam had been battle-hardened, continuously fighting for eight years; they were no fresh recruits.
Unfortunately, Saddam overestimated his own capabilities; he clearly made some miscalculations.
...
If Saddam was blinded by arrogance, the Americans had grown overly pessimistic. A string of defeats robbed America of confidence and instilled fear of war in its people.
Both sides misjudging the situation resulted in a lopsided war. Saddam was left questioning his very existence.
Other countries were equally stunned. "When did Uncle Sam get so strong?"
It could be said that the Soviets' inability to interfere in the Gulf region exposed their weakness; the collapse of their empire had begun its countdown.
America went from being six feet tall to towering at seven feet, while Saddam turned into a child.
Saddam was the biggest variable of the era, pushing the Soviets into their grave, though he himself was also halfway buried.
...
Regardless of when the war started, the struggle between American tycoons began. The foundations of their empires were, without exception, tied to war. They were all players in the war economy, and they had already assessed the current situation thoroughly.
"Master, it's over. There were no significant casualties."
"What's the reason announced? They at least must make up a story."
"They provided some materials, basically stating that the CIA and Kuwait planned to deal with him. Sir, the CIA has gone too far; how dare they try to meddle in our affairs?"
"Don't pay them any mind. Those stealthy tactics -- they wouldn't dare use them against me. At least, not now."
Though William White said this, he didn't mind adding to their troubles. Clearly, their wanton behavior had thoroughly infuriated Washington.
Politicians never disliked peaceful times. War? That was the thing they hated the most.
Alright, perhaps this might change after they got re-elected. Before that, no politician was eager to start a war.
Are you kidding me? Saddam had tanks in greater numbers than the Americans. It wouldn't be easy to deal with.
You could deploy troops into Panama, and they were powerless. But if you dared to take the same approach and seek to mess with Saddam, well, you'd be in for a rough time.
...
"What? Promote the evil of Saddam? This isn't going to work, but there's one condition: don't let the CIA bother me again. Those bastards, if they weren't afraid of your old man becoming too embarrassed, forget it. I won't say more; I imagine your old man is really ticked off."
"Darn it, didn't I just say this is a big mess?"
William White couldn't wrap his head around it. The CIA was truly a peculiar entity.
Aren't you supposed to ensure security?
Why are you digging your own grave!?
It must be said that William White overestimated their management capabilities. He was known as a thorny individual. How could the head of the CIA be foolish enough to provoke him? Even disregarding his connections to the Bush family, he was still part of the largest media conglomerate globally. Getting into that kind of mess was sheer lunacy.
Bush Jr.'s phone call was, in fact, somewhat redundant. Accusing Saddam was politically correct, but even if you had character, you couldn't afford to speak out at this moment.
*****
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