The Kennedy Imperative by Leon Berger

Author:Leon Berger
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media

The symbolic initiatives that Lucius Clay had discussed with his co-conspirators, Albert Watson and Allan Lightner, during their confidential evening at the latter’s home, began with an operation that was nothing more than a charade: pure smoke and mirrors, as Clay put it.

It took place in the rural suburbs of the American sector, a deliberately visible area near the neighboring East German border, so that if anyone from the other side wished to observe and report back, all they would need would be a pair of field glasses. It was here in the pleasant countryside that he assembled half a dozen of General Watson’s oldest tanks for maneuvers; but these weren’t just any tanks, or any maneuvers for that matter. Ostensibly a training exercise, the demonstration was meant as a warning, an unmistakable exposition of US potential.

As Clay and Hank Leland observed from their Jeep, the armored unit personnel checked their massive equipment for the last time before climbing aboard and starting up their engines. Firmly attached to the front of each tank was a heavy gauge bulldozer blade and assembled across the broad, grassy meadow on which they were parked were sturdy emplacements of wire, brick and concrete, hauled into place over the previous few days by the corps of engineers and built to resemble sections of the Wall. The effect was uncannily realistic. Then, on a series of coordinated signals, the squad of rumbling, clanking behemoths advanced in low gear and took ceremonious turns grinding their way through the obstacle course, demolishing everything in their path. While they were doing it, their movements were being recorded by army cameramen from every conceivable angle. It was like an MGM production and Clay in particular found it tremendous fun to watch, a great morning’s spectacle, and he was full of smiles and wisecracks as the machines slowly obliterated the simulated barriers.

The ultimate purpose, of course, was to leak the edited footage, plus a selection of detailed prints, to what Clay called “the opposite ladder”. As Leland understood the term, this meant influential individuals, whether diplomatic, covert or military, all the way up the ranks as far as the East German politburo and the Soviet presidium. There would be no captions to the images, no accompanying message and certainly no threat or ultimatum. The visual reference, Clay felt, would be more than enough to make the point and the beauty of it was that it was merely a demonstration. This was the only proposal he’d put forward with absolutely no risk attached and that’s why he’d chosen to lead off with it.

Now, having initiated the momentum, Clay was feeling more positive than at any time since the inauguration. Back in Washington, it had often seemed like he was marking time, just going through the motions of advising the president, but back here in Berlin, he was alive, once again responding to the challenge. This, he knew, was what he was born to do and he was grateful that destiny – with a little help from Khrushchev – had allowed him this renewed opportunity.

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