Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 136 United Front Conference (Part Two)

"First of all, we must admit that we did not come away empty-handed. In the early stages of the war, we demonstrated unprecedented unity and surprise."

General Nayef, the commander-in-chief, took over from Prince Muhammad. He first affirmed the performance of Masr and Surya in the early stages of the war: "The speed at which Masr's engineers built pontoon bridges on the canal exceeded the enemy's expectations, and their tactic of using high-pressure water cannons to break through the 'Bar-Lev Line' was also a classic example. This is a victory of courage and training."

Meanwhile, the armored forces of Surria launched an armored assault on the Badia Plain, tearing apart the direction of Zion and showcasing our tank onslaught and spirit of sacrifice to the world.

Hafiz crossed his arms, his jawline taut. The affirmation from his ally had eased his mind somewhat.

After all, those Western media outlets speak so harshly, constantly accusing Surya of "giving away lives" and mocking them as "who can stand that?"
General Nayef also expressed his appreciation to the other Arab allies who participated in the war, saying, "The support troops and air force you sent also filled the gaps in the battle line at a critical moment, which is a testament to our united efforts in resisting the Zion invasion."

He acknowledged the contributions of almost all the participating parties, which eased the atmosphere somewhat, but then he abruptly changed the subject.

"Then why didn't we turn our initial victory into our final victory?"

General Naif emphasized, "Large numbers of tanks were abandoned on the Sinai Peninsula and the Badia Plain, either becoming burning scrap metal or serving as tank reserves for Zion? Why did we lose air superiority despite having so many anti-aircraft weapons?"

Commander Hafiz couldn't hold back any longer and interrupted, "You have to ask those idiots, Masr, about this! If they hadn't been dragging their feet and refusing to advance, how could our armored forces have been so isolated? The Zionians even withdrew right under their noses! They turned their offensive against us again, leaving Surria to face Zion alone, which is constantly being funded by the colonial empire."

Were our soldiers not brave enough? Or did our tanks fail to charge? No! We were stabbed in the back! We placed our hopes for victory on a weak ally who could betray us at any moment!

He got angrier and angrier as he spoke, slamming his fist on the table repeatedly.

Lu Lin clicked his tongue in amazement. It was a good thing that Masr didn't attend this Arab League meeting, otherwise it looked like a fight would have broken out on the spot.

"But we must also face our own problems." At this point, Algeria's Prime Minister Boumediene spoke up, his voice steady and powerful: "I think we currently have three main weaknesses, namely intelligence, logistics, and joint operations capabilities."

In terms of intelligence, our strength is far inferior to that of Mossad in Zion. This was already evident during the Third Arab-Israeli War, when Zion had prior knowledge of the locations of all our airports and military bases, which led to our subsequent crushing defeat.

In terms of logistics, more than a third of our tanks were not withdrawn from combat because they were destroyed, but because of a lack of spare parts, fuel, or simply because they broke down in the desert and were abandoned. In contrast, Zion was able to get damaged tanks back to the front lines within 24 hours, something we couldn't do.

Hafez couldn't help but interject, "This is because we lack roads on the Badia Plain, and the Zionians have stockpiled a large amount of ammunition in Damascus, forcing us into a war of attrition. They took this opportunity to bomb our roads, preventing supplies from reaching us! Damn it, if Masr hadn't inexplicably chosen a ceasefire, we would have already taken back Damascus in one fell swoop!"

In Surria’s view, the defeat in the war was all Masr’s fault.

This illustrates that the deeper the love before, the deeper the hatred now.

At this moment, Lu Lin spoke up: "Regarding this point, I would like to add something. Although you are using Ant's military system, you lack Ant's industrial base. Once the war develops beyond the plan, it may lead to the inability of subsequent supplies to keep up, and the entire logistics system lacks the flexibility and adaptability to cope with changes."

"I must also point out that, based on my post-war analysis, the problem with Surya's highly centralized logistical command was that lower-level units lacked independent supply authority. Any supply request required approval at each level, which was a fatal bureaucracy."

Commander Hafez retorted, "Aren't you the same? The entire logistics of your troops are under the command of your headquarters?"

“It’s different,” Lu Lin shook his head: “We adopted the United States’ system, which emphasizes ‘real-time and in-transit management.’ That’s why we built multiple supply networks throughout the war, covering road and airdrop supplies, and in the later stages of the war, we switched to sea and air transport.”

We have granted frontline combat commanders extensive authority over logistical requests and allocation, and have also emphasized that maintenance units at all levels should be able to return damaged equipment to the battlefield as quickly as possible.

If anyone else had dared to criticize Surya's troops in this way, Commander Hafez would have already started yelling or even taking action, just like at that emergency wartime meeting held in Nevant.

But it's different when it's Lu Lin who speaks.

On the one hand, this meeting was being held on someone else's territory, and on the other hand, he could see that Masr and Hashim were unreliable, and the only reliable ally that could help Surria retake Damascus was Shuangzhi.

Lu Lin gestured for Algeria's Prime Minister Boumediene to continue, to which the latter responded in a friendly manner.

"And speaking of combat command," Prime Minister Boumedin continued, "our army generally suffers from a rigid command structure and slow transmission of orders. Even platoon leaders at the front lines have to wait for combat orders to come down from the division headquarters level by level. In contrast, Zion's ground forces even have the authority to call in air support. That's the difference!"

“That’s right,” Joseph leaned forward, staring at Hafez, “and I have absolutely no idea why the tanks and planes we sent to the front lines were just wasted like that? Our tank drivers were charging forward with anti-tank missiles on their heads the whole time! Even if we encountered new weapons, shouldn’t we have changed our tactics on the first contact?”

Commander Hafez's face was grim: "But we have also achieved results. In the early stages of the war, we advanced last year's ceasefire line by 80 kilometers!"

"Then why don't you take a look at how many tank wrecks are left along this 80-kilometer stretch of road?" Joseph retorted without any politeness. "In this regard, I think you should consult Lieutenant General Amir of Shuangzhi. He is a true master in mobile tactics and surprise attacks!"

Suddenly, everyone's attention was focused on Lu Lin again.

As a general who played the entire game and completely shattered Zion's plans in Al-Iraq, he was seen by these Arab high-ranking officials as a true all-rounder.

Lu Lin coughed and said, "We've summarized some experience regarding how to deal with Zion's new equipment system."

He then proposed a series of practical countermeasures, such as "the armored forces tactics should completely abandon the theory of deep battle and should not blindly believe in tank charges" and "upgrade the electronic warfare and air defense system, attach importance to electronic countermeasures, and establish an integrated air defense system".

He also imparted many details, such as tanks must never act alone without infantry, and that "anti-tank clearing teams" should be set up to provide cover for tanks;
The combat strategy of tanks has shifted from using armor to withstand attacks to firing in short bursts from the turret, which can greatly reduce the probability of being locked on by anti-tank missiles.

To counter Zion's anti-radiation missiles, a "switch-on" tactic could be employed, which could disable radar, etc.

These battlefield details were actually experienced by the generals who participated in the war, but how to counter them was only a rough outline in their minds.

Lu Lin was the one who brought these ideas to life, and the solutions he provided were more detailed and comprehensive than they had imagined.

"Logistics is the core of modern warfare," Lu Lin emphasized. "Modern warfare is both a war of quick victory and a war of attrition; relying solely on a large number of weapons is meaningless."

Regarding this point, I think we need to approach it from two aspects. First, we need to establish a domestic military-industrial complex. Even though our current foundation is almost nonexistent, we must still do it. There's an old saying that goes, "The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago; the second best time is now."

“That’s well said,” Prime Minister Boumedien nodded in deep agreement.

Joseph silently memorized the sentence, feeling it was profound and might come in handy for future speeches.

Lu Lin continued, "The second is the standardization and simplification of equipment. We currently have a combination of Ant, United States, and European weapons, making logistics extremely complex. We should simplify the equipment system and improve its versatility."

He was actually saying this to himself as well. His troops were a mix of American, Soviet, and British forces, many of whom were captured or provided as aid during the war, but he had never been willing to throw them away.

This question eased Commander Hafez's expression slightly: "Surria actually has a mature military-industrial complex, capable of producing its own army, air defense systems, and even air force equipment, such as the T-55, MiG fighters, and SA series air defense missiles, but these can only support non-wartime consumption."

The two countries have maintained close cooperation. In order to consolidate its influence in the Middle East, Ant assisted Sudan in establishing several central repair plants and weapons production lines, making Sudan's military industry one of the most robust in the Arab world.

At the height of their cooperation, Ant Group sent a large number of technical advisors and engineers to be stationed there, training thousands of local technicians.

That is precisely why the disastrous defeat in the Third Middle East War was so hard to accept.

Lu Lin knew that the key point was yet to come: "At the same time, we also have a very important problem, which is the lack of coordinated combat capabilities."

"The coordination between Masr and Surya on the western and southern fronts was regrettable. We had the opportunity to retake Sinai, Damascus, and even advance to Tel Aviv!"
But we failed because, at the outset of the war, the strategic objectives sought by each nation were not aligned!

Hafiz interjected, "There's no need to worry about that now. We've kicked out the cowardly idiots, and what's left are all good guys willing to beat Zion to a pulp!"

“No,” Lu Lin stared at Hafez and stated his opinion: “If we want to defeat Zion, we must establish a true Arab united front! This is not a slogan, but an entity—establishing a unified joint command, achieving real-time and seamless intelligence sharing, integrating the most elite troops from various countries, and forming a truly allied force that can be directly commanded by the joint command!”

The topic has basically been brought to light at this point.

Kozone of Al-Ilag asked the most crucial question: "Who will lead this force?"

"Me," Lu Lin answered without hesitation.

Although everyone had expected it, hearing him say it still made everyone's hearts skip a beat.

This is tantamount to demanding that countries relinquish some of their military power.

It would have been impossible for anyone else, but the one who said this was Lu Lin—a ruthless man who chose to attack even after Al-Irag abandoned the pincer attack on Euphrates and ultimately took down Ghanam.

Including the attacks by Nukoshir, Sergeid, Ghanam, and the Kurdish coalition, he has won four consecutive matches against Zion.

Ironically, his achievements in the past year or so have surpassed the combined achievements of all Arab countries fighting against Zion over the past twenty years.

After a moment of silence, the first to stand up in support was Tarric, the new king of Hashem.

“General Amir is right!” King Taric stood up almost immediately and expressed his support: “The old way of fighting each other should end! The Kingdom of Hashim is willing to fully support the lieutenant general’s proposal. We can provide troops and are willing to hand over command to the joint command for unified coordination!”

Hashim chose to fully side with Shuangzhi, seeing this as the opportunity he had been waiting for.

“That’s right, we Arab brothers should have united long ago!” Joseph of Surria slapped his thigh and loudly echoed, “What’s the use of arguing all day? Let’s stick together and fight! I, Muammar, am willing to hand over the Surria Volunteer Brigade and Armored Battalion to Lieutenant General Amir! I believe in his abilities!”

Representatives from Algeria, Corvette, and other countries also voiced their agreement.

Some of them lacked military strength, and others were perhaps too geographically distant, but they did see hope in defeating Zion.

Even in the face of adversity, there are still those who shine.

Now the pressure is entirely on Al-Irag and Surria.

Kozone of Al-Iraq was on pins and needles; his current situation was very awkward.

Despite being the victorious side, they ended up losing both their wife and their army. Shuangzhi controlled the area west of the Euphrates River and has shown no intention of returning it to this day.

But as a member of the Arab world, and one of the countries that most loudly proclaims its anti-Zion stance, he cannot openly oppose the union.

The name "Amir" now holds a certain magic within Al-Iraq's army.

I felt both respect and a degree of fear.

We admire him for defeating Zion's formidable enemies, and we fear him for daring to openly kill the Ba'ath Party's deputy secretary-general, showing no mercy even to his allies.

After much deliberation, Kozonie finally spoke with difficulty: "Al-Iraq supports the idea of ​​a joint command in principle. For the common cause of the Arab world, we are willing to provide mechanized troops and accept unified command."

He paused, then emphasized, "However, we must sign a detailed agreement! Clearly define the... uh, ultimate ownership of this unit!"

Lu Lin almost laughed when he heard this. Are you so afraid that I will take over your troops?

"Don't worry," he reassured her, "the specific agreements will be implemented one by one later. It's not just Al-Ilag, it's the same for all countries."

King Tarek had originally intended to raise his hand and simply give it all to General Amir, since they didn't have many troops to begin with.

But then I thought about it again and realized that I had gone a bit too far and was being too obsequious.

Finally, all eyes fell on Commander Hafez of Surria.

This old man (who was actually only forty years old) had an extremely strong desire to control his army, which he regarded as the foundation for maintaining domestic rule and personal power.

Even after such a crushing defeat, it's unlikely he'd relinquish his military power.

Sure enough, Hafiz shook his head: "Surria must retain command of the troops. Although we also support the idea of ​​joint command, we must also defend the land and people of Surria."

Leaders of other countries secretly wondered, "Don't we need one too?"

But then Hafez changed the subject: "However, I agree to establish and join an intelligence-sharing network to achieve real-time information exchange and to coordinate and cooperate among Arab countries in major strategic operations."

This person is really bad at the game but loves to play.

Lu Lin was not surprised by this; he would leave the rest to time.

He nodded: "Intelligence sharing and strategic coordination are also the first steps in the alliance, which is very important. Thank you for Surria's support."

"May God bless us, and next time, victory will belong to the Arabs."

General Naif, who was standing to the side, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the most difficult hurdle had finally been overcome.

The second half of the meeting focused on tactical exchanges and detailed consultations. Shuangzhi also arranged for the leaders of various countries to stay for a few more days to visit troops and weapons.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

A few days later, at Riyadh Airport.

The royal family personally arranged for the farewell of the leaders from various countries. As they boarded the plane, these powerful figures displayed different emotions on their faces: excitement, solemnity, or deep thought. They then departed Shuangzhi one after another.

When it was time to say goodbye to Algeria's Prime Minister Boumediene, this man who had experienced great ups and downs and finally stood at the pinnacle of power walked towards Lu Lin and firmly grasped his hand.

His tone was unusually solemn: "Lieutenant General, we are placing all our hopes for victory on your shoulders."

Lu Lin gripped Bumeiding's hand tightly in return, his voice steady and firm: "We will greet the victorious morning together."

Prime Minister Boumedien smiled and said, "Then you must come to Algiers for a visit. I'll treat you to mint tea—see you in Tel Aviv."

Arab countries have a special Ante complex, which has a profound influence on them in both military and literary aspects.

Lu Lin's angry rebuke of Hilbert at the UN General Assembly has become a popular meme in the past two days, frequently quoted by Arab military officers.

Lu Lin nodded: "See you in Tel Aviv."

(End of this chapter)