Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 224 "Surrounding Three Sides and Leaving One Open" (Part 1)

Watching the Zion Intelligence Chief's car disappear outside the palace gates, Hussein felt as if all his strength had been drained, and he slumped into his seat.

The courage that had sustained him vanished instantly, and he felt his back was soaked in cold sweat, followed by a wave of fear.

What if the Zionites get angry and target the Hashim first?
If the Arab allies are ultimately defeated, what if my refusal today leads Hashim to utter ruin?
What if the neutral forces within the country seize the opportunity to launch an attack, overthrowing the monarchy in one fell swoop and causing him to hang himself?
He looked at the scattered fragments of the agreement, his fingertips trembling slightly.

The resolute determination shown when tearing up the agreement has faded, replaced by an unfathomable fear.

After all, not everyone has the courage to be an enemy of Zion.

"Your Majesty has done very well."

Just then, a calm voice came from the doorway.

A man dressed in the uniform of a Hashim general stood there, his gray hair and beard meticulously combed.

"Prime Minister Zafira?" Hussein sat up straight in surprise. "What is this?"

Zafir Khalid, the prime minister of Arafat descent, seized power after King Tariq's death, effectively sidelining the royal family and is currently the true ruler of the Hashemite Kingdom.

"I am preparing to go to the front lines and wish to bid farewell to Your Majesty before my departure."

Zafiel's eyes held a rare hint of approval: "Your choice just now reminded me of your father. His Majesty Taric would be very proud of you if he had made that choice."

He took a few steps closer, his gaze sweeping over the shredded paper on the ground: "Your choice is correct. Making peace with Zion is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin. These outsiders will never become our true neighbors; they will only take advantage of us. Today Zion wants us to remain neutral, tomorrow they will want us to submit."

Hussein said in a low voice, "But won't my decision push the country into an even more dangerous situation?"

"Danger has already arrived, Your Majesty."

Zafiel's voice was firm: "The only difference is whether we kneel to survive or stand to fight. Your choice today will allow the Hashim people to stand tall before their descendants."

This was the first time since Hussein ascended to the throne that he had heard genuine approval from the prime minister who effectively controlled the government, and he felt something stirring in his chest.

"Then what should I do now?" the young king asked. "I'm willing to do anything for Hashim."

Zafiel smiled slightly: "That's exactly what I wanted to say. Your Majesty now has a more important task—"

He bent down, picked up a piece of scrap paper, and gently placed it on the table: "If Zion really crosses the Hashim River, I'm afraid even if I were to be shattered to pieces, I would not be able to stop it. At present, there is probably only one person who can help the Hashim."

Hussein suddenly realized what was happening and immediately grabbed the phone on the table. Zafiel promptly handed him the contact number.

The communication was quickly established, and the voice of the duty officer came from the other end: "This is Allied Command."

“I am King Hashim, Hussein ibn Tariq,” the boy said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Please transfer me to Marshal Amir immediately.”

Upon hearing that it was King Hashim, the person on the other side dared not be negligent.

Hussein's eyes met Zafira's, and then that unfamiliar yet familiar voice came from the phone.

"This is Amir bin Mohammed."

Hussein took a deep breath, then shouted in a voice trembling with tears:
"Uncle, help! Help! Help! Help! Help!"

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.

Lu Lin hung up the phone, and Ibrahim, who was standing next to him, said, "It seems that our analysis was correct. As long as we launch a general offensive, Zion will definitely choose to cross the Hashim River and implement a counter-breakout tactic."

Lu Lin stared at the empty section of the Hashim River bank on the sand table: "After all, they have won several large-scale wars with this kind of surprise attack tactic. If a gambler can win every time he bets, he will definitely keep betting. In this way, his behavior will not be difficult to predict, but rather predictable."

The reason why surprise attacks work is because the enemy doesn't expect them. But once the course of action is figured out, it's a completely different story.

If Hussein knew that Lu Lin was actually using Hashim as bait, I wonder what he would think.

Ibrahim nodded: "Should I contact the Air Force first?"

"No, wait a little longer."

Lu Lin said, "In order to achieve a quick victory, Yeshavishin will definitely commit a large number of its main forces to attack Hashim, after their armored forces cross the river."

He reached out and pushed the red markers representing the Allied forces to both sides of the riverbank: "We want them to stay on the east bank forever, to remember this defeat forever."

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.

Shmuel raised his wrist for the third time, looking at the hands of his watch. Fifteen minutes had passed since the agreed time with Holon.

"We can't wait any longer!" He lowered his sleeves, his breath dissipating in the cold air. "Attention all personnel, execute the 'Sword of Blazing Fire' plan immediately!"

The codename "Fiery Sword" comes from the legendary battle of the Maccabi Rebellion, in which a smaller force defeated a larger one, and carries the General Staff's high hopes for the Third Army to "turn the tide of the war with decisive offensives."

"Commander!" A lieutenant colonel from the intelligence department rushed forward: "Our director is still in the Kingdom of Hashim! What will happen to our director if we launch an attack?"

“I have already waited an extra fifteen minutes for him.”

Shmuel glanced at him and said coldly, "Now tell me, are you loyal to Zion, or to Mordechai Holon personally?"

The lieutenant colonel was speechless.

"Artillery units, conduct full fire coverage according to predetermined coordinates." Shmuel's voice echoed through the radio to all combat units. "Air force formations, prioritize clearing anti-tank positions along the coast!"

In an instant, hundreds of heavy cannons on the Zion artillery positions roared simultaneously, shells tearing through the sky and igniting a continuous sea of ​​fire on the Hashim army's positions.

The defensive fortifications on the opposite bank crumbled under the precise artillery fire, and smoke quickly enveloped the entire riverbank.

The defending troops immediately launched a counterattack, with coastal artillery firing a barrage of bullets onto the river, and anti-tank missiles hidden behind bunkers streaking towards the engineering corps that were building the bridge. Hashim soldiers fought back tenaciously, relying on the remaining fortifications, their machine gun fire splashing countless droplets of water across the river.

Just then, the roar of engines came from the horizon, and a formation of several Mirage III fighter jets swooped down, their red-tipped missiles accurately hitting the tank bunkers along the coast.

In a series of explosions, many of Hashim's armored units were reduced to burning scrap metal.

Shmuel raised his binoculars, observing the battle through the billowing smoke.

Under the carefully prepared surprise attack, the Arab forces' defenses on the opposite bank of the river were shattered. The Hashim forces on the left flank suffered heavy casualties in the artillery fire, while the right flank was retreating in search of cover. The wreckage of the destroyed pontoon bridge floated on the river, but more troops were rushing to cross it.

Judging from the sound of the explosions and the flashes of light, Shmuel believed that the defending forces' fighting capacity had been reduced by more than half.

"The armored vanguard should cross the river immediately."

He gave the order over the radio: "The 188th Armored Brigade will lead the charge, with engineers ensuring the pontoon bridge remains open. Air defense units will follow closely behind, establishing an air defense perimeter at the landing point. All units maintain spacing and proceed at full speed!"

His orders were carried out swiftly.

The Chieftain tank roared onto the pontoon bridge, its tracks making heavy thuds on the makeshift surface.

The remaining defenders on the opposite bank attempted to block with sporadic fire, but were quickly suppressed by artillery fire from the rear.

Watching his troops successfully cross the river, Shmuel felt a long-lost sense of exhilaration.

This inevitably reminded him of the glory of leading armored forces to capture Jerusalem during the Third Arab-Israeli War.

The intelligence provided by Mossad was accurate, and every defensive node, from air defense positions to artillery positions, was effectively eliminated.

This is the kind of war he remembers!

"It seems that opponents like Amir are a minority in the Arab world after all," he murmured to himself, his worried brows seeming to relax a little.

As one of Zion's four "star generals," Shmuel was once on par with Yeshavishin and was highly regarded.

However, the loss of the Golan Heights during the Levant War caused his reputation to plummet. If it weren't for his past military achievements, he would have been dismissed and investigated long ago.

Incidentally, the other two generals are General Zion Tal, who is currently commanding the First Army, and Yusuf, who was captured in Damascus.

In previous battles, Zion Tarr had won a series of victories on the southern front, and his glorious past victories made him highly respected in the country.

Therefore, after Kustov was removed from the list, he became the last one among the three.

"Today, I will avenge myself here."

Shmuel gripped his binoculars, watching the bridgehead on the opposite bank gradually solidify.

The vanguard of tank units has successfully landed and is advancing deeper into the territory.

"Reporting to the commander, the 188th Armored Brigade has broken through the enemy's riverbank defenses!"

A report came over the radio from the front-line commander: "The enemy is retreating!"

"Keep pushing!" Shmuel took a deep breath, his pent-up frustration dissipating. "Let these Arabs see what a real armored assault is like!"

(End of this chapter)