Chaos in Kabul: A Malko Linge Novel by G?rard de Villiers (English) Paperback Bo

Description: Chaos in Kabul by Gérard de Villiers As U.S. troops prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan, and the Taliban is poised to take over, the CIA calls upon the Austrian aristocrat Malko Linge to execute a dangerous and delicate plan to restore stability to the region.On the ground in Kabul, Malko reconnects with an old flame and hires a South African mercenary to assist with his mission. But Malko doesnt know whom he can trust. His every move is monitored by President Karzais entourage, Taliban leaders, a seductive American journalist--and a renegade within the CIA itself. Before he can pull off his plan, Malko is kidnapped and nearly killed. When he finally manages to escape, he finds himself alone and running for his life in a hostile city. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Author Biography Gérard de Villiers (1929–2013) spent his five-decade career cultivating connections in the world of international intelligence, which allowed him to masterfully blend fiction with an insiders knowledge of international affairs—and to anticipate geopolitical events before they occurred. Originally published from 1960 until his death in 2013, his bestselling SAS series of 200 spy novels, starring Malko Linge, has long been considered Frances answer to Ian Fleming, with Malko as his James Bond. Review "Ripped from the headlines. . . . His books tell unvarnished truths that many prefer to ignore." --The Wall Street Journal"De Villierss books are ahead of the news and sometimes even ahead of events themselves." --The New York Times Magazine Review Quote "Ripped from the headlines. . . . His books tell unvarnished truths that many prefer to ignore." Excerpt from Book CHAPTER 1 Doha, Quatar January 2013 The sun was just rising when the Qatar Airways flight from Islamabad landed at the Doha airport. It was 6:03 a.m. The plane had taken off from Pakistan a little more than three and a half hours earlier. There were now four flights a week on a brand-new Airbus between the capitals of Pakistan and Qatar. This was a big improvement over Pakistan International Airlines old puddle jumpers and their haphazard schedules. As a result, the plane was full of Paki- stanis, rich businessmen and poor job seekers. The Qatari rarely traveled to Pakistan. With only a quarter of a million native-born citizens, Qatar focused on exploiting its gas reserves and the one and a half million Pakistanis, Indians, Filipinos, and Bengalis who did the work that kept the country running. One of the first passengers to reach the immigration counter was a young man with a neatly trimmed beard wearing an ill- fitting suit, no tie, and a brown coat. He was tall and thin, with a shock of black hair, a prominent nose, high cheekbones, and a sharp, heavy-lidded gaze. The Pakistani passport he handed the Qatari immigration officer was in the name of Gulbuddin Askari, businessman from Quetta, in Baluchistan. "Where are you staying, sir?" asked the officer. "At the Four Seasons," the traveler answered in excellent Arabic. A rich businessman, then. Located on the corniche along West Bay, the Four Seasons was the best hotel on the peninsula. The immigration agent smartly stamped Askaris passport. Wealth was appreciated in Qatar. Besides, the black crocodile leather attache case the Pakistani was carrying showed definite class. Pulling a small roller suitcase, the man calling himself Gulbud- din Askari made for the taxi stand, yawning widely. He was short of sleep. Hed come from Quetta the evening before and slept only three hours in a small hotel near the Islamabad airport before getting up at one thirty in the morning for his flight. He barely noticed downtown Dohas skyscrapers glittering in the morning sun. At the Four Seasons, Askari was grateful to reach his room. The first thing he did was to unfold a small prayer rug, face Mecca, and spend a long time praying. Then he got undressed, took a shower, and stretched out on the bed. His meeting wasnt until that evening, but it was essential that he be clearheaded. His soul at peace after a fervent prayer, he quickly fell asleep. The fuselage of the private Grumman jet bore no markings beyond "Brown & Root, Inc." in small blue letters above the airstairs. The plane landed at Doha airport at 5:45 p.m., twenty minutes ahead of the flight plan given to the Qatari authorities. A business flight from Dallas, with a refueling stop in Madrid. Besides the crew, there were two men on board. On landing, they handed the immigration service American passports in the names of Carl Gorman and James Ganlento. A pair of ordinary businessmen, a little weary after their seven-thousand-mile trip. Less than an hour later, they were settling into their rooms--at the Four Seasons. At 7:30 p.m., Askari appeared at the entrance of the bar and was immediately spotted by the two Americans. The white-haired man calling himself Ganlento stood and approached him. The men exchanged a long handshake. They had already met three times before, and they liked each other. "Ive reserved a private dining room in the Fortuna," said Ganlento. "Shall we go there, or would you like to have a drink here first?" "Lets go to the restaurant," said Askari. He didnt drink alcohol and was uncomfortable in public spaces with scantily dressed foreign women. The men headed for the Italian restaurant, the pride of the Four Seasons. Their table was already set, with wine, mineral water, and fruit juices. Before sitting down, Ganlento turned to his companion. "Carl, Id like you to meet Mullah Abdul Ghani Beradar. Hes a member of the shura in Quetta and has Mullah Omars full trust." He then turned to the young Pakistani. "Mullah Beradar, this is Carl. Im not authorized to reveal his identity, but I can say that he has come from Washington especially to meet you. Hes very close to the president and is here on his behalf." The two men shook hands. The white-haired man--who was actually Clayton Luger, the CIA deputy director in charge of clandestine operations--gestured toward the dining table. The men sat down and helped themselves to drinks. Luger had asked the restau- rant that they not be disturbed and had a silent buzzer under the table to summon the waiter. Luger now turned his blue eyes to the mullah. He was a big man, taller even than the young Afghan, and his white hair inspired respect. "Who on your side knows about this meeting?" he asked. "I was sent by Mullah Omar himself. Nobody in the supreme shura knows about it." "What about the Pakistanis?" Beradar hesitated slightly before answering. It was an open secret that the Talibans Quetta assembly was carefully monitored by Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence agency. It was even said that an ISI officer sat in on all its meetings. "They know Im here, of course," he admitted. "What do you plan to tell them?" "That I came here to meet some Americans to ask that the drone strikes in the tribal areas be stopped, as part of an eventual accord. They know that this is under discussion." Luger nodded approvingly. It was a credible cover story. As the CIA deputy director, he was in charge of the supposedly clandestine program of killing al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders with drone strikes. The program cost far less than traditional military opera- tions, produced better results, and was strongly endorsed by the White House. President Obama never hesitated to sign an executive order in support of the operations, though unofficially they didnt exist. With the Pakistan question resolved to the two Americans sat- isfaction, the men started on their appetizers. They had chosen to meet in Doha instead of Dubai because the ISI didnt have a network here, whereas the Pakistanis were particularly well informed in Dubai. Given what was to come, it was essential that no one know of National Security Advisor John Mulligans presence here. Mullah Beradar had finished his plate of fried vegetables, and Luger gave him time to drink some mango juice before asking, "Whats your opinion of the Chantilly meeting a few weeks ago?" At the initiative of the French government, representatives of various factions in the Afghan conflict had met in a Chantilly hotel for informal talks in late December 2012. They included representatives of the Quetta Taliban, the Massoud Tajiks, the Afghan government, and the Karzai opposition, but no one from the Haqqani network, and no Pakistanis or Uzbeks. The goal had been to find a way to resolve the conflict without too much damage. "We didnt make much progress," Beradar said with a frown. "There were two main sticking points: the withdrawal of coalition troops--" "We have made progress there," Luger pointed out. The Pashtun smiled. "Yes, but only between ourselves. Nothing official." "We have given you our word that we will leave by the end of 2014," insisted Luger. "We will keep our promises." "I can confirm that for the White House," said Mulligan, breaking his silence. "I dont doubt you," the mullah said smoothly. "But what if President Karzai asks that some troops stay after 2014? You would find yourself in an uncomfortable situation." A silence followed, eventually broken by Clayton Luger. "President Karzai cant run in the presidential elections set for April 2014," he said. "Hell be out of the game." Mullah Beradar shook his head, smiling. "We dont trust Karzai. That was the second point raised at the Chantilly meeting. As long as that man is around, we cant foresee any agreement. Hell either rig the election or run one of his loyalists, who will then do whatever Karzai says." "Why do you hate him so much?" asked Luger. "After all, hes a Pashtun like you, from the Popolzai tribe in Kandahar." "Hamid Karzai is a corrupt man and a traitor," said the mullah sharply. "If he doesnt leave in time, he will wind up like Shah Shujah." That was the worst insult anyone could hurl at an Afghan. Shujah had been put on the throne by the British occupiers of Afghanistan in 1839. When the foreign troops left, the Afghans lynched him. Forever after, he was seen as the model of a traitor to his country. "Youre very hard on Karzai," said the CIA deputy director with a slight smile. "He isnt our unconditional ally. After all, hes the one who stopped the coalition offensive in Kandahar in 2010. It would have done you tremendous damage." Beradar grimaced scornfully. "Karzai is a good tactician. He pretends your leash on him is longer than it really is. He also tries to appease us. But we arent fooled. He knows that nothing can happen in Afghanistan without us. He is a weak, hypocritical man, which you yourself recognize." Luger went back on the offensive. "President Karzai has his faults, but I dont think he wants to see a bloodbath in Afghanistan." "We dont either," said the mullah, "and we arent trying to seize complete power. All we want is our legitimate place at t Details ISBN0804169330 Short Title CHAOS IN KABUL Pages 384 Language English ISBN-10 0804169330 ISBN-13 9780804169332 Media Book Format Paperback DEWEY 843.914 Series A Malko Linge Novel Year 2014 Publication Date 2014-10-28 Imprint Vintage Crime/Black Lizard Subtitle A Malko Linge Novel Series Number 5 Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2014-10-28 NZ Release Date 2014-10-28 US Release Date 2014-10-28 UK Release Date 2014-10-28 Author Gérard de Villiers Publisher Penguin Random House LLC Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:137865972;

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