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ob was what the Americans called J…3； Chief of Operations； which meant killing people in war and training them in peace。 Bondarenko had traveled the globe； learning how other armies trained their men； sifted through the lessons； and applied them to his own soldiers。 The only difference between a soldier and a civilian was training； after all； and Bondarenko wanted no less than to bring the Russian army to the same razor…sharp and granite…hard condition with which it had kicked in the gates of Berlin under Zhukov and Koniev。 That goal was still off in the future； but the general told himself that he'd laid the proper foundation。 In ten years； perhaps； his army would be at that goal； and he'd be around to see it； retired by then； of course； honorably so； with his decorations framed and hanging on the wall； and grandchildren to bounce on his knee。。。 and occasionally ing in to consult； to look things over and offer his opinion； as retired general officers often did。
For the moment； he had no further work to do； but no particular desire to head home； where his wife was hosting the wives of other senior officers。 Bondarenko had always found such affairs tedious。 The military attaché in Washington had sent him a book； Swift Sword； by a Colonel Nicholas Eddington of the American Army National Guard。 Eddington； yes； he was the colonel who'd been training with his brigade in the desert of California when the decision had e to deploy to the Persian Gulf； and his troops … civilians in uniform； really … had performed well： Better than well； the Russian general told himself。 They'd exercised the Medusa Touch； destroying everything they'd touched； along with the regular American formations； the 10th and 11th cavalry regiments。 Together that one division…sized collection of forces had smashed a full four corps of mechanized troops like so many sheep in the slaughter pen。 Even Eddington's guardsmen had performed magnificently： Part of that； Gennady Iosifovich knew； was their motivation。 The biological attack on their homeland had understandably enraged the soldiers； and such rage could make a poor soldier into an heroic one as easily as flipping a light switch。 〃Will to bat〃 was the technical term。 In more pedestrian language； it was the reason a man put his life at risk； and so it was a matter of no small importance to the senior officers whose job it was to lead those men into danger。
Paging through the book； he saw that this Eddington … also a professor of history； the flap said； wasn't that interesting？ … paid no small attention to that factor。 Well； maybe he was smart in addition to being lucky。 He'd had the good fortune to mand reserve soldiers with many years of service； and while they'd only had part…time practice for their training； they'd been in highly stable units； where every soldier knew every other； and that was a virtually unknown luxury for regular soldiers。 And they'd also had the revolutionary new American IVIS gear； which let all the men and vehicles in the field know exactly what their mander knew； often in great detail。。。 and in turn told their mander exactly what his men saw。 Eddington said that had made his job a lot easier than any mechanized…force mander had ever had it。
The American officer also talked about knowing not only what his subordinate manders were saying； but also the importance of knowing what they were thinking； the things they didn't have the time to say。 The implicit emphasis was on the importance of continuity within the officer corps； and that； Bondarenko thought as he made a marginal note； was a most important lesson。 He'd have to read this book in detail； and maybe have Washington purchase a hundred or so for his brother officers to read。。。 even get reprint rights in Russia for it？ It was something the Russians had done more than once。
CHAPTER 12
Conflicts of the Pocket
Okay； George； let's have it；〃 Ryan said； sipping his coffee。 The White House had many routines； and one that had evolved over the past year was that； after the daily intelligence briefing； the Secretary of the Treasury was Ryan's first appointment two or three days of the week。 Winston most often walked across … actually under … 15th Street via a tunnel between the White House and Treasury Building that dated back to the time of FDR。 The other part of the routine was that the President's Navy messmen laid out coffee and croissants （with butter） in which both men indulged to the detriment of their cholesterol numbers。
〃The PRC。 The trade negotiations have hit the wall pretty hard。 They just don't want to play ball。〃
〃What are the issues？〃
〃Hell； Jack； what aren't the friggin' issues？〃 TRADER took a bite of croissant and grape jelly。 〃That new puter pany their government started up is ripping off a proprietary hardware gadget that Dell has patented … that's the new doohickey that kicked their stock up twenty percent； y'know？ They're just dropping the things into the boxes they make for their own market and the ones they just started selling in Europe。 That's a goddamned violation of all sorts of trade and patent treaties； but when we point that out to them over the negotiating table； they just change the subject and ignore it。 That could cost Dell something like four hundred million dollars； and that's real money for one pany to lose； y'know？ If I was their corporate counsel； I'd be flipping through the Yellow Pages for Assassins 'R Us。 Okay； that's one。 Next； they've told us that if we make too big a deal of these 'minor' disagreements； Boeing can forget the 777 order … twenty…eight aircraft they've optioned … in favor of Airbus。〃
Ryan nodded。 〃George； what's the trade balance with the PRC now？〃
〃Seventy…eight billion； and it's their way； not ours； as you know。〃
〃Scott's running this over at Foggy Bottom？〃
SecTreas nodded。 〃He's got a pretty fair team in place； but they need a little more in the way of executive direction。〃
〃And what's this doing to us？〃
〃Well； it gets our consumers a lot of low…cost goods； about seventy percent of which is in low…tech stuff； lots of toys； stuffed animals； like that。 But； Jack； thirty percent is upscale stuff。 That amount's almost doubled in two and a half years。 Pretty soon that's going to start costing us jobs； both in terms of production for domestic consumption and lost exports。 They're selling a lot of laptops domestically … in their country I mean … but they don't let us into the market； even though we've got 'em beat in terms of performance and price。 We know for sure they're taking part of their trading surplus with us and using it to subsidize their puter industries。 They want to build that up for strategic reasons； I suppose。
〃Plus selling weapons to people we'd prefer not to have them；〃 POTUS added。 Which they also do for strategic reasons。
〃Well； doesn't everybody need an AK…47 to take care of his gophers？〃 A shipment of fourteen hundred true … that is； fully automatic … assault rifles had been seized in the Port of Los Angeles two weeks before； but the PRC had denied responsibility； despite the fact that U。S。 intelligence services had tracked the transaction order back to a particular Beijing telephone number。 That wa