MOON OVER LIBYA 119in this part of Palmera could understandably arouse suspicion. I did not
want the police to search our vehicle and determine that we were who
we were, doing what we were doing. The implications were monumental
should it become known that American officials were involved in this par-
ticular activity. My worst fears were about to be realized.
My boss yelled at me to stop, but as I rolled up to the checkpoint, I
smiled at the cop, waved, and drove on through. There was only the one
police car there, and the cop was standing outside his vehicle, so I quickly
calculated the odds were he would not pursue us. Luckily, my gamble paid
off, although we heard a shot fired as I sped off into the darkness. After
completing the remaining tasks for the night, we made it back to the station
without further incident.
The next day (a Saturday), our CA campaign had already gotten
the attention we wanted: there were multiple, breathless television news
reports about what someone had done the previous night in multiple loca-
tions around the capital city. The local government and Foreign Ministry
expressed immediate outrage at the actions they believed the “bad guys”
had carried out in their country. This time the bad guys had gone too far.
The American ambassador, whom we had not briefed in advance—an
exception to the rule in cases like this—summoned us to his office at the
US embassy. He quickly and correctly surmised that the station was behind
this. We “came clean,” and happily, he had no objections, other than the
lack of forewarning. He understood that our operation would make life in
Palmera safer for all Americans, including those like him working at the
American embassy.
In the end, the government of Palmera took the actions we had hoped
they would take. The threat to Palmera and to US interests in Palmera had
just been reduced dramatically. Mission accomplished.
Moral of the story: fake news works, if you’re not caught in the process.
Which brings me back to Manuel, the long-time station asset who first set
things in motion with his explosive report about Arabs photographing the
American embassy. Although Manuel was an easy agent to handle, I had
my doubts about his bona fides. Something didn’t feel right. For example,