Chapter 18 The Security Flaw

1400 Zulu, Saturday, November 7, 1981, Maria’s Apartment

“Get up sleepy head. I have your favorite breakfast of pancakes and Maple syrup ready. We have lots to talk about. The holidays are coming up and I have some news.”

“Ok Maria, just give me a minute to use the bathroom and get a robe on and I’ll be there.”

When Claude is seated at the kitchen table Maria asks: “Are you ready for all the holidays? The American holiday Thanksgiving is at the end of the month and in December there’s Hanukkah and Christmas as you know. We need to decide what we’ll do for the holidays. Now that we are officially engaged, and I am going to have a ring to prove it, I want to tell my parents and I want to take you to meet them. Also, I am tired of us having two apartments. It’s been long enough that I don’t think to live together now will cause any problems for me at work. I want you to move in with me but only after I tell my mother we are engaged. I’m sure she will be ok with it. I just don’t want to do it without telling her. Even if she wants to meet you first I can live with that.”

“I am ready for anything as long as we can do it together. I sure am ready to move in with you as soon as you agree. When do you want to visit your parents?”

“I think over Thanksgiving is best if the French will give you time off. That way we won't be rushed but won’t have to stay long either. Plus, we avoid the religious issues that will come up if we go for Hanukkah or Christmas.”

“I am pretty sure I can get a couple of days off, especially if it’s for an American holiday since Americans won’t be working. I am looking forward to meeting your parents and seeing some of Indiana where you grew up. Meeting your father will be a good test of how well I have learned my new French identity. He’ll probably want to know where I was born, where I went to school and where I lived.”

“I am sure you will do fine with my father. I think he will be more interested in the latest news from France and what you are doing now than where you were born. But we should review everything again so I don’t mess up if he asks me questions. He will probably want to speak French to you so we had better speak French at home from now to Thanksgiving so you can be ready. I’ll call my mother later this morning, tell her we are engaged and arrange our visit. Now, are you sure getting married the last Saturday in January at my parents’ house as we discussed is ok? I like to break up the winter so I want our honeymoon to be the first week in February. If it’s still ok I’ll tell my mother what we want.”

“Yes Maria, I am happy to get married at your parents’ home at the end of January. And to visit this Disney World place in Florida for our honeymoon since you make it sound like a fun place even for adults.”

“Good, it won't be a big wedding since I have lost touch with my friends from high school; just a couple of my relatives and good friends of my parents. Now, I have some big news for you.”

“Before you tell me your news can I have some more pancakes?”

“Oh yes, I forgot how many pancakes you can eat, especially after an active night in bed. Here you go.”

“Thanks, now tell me your news.”

“Ok, well as you know a week ago I was still struggling to try to find a way to penetrate the security on the agency’s computer. The security is much stronger than we expected. I finally found a way to see who is given need-to-know for every file and how often the need-to-know is checked and verified. And I can do this without leaving any trace of my reading this data. Well, that’s interesting but not of much use because I don’t yet know how to add my name to a need-to-know for a file without it being discovered when the list is checked. Then I had a breakthrough. I was curious to see who has a need-to-know for a personal file of the Director’s. It’s a file where he keeps notes from the meetings of the NSC, which he attends. And here is the big news. He is the only one with the need-to-know for his personal file. When I checked to see how often the need-to-know is verified for this file it said “never”. So I added my name to the need-to-know for the Director’s NSC meeting notes. This means I can read the Director’s notes from the NSC meetings anytime and no one will ever know.”

“That is fantastic news. Just the kind of thing the network has been hoping for. Have you discovered anything of interest in the director’s notes?”

“I have only read the notes from recent meetings so far but there are a couple of things I think your network people may be interested in. The notes disclosed at a meeting in mid-September the President was going to announce on October 2 the deployment of 100 MX missiles and the go-ahead to build 100 B1 Bombers.”

“That is exactly the kind of information the network is hoping you can obtain Maria. Too bad it’s too late to use the information. Anything else interesting?”

“I think so. The notes from the most recent meeting of the NSC said on November 20 the President is planning to call for the USSR to remove the SS-20 missiles targeting Europe in exchange for NATO to stop plans for the Pershing II and cruise missiles in Europe.”

“Yes, that is interesting. I’ll have to go to the Embassy this afternoon and pass this information to my contact. He told me he would be in the office today if I needed him. From what I have been told the network will want to have demonstrations supporting the President’s proposal ready to go as soon as the announcement is public. Such demonstrations take time to plan and they want the demonstration to take place before Russia can react. Now go call your mother while I clear up the dishes. Then we’ll go shopping for your engagement ring and celebrate with an expensive lunch out.”

2300 Zulu, Friday, January 22, 1982, Claude and Maria’s apartment

“Claude I am getting excited about our wedding next Saturday. I’m also glad I took a week off before the wedding to go to Carmel and help my mother get everything ready. I didn’t realize there is so much planning involved until she started calling me with lots of questions. I booked a flight to Indianapolis for next Monday afternoon. Is there anything you want me to do for you over the weekend?”

“No, I can’t think of anything. Tomorrow let’s book my flight for next Friday after work. That way, if I forget to call, you will know when I am to arrive and you can pick me up at the airport so I won’t have to rent a car. It will also give us some time to talk about any last minute details while we are driving to Carmel. When we get to your parents’ house I suspect your father will keep me busy asking about things happening in France.”

“Yes, I’m sure he will. The only times he has been back to France since he married my mom was for each of his parents’ funerals. How about a glass of wine before dinner?”

“Sounds good. A Frenchman never turns down a glass of wine. How was your work this week? We haven’t had a chance to catch up since I got back from Boston last night. Anything exciting in the Operations Directorate?”

“Not much new. We may be turning a Hungarian diplomat who is in Bonn for a three-year assignment at their embassy. I won’t know until we are back from our honeymoon. Jack will make the final pitch over this weekend. If Leon were still alive he would land this Hungarian for sure. I don't have much confidence in Jack’s being as convincing as Leon would have in spite of being the boss.”

“I’m sure Leon’s accidental death is a big loss from all you have told me about him. Oh, did you check the Director’s NSC notes this week?”

“Yes, I almost forgot. One thing may be of interest. At the NSC meeting this past week they decided to approve the President’s plan to suggest removing all theater nuclear weapons from Europe instead of just two-thirds of them, as the Soviet Premier suggested. The President will announce his suggestion on February 4.”

“That is interesting. I think the network will want to know immediately. I suspect they will welcome the President’s plan. Knowing it a few days’ ahead of his announcement will give them time to arrange widespread support for the plan as soon as it is announced. As I told you the network thinks it’s more effective if demonstrations can take place before the Soviets can react. I must get this information to my contact at the French Embassy tonight.”

“Can it wait until after dinner Claude?   I hate to have you have to go out on a Friday evening.”

“It can wait, Maria. I’ll call him before we eat and set up a meeting for two hours from now. The meeting will just take a few minutes. I wish I could give him the information over the phone but it’s too risky. Anyway, I’ll only be gone for about an hour.”

After Claude makes his call Maria asks, “Claude, why is the network interested in the negotiations about nuclear weapons in Europe?”

“I have been told the network leadership believes nuclear weapons in Europe could be destabilizing. The leadership knows nothing can be done about the strategic nuclear weapons in England and France; actually, they believe these strategic weapons help keep the Soviets from starting any conflict. But they think the theater nuclear weapons might have less rigid controls, increasing the likelihood of an accidental launch. Whatever their reasoning they want to make sure Europe supports getting rid of the theater nuclear weapons so this new information is just the kind of intelligence the network hoped you can provide. I hope you are not uncomfortable in disclosing this intelligence.”

“No Claude. I am glad to share it if it will help in any way to get rid of some of the nuclear weapons. The thought of nuclear bombs being used horrifies me.”

“Let’s raise our wine glasses to fewer nuclear weapons, Maria.”