Alex was a little out of breath, the big overload maneuver just now, so that he felt that his internal organs were almost going to be pulled out, this kind of thrilling action, it used to be very enjoyable every time he did it, but now, it was a brush with death, he also thought back, just now he almost saw the flying missile, across the top of his cockpit, they were unscathed.

However, not everyone has his good fortune, the weapons operator in the rear compartment has just reported to him that he has just encountered that he has shot down one of his own planes, the pilot has parachuted out, another one has been damaged, and one engine has been damaged, but he can continue to fly, and has turned around and returned home, preparing to land temporarily at an Israeli air base.

0 to 2, this is simply a shameful record for them, now, they have two left, and the opponent's four Mirage 4000s, are already rapidly approaching, and they are about to enter the line of sight.

What to do? Alex was not afraid, although in this round of medium-range air combat, the Iraqi side took advantage of the advantage of medium-range missiles, but the close-range air battle was completely their world.

With its excellent aerodynamic layout and computer-operated variable sweep wing, the F-14 is unrivaled in maneuverability and can outperform all fighters, even the Air Force's F-15, and engaging in close-quarters combat with it is a foolish suicide.

In later generations, after the U.S. Navy retired the Tomcat fighter, the main air defense task of the U.S. fleet was handed over to the Super Hornet, and the U.S. Navy was not very satisfied with the air superiority of this fighter, but at this time, the U.S. military strength was already invincible, and they no longer needed the ferocious fighter of the Tomcat.

Therefore, although it is a one-to-two, Alex has no fear of this close-range air combat, he does not know that the Mirage 4000 fighter equipped by Iraq, in addition to having excellent medium-range air combat capabilities, is also very good in close-range air combat capabilities, especially instantaneous hovering capabilities, as well as excellent combat missiles! The R-73 missile is in no way inferior to the Sidewinder missile currently used by the US Navy.

And, behind them, the fighters that supported them, had also arrived.

…………

"This time, Iraq actually dared to shoot down our warplane, and we just took advantage of this opportunity to expand the conflict and let our forces really take root in the Middle East!" Cheney said.

The latest news has just been reported that the Iraqi Air Force actually dared to take the initiative to attack them, and also shot down a Tomcat fighter of the US Navy!

The development of the situation has completely exceeded their expectations, and Bush wants to completely solve the Middle East issue and let US forces really be stationed there, but he absolutely does not want to send troops like this, because his reasons are not sufficient!

Damn Prince Sultan, who is still alive, is the patriarch of the Saudi royal family, and with both the king and the crown prince already dead, it can be said that he will definitely take the throne of Saudi Arabia without any doubt, which is a natural thing. With the occurrence of this incident, Saudi Arabia's national defense policy has completely detached itself from the United States, and it is no longer a pretense of disappearance, but almost a tear off of the camouflage and naked hostility.

Now, internationally, it is already known that Iraq is just, that they entered the territory of Saudi Arabia, that it was at the invitation of the Saudi authorities, and the proposal of the American representative at the UN is simply a joke. And the United States wants to help Saudi Arabia maintain law and order, and Saudi Arabia does not need the help of the United States at all, so what is the United States doing?

Now, the only chance for the United States is to expand the conflict with the Iraqi Air Force, and at the same time the United States will intervene by force, but for now, this is definitely the next policy!

Prince Sultan has already said that Saudi Arabia is definitely not Panama, which has made the position of the Saudis very clear, and moreover, Saudi Arabia is really not Panama, and the Middle East is not the Caribbean.

The power of the United States here, which is not strong, wants to organize a large-scale operation, they do not even have a stable rear base.

"Your Excellency the President, two minutes ago, the Ambassador of Bahrain sent us a serious protest that some of the electromagnetic wave emitting devices we tested at the naval base in Jafal in that country have seriously interfered with the normal order of Bahrain and other countries, and they have demanded that we immediately dismantle those equipment, and they are ready to ask us about negotiating the handling of our naval base to be returned to them." Secretary of State James said.

In this operation, the United States used its only base in the Middle East, a naval base in Bahrain, to release radio interference to "successfully" suppress Iraqi and Saudi electronic equipment. Unbeknownst to them, it was this interference that made Qusay suspicious, so he had an emergency operation to encircle and destroy the F-117.

The United States could not escape Iraq's electronic reconnaissance in this operation, and they locked on the location of the source of interference, which was the base in Bahrain; after the urgent consultations between Qusay and the King of Bahrain, the naked facts were laid out in front of them, and the innocent victims of the Saudi royal family were all plots made up by the Americans. Other Middle Eastern countries are also extremely indignant at this move by the United States.

The same is true of the kings of Bahrain, except that they are still very subtle in their words, that they no longer welcome the presence of the American side, and that they hope that the Americans will return their naval bases if necessary.

The United States has not made full use of that naval base, and now the United States has realized the importance of stationing troops in the Middle East, and is planning to increase the number of troops stationed at that naval base, and even reorganize the Fifth Fleet, which has long been abolished.

Having a strong fleet in Bahrain would be like stuffing a nail straight into Qusay's chrysanthemum, and it would make Qusay sleep.

But now, this idea is completely shattered, and Bahrain did not take the side of the United States, as the Americans imagined, but chose to stand with Qusay, and they wanted to drive the Americans out of that base completely.

Bush frowned, this is a situation that he does not want to see the last thing he wants, if the countries of the Middle East are united on the side of Saudi Arabia and Iraq, then the Americans will have no place to stand, and at the same time, the painstaking operation of the Americans in the Middle East for many years will also be declared bankrupt.

The joy of the war in Panama had not yet passed, and they had fallen into a deep valley of disappointment, and now, how could they adjust their strategy in the Middle East in time, and should they take advantage of this opportunity to launch an invasion?

"I am not in favor of the continued use of force." National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft said. He was nominated by Bush to be assistant to national security affairs after Bush took office, but he can be regarded as an old man, having already served as national security adviser for one term during the era of President Ford.

Now, having continued to be a core member of Bush's staff, he must be reminded of Bush's current plan.

"Obviously, we failed this operation." Brent continued: "We have not achieved any of our goals, Qusay is still leading Iraq, the Saud family has killed a lot of people, but Prince Sultan is still firmly in control of the army, and the Saud family is still in control of the country. And if we continue to attack, we will not face one Saudi Arabia, one Iraq, we will face the opposition of the whole Middle East world, and we will not have the ability to win such a whole Islamic world. If we hastily provoke a war, then we will face a failed situation in the second Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. ”

At present, the US economy is still sluggish, and if we want to divert the attention of the domestic media by launching a war under such circumstances, even if we succeed at the moment, we will still be disagreed with by the American people after that, and the result of this is that Bush will lose the chance of being re-elected.

Without a valid reason and without enough confidence, this battle is really difficult to fight.

Brent knew that Cheney was a warmonger, but their military struggle had to be in the interests of the United States.

"General Powell, what is your opinion?" Bush asked.

General Powell was born in New York on April 5, 1937, to Jamaican parents. From 1987 to 1988, he served as Reagan's national security adviser. President Bush later appointed him chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and later became known for planning and directing the 1991 Gulf War.

Powell knows that the current situation is very complicated, and from the military's point of view, this time it is indeed a loss of face, and the way to lose face after losing face is to think of a way to get it back.

F-117, shot down, F-14, also shot down, if the military can endure this breath, how can they have a face in the future?

Even their greatest force, aircraft carriers, would be shrouded in the threat of ballistic missiles from the Iraqis? How ridiculous that would be!

But will the military be able to make a big fanfare? No, Powell knows, it's not a chance yet.

Compared to Cheney, Powell is more calculating.

"We underestimated how difficult the operation would be." Powell said: "Our military is not fully prepared, we lack sufficient force projection capabilities, so we have no chance of winning a war in the Middle East now, and at that time, if we withdraw from it, I am afraid the cost will be even greater." ”

"So you mean, this time, we're over? We look at the whole Middle East, all of them are monolithic? We watched the Saudis betray us and throw themselves into the arms of Qusay? Watching them marry, and in the end, our forces are all squeezed out of the Middle East? Cheney was almost ranting, if it weren't for the fact that he was an old partner with Powell, he would almost have said that Powell would have betrayed the country by saying this.

"Of course not, we have to lay out the chess of the Middle East thoroughly." Powell said.