Chapter 510: Handover of Prisoners

Two days later, when all members of the Dongfeng Corps arrived and began adaptive training with the cooperation of Suhail, the prisoner handover plan was officially launched.

According to the negotiation results between the Syrian government and the Free Army, or more accurately, with NATO, they will release all designated personnel including 24 STS members, MI6 agents, and Morris who was recently captured at one time.

This is obviously a very "loose" transaction condition, and in a sense, it is a bit too loose.

If it is according to Chen Chen's suggestion, the Syrian government should at least divide the prisoners into three batches, and ask NATO for some benefits for each batch exchange, while continuing to delay and prolong its own preparation time.

However, since the Syrian government has made its own choice, it is impossible for it to blindly intervene.

Because in fact, even if he has been deeply involved in the Syrian war, his control of the overall situation is still not as good as that of the Syrian officials.

Perhaps, some seemingly stupid decisions actually have their reasons for being chosen.

Sitting in the temporary combat command room, Suhail pointed at the combat map while introducing the situation at the prisoner handover site.

". According to the agreement reached by both parties, we will complete the handover in the no-man's land 6 kilometers northwest of Tell Rifaat."

"Before the handover officially begins, we will deploy artillery in advance to aim at the predetermined handover area and conduct a round of test firing."

"After the handover begins, our personnel will evacuate to Tell Rifaat after releasing the prisoners, and the other party must wait within the range of the handover area we have defined."

"If the other party has any intention of evacuating ahead of schedule across the defined area, we will use intensive artillery fire to cover the handover area and kill all prisoners and the other party's handover personnel."

"Only when our personnel successfully evacuate to Tell Rifaat and issue a command signal can they leave."

"Doing so can maximize our safety. Similarly, it is also a necessary measure to ensure that the transaction conditions of both parties are successfully reached."

After the voice fell, everyone in the combat command room nodded, but Chen Chen, who was sitting in the corner, couldn't help but feel a little confused.

It is safe, but if this plan is followed, the interests of the Syrian government cannot be guaranteed at all!

The prisoners were handed over, and their own people were withdrawn. Then what?

They got what they wanted, but what about what you want?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask:

"This handover plan has no binding force on the Free Army. They can tear up the agreement reached in the early stage after getting the prisoners. You don't understand the Free Army, don't you understand the Americans?"

"The ceasefire agreement you want is impossible to be implemented. What's the difference between you doing this and directly releasing the prisoners?"

"There is a difference."

Suhail shook his head and explained:

"We will broadcast the handover process live."

"Are you kidding? How could the United States let you broadcast it publicly?"

"In fact, they have already disclosed the details of the 24 STS's mission in Syria--just yesterday."

"Are they crazy?"

Chen Chen was shocked. He had been busy training these two days and really didn't care about the so-called "changes in the international situation."

It's only been a few days, and his opponent has made such a major decision?

Admitting that 24 STS entered Syria and that 24 STS were captured is not just a simple matter of "admitting that the special forces failed in combat."

In a sense, this can even be seen as the second major strategic failure of the United States in the Middle East after Andrea's death.

In theory, they should have blocked the news at all costs - isn't this the purpose of their active promotion of the Syrian authorities to release prisoners?

Seeing Chen Chen's puzzled expression, Suhail nodded solemnly, and then said:

"They have indeed disclosed the details of the 24 STS's operations."

"But they did not target us."

"According to them, the 24 STS carried out only a routine counter-terrorism operation. They just happened to be involved in the conflict between the government forces and the rebels because of the changes in the situation in Syria."

"To put it bluntly, this is an internal struggle between USAGM and the US military."

"They chose the former between ideological subversion and increased support from the military."

"Or to be more specific, they are maintaining the so-called "justice" of the rebels at all costs."

"I understand"

Chen Chen sighed and did not continue to ask.

Political things are sometimes much more complicated than straightforward battles.

Whether to disclose the details of the 24 STS's operations, although it seems to be a very simple choice on the surface, there are still too many and too deep things hidden behind it.

But no matter what, this is essentially a "cut".

This cut means that the advantages accumulated by both sides in the field of public opinion have been cleared up to now in the Syrian war.

There is no poison gas, no white helmets, and no humanitarian crisis.

This is just a misunderstanding caused by the JD actions of JD elements. After the misunderstanding, everyone should continue to do what they should do.

Very smart.

At least, it preserves the formal compliance and legal compliance of the US and NATO actions in Syria.

——

The only one who needs to take the blame is JSOC.

Tsk tsk

If JSOC takes the blame, then doesn't that mean the president should take the blame?

It seems that the political situation in the United States has also begun to become turbulent.

Thinking of this, Chen Chen coughed and continued to ask:

"So what do we need to do?"

"Surveillance."

Suhail answered briefly:

"I need a special operations team to ambush in the handover area in advance and remain in ambush until the entire handover process is completed."

"You don't need to participate in the battle, you just need to observe and provide guidance to the artillery."

"Of course, if the situation changes, you also need to provide necessary cover for the relevant personnel."

"But I think this situation should not happen."

"After all, everyone needs to slow down a little after fighting to this point."

"They have no reason and no need to tear up the agreement, right?"

"Yes."

Chen Chen nodded slowly.

He could feel that there should be no problem with the handover of prisoners this time.

At least there should be no problem on the American side.

Because the Syrian authorities have too much negative information about the Americans. Once all of this information is released, even with their control over the media, it is impossible to completely eliminate the impact.

At this point in 2011, the US president's term is about to expire, and he will soon face the challenge of Romney. At this time, releasing any negative news will be extremely disadvantageous to him.

——

So it seems that the validity period of the "gentleman's agreement" between the two sides can actually last until at least May?

That's right, as long as Bin Laden dies, the importance of these negative news in Syria will naturally decrease.

Got it.

After figuring out this joint, Chen Chen instantly felt that the series of negotiations between Syria and NATO during this period had a basis.

So, he no longer bothered about the background of the mission, but leaned back in his chair and nodded, saying:

"Leave it to us."

"Anyway, this should be a simple mission."

A day later, under the full live broadcast of the Syrian official media, the prisoner handover ceremony was officially launched.

All the captives were covered with their heads and taken to the prison van, departing from Aleppo to the handover site.

12 hours ago, Chen Chen had led the team to the handover site and completed the lurking 600 meters away from the handover site.

They were covered with desert-painted camouflage clothes, and a layer of tin foil insulation was added under the camouflage clothes to block infrared signals.

Without actively exposing themselves, even if the United States had Zenith-level technology, it would not be possible to find their traces from the air.

This is a fairly simple but also quite boring job.

The huge temperature difference in the desert made the people who were lurking here unable to move miserable, and Chen Chen's arm, which had not yet recovered, even began to ache slightly.

Fortunately, the handover time was approaching, and Chen Chen had seen the free army personnel who arrived in advance through the telescope.

They arrived before the Syrian government forces as planned and conducted a comprehensive inspection of the handover site.

After confirming that there were no ambushes and preparing for evacuation, they contacted the government forces on a specific radio frequency.

Ten minutes later, the government army's convoy also drove out from the temporary stationing point two kilometers away and headed for the target handover location.

Everything went smoothly. Only five minutes later, Chen Chen saw the government army's convoy in his sight.

A large number of armed personnel stopped 500 meters away. The helicopter provided by Turkey had arrived. Logically, the US early warning aircraft was also on standby in the sky, completely clearing the airspace and making sufficient preparations for the handover of prisoners.

After confirming their identities, the leaders of both sides disarmed and entered the handover site first. Then, several buses carrying prisoners entered the site. All the prisoners got off the buses, and the leaders of the Free Army began to check their identities one by one.

This process was quite long, because every time they checked one person, they had to report to the front and back through the radio. After getting a confirmed reply, they could continue to the next identity verification.

At their average speed of one every three minutes, the identity verification alone took more than half an hour.

It was already 11 a.m., and the temperature was rising gradually, but fortunately, both sides were relatively restrained, and there was no meaningless dispute due to the irritability caused by the high temperature.

Everything went on step by step. The white dog lying next to Chen Chen gently blew away the dust on his mouth, and then complained:

"These people are too slow. What is there to check at this time? They are all national forces. The prisoner exchange is like a gangster transaction. Is it necessary?"

"If you ask me, the Syrian side should directly pull the people to Tel Rifaat and throw them to the front line."

"Don't they know how to walk without feet? Or is the United States afraid that Syria will regret killing people to silence them? This is too nonsense."

Hearing the words of the white dog, Chen Chen couldn't help but feel a little funny.

In fact, the prisoner exchange process this time is indeed different from the prisoner exchange mechanisms he was familiar with in his previous life, but he can understand the Syrian government's ideas.

They are just putting on a show. The important thing is not to return the prisoners, but to return the prisoners in full view of the public.

Therefore, the bigger the commotion, the more "real" it seems, and the more "in line with the cognition of ordinary people", the more beneficial it is for them.

It must be said that there must be someone behind the Syrian government, and they are not much worse than USAGM in manipulating public opinion.

Thinking of this, Chen Chen said:

"You don't understand this. In many things, the result is important, but the process is equally important."

"And sometimes, the process is more important than the result."

"In short, we just need to do our own thing. At most, it will take 1 hour for this mission to be over."

"Ah"

White Dog couldn't help but sigh. After a few seconds of silence, he continued to ask:

"Isn't the Syrian side worried that someone will take the opportunity to disrupt the handover operation? I mean, they broadcast the whole process live. If a third party wants to do something, their flaws are too big. .”

“What do you know?”

Chen Chen snorted, then explained:

“At this time, if a third party intervenes to disrupt the handover of prisoners, he will become the common enemy of the United States and Syria on the spot.”

“The Syrian government is eager for someone to sabotage, because that means that the pressure they face will be greatly reduced.”

“But I dare say that even the stupidest people will not make themselves unhappy at this time.”

“Put yourself in their shoes, if it were you, would you be so blind?”

“I won’t.”

White Dog said honestly.

Chen Chen no longer paid attention to him, and at this time, the handover of prisoners had reached the final stage.

All the drivers of the Syrian government army got off the car, and the bomb disposal personnel of the Free Army conducted a comprehensive inspection of the vehicle. Then, all the personnel got on the car and waited, and the government army began to evacuate the handover site.

Next, as long as the government army successfully evacuated to Tel Rifaat, all this can be declared over.

Chen Chen watched the government army’s convoy go away with a little nervousness, and then looked back at the Free Army at the handover point.

As the engine sound disappeared, the only sound left in the desert was the wind blowing.

——

But at this moment, Chen Chen suddenly saw an inexplicable flash of light on the sand dunes in the distance.

His muscles tensed instantly, and then, almost subconsciously, he leaned his eyes towards the scope and quickly aimed at the flash.

And with this one glance, his expression changed drastically.

"Gunsight!"

"Turn on the radio! Let the convoy retreat in advance!"

As soon as the voice fell, his finger had already pulled the trigger.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After three consecutive bursts of fire, the flash in the distance disappeared.

But at this moment, the whistling sound of artillery shells was heard in the air.

Indirect artillery fire.

Damn it.

Could it be the Russians? !

Are they crazy? !

This thought flashed through Chen Chen's mind, and then, in an open space less than a hundred meters away from the handover site, an explosion suddenly sounded.

"Boom!"

It's over now.

Chen Chen jumped up and shouted loudly:

"Search for enemy artillery reconnaissance! Cover the prisoners' evacuation!"