the embassy kitchen were friends. Nabeel continued, “Four Americans then left the embassy with a security man who drove the armored vehicle to the Mövenpick Hotel, where the Americans had dinner.” Nabeel informed his chief and Altair, “Two of our watchers entered the hotel and confirmed to me that two of the Americans were Corey and his wife, and one was the security man, Brenner, and one was a diplomat called Harris.”
The Panther nodded again. This would have been a good place for Nabeel and the jihadists to visit and kill all four Americans at dinner as they drank alcohol. The Mövenpick employed National Security police and private guards on the premises, but these were of no consequence. What was of consequence was the money paid by the Mövenpick and other Western hotels to Al Qaeda in return for peace. But if The Panther had known of the four Americans in the hotel—if Nabeel had telephoned him—he would have ordered the assassination in this case.
Nabeel continued, “The Americans then drove in their vehicle to the Russia Club.” He reminded his chief, “The security in this compound is very strong, and we have no friends in this place.”
The Panther responded, “Soon, when our jihadists enter Sana’a, there will be no one alive in that filthy place.”
“Yes, sir.” Nabeel completed his report, which on balance, he thought, showed that he had done a very fine job of knowing where the Americans were throughout the day and evening.
The Panther, however, said, “So, it was good that you knew every movement of the Americans. But I believe you were supposed to kill them.”
Nabeel explained, “As you know, sir, these are trained men and they take precautions.” Nabeel reminded The Panther of the armored vehicles, the weapons, the bulletproof vests, and the possibility that other American security men were watching their compatriots. Nabeel also said, “And, of course, sir, the PSO also watches the Americans.”
The Panther stared at Nabeel for a long moment, then asked him, “Were you frightened, Nabeel?”
Nabeel replied quickly, “No, sir. We were waiting for the moment when we could be certain the Americans could not escape our bullets—when they could be shot in the head, to ensure—”
“But that moment never arrived.”
“Not on that day, sir. But for the next day, we set forth a plan to—”
“Or were you waiting for the opportunity to kill only the security men, then kidnap Corey and his wife and claim your reward?”
Nabeel hesitated, then replied, “No, sir. A kidnapping was not possible in Sana’a with the police, the PSO—”
“Enough!” The Panther said to Nabeel sharply, “So on the following day, your two fortunate Americans again escaped death. Correct?”
Nabeel took another breath and replied, “They were taken from the Sheraton Hotel in an armored vehicle in the early morning and delivered to the American Embassy. Sometime later, the embassy watchers observed a convoy of five vehicles leaving the embassy.” Nabeel reminded his chief, “The armored vehicles have black glass, so neither the watchers nor a soldier who is a friend could say for certain if Corey or his wife were in any of the vehicles, but—”
“But you made the assumption that they were.”
“Yes, sir.” He explained, “Corey and his wife had arrived at the embassy at an early hour, then perhaps half an hour later the convoy passed through the gates, so—”
“I understand, Nabeel. So it was at this time that you decided to ambush the convoy.”
Nabeel had made no such decision. He had, in fact, called The Panther, who agreed that Corey and his wife were most probably in the convoy, and that an ambush should be set for the convoy. But this was not what The Panther wished him to say with Altair present.
Altair asked Nabeel, “Are you saying that you took it upon yourself to authorize an attack on the American Embassy convoy?”
Nabeel lowered his head and replied to Altair, “I did attempt, sir, three times to call al-Numair on the cell phone and satellite phone.”
The Panther said to Nabeel, “You should have attempted calls to others around me.”
“Yes, sir.” Nabeel knew that if the ambush had been successful, then this conversation would not be taking place in this way. He remembered something from the Hebrew Book of Leviticus: Let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
The Panther said to Nabeel, “Now tell us what you know of this ambush.”
“Yes, sir.” Nabeel could take no blame for the failure of the ambush—that blame went to Faris, the local Al Qaeda leader who