Hood looked from face to face. Everyone was calm, save for Lincoln who was leaning forward and tapping his right foot quickly. This was his kind of situation, his kind of big stick response. At the opposite end of the spectrum was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Melvin Parker. His face and posture were subdued, like Ernie Colon's. In situations like these, it was never the military men who advocated force. They understood the price of even a successful operation. It was always the politicians and appointees who were frustrated or impatient and wanted to get themselves a victory, however quick and dirty.

The Secretary of Defense pulled on reading glasses and studied the monitor. He ran his finger down the menu and touched the screen where it said DEFENSE WHITE PAPER UPDATE.

"If there's a war and the U.S. assumes a support role only, South Korea falls to the North in a matter of two or three weeks. You can see the matchup between the North and ROKA for yourself."

Hood studied the figures. They looked as bad for the Republic of Korea Army as Colon had said.

Military Balance of the North and South is as follows:

Number of Troops South North

Army 540,000 900,000

Navy 60,000 46,000

Air Force 55,000 84,000

Total 655,000 1,030,000

Force

Tanks 1,800 3,800

Armored Vehicles 1,900 2,500

Artillery 4,500 10,300

Force

Combatants 190 434

Support Vessels 60 310

Submarines 1 26

Tactical Aircraft 520 850

Support Aircraft 190 480

Helicopters 600 290

After a few seconds, Colon brought up the menu again and touched U.S. 8TH ARMY UPDATE.

"The second scenario has our forces in the South becoming involved. Even then, the odds are not in our favor."

Hood looked at the new screen.

United States Forces in South Korea, Number of Personnel

Army: 25,000

Navy: 400

Air Force: 9,500

Tanks: 200

Armored Vehicles: 500

Tactical Aircraft: 100

"The only value of us joining the South Koreans on the battlefield is the deterrent factor: does North Korea really want a war with the United States?"

CIA Director Kidd asked, "Isn't that same deterrent present if we're in a strictly support mode?"

"Unfortunately, no. If Pyongyang thinks we haven't got the belly for a scrap, he'll push to Seoul the same way Baghdad went after Kuwait when they thought we'd sit on the sidelines."

"And wasn't he surprised," Lincoln muttered.

The President said impatiently, "And the third scenario is a preemptive strike?"

"Right," Colon said. "We and the South Koreans together take out communications centers, supply lines, and nuclear reprocessing plants with conventional weapons. If the war games simulations are correct, the North Koreans go to the negotiating table."

"Why wouldn't they turn to China and retaliate?" asked CIA Director Kidd.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Parker said, "Because they know that since the aid cutbacks of 1968, and the inability since 1970 of the twelve ROK and two U.S. divisions to successfully stave off an attack, our defense plans have been keyed almost entirely to the early use of nuclear weapons."