The Red Syndrome

a clan gorclon
intelligence thriller

HAGGAI
CARMON

errorism has no borders, no authority, no laws, no territory, and no
moral considerations. Nothing stands in its perpetrators' ways.
Terrorists regard disastrous and devastating consequences as achievements, not failures. They turn their own military weaknesses into
strategic might. What good are tanks, missiles, submarines, or nuclear
weapons when a determined handful gets access to substances that can
kill millions? Many leaders and scientists believe that it is only a matter
of time before bioterrorism strikes, causing thousands of casualties.

Bioterrorism uses pathogens, bacterial and viral agents, or biologically
derived toxins against people, livestock, or crops. Through the spread of
these agents, terrorists seek to inflict massive fatalities. Unlike nuclear
weapons, bioterror weapons are relatively easy to make, and unlike chemical weapons, only small amounts of biomaterials are sufficient to wreak
havoc.

Is the world ready? I have had the privilege of preparing Israel for the
task: As Israel's deputy minister of defense, I took the initiative to make
bioterrorism issues a priority in Israel's strategic defense. My communications with other governments led to the realization that many were ill
prepared for the prospect of bioterrorism. It is essential for the governments of the free world to develop, test, and implement public policies
and operating procedures regarding bioterrorism. The scientific community also needs to be vigilant on this key matter by actively engaging in
research to develop countermeasures.

Haggai Carmon has crafted a fictional but all too real tale. It takes
place in the clandestine world of bioterrorism, where sinister plots are
intertwined with money-laundering schemes. In the book, cooperation
between the Mossad and the CIA is all that stands in the way of bioterrorism. By combining keen knowledge of the real-world situation, gained by his personal experience, with a vivid imagination, Haggai Carmon
manages to draw the reader's attention to the real risks our modern
society faces. This book provides a public service by raising awareness of
terror financing and bioterror. What is remarkable is that it does so while
telling a damn good story I couldn't stop reading.

-EFRAIMSNEH,M.D.

Dr. Sneh is a member of Knesset, Israel's parliament. During his
military service as a medical doctor, he commanded the medical
team of Israel's forces that rescued the hostages from their terrorist
captors in Entebbe, Uganda. In 1981-82, as brigadier general, he was
the commander of the Israeli armed forces in southern Lebanon; in
1985-87 he served as the head of the West Bank's civil administration. Dr. Sneh was elected to the Knesset and served as member of
the Knesset's Defense and Foreign Relations Committee, as deputy
minister of defense under Yitzhak Rabin, as minister of transportation, and as minister of health. He is currently serving in several
Knesset committees, and chairs the subcommittee for Israel's
defense strategy.

he Red Syndrome was written at the urging of people I have never met.
Since my first intelligence thriller Triple Identity appeared in the
United States and Israel, I have been asked repeatedly whether I
intended to write a sequel. Though I chose to regard these questions as a
compliment, it is also possible that some of my friends wanted to know
if they'd have to avoid me and the embarrassing question: "Have you read
it yet?" At any rate, I present The Red Syndrome in part hoping for a repeat
of these encouraging reactions. Readers have also asked since Triple
Identity's publication whether the events recounted there really happened.
One newspaper reviewer even accused me of writing "too authentic" a
novel, while another reviewer praised me for it. How can you argue with
them? This book may meet a similar reaction. As to how much of it is
"true," I leave it to my readers to decide. I began Triple Identity one night
in a small hotel in a faraway country, kept awake by jet lag. It turned out
not be a fluke; I wrote The Red Syndrome because I realized I still had
adventures to recount. Like the novel that preceded it, The Red Syndrome
was inspired by my work for the U.S. government, but is a work of fiction
rather than autobiography. During my twenty years as an outside consultant for the U.S Department of Justice and other federal agencies, I
have experienced adventure, fear, and most of the time, a great sense of
achievement, earning appreciation from my superiors. During those two
decades, I was assigned the demanding, sometimes dangerous task of collecting legal intelligence on white-collar criminals who had absconded
from the United States. These individuals usually left with the money
they stole to another more welcoming jurisdiction, one more accommodating than the United States, which frowns on people who steal millions
and launder them. That explains why sometimes, waking up in countless
hotels in more than thirty countries, I had trouble remembering where I was. Walking in the long corridors of foreign airports, it was hard to
remember whether I was arriving or departing.