Chapter 697 - 638: Exploiting Contradictions

"What's up? It seems you are also aware of this organization," Song Heping said. "Talk to me about this organization."

"Are you planning to deal with them?" Yusuf picked up the hint.

Song Heping nodded, "Yes, I want to eliminate them."

Yusuf shook his head, "Impossible. You can't erase them."

Song Heping asked, "Why do you say that?"

Licking his lips, clearly nervous, Yusuf lowered his tone by two degrees, "Previously, this organization did some extremely radical things in the northwest region. The government army had initially planned to encircle and suppress them, having made all the necessary plans, but before they could start, they were ordered to stop."

The information provided by Yusuf perfectly matched the intelligence Avanti had given.

In intelligence analysis, there exists the method of cross-verification.

Avanti's intelligence might not be one hundred percent accurate.

The same applies to the information supplied by Yusuf.

But if you cross-reference them, most of the areas that match are likely to be true.

"Who ordered the stop?" Song Heping asked.

Yusuf said, "Hmm, as for our current government, whose orders do you think it follows?"

"Americans?" Song Heping ventured a guess.

"Correct!" Yusuf said, "We are among our own people, so I won't beat around the bush. Afterward, there were discussions about this within our circles. The brothers in the intelligence department said that it was the Central Intelligence Agency that directly intervened to prevent the government army from clashing with I5I5."

At this point, Song Heping was thoroughly convinced that I5I5 and its leader indeed had Americans behind them.

No wonder they are so obedient.

If they're told to attack their own convoy, they attack their own convoy.

If they're told to strike at their own oil fields, they strike at their own oil fields.

Originally, near the Elbil oil field area, he and the tribal forces, as well as the Madheh Army, and even the Kurds, had already reached a certain tacit understanding; they would not attack each other.

He had calculated countless possibilities, yet he had not anticipated the rise of a new extremist organization.

"Does Samir have any connections with I5I5?" Song Heping asked.

Yusuf said, "Yes, of course."

Song Heping frowned slightly: "Connections?"

In his view, since they all operate in the northwest area, it stands to reason that they should know each other.

"Adversarial relations," Yusuf said. "However, my cousin there is no match for I5I5. His armed organization only has a little over six hundred men. I5I5 has developed too rapidly over the past year, having merged with several local armed organizations and even absorbed the Salafi Brigade, amassing a force of over two thousand people now."

"Hmm…"

Song Heping nodded slightly.

He came to Yusuf seeking a contact method for Samir, exactly for this reason.

Previously, he had also commanded division-level operations in Mexico.

But things are more sensitive in Illiguo.

Especially since he is now a person no one dares to help.

US troops in Iraq used to have a cooperative relationship with him, but now they will not assist him.

And those PMC companies, when he had a contract and could bring them a large piece of the pie, they would invite him to the club for drinks, courteously saying he was one of them.

Although he has not yet sought help from Black Water or the AAFES company, it is predictable that they will essentially ignore him.

The world is realistic.

The same is true in the small circle of military defense.

Currently, he has the strength of two battalions locally, and even if he transferred another newly trained platoon from Venezuela here, it would probably only amount to the force of a special combat company.

Plus the core members of his company, the total does not reach a thousand people.

To use these thousand people and engage in battle with I5I5's current two thousand plus force, the pressure would likely be immense.

The most lethal aspect is that the majority of soldiers in the I5I5 organization are either from Illiguo or Siria, or they are extremists from other African nations. Having spent much time here, they are well-acquainted with the terrain, giving them a strategic advantage. Without the assistance of locally savvy armed organizations, combat here could result in substantial casualties.

Song Heping wouldn't choose to engage in such a bloody battle unless absolutely necessary.

Thus, he thought of his former subordinate, Samir, the Illiguan youth with a very pure idealism.

"Brother, are you sure you really want to fight against I5I5?" Yusuf stared at Song He, seeking answers on his face: "If you're serious about this, I might be able to offer a little insignificant help."

"What help?"

"I could help you to sever their reinforcement routes, at least some of them."

"Let's hear it."

Song He was intrigued.

He hadn't expected to receive such a pleasant surprise during his visit here today.

"It's like this. I5I5 is currently active along the border. Many of them are actually from Siria. The current Sirian government despises these people and will annihilate them on discovery. But since they are locals and don't carry identification on their faces, it's hard to pick them out. However, once the I5I5 inside Illiguan territory is attacked, they would cross the border, take up arms, and fiercely fight those attacking them."

Yusuf revealed a sly smile.

"Don't underestimate these people; there are thousands of them. Once they join forces with the I5I5 on our side, their numbers could instantly swell to over three thousand. For you, having a thousand less to deal with would significantly reduce the pressure!"

Song Heping had not expected such a windfall.

He had been fretting about the possibility of reinforcement from inside Sirian territory.

But now, it seemed like someone was offering a pillow to a sleepyhead.

"Are you sure you can do this? How will you achieve it?" Song Heping couldn't help but wonder if Yusuf was boasting just to save face.

"It's quite easy. We have a lot of forces on the border. By establishing a dense patrol line along the national border, they naturally won't be able to cross. Crossing the border unlawfully is against the law, and we have the right to stop them."

"Didn't you say that the Central Intelligence Agency is backing them? Do you dare to go against the CIA?"

Song Heping was quite curious about Yusuf's motivation.

This guy wouldn't be up this early if there wasn't something in it for him.

Such proactivity was rare indeed.

"We have our own interests to consider. You know, our current government listens to the Americans, but we also have our own interests. Take the I5I5 organization, for instance, we all know why the Americans fostered this beast—it's purely to counter the 'Shi'a Crescent' that Persia started two years ago. I5I5 is simply a tool."

"But for us, that's not a good thing at all."

Yusuf sneered, "Baghdadi and his kind are bona fide terrorists, belonging to an extremist ideology. If we let them grow stronger, you can imagine our predicament. The Americans can high-tail it out of trouble, but we're the ones left to suffer. So when the time comes, we'll use the excuse of 'unidentified skirmishes' in the northwest region to lock down the border, which will righteously keep their reinforcements out."

After pondering for a moment, Song Heping thought it was a viable plan.

Actually, each faction within Illiguo has their own secrets and plans.

Exploiting their internal conflicts for one's own benefit, that is the ultimate strategy.

"Alright, you handle this aspect. I will inform you of the time and place. You just need to ensure coordination with your military and government to follow through. My only concern is your execution—not that you're going to half-ass it and get me into trouble!"

"How could that be?!" Yusuf said, "Brother, you know me. I would never betray you when there's something in it for me."

Song Heping extended his hand and patted Yusuf's shoulder: "That's good to hear because after all, we are brothers, right?"

As he spoke, his eyes sharpened.

Yusuf felt a shiver down his spine.

Song Heping was not someone to be trifled with.

He had seen what Song was capable of.

To betray him would be akin to signing his own death warrant.

"Don't worry, brother. You've helped me make a lot of money. For both public and private reasons, I will do everything I can to help you."

"Good, then give me Samir's number."

"He doesn't have one."

Yusuf explained, "He dares not use a permanent phone number because the intelligence departments of the US troops in Iraq are also tracking him. But I know how to find him."