Song Heping was not wrong.
His judgment had always been accurate.
Just as he led all his teammates to destroy any potential evidence, in the CIA intelligence station in Baghdad's Green Zone, Asnar rushed toward Simon's office with Lars.
Although it was late at night, the intelligence station operated 24 hours a day.
Knock, knock, knock—
The knocking startled Simon, who had been napping inside.
The first thing he did upon waking was to check his watch.
The time was 11:25 PM.
"Come in."
"Simon."
Asnar, entering, immediately gave Simon a very enthusiastic hug.
"Oh, my brother."
Asnar was not exaggerating.
He had once been a Ranger, and he had cooperated with Simon on an operation in South America.
"Asnar, it's so late, what brings you here?"
"Of course."
Asnar pulled over a chair and, without being shy, seated himself in front of Simon.
"About the incident at the Northern Border two days ago, you must already know some of the related information, right?"
"Oh, the matter concerning the Kurds?"
Simon walked to the coffee machine and began brewing coffee for himself and Asnar.
"You didn't handle it neatly. Such matters should be done covertly. After all, you know it's not your place to get involved. Even if you intended to, you should have informed us first and acted only after receiving our approval."
"We were too anxious and didn't consider everything thoroughly."
Asnar's expression grew somber.
Simon's coffee was ready.
He carried the coffee over to Asnar.
However, he did not serve coffee to Lars, who stood by.
"Your company even wanted to bypass us and engage in arms trading with the Kurds, right?"
Simon's gaze was sharp, piercing Asnar's face.
Asnar clearly became uncomfortable.
Simon had somehow gotten hold of this information.
Lars's meeting with the Kurd people was conducted without the CIA's knowledge.
It was Black Water Company that used its own channels to make contact with the Kurd Armed Forces, arranging this meeting.
The goal was to negotiate security assurances, but the condition was that Black Water Company would supply weapons to the Kurd Armed Forces.
Although the Kurd Armed Forces had always been supported by the Americans, their weapons were not unlimited.
These transactions were conducted through secret channels of the CIA, but the Americans were not fools; they also knew that behind the Kurdish Armed Forces in Illigo there was still the Country T.
Country T had always been ambitious in the Middle East, regarding the Kurd people as a delicate presence—they resented the Kurd people within their borders and those in Siria, but they didn't mind the Kurd people in Illigo.
For them, Kurd people who were beneficial were friends, and those who were detrimental were enemies.
This was the flexible policy of Country T.
So, the CIA obviously knew this situation.
Thus, regarding the Kurd people, they pulled them closer while keeping them at bay.
The pulling closer was because if the Kurdish Organization could be brought into the council of the interim government, they could at least secure three seats.
According to the regulations of the Illigo Council, any resolution cannot be passed if there are three dissenting votes.
That means, by controlling the Kurdish Organization and successfully integrating them into the Illigo Council, it would signify that the United States could completely control all the critical decisions of the Illigo Interim Government.
This council system was designed by the Americans for Illigo. The efforts to draw the Kurd people into the council are still ongoing, thus, there must be no slip-ups between the two parties.
Otherwise, the plan would fall through, affecting the future control of the Illigo Interim Government by the US Army.
The reason for caution is also not hard to understand.
Country T has always been an unreliable ally in the Middle East, often creating headaches for the Americans.
Thus, the Kurdish Organization should neither be too weak nor too strong.
If it is too weak, it cannot influence the political situation in Illigo.
If it is too strong, they might end up benefiting Country T instead.