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Authors: David Rollins

Sword of Allah

BOOK: Sword of Allah
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David A Rollins is a former advertising creative director who lives in Sydney. He is working on his next book.

 

Praise for
Sword of Allah
:

‘[
Sword of Allah
’s] cross-cutting often beautifully rendered as it drives its compelling narratives along’
THE AGE

‘This is a racy book that is both entertaining and gently informative. It is a good read for those who like fast action and enjoy being just a little bit scared’
WEST AUSTRALIAN

’A chilling but thrilling study of the post-September 11 world’
GOLD COAST BULLETIN

Praise for
Rogue Element
:

‘a ripping, high-octane page-turner’
BRISBANE NEWS

‘Shrieks across the page like a scramjet and hits home like a small nuke. Totally awesome’
JOHN BIRMINGHAM

Also by David A Rollins

ROGUE ELEMENT

First published 2004 in Macmillan by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited
This Pan edition published in 2005 by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited
St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney

Copyright © David A Rollins 2004

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission
in writing from the publisher.

National Library of Australia
cataloguing-in-publication data:

Rollins, David A
Sword of Allah.

ISBN 0 330 42149 2.

1. Terrorists – Australia – Fiction. 2. Terrorism – Fiction. I. Title

A823.4

The characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons,
living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Typeset in Birka by Post Pre-press Group
Printed in Australia by McPherson’s Printing Group

Papers used by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd are natural, recyclable products
made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The manufacturing processes
conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

Author photograph: Samantha Rollins

These electronic editions published in 2007 by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd
1 Market Street, Sydney 2000

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced
or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any
person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any
form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying,
recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the
publisher.

Sword of Allah

David A Rollins

Adobe eReader format  978-1-74197-040-1
Microsoft Reader format  978-1-74197-241-2
Mobipocket format  978-1-74197-442-3
Online format  978-1-74197-643-4
Epub format  978-1-74262-591-1

Macmillan Digital Australia
www.macmillandigital.com.au

Visit
www.panmacmillan.com.au
to read more about all our books and to buy
both print and ebooks online. You will also find features, author interviews and
news of any author events.

For Jack, Bart, Ruby and their mum

Acknowledgements

An enormous amount of research goes into a book like this. Much of it is desk research, but not all.

I’ve called on several sources without whose help this book would be lame. A couple I’d like to publicly thank but can’t. They’ve signed secrecy agreements with various governments and are a little nervous about any public spotlight. Not because they’ve done anything wrong, but because they want to keep their lives uncomplicated. And who can blame them for that? The reason these people helped me is purely so that the facts, when facts need to be told, are indeed fact and not fabrication. Notice I didn’t say ‘fiction’, because this book is as much about fiction as anything else. None of the events in this book has happened and I hope they never do. But I digress.

Where the Special Air Service is concerned, I called on the services and knowledge of an experienced officer from that regiment. I couldn’t have written this book without his patient assistance. So, thank you very much, Captain X – you know who you are.

The Royal Australian Navy figures in this story. I admire anyone who goes to sea, and most especially when it’s in the defence of their country. Mark, a former RAN communications NCO, tirelessly put up with my incessant emails and questions about seemingly insignificant details, and then put in the time and the effort to read an early draft of the story. Thanks, Mark, for all your help, which was always delivered with a smile.

Wing Commander Peter Spiess, from RAAF Williamtown, helped me bring to life the F/A-18 sortie
towards the end of the book. I also received assistance from a former USAF F16 fighter pilot who patiently helped me on a number of details. I’d like to point out that while the radio work between the pilots featured in the story is reasonably authentic, it’s a little overstated in parts to make the meaning clearer for the reader.

Thanks also to Bonnie Warn from the Australian Federal Police for pointing me in the right direction on a few issues.

The medical information contained herein was vetted by my friend and personal physician, Dr Malcolm Parmenter. Malcolm also suffered through an earlier draft and pointed out several flaws that I’ve since bandaged.

I’d like to thank the search engine Google.com for saving me a good year in research time.

I’d like to thank Andrew Sargant, my friend and former business partner, for his eternal encouragement and willingness to read unfinished manuscripts. Thanks, Sarge, I owe you.

Then there’s Rose Creswell and Annette Hughes, from the Cameron–Creswell Agency, thank you for believing in me.

And finally, I’d like to thank the people at Pan Macmillan: the fiction publisher, Cate Paterson; the senior publicist, Jane Novak; and all the fantastic, hardworking sales representatives nationally and internationally, who made the writing of this book possible.

Contents

Glossary

Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea

The Persian Gulf

Manila, Philippines

Ramallah, West Bank, Israel

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

South Java, Indonesia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Via Veneto, Rome, Italy

Nam Sa River, Myanmar

US Embassy, Canberra, Australia

Australian Federal Police HQ, Canberra, Australia

Jakarta, Indonesia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Jakarta, Indonesia

Amman, Jordan

Jakarta, Indonesia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Flores, Indonesia

Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Sirkin Air Force Base, Israel

Central Intelligence Agency, Australia bureau, US Embassy, Canberra

Flores, Indonesia

Manila, Philippines

Flores, Indonesia

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Camp Echo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Manila, Philippines

Camp Echo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Port Botany, Sydney, Australia

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

Tamarama, Sydney, Australia

Richmond, Melbourne, Australia

Australian Federal Police HQ, Canberra, Australia

Flores, Indonesia

Central Intelligence Agency, Australia bureau, US Embassy, Canberra

Sydney, Australia

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

Flores, Indonesia

Nam Sa River, Myanmar

Manila, Philippines

Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean

Nam Sa River, Myanmar

Ten miles due south of Thai–Myanmar border, 35 000 feet

Nam Sa River, Myanmar

Flores, Indonesia

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Flores, Indonesia

Bangkok, Thailand

Flores, Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Arafura Sea, 15 000 feet

Flores, Indonesia

S10°30'10" E126°15'02", Timor Sea

Flores, Indonesia

Australian Defence Force HQ, Russell Offices, Canberra, Australia

Sirius 3, Bayu-Unadan field, Timor Gap, Timor Sea

S10°51'12" E126°17'09", Timor Sea

Indian Ocean, 25 000 feet

S11°05'50" E126°18'42", Timor Sea

Sirius 3, Bayu-Unadan field, Timor Gap, Timor Sea

Sirius 3, Bayu-Unadan field, Timor Gap, Timor Sea

Port Botany, Sydney, Australia

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Timor Sea

Glossary
ADF
Australian Defence Force
AFP
Australian Federal Police
AGL
Above ground level
AGM-154D
Guided missile (JSOW)
AH-1
(Zefa or Cobra) Helicopter gunship
AIM-9
Air-to-air heat-seeking missile
AK-47
(Kalashnikov) military assault carbine
AMSL
Above mean sea level
ANZUS
Australia–New Zealand–United States defence pact
APC
Armoured personnel carrier
APFSDS
Armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (tank-fired round)
AS
Able seaman
ASIO
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
ASIS
Australian Secret Intelligence Service
ATO
Australian Tax Office
AV-TUR
Aviation jet fuel
AWACS
Airborne warning and control system
AW-1W
Super Cobra helicopter gunship
BI
Babu Islam
BK-117
(Eurocopter) Helicopter
Blackhawk
(S70 A9) Helicopter
BUFF
(B-52) Big Ugly Fat Fucker
B-52G
US long-range bomber
CDF
Chief of the Defence Force (Australian)
CFDP
Combat Forces Digitisation Program
CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
CMDR
Commander
CO
Commanding officer
CPU
Central processing unit
C-4
Plastic explosive
C-5A
(Galaxy) transport aircraft
C-130
(Hercules) transport aircraft
DEA
Drug Enforcement Agency
DG
Diego Garcia
D-G
Director-general
DIO
Defence Intelligence Organisation
DIP
Desired impact point
Dragon Warrior
Unmanned aerial vehicle
D-9
(Caterpillar) Armoured bulldozer
EA-1729
LSD
F/A-18
Jet fighter plane
FNC80
Indonesian army issue assault carbine
Fox one
Radar-guided missile launched
Fox three
Guns selected
Fox four
Ram
GLTD
Ground based laser target designator
GPS
Global positioning system
H&K MP5SD
Heckler & Koch machine pistol
HAHO
High altitude high opening (parachute jump)
HALO
High altitude low opening (parachute jump)
HE
High explosive
HEAP
High-explosive armour piercing
HEAT
High-explosive anti-tank (tank-fired round)
Hercules
C-130 transport aircraft
HUD
Head up display
IAF
Israeli Air Force
IDF
Israeli Defence Forces
IFF
Identify friend or foe
IIR
Imaging infrared
INS
Inertial navigation system
IR
Infrared
JSLIST
Joint service lightweight integrated suit technology (chemical warfare suit)
JSOW
Joint stand-off weapon
KC-130
Airborne fuel tanker (Hercules-based)
KC-135
Airborne fuel tanker (Boeing 707-based)
KIAS
Knots indicated air speed
Kopassus
Indonesian special forces
LAV
Light armoured vehicle
LM
Loadmaster
LS
Leading seaman
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide (hallucinogenic drug)
LTCOL
Lieutenant colonel
MBT
Main battle tank
M1Abrams
US main battle tank
M16A1
US military assault weapon
M16A2
Current issue US military assault weapon
M2
Heavy machine gun
M203
Grenade launcher
M36A2
Fragmentation grenade
M4A2
Assault carbine favoured by special forces
M61A1
20mm Gatling gun
M82A1A
Sniper rifle
Merkava Mk IV
Israeli main battle tank
METFOR
Meteorological forecast
Minimi
General-purpose machine gun
Mossad
Israeli external security organisation
NBC
Nuclear biological chemical (warfare)
NCO
Non-commissioned officer
NVG
Night vision goggles
OA
Opening altitude
PC3
(Orion) Anti-submarine warfare aircraft
PDA
Personal digital assistant
PFC
Private first class
PNG
Papua New Guinea
Prowler
Unmanned aerial vehicle
RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
RHIB
Ribbed-hull inflatable boat
RPG
Rocket-propelled grenade
SAR
Search and rescue
SAS
Australian Special Air Service Regiment
Sayeret
Israeli special forces
Shin Bet
Israeli internal security and counterterror organisation
SLAP
Saboted light armour piercing round (armour piercing bullet)
SOP
Standard operating procedure
S70 A9
Blackhawk helicopter
S70 B2
Sea Hawk helicopter
TACBE
Tactical beacon – low power signal device and transceiver
TCCC
Transnational Crime Coordination Centre
TDC
Throttle designator control
TNI
Tentara Nasional Indonesia (Indonesian army)
TNI-AU
Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Udara (Indonesian air force)
TOW
Tube launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missile
TSS
Tank sight system (external video cameras)
UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
USCENTCOM
United States forces in the Middle East region
VHF
Very high frequency
VX
Nerve agent
WMD
Weapon of mass destruction
X
Executive officer
XO
Executive officer
Zefa
(Cobra) AH-1 helicopter gunship
Z80
Computer chip
BOOK: Sword of Allah
2.26Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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