Song Heping's analysis is as calm as a scalpel, cutting through the surface to directly point at the core.
He sees not only the ambush and counter-ambush before him but also the inevitable political and military tsunami that will sweep across the entire region afterward.
"We've completed our mission, but the real trouble is just beginning. Let's return to Hulmatu and discuss it further."
He finally issues an order: "Immediately notify the US Army Command in Baghdad. We need an emergency medical evacuation channel. Also... in my name, issue the highest level of alert to all armed forces in our territory— the storm has arrived, prepare for widespread chaos."
5:47 AM, northwest suburb of Kirkuk.
First Mechanized Brigade Station.
The piercing sound of alarms shreds the pre-dawn silence repeatedly.
Barzani's armored Mercedes G500 sped through the camp gate without slowing.
