Clear and Present Danger
Encyclopedia
Clear and Present Danger is a novel by Tom Clancy
, written in 1989, and is a canonical
part of the Jack Ryan universe. In the novel, Jack Ryan is thrown into the position of CIA
Acting Deputy Director (Intelligence) and discovers that he is being kept in the dark by his colleagues who are conducting a covert war against a drug cartel
based in Colombia
. The title of the book is based on the legal phrase "clear and present danger
".
Panache intercepts a yacht in the Caribbean Sea
, discovering two men cleaning up after killing a man and his family. Through a mock execution
, the Coast Guardsmen
force the executioners to confess to the murders. It is later learned that the murdered man was part of a drug cartel
money laundering
scheme.
Hearing of this atrocity, the President
(who is unnamed in the novel) calls for a change of direction in the War on Drugs
. He feels compelled to take drastic measures against drug trafficking
because his challenger, J. Robert Fowler, has rallied the public behind the administration's failure to curb the drug trade.
The president initiates covert operations within Colombia and a step-up of operations against aircraft believed to be distributing narcotics. Three major players help the plan reach fruition:
The plan consists of four operations:
Félix Cortez is a former member of Cuba
n Intelligence in the employ of the cartel. Cortez feigns romantic interest in the aide of FBI Director Emil Jacobs. She unknowingly reveals information regarding the date of Jacobs' official visit to the Attorney-General of Colombia. Cortez delivers this information to the cartel management, who order Jacobs's assassination as retaliation for seizing cartel money. Jacobs and several other Americans in his delegation are killed.
Jack Ryan
becomes aware of events in Colombia, and suspects involvement of the CIA. As acting Deputy Director of the Intelligence Directorate, Ryan should be privy to most operations, but he realizes he is being left out of something. After his long-time friend Commander Jackson inquires about activity in the region, Ryan goes to Moore to demand an explanation. Moore avoids explaining the situation, but orders Ryan to withhold the information from the Congressional Intelligence Oversight Committee.
The use of Octol
as the explosive in RECIPROCITY tips Cortez off to military involvement and hence to the true nature of the bombing. Planning to create a war within the cartel that will leave him in a position to seize power, he suppresses this information. He also learns of the American troops in Colombia, and orders large groups of cartel mercenaries to hunt them down. Cortez blackmails Cutter into ending the operation, promising an intra-cartel war that will slow drug imports into the United States. Cutter's meeting with Cortez is shadowed by Ryan and Clark. Clark is outraged at the abandonment of the troops in Colombia, and with Ryan, the FBI and Air Force personnel plans a rescue operation.
Clark makes radio contact with two of the teams to warn them of the cartel operations and orders them to alternate pickup points to await extraction. The other two teams have encountered a large number of cartel mercenaries and taken casualties. Clark makes radio contact with some survivors, including Domingo Chavez
.
Clark flies into Colombia to retrieve Chavez' band of survivors. Ryan uses an Air Force helicopter to pick up the surviving members of another team. Together they launch a raid on the cartel's command post, capturing Cortez. The group then attempts to extract the remaining ground team. During this extraction the helicopter comes under heavy fire from the cartel forces. A helicopter crewman, Sgt. Buck Zimmer, is mortally wounded, and Ryan promises to take care of his family - a promise which plays into the plots of the novels The Sum of All Fears
and Executive Orders
. Due to a hurricane and damage to the helicopter, they land on the deck of the Panache instead of returning to Panama.
Clark confronts Cutter with the evidence of his treason, and Cutter commits suicide to avoid shaming the Navy or those lost in the operation. Cortez is returned to Cuban hands, where he is a marked traitor. Ryan confronts the President, who insists what he did is right. Ryan responds that despite his classifying the drug cartel as a "clear and present danger," what the president did was illegal, and Ryan must brief Congress.
The two presiding members of the committee briefed by Ryan meet with the President, who agrees to unspecified conditions. Ryan, who has observed both presidential campaigns, realizes that the incumbent has deliberately sacrificed himself (by running a poor reelection campaign) to protect the knowledge of the covert operations and the honor of those involved. Fowler wins by a slim margin, and Ryan realizes that the incumbent has more honor and dignity than he originally thought.
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
, written in 1989, and is a canonical
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
part of the Jack Ryan universe. In the novel, Jack Ryan is thrown into the position of CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
Acting Deputy Director (Intelligence) and discovers that he is being kept in the dark by his colleagues who are conducting a covert war against a drug cartel
Drug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
based in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. The title of the book is based on the legal phrase "clear and present danger
Clear and present danger
Clear and present danger was a term used by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. in the unanimous opinion for the case Schenck v. United States, concerning the ability of the government to regulate speech against the draft during World War I:...
".
Plot summary
The United States Coast Guard CutterUnited States Coast Guard Cutter
Cutter is the term used by the United States Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. A Cutter is or greater in length, has a permanently assigned crew, and has accommodations for the crew to live aboard...
Panache intercepts a yacht in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, discovering two men cleaning up after killing a man and his family. Through a mock execution
Mock execution
A mock execution is a stratagem in which a victim is deliberately but falsely made to feel that his execution or that of another person is imminent or is taking place. It may be staged for an audience or a subject who is made to believe that he is being led to his own execution...
, the Coast Guardsmen
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
force the executioners to confess to the murders. It is later learned that the murdered man was part of a drug cartel
Drug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
scheme.
Hearing of this atrocity, the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
(who is unnamed in the novel) calls for a change of direction in the War on Drugs
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
. He feels compelled to take drastic measures against drug trafficking
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
because his challenger, J. Robert Fowler, has rallied the public behind the administration's failure to curb the drug trade.
The president initiates covert operations within Colombia and a step-up of operations against aircraft believed to be distributing narcotics. Three major players help the plan reach fruition:
- National Security AdvisorNational Security Advisor (United States)The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues...
Vice AdmiralVice admiral (United States)In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
James Cutter, - CIA Deputy Director of OperationsDirector of the National Clandestine ServiceThe Director of the National Clandestine Service is a senior United States government official in the U.S...
Robert Ritter, - Director of Central IntelligenceDirector of Central IntelligenceThe Office of United States Director of Central Intelligence was the head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the principal intelligence advisor to the President and the National Security Council, and the coordinator of intelligence activities among and between the various United...
JudgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Arthur Moore.
The plan consists of four operations:
- Operation CAPER is the interception of mobile phoneMobile phoneA mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
communications between cartel management. It is also the communications arm for SHOWBOAT and the light-fighters' only means of contact with the outside world. CIA operative John ClarkJohn Clark (Tom Clancy character)John Clark is a fictional character created by Tom Clancy who appears in many of Clancy's novels. He is an Irish American Catholic.-Personal life:...
is dispatched with CAPER to coordinate the effort. - Operation EAGLE EYE uses F-15sF-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
to intercept drug flights. Several aircraft are destroyed and others are forced to land, where the pilots are interrogated for information regarding the cartel. - Operation SHOWBOAT involves four teams of soldiers infiltrating Colombia to stake-out airstrips used by drug-trafficking aircraft. They report departure times of aircraft, allowing the EAGLE EYE team to intercept them. Later the troops attack the airstrips and coca processing sites. The soldiers are seconded from American light infantryLight infantryTraditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
battalions, and are all Hispanic in order to blend in with the local population. - Operation RECIPROCITY involves using ground-attack aircraft and laser-guided bombLaser-guided bombA laser-guided bomb is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. LGBs are one of the most common and widespread guided bombs, used by a large number of the world's air forces.- Overview :Laser-guided munitions use a...
s to attack cartel locations discovered by intercepts. The bombs have a casing that will be consumed in the blast to give the impression of a car-bomb.
Félix Cortez is a former member of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n Intelligence in the employ of the cartel. Cortez feigns romantic interest in the aide of FBI Director Emil Jacobs. She unknowingly reveals information regarding the date of Jacobs' official visit to the Attorney-General of Colombia. Cortez delivers this information to the cartel management, who order Jacobs's assassination as retaliation for seizing cartel money. Jacobs and several other Americans in his delegation are killed.
Jack Ryan
Jack Ryan (Tom Clancy)
John Patrick "Jack" Ryan, Sr. is a fictional character created by Tom Clancy who appears in many of his novels.-Backstory:Born in 1950, Ryan's background is established in Patriot Games and Red Rabbit. His father was Emmet William Ryan , a police homicide lieutenant in Baltimore, and World War II...
becomes aware of events in Colombia, and suspects involvement of the CIA. As acting Deputy Director of the Intelligence Directorate, Ryan should be privy to most operations, but he realizes he is being left out of something. After his long-time friend Commander Jackson inquires about activity in the region, Ryan goes to Moore to demand an explanation. Moore avoids explaining the situation, but orders Ryan to withhold the information from the Congressional Intelligence Oversight Committee.
The use of Octol
Octol
Octol is a melt-castable, high explosive mixture consisting of HMX and TNT in different weight proportions.-Composition:Two formulations are commonly used:* 70% HMX & 30% TNT* 75% HMX & 25% TNT...
as the explosive in RECIPROCITY tips Cortez off to military involvement and hence to the true nature of the bombing. Planning to create a war within the cartel that will leave him in a position to seize power, he suppresses this information. He also learns of the American troops in Colombia, and orders large groups of cartel mercenaries to hunt them down. Cortez blackmails Cutter into ending the operation, promising an intra-cartel war that will slow drug imports into the United States. Cutter's meeting with Cortez is shadowed by Ryan and Clark. Clark is outraged at the abandonment of the troops in Colombia, and with Ryan, the FBI and Air Force personnel plans a rescue operation.
Clark makes radio contact with two of the teams to warn them of the cartel operations and orders them to alternate pickup points to await extraction. The other two teams have encountered a large number of cartel mercenaries and taken casualties. Clark makes radio contact with some survivors, including Domingo Chavez
Domingo Chavez
Domingo "Ding" Chavez is a fictional character described as a "passionate Latino" by American author Tom Clancy and appearing in many of his novels and video games.-History:...
.
Clark flies into Colombia to retrieve Chavez' band of survivors. Ryan uses an Air Force helicopter to pick up the surviving members of another team. Together they launch a raid on the cartel's command post, capturing Cortez. The group then attempts to extract the remaining ground team. During this extraction the helicopter comes under heavy fire from the cartel forces. A helicopter crewman, Sgt. Buck Zimmer, is mortally wounded, and Ryan promises to take care of his family - a promise which plays into the plots of the novels The Sum of All Fears
The Sum of All Fears
The Sum of All Fears is the best-selling thriller novel by Dan Fogelman and Tom Clancy, and part of the Jack Ryan series. It was the fourth book of the series to be turned into a film. An interesting historical note is that this book was released just days before the Moscow uprising in 1991, which...
and Executive Orders
Executive Orders
Executive Orders is a political and military thriller novel by Tom Clancy. It was published in 1996, and is a canonical part of the Jack Ryan universe.-Plot summary:...
. Due to a hurricane and damage to the helicopter, they land on the deck of the Panache instead of returning to Panama.
Clark confronts Cutter with the evidence of his treason, and Cutter commits suicide to avoid shaming the Navy or those lost in the operation. Cortez is returned to Cuban hands, where he is a marked traitor. Ryan confronts the President, who insists what he did is right. Ryan responds that despite his classifying the drug cartel as a "clear and present danger," what the president did was illegal, and Ryan must brief Congress.
The two presiding members of the committee briefed by Ryan meet with the President, who agrees to unspecified conditions. Ryan, who has observed both presidential campaigns, realizes that the incumbent has deliberately sacrificed himself (by running a poor reelection campaign) to protect the knowledge of the covert operations and the honor of those involved. Fowler wins by a slim margin, and Ryan realizes that the incumbent has more honor and dignity than he originally thought.
See also
Clear and Present Danger (1994 film)Clear and Present Danger (film)
Clear and Present Danger is a 1994 film directed by Phillip Noyce, based on the book of the same name by Tom Clancy. It is a subsequent release to the 1992 film Patriot Games, which in itself is a subsequent release to the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October.It is the last film to feature Harrison...