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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (novel)
Encyclopedia
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a 2004
novel told in the first person by author Raymond Benson
, writing under the pseudonym David Michaels
. The novel is based on the video game series Splinter Cell
created by author Tom Clancy
. The series chronicles the adventures and the stealth actions of the fictional character
Sam Fisher.
After the book was published in 2004, Raymond Benson
announced that he had written it, using the pseudonym David Michaels. Benson is best known for being the official author of the James Bond
series of novels from 1997 to 2002. In 2005, a second book by Benson was released entitled Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda
. After the completion of that book, a new author was hired to continue the series under the same pseudonym.
ian terrorist group called "The Shadows". Led by Nasir Tarighian, it is the goal of Tarighian to use a weapon of mass destruction codenamed "The Babylon Phoenix" against the city of Baghdad
as revenge for the actions taken by Iraq
against Iran during the 1980s that resulted in the murder of his wife and children. While there really isn't much benefit to the group today, Tarighian attempts to sell the scheme to his organization by claiming that it would also create further disorder in Iraq and in the Middle East
, which would inevitably cause the people to turn against the "West", namely the United States
since Iraq is currently under their watch. Tarighian, a former "great warrior" during the Iran–Iraq War and often proclaimed hero in Iran, hoped that by doing this the Iranian people would rejoice and urge the Iranian government to invade and conquer Iraq after the U.S is forced out of the region. Most of the members of the Shadows disagree with the course of action, feeling that the result is extremely unlikely and that the scheme is nothing more than a 20 year-old vendetta by Tarighian to get back at Iraq for the death of his wife and children during the war. These members feel the same effect of destabilization in the region can be achieved by attacking either Tel Aviv
or Jerusalem in Israel
.
The novel also involves a terrorist arms dealing organization named "The Shop." Headed by Andrei Zdrok, their aim is purely business; to make money by supplying arms to anyone with money regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. The Shop is one of the few organizations in the world that is aware of the black-ops division of the NSA
, named "Third Echelon", which sends covert agents into the world called Splinter Cells, to exercise the use of a "fifth freedom"; the freedom to do whatever is necessary to preserve national security and peace for the United States. The Shop, using their knowledge (the source of which is revealed in the sequel, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda
to be a traitor
within Third Echelon itself) and resources, has taken the liberty of assassinating Splinter Cells whenever possible thus to increase their profit margin by keeping the shipment of arms from falling into unwanted hands.
Sam Fisher is deployed by Third Echelon to the Middle East to uncover the truth about the murder of a Splinter Cell agent and track down the source of a shipment of arms seized by the Iraqi police. There he surveys and infiltrates numerous locations relating to both the Shop and the Shadows, all the while unaware that the Shop has targeted him and his only daughter, Sarah.
2004 in literature
The year 2004 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Canada Reads selects Guy Vanderhaeghe's The Last Crossing to be read across the nation....
novel told in the first person by author Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson is an American author best known for being the official author of the adult James Bond novels from 1997 to 2003. Benson was born in Midland, Texas and graduated from Permian High School in Odessa in 1973...
, writing under the pseudonym David Michaels
David Michaels
David Michaels is a pseudonym for the authors of novels in the Splinter Cell, EndWar, H.A.W.X , and Ghost Recon series, all of which were created by Ubisoft Entertainment and developed under Ubisoft's Tom Clancy license...
. The novel is based on the video game series Splinter Cell
Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a series of stealth video games, the first of which was released in 2002, and their tie-in novels. The protagonist, Sam Fisher, is presented as a highly-trained agent of a fictional black-ops sub-division within the NSA, dubbed "Third Echelon"...
created by author Tom Clancy
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...
. The series chronicles the adventures and the stealth actions of the fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
Sam Fisher.
After the book was published in 2004, Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson
Raymond Benson is an American author best known for being the official author of the adult James Bond novels from 1997 to 2003. Benson was born in Midland, Texas and graduated from Permian High School in Odessa in 1973...
announced that he had written it, using the pseudonym David Michaels. Benson is best known for being the official author of the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
series of novels from 1997 to 2002. In 2005, a second book by Benson was released entitled Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda is a 2005 novel in the Splinter Cell series and a sequel to the 2004 novel Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Both novels were written by Raymond Benson under the pseudonym David Michaels...
. After the completion of that book, a new author was hired to continue the series under the same pseudonym.
Plot introduction
Sam Fisher, a special agent, or Splinter Cell, is called upon to investigate the deaths of other Splinter Cell agents. He finds ties to an arms smuggling ring, and their ties to a mysterious terrorist group known as "The Shadows".Plot summary
The plot of the novel takes place in 2004 and concerns an IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian terrorist group called "The Shadows". Led by Nasir Tarighian, it is the goal of Tarighian to use a weapon of mass destruction codenamed "The Babylon Phoenix" against the city of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
as revenge for the actions taken by Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
against Iran during the 1980s that resulted in the murder of his wife and children. While there really isn't much benefit to the group today, Tarighian attempts to sell the scheme to his organization by claiming that it would also create further disorder in Iraq and in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, which would inevitably cause the people to turn against the "West", namely the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since Iraq is currently under their watch. Tarighian, a former "great warrior" during the Iran–Iraq War and often proclaimed hero in Iran, hoped that by doing this the Iranian people would rejoice and urge the Iranian government to invade and conquer Iraq after the U.S is forced out of the region. Most of the members of the Shadows disagree with the course of action, feeling that the result is extremely unlikely and that the scheme is nothing more than a 20 year-old vendetta by Tarighian to get back at Iraq for the death of his wife and children during the war. These members feel the same effect of destabilization in the region can be achieved by attacking either Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
or Jerusalem in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
The novel also involves a terrorist arms dealing organization named "The Shop." Headed by Andrei Zdrok, their aim is purely business; to make money by supplying arms to anyone with money regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. The Shop is one of the few organizations in the world that is aware of the black-ops division of the NSA
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
, named "Third Echelon", which sends covert agents into the world called Splinter Cells, to exercise the use of a "fifth freedom"; the freedom to do whatever is necessary to preserve national security and peace for the United States. The Shop, using their knowledge (the source of which is revealed in the sequel, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda is a 2005 novel in the Splinter Cell series and a sequel to the 2004 novel Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. Both novels were written by Raymond Benson under the pseudonym David Michaels...
to be a traitor
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
within Third Echelon itself) and resources, has taken the liberty of assassinating Splinter Cells whenever possible thus to increase their profit margin by keeping the shipment of arms from falling into unwanted hands.
Sam Fisher is deployed by Third Echelon to the Middle East to uncover the truth about the murder of a Splinter Cell agent and track down the source of a shipment of arms seized by the Iraqi police. There he surveys and infiltrates numerous locations relating to both the Shop and the Shadows, all the while unaware that the Shop has targeted him and his only daughter, Sarah.
Character histories
- Rick Benton - A Splinter Cell stationed in Belgium. He asks Lieutenant Colonel Dirk Verbaken to give him a file on Gerald BullGerald BullGerald Vincent Bull was a Canadian engineer who developed long-range artillery. He moved from project to project in his quest to launch economically a satellite using a huge artillery piece, to which end he designed the Project Babylon "supergun" for the Iraqi government...
. Murdered by Vlad and Yuri. - Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Dirk Verbaken - A member of the Belgian Military Intelligence and Security Service, he is one of Rick Benton's contacts. He gives him the file on Gerard Bull. Murdered by Vlad and Yuri. - Lieutenant Colonel Dan Petlow - A Lieutenant Colonel in a U.S. Army outpost, Petlow was one of Benton's contacts. He helps point Sam in the right direction. Later arrest a terrorist known as No-Tooth.
- Sam Fisher - Fisher is the protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the story. He is a secret field operative known as a "Splinter Cell" for the National Security AgencyNational Security AgencyThe National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
and its super-secret sub-agency, Third Echelon.
- Colonel Irving Lambert - Lambert in the National Security AgencyNational Security AgencyThe National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
who coordinates most of the missions and objectives. He is Fisher's "controller."
- Carly St. John - A cryptographerCryptographyCryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
for Third Echelon, she is considered brilliant by Fisher. St. John handles most of Third Echelon's computer-related tasks including network security and aiding Fisher, when possible, in the field.
- Sarah Burns - Fisher's daughter. She defies Sam by taking a vacation to IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
with her best friend, Rivka Cohen, and her boyfriend, Eli Horowitz. She is later kidnapped by Horowitz, who has secretly been working for The Shop. Held hostage as bait to draw Fisher to IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
where he can be assassinated by The Shop, she is rescued by her father with the aid of the Shin Bet.
- Namik Basaran - Namik Basaran is the head of Akdabar Enterprises in TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and a supposed informant for the CIA. In truth, Basaran is Nasir Tarighian, the head of The Shadows. The Shadows is a terrorist group that formed during the final days of the Iran–Iraq War. Tarighian was at one point a peaceful man, however, during the war, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
bombed his home killing his wife and children. Since that day, he sought revenge and has gone to great lengths to get it. Tarighian aims to use the Babylon Phoenix developed by Professor Mertens to obliterate Baghdad. His group, however, feels that BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, being a Muslim city, should not be the target and instead perform a last minute coup. Tarighian, his bodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
Farid, and all his loyalists are killed on the orders of Ahmed Mohammed.
- Reza Hamadan- Reza Hamadan is an NSA informant living in IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Fisher meets with him to gather information on Namik Basaran and for rest. Once Fisher sets out again, Hamadan lends him his car.
- Ahmed Mohammed - Mohammed is the second in command of The Shadows. He is a loyalist of Nasir Tarighian, however, after Tarighian decides to use the Babylon Phoenix to target Baghdad, he betrays Tarighian and stages a coup by killing Tarighian. Mohammed then orders the target changed to Jerusalem. Mohammed is prevented and presumably killed during an aerial raid carried out jointly by the U.S., the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the TurkishTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
airforce.
- Albert Mertens - Professor Mertens is the engineer who designs the Babylon Phoenix. His work was strongly influenced by his mentor Gerald BullGerald BullGerald Vincent Bull was a Canadian engineer who developed long-range artillery. He moved from project to project in his quest to launch economically a satellite using a huge artillery piece, to which end he designed the Project Babylon "supergun" for the Iraqi government...
and his Project BabylonProject BabylonProject Babylon was a project commissioned by the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein to build a series of superguns. The design was based on research from the 1960s Project HARP led by the Canadian artillery expert Gerald Bull...
"supergunSupergunA supergun is an extraordinarily large artillery piece. This size may be due to a large bore, barrel length or a combination of the two. While early examples tended to have a fairly short range more recent examples sometimes had an extremely high muzzle velocity resulting in a very long...
". Mertens allies himself with Mohammed against Tarighian, saying that attacking Jerusalem is a better tactically idea and would avenge Gerald Bull, as Mertens is sure the MossadMossadThe Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
killed him. Mertens was presumably killed by the aerial raid on the Shadows' compound, like Mohammed.
- Andrei Zdrok - Zdrok is the leader of The Shop, an arms dealing outfit with the goal of making profit by supplying arms to anyone. Zdrok has supplied Namik Basaran with arms; however, he quickly turns against Basaran after one of his warehouses is destroyed presumably by The Shadows, in addition to The Shadows having decided not to pay for a shipment of arms that was captured by the Iraqi police. In truth, Sam Fisher destroyed the warehouse and Third Echelon prevented The Shadow's transaction from reaching him. After being discovered as the leader of The Shop, Zdrok was forced to leave behind anything he could not carry in his own two hands and flee.
- Vlad and Yuri - Vlad and Yuri are assassins working for The Shop. They were the most trusted of one of the Shop's masterminds while he was in the KGBKGBThe KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
. They have been hired by The Shop to eliminate the Splinter Cells. They were told to find Fisher and they used Eli Horowitz to kidnap Fisher's daughter as "bait". Both are eventually killed by Fisher and the Shin Bet during a raid on the warehouse where they held Sarah.
- Eli Horowitz - Horowitz is Sarah's boyfriend at Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. While there he studied music, but was deported for an expired visaVisa (document)A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
and for being listed on the terrorist watch list. He has been assigned by The Shop to kidnap Sarah and deliver her to Vlad and Yuri. He was ambushed by Fisher, and after the rest of his Shop team was killed, Fisher was going to kill Eli for endangering Sarah's life, but went lenient on account of the expression of cowardice on Eli's face stopped him, so Fisher spared him, and handed him over to the Shin Bet, who imprisoned him for his crimes.
- Noel Brooks - Brooks is Eli Horowitz's friend and works for the Shop. He is gunned down by Shin Bet soldiers in the firefight inside the abandoned warehouseWarehouseA warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
.
- Heinrich Eisler - Eisler is a friend of Albert Mertens and was Alberts cellmate in prison. He also murdered Basarain's aka. Tarighian's bodyguard Farid with his knifeKnifeA knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
, which he is very skilled with. Eisler is presumably killed along with Mertens and Mohammed.
Release details
- 2004, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Penguin Group, ISBN 0-425-20168-6, 7 December 2004, Paperback