Found and Lost Forever

Bruce Weiss

Description

Found and Lost Forever is a tale about an actual summit meeting between then President Reagan and Soviet Party Chairman, Mikhail Gorbachev held in Reykjavik, Iceland. The main agenda, the eventual elimination of all nuclear weapons. The world received transcripts of their two day meetings but never released was their private discussion on a walk in the woods with only their translators, Nelson and Zenga present. 12 years later both the Russians and Americans desperately want to discover what the two leaders said in private. Murder, mayhem and unimaginable twists and turns makes for a spellbinding read.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Governance
• History
• Leadership

Informations

• Publié par: AuthorHouse
• Date de parution: 02 août 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665566933
• Langue: English

Extrait

FOUND and LOST FOREVER
 
 
 
BRUCE WEISS
 
 
 

 
 
AuthorHouse™
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© 2022 Bruce Weiss. All rights reserved.
 
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
 
Published by AuthorHouse 09/29/2022
 
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6694-0 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6692-6 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6693-3 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022914099
 
 
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
CONTENTS
Found, and Lost Forever
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Epilogue
FOUND, AND LOST FOREVER
In Reykjavik, Iceland, an historic meeting took place over the course of two days between then President Ronald Reagan and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev. The month October, the year1986, the second meeting between two leaders not intended to be a summit, but a session in which the leaders might explore the possibility of limiting each country’s strategic nuclear weapons. They hoped to create momentum in the ongoing arms-control negotiations. Officially no agreement was reached but historians later considered the Reykjavik meeting a turning point in the cold war.
President Reagan was under tremendous pressure to oppose the Soviet Union at every opportunity. Is advisors insisted an accelerated arms race would cause irreparable harm to a faltering Soviet economy. Reagan an extremist hard-liner bent on destruction of the Soviet Union, promised to heed their sound advice.
Gorbachev came to the meeting with his own agenda; to facilitate more openness between the two super-powers knowing all too well, the Soviet economy would need drastic change. His nation was unable to continue down the road to reform or arms control without assurances of national security. An arms-limitation treaty was needed in order to accomplish that.
During their meetings the two exchanged proposals, agreeing nuclear weapons must be eliminated on both sides by the year 2000. There were many sticking points, the most significant Reagan’s refusal to limit SDI research and ongoing technology in US labs.
Both sides issued statements at the conclusion of the talks, announcing to the world the meetings were successful, opening the way for further progress.
Despite sounding promising many issues went unresolved. When the US and the USSR signed a mutual treaty banning intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, the world celebrated. Despite good intentions on both sides however, it was obvious the Soviets were attempting to make the US the bad guy for not doing more.
Gorbachev said his country supported full disarmament, knowing the United State would never agree to the proposal. It was a tactic meant to gain concessions. No one in the Reagan administration wanted nuclear abolition and when word got out it was discussed, the Soviets retaliated saying future progress in arms talks had come to a standstill. The world’s hope for global zero nuclear weapons, something un-precedented in Soviet American relations was quashed.
Both leaders agreed to meet again the following year, continuing their negotiations on nuclear arms. They told their respective nations, nuclear disarmament was within reach if political leaders had the courage to make hard decisions. There needed to break through bureaucratic politics and the countless arcane nuclear balance theories. Their vision grabbed the world’s attention, only words sadly with little action. The American English-Russian interpreter in Reykjavik was Nelson’s twin and best friend, Nicky. Nicky was not allowed talk about the work. The leaders made quite curious bed fellows he admitted, able to forge mutual respect and friendship, temporarily slowing the Cold war.
Nicky was the Russian interpreter for President Reagan, an opportunity to witness and hear things only four people in the world would learn. Gorbachev had an English-speaking interpreter, a woman by the name of Zenga, a sly smirk on Nicky’s face recounting his lusty feelings for her. Early on the second afternoon in Reykjavik the two leaders accompanied only by Nicky and Zenga stepped out. They took a long unscheduled walk in the woods, the discussion kept to themselves, and not shared with the Russian or American public, nor their respective travel teams. Zenga and Nicky were warned never to reveal any of the conversations, a solemn vow taken.
President Reagan died on June 4 th , 2004. Mr. Gorbachev stepped down earlier, disappearing from public view on Christmas Day, 1991. For Nicky it was an experience of a lifetime, being in the sole company of two powerful people literally holding the future of the world in the palms of their hands. What the two leaders discussed on that walk was not to be revealed until the world was ready for a great change in diplomacy he was told. During their annual birthday celebration months later, Nelson hoped Nicky might talk about the secret talks, but even with much coaxing there was no discussion.
CHAPTER ONE
Nelson Graves had no idea one day he would be caught up in a twisted international plot meant to kill him. The roots were mere twigs on a foggy evening in Georgetown in early 1988 after Nicky and Nelson celebrated their birthday dinner together. A life changing tragedy occurred an hour later, Nelson’s life changed forever. The city was ghostly quiet when saying their goodbyes, walking in opposite directions toward their apartments. On the way to his place Nelson could not have known the sound of sirens was an omen preceding bad things. The next morning, he was unexpectedly called into the UN to his part time interpreters’ job because mysteriously, Nicky had not shown up for his daily assignment. Near ten that morning Nelson was sadly informed brother Nicky had been run down and sadly, left for dead in a roadway, likely by a drunk driver. The words stung, seeing himself lying on the roadway next to him, always inseparable. During the ensuing days he phoned the NYC police often, hoping an arrest had been made. The answer was always the same; nothing new to report. Before the incident, Nicky supervised the American translation team at the UN, the point man assigning translators when countries debated issues. Nicky’s untimely death unexpectedly thrust Nelson into that role, returning to work full time, salaried nicely, with bittersweet feelings of abandonment and sorrow replacing his twin brother.
Russian delegates and aides often took time to tell Nelson how perfect his grasp of the Russian language was, as well as endless condolences. A few of the Russians he’d become quite fond of, although he’d been ordered to keep his distance. One unsuspecting day he was called into the American ambassador’s office, something rarely occurring. He no idea why he’d been summoned. He soon found himself dangling at the end of a rope. Ordered never to fraternize with any member of the Russian delegation no matter title or position was the sharp rebuke. Secretaries were off limits too, admitting to himself he’d flirted with a few.
“I’m ordering you to keep you mind on your work and stop the little chitchats and commiserating reported to this office. Many Russians are not here in the name of world peace, but for devious purposes. I’m ordering you to stay clear of them and if you’re approached, I want to know immediately who it was and what was said in your presence. Are we clear?”
Nelson replied, crystal clear, feeling as if his hand had been caught in the cookie jar. Why was it a problem being friendly or courteous when someone complimented his language skills he wondered, the talk down bothering him? Wasn’t that what the UN was all about he wanted to say, to create a bit of trust and friendship in a dangerous world? He’d figure out ways to avoid future contacts, a pity though. One of the Russian secretaries openly flirted with him and truthfully, he’d flirted right back.
CHAPTER TWO
On August 25 th 2001, Nelson felt burned out at the UN. There were too many days of sitting around, nothing happening. Those days brought up mournful memories of Nicky. There were fewer and fewer productive days, especially when budgets were slashed. Often wishing the world body would just go out of business, he came to believe nothing good could ever be accomplished there. His translation team was considered the best,