[Smokin' Joe]

Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy. I think there may have been elements of Red Storm Rising in it as well, just not the Russians to seize oilfields, but others to seize/keep power.

[Black Agnes]

I still remember condoleeza rice testifying after 9/11 that there was no way they could have anticipated terrorists flying planes full of people into buildings.

Right.

Nobody.

Except anybody who had read clancey. Or simply passed a bookstore that had the book in the window. My copy had a drawing of a destroyed us capital with a giant plane tail sticking out sticking out of the rubble.

What are we paying all of them for again?