Pardesian News Network (Closed; Attn Pardes)

by **The Eagleland** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:49 pm

OUR DEAR LEADER IS DEAD!!!
THE LEADER OF THIS GREAT NATION HAS PASSED AWAY!
^{1 SEPTEMBER 2015 | By Konstantin Kyriakinov (REN News)}

THE BEST LEADER IN THE WORLD IS DEAD!!!

KOLDIV — OUR DEAR LEADER IS DEAD!!!

People of Bariya, our dear leader, who has served our country for so many years, since 2001, has tried to resurrect our country from the evil forces of capitalism that forced us into poverty! Vyacheslav Grinko, a warrior at birth, who was born in 1949 and joined the Bariyan People's Army at 12, who rose through the ranks with his superhuman abilities and became General of the Bariyan People's Grand Anti-Capitalist Liberation Army, and lived through the evil and tough days of Capitalist Oppression!

It was Grinko that orchestrated the People's Uprising! It was Grinko that created Pardes' wealthiest nation in the world! It was Grinko that fought the international interests trying to steal our wonderful industry and our natural resources! It was Grinko that held evil Rodarinaya away from our own soil! And it was Grinko that dared fight the Prestonians and won in spite of adversities, since a much-by-the-international-community invasion NEVER happened because his superhuman strength humiliated the Prestonians!

And now our dear leader passes away from CANCER! No one but nature could kill this man! Hence, we shall all mourn him forever! No other man in this world will ever match him!

In other news, his doctor has been arrested for a failure to heal our great leader and found that he is guilty of failing to heal our dear leader! It has been decided that this horrific, disgusting, incompetent, and handicapped 'doctor' be punished with 1,000,000 whips, rape, and a public dismemberment, for scum like him must be killed now! For heroes like Vyacheslav Grinko must ALWAYS be honoured!

For such distressing times, the Honourable, Courageous, Capable, and Wonderful Commander of the Bariyan People's Grand Anti-Capitalist Liberation Army will assume command of this great nation! He is due to assume his duties from the People's Congress by week's end. Only then will we be saved!

Konstantin Kyriakinov, our correspondent, has reported for REN News from Bariniska, Bariya. This article has been assessed and verified by the Editorial Team of REN News, reflecting our severe national needs.

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by **Rodarion** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 12:09 pm

Papal Navy vessels on patrol within the Iovian Rise

The Papal Continuing Committee has reportedly authorised the Papal Navy to take whatever measures it deems necessary to counter the Neidmarian announcement that it will invade and occupy Rodarian territory in the Iovian Rise. The Papal Navy has also raised its alert status to Condition 1, the highest possible level. The Foreign Ministry has once again openly warned the Neidmarians that any military action against Rodarian territory in the Orlessian Sea will result in violence. The Papal Navy has stated this morning that it has been granted authorisation to use force in order to protect Rodarian territorial sovereignty.

The Papal Continuing Committee met last night with senior commanders of the Papal Navy and Air Force to discuss the horrific open statement by the Neidmarian government that it intends to invade and occupy Rodarian territory in the Orlessian Sea, as a result of this, the Papal Continuing Committee (which is headed by the Holy Father) voted unanimously to grant the authority to the Papal Navy and Air Force to use whatever means it sees fit to protect the nation's territorial sovereignty.

The Papal Continuing Committee then hosted an emergency meeting with the Cabinet, where it was agreed further deterrence must be made. Following this meeting, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had also received authority from the Papal Continuing Committee to declare a quarantine zone across the entire Iovian Rise. Foreign Minister Pietro Ciano gave a swift press conference a few hours ago, in which he declared the quarantine zone in effect and explained its purpose.

"The Quarantine Zone now in effect across the Iovian Rise is aimed at deterring Neidmarian imperialism and aggression, never before has the Papal Republic been so openly threatened with war as it has been done this past days. In effect as of now, the Quarantine Zone has simple rules, any Neidmarian vessel or aircraft, military of origin, be found approaching the zone, will be intercepted by the Papal Navy and urged to not cross into the Iovian Rise, should it do so, it will be destroyed. Any Neidmarian military vessel or aircraft found in the Quarantine Zone as of now, will be intercepted and escorted out of the zone, if it refuses to leave the zone and takes aggressive action it will be destroyed.

"I understand that will seems aggressive or gun-ho, but we are dealing with a nation that is openly threatening to invade another and occupy another's territory which is recognised by international law. Any action taken by the Papal Republic now against wonton barbarism or 20th century militarism, will be within our rights under international law.

"The Papal Republic was willing to negotiate a settlement over Neptune Island, however in light of the recent announcement, that the Neidmarian nation will attack the Papal Republic's right to territorial sovereignty, this goodwill has vanished. This government has been willing to negotiate with Neidmar, however its constant use of aggressive rhetoric and childish aggression on the ground has made this process nigh impossible, the Papal Republic will not show clemency towards those who infringe upon its territorial rights or sovereignty for both of these are sacred to all nations of the world today, if the Neidmarians chose to remain on this path towards violence, then let the world know that they are the ones who brought chaos and violence to the Orlessian Sea" he said.

The Papal Navy has reportedly dispatched a further 18 vessels, in the form of a "Immediate Response Squadron" (IRS), however they denied reports it is considering to deploy two carrier battle groups to the Orlessian Sea to offer further air support to patrols in the Orlessian Sea. Ten submarines were also spotted leaving Santa Fiora naval base this morning, their type is unknown and the Papal Navy merely said it was routine for submarines to go out on patrol during the early hours.

Minister of Defence and Homeland Security, Field Marshal Paolo Terravici also gave a statement, in which he assured the international community that the Papal Republic has no intention to be the one who brought war to the Orlessian Sea, "it is not in our national interest to cause conflict and we are truly reluctant to take this action, but in face of unrivalled aggression or delusions of capability, we have no choice but to focus on the defence of our strategic frontier and territorial sovereignty.

"When a government openly declares its intentions to invade and occupy the territory of neighbour, there is no choice on behalf of the victim but to take actions aimed at deterring the aggressor. If the victim fails to defend herself, she risks being violated in the future, so the victim must act swiftly and harshly to deter any foolish actions by the aggressor, that is what we are doing, that is what we shall do" he said.

The Papal Air Force has also made moves to shore up defences over the Iovian Rise, including the dispatching of several AWACs, anti-submarine patrol planes and two squadrons of fighter-bombers to assist Papal Navy vessels in enforcing the quarantine zone. No warning has been issued to the general public regarding this latest escalation by Neidmar, however public opinion appears to be apprehensive yet supportive of the state.
The Patriotic Society of the Papal Republic has announced that it will organise a rally outside the Neidmarian embassy and a solidarity rally near the Senate building tomorrow. At least 35,000 people have paid the 5 lire ticket price to attend the rallies, all money made by the rallies will be donated to the Ministry of Defence and Homeland Security to "aid in the funding of maritime Rodarion". Romula Police have expanded their numbers tasked with defending the Neidmarian embassy from furious crowds, with the Police warning those on social media, not to "entice mass action against the embassy and or its staff, otherwise the entire justice system will ensure punishment". However, the State Oceanic Administration has issued a warning to all Rodarian fishing boats on the eastern coast not to venture into the Iovian Rise, due to Neidmarian provocations and threats.

The Foreign Ministry is expected however to contact the Neidmarian authorities to urge them to back down and explore the prospects of a diplomatic solution, in an online statement, his Holiness Pope Constantine XIV said that "I have ordered the diplomatic corps of the Papal Republic to begin immediate measures to secure diplomatic discussions with the Neidmarians, though the success of this depends upon their agreement that conflict is not in our national interests".

Written by Luciano Faranese.

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by **Bogoria1** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 5:39 pm

President Kirkilas killed in failed LDV mutineer coup

2,000 killed or wounded as mutineer LDV units revolt against the government, pro-government LDV succeed in defeating the coup

[size=110]22 September, 2015| 16.30 PM PCT| By: Filipina Bonkowska | @FBonkowskaBBC

President Algirdas Kirkilas has been confirmed as one of the many hundreds of dead following a failed far-right coup against the government in Utena over the past 48 hours, all emergency services in the capital are reportedly at breaking point due to a complete collapse in the city's infrastructure as thousands of civilians attempt to abandon the capital. We can also confirm that Minister of Health, Josef Beranek has been killed as a result of a gunshot wound and several other cabinet ministers have been injured. Reserve units from the Bogorian Defence Force have been called to return to the capital to deter any further acts of violence, whilst the speaker of the National Assembly Marek Biro has declared himself acting president until the location of Prime Minister Arturas Zulpa can be confirmed.

The coup began late on the night of the 20 September when a force of armed LDV entered Utena, cutting off telecommunications and the city's broadband coverage, an armed force then proceeded to storm the Castello di San Lorenzo Pagani, attacking presidential bodyguards and members of parliament alike, four MPs are reportedly injured and one is in the local ICU at Edgaras Jankauskas Hospital, their identities cannot be confirmed at this time. It was the attack at the Parliament building that resulted in the President's death, were he reportedly suffered an injury from a ricochet, paramedics have confirmed that he died several hours ago, from a suspected blood clot to travelled into his heart from the injury.

The LDV attackers on the Castello were killed and the actions of the security team saved many MPs from injury or death, something acting president Marek Biro has praised as the a "treasured form of heroism amongst a treasure of heroes".

Fighting between the mutineers and loyalist forces degenerated into open urban warfare across central Utena, with at least 6,000 men in total from both sides fighting brutally in the streets of a city, relatively unscathed from the civil war in the South. Fighting escalated following a second failed mass assault upon the Castello di San Lorenzo, loyalist reinforcements from outside the capital arrived to crush the mutineers, many of whom surrendered, whilst pockets of resistance continued to fight on despite the odds stacked against them.

The mutineers used heavy weapons and armoured vehicles during their attack upon the Castello, we can also confirm that heavy weapons were used across the city as loyalist forces arrived from rural bases surrounding the capital, with devastation reported in numerous outskirts, especially in Petrin Hill, Saint Vitus, Strahov and Letohrádek Hvězda. At least 200 mutineers were found dead in northern Petrin Hill district, in what appears to be a mass suicide, BDF and loyalist LDV stated to some reporters earlier that they committed suicide through shootings.

At least 100 civilians are known to have been killed in the fighting, according to city officials, however they warned that the number will likely rise as emergency services reach all devastated areas across the city centre.
Speaking to reporters, acting president Marek Biro said, "what has happened over the last 24 hours is beyond recollection, it has been tumultuous, vicious and tragic. Not only have we lost many brave souls in defence of our democracy and our freedom, we lost our heroic president, who remained in service of the people until the very end of his life, he was stolen from us too early and I regret not only the fact that I and the nation can thank him for his service, bravery and boldness in the face of the rebellion in the south, the invasion of our nation by the Papal Republic, but mostly I regret the fact that I will never speak to him again as a friend.
"What is needed now is unity, we must recover from this crime against freedom together, but above all, we must learn to forgive those who surrendered to loyalist forces upon their arrival in the capital, as acting president I am declaring an official pardon to all those who surrendered as long as they forego any further affiliation to the far-right and to Right Vector, as of now any and all surviving leaders of the Right Vector are traitors of the state and will face the full force of the law. I urge people of Utena to remain vigilant and to remain united as we rebuild and reflect on this tragedy of freedom" Acting President Biro said.

The Bogorian Defence Force has also reported an increase in activity across the front in the so-called "Bogorian Christian Republic", which is suspected to be in response to events in Utena yesterday and last night, the BDF has confirmed that it will not become distracted from the bigger threat to the south and will maintain watch on rebel forces. The BDF has also reported some movement across the border in Rodarion, where an estimated 80,000 troops still remain encamped along the border, however the BDF stated this was not major concern.

Acting President Biro is expected to call an emergency session of the National Assembly tomorrow to form a national coalition government in wake of the recent coup attempt, his is expected to request the United Bogoria party to join, despite many suggestions some of its MPs support elements of Right Vector.

by **Rodarion** » Wed Sep 23, 2015 4:52 pm

A UBLF patrol was attacked by rogue elements of the LDV, affiliated with the fascist group attempting to take over Bogoria.

The Holy Father has called for an emergency session of the State Security Commission this evening in light of the dramatic fascist plot to overthrow the oligarchs in Utena, which has left hundreds dead, including President Algirdas Kirkilas. Self-declared president of the rebel, Bogorian Christian Republic, Wislaw Sokal will be present at the meeting of the SSC, this comes after UBLF forces in Bogoria traded fire with pro-government LDV units on the frontline, though the UBLF has stated that they were attacked first, prompting concerns in Romula that elements loyal to fascists in the LDV have gone rogue. Many of those suspected of being involved in the fascist plot have been known to hold near-genocidal views regarding the rebel south.

According to isolated and unconfirmed reports, the fascist plot to destroy the oligarchic government in Utena has failed, though reports from the UBLF on the frontline indicate that rogue elements of the LDV in support of the fascist plot have opened fire on their positions, violating the Oured II ceasefire agreement. What is known so far is that the fascist elements within the LDV attacked the Bogorian parliament building, killing a so far unnamed cabinet minister, injuring several others including members of parliament, it was here that the injury that ended President Kirkilas' life was inflicted, he reportedly died of a blood clot several hours ago. He has been succeeded by Speaker of the Assembly, Marek Biro as acting president.

The incident on the frontline occurred an hour ago, in which two UBLF fighters were killed and another injured when their patrol was attacked with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. It is not known whether any fascists were killed in the clash, however UBLF drone footage which is to be released later tomorrow, indicates fire came from positions, they know to be the base of LDV units affiliated with the fascist group known as Right Vector. Both President Sokal and UBLF commander, Konstantyn Serafin have called the incident a "serious threat to the survival of the Bogorian Christian Republic and its inhabitants".
Foreign Minister Pietro Ciano has stated, following the Holy Father's announcement, in a televised statement on NTV News, "as of this moment, bomb will be met by bomb. As of this moment, the very existence of 14 million people is in danger on the basis of their ethnicity, Bogoria is now, by all means a failed state, if rogue elements within the LDV can act in such a manner, who knows what else they are willing to do to secure their warped ideas of a future Bogoria.

"It is the international community's moral obligation to recognise the existential threat to innocent life and to respect any act taken by any sovereign nation to protect innocent life from deranged ideals on how to win a specific conflict, it is vital the international community respects this possible eventuality, or risk being seen complicit in the opinions and actions of a small group of dangerous and fanatical beings" he continued.
The Vatican has stated that several hours ago, it has put all Rodarian aid workers on stand-by for a possible request to leave rebel territory in the event of Utena falling to the fascist elements, or the same group launching an attack upon rebel territory. The UBLF has also announced that it is now mobilising all possible forces and returning all equipment and vehicles to the frontline, something President Sokal has called "regrettable but necessary, facing the facts". UBLF commander, Konstantyn Serafin declared on social media, "in light of the fascist assault upon UBLF personnel, the Oured II agreement is dead, the fate of Bogoria has been jeopardised once more, by fascists in Utena".

The Papal Army, which has roughly 180,000 soldiers deployed along the Bogorian border for border protection, have been placed on high alert according to the Ministry of Defence and Homeland Security. All humanitarian convoys registered to cross the border with Bogoria this week and next have been banned due to security concerns for aid workers, the Interior Ministry has also stated that it is rapidly increasing funds and supplies for the accommodation of a possible wave of refugees from the BCR in light of the fascist threat. At least 15,000 Ordice personnel in divisions along the border with Bogoria have been called to their station houses, however the Ministry of Defence has stated that this decision was made in the hope that these men would assist any new refugees entering the Papal Republic, and to aid in preparation for their arrival, with a further three camps being constructed several miles south of the Rosso River, which divides in part, Rodarion and Bogoria.

Speaking on PRRB1 News, Consul Ottavio Civitarese himself stated that he "had been informed of the fascist coup by the intelligence services and immediately discussed the situation with his Holiness who agreed that an immediate session of the State Security Commission was needed, in order to become fully briefed on the deeply disturbing situation developing in north Bogoria, and to ensure all options were discussed". Asked whether the Papal Republic would intervene in order to protect the rebel south, the Consul refused to give a definite answer, "at this time, I have no idea, that is for deep discussion and thought".

So far there has been no official statement from the Vatican on the situation in Utena, however the Cardinal Secretary of State, Tiberio Candreva is expected to give a press statement after the SSC meeting, no comments have been made on the Vatican website, nor social media by any senior Curia official or member of the Papal Continuing Committee, which alone has the right to vote on intervention, all PCC members are sitting members of the SSC and will be present.

Senior government ministers however have given small statements or said something relating to the new crisis on social media; Minister for Energy, Benedek Kadar said on social media, "truly disturbing the events in Utena, at last the fascist beast reveals itself". Deputy Foreign Minister for Intelligence and Defence Issues, Paolo Pellegrini said, "no nation will surely allow such groups like Right Vector commit atrocities on the most harmonious continent of the world?" Proconsul Alessandro Monticello stated that, "if peace is to remain in Lusankya for the foreseeable future, now is the time to present the world a Papal Republic willing to act in a righteous manner in the name of peace and freedom".

Written by Zalan Egon.

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by **Bogoria1** » Thu Sep 24, 2015 2:51 pm

UTENA AT BAY, TROUBLE AT THE FRONT

22 September, 2015| 16.30 PM PCT| By: Filipina Bonkowska | @FBonkowskaBBC

Utena continues to reel from the effect of the heavy fighting on the 21st. Apart from the 3,000 or so dead and injured combatants on both sides, civilian casualties currently stand at approximately 2,500 and is still rising as search and rescue operations continue apace. With the three main hospitals in the Utena metropolitan area filled to capacity, civilians who require treatment are being rushed to medical facilities in other nearby cities. The Bogorian Red Cross has begun an emergency campaign appealing for blood donations earlier today.

Security in Utena is currently being handled by the capital’s police department and backed by soldiers of the 2nd Air Assault Brigade, who remain garrisoned in the city as the authorities continue their search for remnants of the Right Vector paramilitaries who launched the coup attempt and their mutinying cohorts in the regular army in order to effect their arrest or, should they resist, to neutralise by deadly force. Pockets of mutineers continue to be encountered in the cities and skirmishes have been reported between them and the uniformed security forces, backed by the Utena City LDV companies which mobilised to combat the mutineers during the coup attempt. One of the most serious of such incidents took place this morning when a group of Right Vector militants held a family hostage at gunpoint in their central Utena, demanding an amnesty. The flat was stormed by SWAT, leading to the deaths of three Right Vector members and a police officer as well as one civilian seriously wounded.

Lieutenant of Volunteers Antonin Jager, an accountant who led an LDV platoon during the fighting and currently the spokesperson for the 1st Wenceslas Square Company, was confident when interviewed earlier that order will quickly be restored. “We are assisting the police and the military to patrol the streets, round up remaining LDV members, while our engineers are assisting in the effort to get the utilities and the trams running again. We love our city, and the best way we can show these fascist lunatics they can never defeat democracy is for ordinary people to pull together, keep calm and carry on. It is our best revenge against those who killed our president and wrecked our neighbourhoods.”

Troubles at the ceasefire line

At the front, Right Vector and other far right-affiliated LDV units were disarmed in a swift and coordinated action by regular army troops and a few select ‘reliable’ LDV formations such as the 1st Student Volunteers. According to Dr Melissa Davis, Chief Editor for Lusankya for Jayne’s Defence Review, whom we interviewed in Ocha, Anthor, this demonstrates that “Bogorian military planners must have anticipated the potential need to neutralise erstwhile ‘allied’ far right militants at the front and had planned accordingly.” Most LDV units affected surrendered their arms without incident, although a few scattered clashes between them and regular forces have been reported., as well as skirmishes between these LDV formations and UBLF elements across the ceasefire line before they could be disarmed.

Acting President Marek Biro, who is currently busy reorganising the emergency government following the death of president Kirkilas, has made a statement concerning these incidents. “Algirdas was my good friend and colleague, and he gave his life for the cause of peace. We unequivocally affirm that the ceasefire with the UBLF still holds, and that we will take precautionary measures to ensure that disaffected elements in the military or the LDV attempt to sabotage the peace process. Any armed group from the north attempting to instigate a provocation across the ceasefire line is doing so against explicit orders, acting illegally and in a state of mutiny.”

Regarding rumours of increased military activity among the UBLF, Biro appears to be standing firm. “Any attempts by UBLF units to enter areas currently administered by the national government will be resisted with armed force. We will uphold the ceasefire, but we will also ensure that violations of the ceasefire by our counterparties do not go unopposed.

by **Davisholm** » Sat Sep 26, 2015 3:47 pm

Globe magazine reports
BOGORIA: You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
Bogoria cannot go back to how it was before, and it's not just Rodarion's fault

There is only one man in the world who knows what will happen next in Bogoria. This is probably Ottavio Civitarese; it could less likely be Wisław Sokal. Everyone else can only gather a partial picture: the conflict is sure to escalate, with Rodarian involvement deepening and Free Pardes inevitably rising to the bait. The nation has effectively been partitioned, with the South held by rebels. In the North, government control has been harassed by multiple terrorist groups with differing intentions. The latest development was a failed coup d'etat that killed the president, Algirdas Kirkilas. Local media report that the coup attempt was carried out by mutinying soldiers with far-right intentions.

Many nations in the CDI would probably tolerate a permanent partition of Bogoria. Davisholm's Chancellor recently floated this idea. While foreign policy hawks argue that Papal expansionism should be contained at all costs, it is hard to see how a unified Bogoria could avoid being a failed state, even without Rodarian meddling. A 'North Bogoria' may pick up the pieces and recover, freed from having to pacify and subsidise the recalcitrant South. Most of their sufferings, from political deadlock to terrorist attacks, were caused by southern radicals. Other problems, such as corruption and pro-North extremism, would linger.

It wasn't always like this. Seven years ago, a unified Bogoria was governable, and it was prospering.

In the beginning, there was intolerance
In 2008, Bogoria held orderly and fair elections. They elected Mr Kirkilas, a Lithuanian who made attempts at reconciliation with the South. In the early 2000s, economic 'shock therapy' caused short-term misery and dashed many hopes of those who took part in the revolution against the communist regime. By 2008 the reform had paid off, Bogoria was growing at an annual rate of 4.9%, unemployment was falling and the national GDP had surpassed pre-1999 levels. Northerners would have not been glad to know that it would never get any better than this. They had to contend with rampant corruption, crumbling infrastructure and problems with food distribution. Political violence was a problem even then. Earlier that year, the December 19 Movement had killed 18 in its first ever terrorist attack, less than a year after a pro-North extremist had assassinated a president.

The fact that these were the most orderly years in post-communist Bogoria's history speaks volumes. A stable democracy would struggle to cope if its population was split between the five different language groups. Having a religious divide between the mostly secular North and the devoutly Catholic South exacerbates the problem further, especially given that Rodarion can hold influence in Bogoria through its leadership of the church. The nation has been a site for ethnic and religious tensions for nearly five centuries. Even in its most stable period in the early 20th century, these tensions never went away, and the independent state's governments have tended to be elitist organisations dominated by the north.

During the communist era, religious and ethnic issues were forcibly swept under the carpet, even as the regime covertly discriminated against Catholics (it treated the church as a potential source of resistance). When Bogorians protested against the regime in its dying days, atheists and Catholics protested together. For a brief moment, it looked possible that the Bogorians would be prepared to put aside their religious and ethnic differences in order to build a new democratic nation. Instead, the new Bogoria struggled to develop a national identity. Southerners would identify themselves foremost as Poles, Rodarions or Catholics, rather than as Bogorians. The ethnic groups in the North united by uniting against the Catholics. A rift emerged.

Do unto others as thou wouldst be done by
Even the fairer-minded politicians in the North cannot be blameless here. In the government they dominated, budgets and investment favoured their side of the country, while southern provinces were under-represented in the legislature. Inequality between the Catholic and non-Catholic regions deepened, with the South having an unemployment rate that was nine percentage points higher than the North in 2012. But of all the politicians and demagogues responsible for sowing religious strife, Mr Sokal surely deserves first prize for his success in achieving this. He is not the first to lead a Catholic rebellion against a government in Utena. What makes his different is that he has attracting unprecedented backing from the Papal Republic, and one hungry to show its power. In Rodarion, where media is whipping the population into a patriotic fever, the previous Bogorian War is remembered as being an embarrassing chapter in its history.

While many free nations might tolerate a partition of Bogoria if the story could be ended there, the "Bogorian Christian Republic" remains committed to taking over the whole country if it can. There is a terrible worry that Rodarion might support them in attempting this. And if it transpired, the result would be a theocratic and discriminatory regime being foisted upon the predominantly non-religious North, perhaps even the Papal Republic itself. And whatever the outcome, the southerners will also be dragged through a conflict in order to end up living in a country more repressive than what they had before. They might ultimately end up, just as the northerners have, forgetting about how bad the past was and instead longing for those happier and more stable times.

Rodarion's reason for originally granting independence to Bogoria was that the Papal States were in danger of collapse, and Bogoria was considered a source of unrest. There is an irony that Bogoria may have to do the same to the Catholic South for a similar reason. It would ratify a gain that has been made by the forces of theocracy, but the alternatives are worse.

by **Central Prestonia** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 11:50 pm

Castriota: Bogorian Crisis Is Utena Regime's Own Making

Basilerium Reacting to developments in the embattled nation of Bogoria, Praetor Ioan Castriota today told Senators that the assassination of Bogorian Prime Minister Algirdas Kirkilas was the end result of Kirkilas' own policies, and expressed doubt in any new diplomatic developments in the eighteen-month civil war, which has claimed thousands and displaced millions.

In an address to the Senate this afternoon, Castriota characterized the assassination of Kirkilas last week, allegedly by fascist militia elements, as divine retribution for the Utena government's persecution of Christians and ethnic minorities in the nation's southern regions. "What you had in Bogoria, in [Kirkilas], was a man who was willing to make a deal with the Devil, to crawl into bed with fascists and scum, to perpetrate nothing less than a genocide upon the faithful," the Praetor said. The end result, Castriota said, was a foregone conclusion.

"God alone knows why they did it, but I am not at all surprised that it was done," Castriota told Senators. "The judgement of the Lord is just and righteous, and he works in mysterious ways."

While the assassination of Kirkilas, who had held a hard line against negotiating with Christian forces in the south, may represent a temporary political victory, the Praetor today also acknowledged that the coup attempt may prolong rather than foreshorten the war and called upon the so-called "Free Pardes" to disavow support for the new regime in the interest of peace.

"The Utena regime of crypto-fascist gangsters is now likely to be replaced by those who display naked their fascism and their intent to wipe the faith of Christ from their land. What we have now is a war within a war, there can be no hope for any sort of peace process while this remains the case." Castriota said. Addressing the Senate further, Castriota also questioned which of the competing Utena forces would be backed by the CDI, which has provided the bulk of support for the embattled government.

"We shall soon see whether the so-called guardians of liberal democracy will aid and abet these thugs and criminals in their wish for genocide, or if they shall finally come to their senses and encourage the development of a reasonable government in Utena. To quote from the Gospel of Our Lord according to Saint Matthew, 'by their works they shall be known (Matthew 7:16).'"

Speaking on the possibility of Basilerian troop deployments to Bogoria, Castriota reiterated his prior stance that troops would not be committed unless requested by UBLF leadership, while taking the opportunity to condemn "CDI imperialism" in the embattled state.

"We have said from the outset that this is a matter of Bogorian internal affairs, to be settled by the Bogorian people for the Bogorian people," Castriota said today. "That has not changed. If we are called, we will come; we will not impose. We will not follow in the footsteps of the imperialists of Oured and Loweport and Isn Deslen, forcing our will upon a people and subjugating a country to what we have deemed acceptable for it. We choose instead to take the path of dignity, of respect for the national sovereignty of the Bogorian people."

Senate spokesmen today also confirmed that high-level talks had been conducted involving Bogorian Christian Republic embassy staff and members of the Castriota government, but declined to elaborate citing the sensitive nature of the discussions. While some have interpreted these talks as a prelude to troop deployments to Bogoria, ART Chief Political Analyst Gellert Biro downplayed these suggestions on the ART Morning Roundup program this morning, saying any deployment risked exacerbating issues in the embattled Lusankyan state, as well as economic consequences.

"Any open action against the Utena government by the Basilerian state brings the possibility, some would say the probability, of reaction by the CDI bloc which aligns with that government," Biro said on the program this morning. "This has been a key consideration of the Castriota Government since the outset [of the conflict], owing to Basileria's extensive trade with CDI states. Any sort of commitment at this stage in the game is likely to be more of a soft-power measure, such as funding or perhaps the release of Bogorian funds frozen in Basilerian banks to the Christian Republic government. At the most, any deployment of forces would be limited to noncombat roles; engineers, hospitals, and the like, but given the volatility of the situation at present these are not likely until the front re-stabilizes as it was earlier this year."

BOGORIA CRISIS

Opinion: Utena Government Imploding, [ 5243 ]
Can Biro Hold Bogoria Together? Unlikely, Experts Say [ 9429 ]
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by **Arthurista** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 6:52 pm

PM SPEAKS ON BOGORIA

Whittaker hammers Basilenes, Bogorians and Rodarians

24/09/2015
Peter Waugh, Political Correspondent

Critics of statesmen worldwide, whether friend or foe, have always tended to see Leanne Whittaker, Prime Minister of Arthurista, in a rather particular light. She has been described as relentlessly pragmatic, realistic and reasonable, always seeking the compromise which would end an intractable conflict and negotiating hard for it. At the same time, she could be completely unyielding when a ‘line in the sand’ is threatened with breach. Overall, she was seen as hard-headed, but temperate, a technocrat and professional of the type of politicos which Arthuristan voters tend to trust over what they like to describe disparagingly as ‘hysterical arm-waving rabble-rousers’ in wannabe populist ‘mob’ politicians around the world.

Judging from her comments over the recent re-escalation of the Bogorian crisis, however, it is not difficult to discern how, after seeing repeated attempts at brokering a peaceful resolution shattered by the irrationalities of the belligerents, her frustrations are finally breaking through that usually unflappable demeanour of the hard core professional as she lashed out at the Basilenes, Rodarians and even the Bogorian government as we interviewed her this morning.

”Read a newspaper”

Given the rather caustic comments made by the Praetor Ioan Castriota earlier, it is unsurprising that they were the main focus of her ire.

“I’d urge the Praetor to open a newspaper once in a while. It’ll do him good to do some cursory reading on global affairs before trying to make an intelligent comment.”

“Kirkilas was a patriot and a moderate. Unlike his predecessor, who I have criticised time and again for their irrational, pig-headed attitude in refusing to negotiate with the south, the late president has never closed the door to negotiations with the militants. Whether there was active fighting at the front, or during one of the uneasy truces, he had never ceased to invite the southerners to negotiate a just and lasting peace with no conditions attached, even after the militants launched unprovoked terrorist attacks on downtown Utena against innocent civilians. The fact that he was willing to call a new round of elections, lay down emergency power and not include the southern electoral districts was incontrovertible proof of his pragmatism and his willingness to see that no settlement which entailed forcibly re-annexing the south had an political future. He was a gentleman and a patriot. Castriola’s post-mortem denigration of him was nothing more than malicious misrepresentation of one of the finest patriots of our time.”

She concluded with a note of derision, “the fact that he said Kirkilas was ‘assassinated’ showed the extent of his knowledge of Bogorian events. The late president caught a ricochet during the initial ‘decapitation’ attempt by the mutineers and died later of an infarction. Nobody with access to the internet has any excuse in making such a factual mistake.”

The Prime Minister’s invective towards the Basilenes was, if anything, very temperate compared to what Prince Michael was supposedly overheard saying in a University College Loweport canteen. The Marquis of Harding, currently an undergraduate student of PPE, was said to have characterised the current conflict against Rodarion and Basilene as a “struggle to the death between the future and the past, between the Enlightenment and medievalism. Frankly, they ought to shove their superstitious bollocks up their arse rather than going around bothering rational modern people.” When asked, Kingston Castle has refused to comment on the veracity of these comments.

”A grave error in judgement”

The prime minister did not stop with the Basilenes. As the interview continued, it turned out she had a few choice words regarding the Bogorian government’s policy choices as well.

“Of course, my earlier praise of Kirkilas could not absolve his administration of some remarkably short-sighted choices. Namely the recruitment of far right paramilitaries in combat units at the front lines.”

“There is no way of characterising the decision, other than that it was a grave error in judgement. As we well know here in Arthurista through our own historical experience, fascists of any stripe are fundamentally wolves, even if they must dress in sheep’s clothing for a time in order to mask their intentions, better to lull their prey into complacency before leaping for the kill, inflicting irrationalities and atrocities upon the innocent people.”

“I understand that the military situation was dire and the mood was desperate, but the inevitable consequence of such a course of action was to have it bite you in the rear down the line.”

Despite her strong misgivings, the prime minister also expressed her commendation on how the Bogorians handled the remaining Right Vector militiamen after the coup attempt. “The swift disarmament of all LDV personnel with far right leanings after the coup demonstrates that at least some senior officers of the BDF were predicted such a scenario and had planned for it. Their response was swift, decisive and professional, entirely in the gallant tradition the Bogorian armed forces have set so far in the conflict.”

”A remarkably cynical course of action”

Compared to the earlier broadsides against the Basilenes and the Bogorians, the prime minister’s criticisms of Rodarian actions were very mild in comparison. Perhaps she still believes in leaving room for a negotiated compromise and refused to burn any bridges.

“For a nation which, literally, pontificates on pseudo-morality all the time, the Papal invasion of Bogoria strikes me as a remarkably cynical course of action,” she said. “The mutiny was thoroughly and completely crushed. The Right Vector disarmed. There was no conceivable way either the fascists or, for that matter, the BDF would be able to pose any military threat to the security of the southern breakaway regime. The intervention was a sign that the Rodarians have wanted to intervene in Bogoria all along, that they have nothing but complete contempt for the sovereignty or territorial integrity of any of its neighbours in its self-defined ‘sphere of influence’ which nobody else recognises. They were poised to invade at a moment’s notice, just waiting for the event that would supply them with the flimsiest of casus belli with which they could invade and impose their political diktat on the Bogorians.”

Despite the above, however, she still believes that de-escalation and a peaceful resolution are possibilities in this late hour. “What we need to do are for all parties: Rodarion, Anthor, the other CDI powers, the Bogorians and, yes, the UBLF to work together to restore peace and stability,” she said. “Acting in concert, we can hunt down and destroy the last remnants of the Bogorian far right, then negotiate a just and lasting political settlement. The southerners may have made their choice, and that’s their business in accordance with the internationally recognised norms of self-determination, but the north has not and never indicated a desire to join a pre-modern theocratic regime which places religion above liberty. If the Papal Army crosses the ceasefire line, they will effectively be telling the world that all their lofty talk about safeguarding the southerners was mere hot air, and that what they were after was nothing more than mundane, garden variety expansionism. I’m sure that, whatever the rhetorics they cook up for the unreasoning masses, their leadership is clever enough and rational enough to realise this and act accordingly.

by **Rodarion** » Thu Oct 08, 2015 10:38 am

Minister of Christian Culture and Guidance, Augusto Amari praised the Rodarian people as the "drivers of world economic growth".

Consul Ottavio Civitarese has denounced Prime Minister Whittaker's "pontificating" regarding the Rodarian intervention in Bogoria as "seriously lacking in understanding and equally one dimensional", he criticism of the Rodarian population as mere "irrational masses" has further prompted scorn from other National Catholic Party leaders, with Minister of the Interior XX calling the Arthuristan masses in response, "subservient automatons to Aurthurista's play as Lusankyan policeman". Foreign Minister Pietro Ciano again confirmed that the Papal Republic endorses a diplomatic settlement as soon as the situation on the ground is sufficient.

Speaking at an NCP event in Nuvolera, Consul Civitarese was very clear in his response, "the world has come accustomed to the pontificating of Prime Minister Whittaker, the ceaseless theme of rationality runs through her rhetoric like an ancient old river. She claims our righteous actions were cynical due to the Bogorian government's success in defeating the fascist elements and disarming the rest, does this fact rest the existential l threat? No. If this disaster can occur once, by all means it can happen again and this country will stand by idle like as these very beasts unleash their fury at innocents.

"The fact that the Papal Republic is being criticised for acting in the name of millions of innocents declares Whittaker's pragmatism's great reach, it has such a reach that she will permit the continued threat of genocide in order to preserve the puppet regime in Utena. This country will not desist at such foolishness nor simply game playing. This country has an obligation and it will ensure it does it fail its constituents where ever they be in the world. To put it simply to Prime Minister Whittaker, Bogoria has failed, it has collapsed as a legitimate state and government, which is tasked to keep its population safe, this is no longer the case. The Papal Republic has and will always continue to protect the ethnic Poles in Bogoria and that is what we are doing, call it cynical or not.

"As for crossing the ceasefire line, she appears to be as uneducated on the Bogorian nation as she claims Praetor Castriota is. The current ceasefire line does not cover all areas inhabited by ethnic Poles, in fact pre-war demographics indicate that the ceasefire line's position has the homes of some 1.1 million ethnic Poles under government occupation. As stated by this government before, the diplomatic effort; which we endorse with wide arms, will be taken once the situation on the ground is reflective of the operation's objectives - creating a security buffer between the south and the fractured north. This would be much more acceptable, than a stretch of land converted into a de-militarised zone, denying people access to their homes and pasts.

"I pray that Prime Minister Whittaker accepts this and avoids further rhetoric counter-productive to her own diplomatic efforts, because a peace can be found between this nation and Utena individually without any seats being warmed for CDI delegates, that is the truth and I am sure, that she and her generals know that equally so" he said to loud applause.

However, the Consul, perhaps to keep open the diplomatic option avoided mentioning Prime Minister Whittaker's now controversial statement, calling the Rodarian people, "irrational masses". This statement has provoked a furious response from NCP Senators, Cabinet ministers and even several Curia officials at the Vatican.

Speaking on NARO1 radio, Minister of the Interior Raffaele De Gasperi said, "calling the Rodarian people irrational masses is no different from calling them barbaric hordes or pillaging armies, the air of arrogance and superiority in her rhetoric is truly disturbing, need I or any of the 1.4 billion Rodarians she called irrational, need remind her, who is the second largest economy in the world and perhaps the dominant power in Lusankya? I hope not. But if she is correct, hypothetically speaking of course, then what are the Arthuristan masses? I see no other description viable apart from subservient automatons to Arthurista's play at Lusankyan policeman, subservient to billions of dollars being spent and men in put in harm's way for a tiny country her people could probably never place on a map".

The response did not end there, Minister of Christian Culture and Guidance Augusto Amari speaking on panel chat show on NTV1 said, "the Rodarian people aren't irrational masses, they're the industrious, resilient and tireless masses that drive the world economy, perhaps Prime Minister Whittaker should remember that when she's handing out arrogant statements from that big empty island of theirs".

Papal Army marches onwards

The Ministry of Defence and Homeland Security has once again confirmed that the Papal Army is making steady progress and has at last engaged the enemy on the so called "ceasefire-line". The Papal Air Force has continued surgical strikes against the Bogorian military and its supporting infrastructure. At least 200 fascists have been killed so far in the operation, with the Bogorian military infrastructure reportedly shattered under t he weight of Rodarian firepower.

Minister of Defence and Homeland Security, Field Marshal Paolo Terravici said in a statement earlier today, "the Papal Air Force and Army have made excellent progress in the past two days, we are witnessing the final chapters of this tragic story being written by the Papal Republic's brave men in the air and on the ground."

Written by Mario Cesaro.

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by **New Belhavia** » Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:54 am

Trending Stories -- Bogorian Civil War -- Rodarian Intervention in Bogoria -- Sea of Orlessia Spat -- Niyerian War -- Leanne Whittaker

OPINION: How the Free World Lost Bogoria

_{Author: "The Vatican has proven itself cunning and ruthless in Bogoria."}

Op-Ed: Why Rodarion Was Able To Outmaneuver the CDI in Bogoria
^{October 8th, 2015| By Dovid Adelstein (Op-Ed Contributor) | 9:31pm EDT}

Editor's note: Dovid Adelstein is a well-respected political scientist and professor at the Abramowicz School of Foreign Affairs at Imperial Provisa University. He also has a blog, "Rodarian Watcher", which he regularly posts comments and information on the state of Rodarion in today's world, often from a critical perspective.

As you read this, Rodarian tanks and soldiers continue their speedy march north towards the Bogorian capital, before them is a Bogorian military battered and bruised by in-fighting and devastating air attacks by the Papal Air Force. Although the Arthuristan's have reportedly not wasted anytime in responding, the unfortunate truth is that the Rodarians do not even need to besiege Utena to get what they want, the fact that over 100,000 Rodarian soldiers now sit in Bogoria is reason enough for the Bogorian government to acquiesce. The Free World lost Bogoria not through stupidity or a strategic mistake, but because we underestimated the shrewdness of Romula and its capabilities.

Failure To End Rodar Support for the UBLF

The first case of under-estimation was the Rodarian will to see a finale to the Bogorian crisis, even despite the second Oured Ceasefire agreement (negotiated by Rodarion and Arthurista, an irony to the maximum), the massive force deployed along the Rodar-Bogorian border did not decline in size, but actually grew. Despite the estimate that at least 200 Rodarian Ordice fighters had been killed in fighting pro-government forces in Bogoria, they remained resolute throughout despite still denying the obvious evidence of their presence. But then within this underestimation was a fundamental flaw to the response by both the Bogorian government and the CDI powers involved in the crisis (Anthor, Emmeria and Arthurista): neither body attempted to end Rodarian military and logistical support to the United Bogorian Liberation Forces (official name of rebel forces: UBLF). If at any point the diplomatic corps succeeded in reducing Rodarian support for the UBLF, the situation in Bogoria could be entirely different. Perhaps the coup would never have been attempted, or perhaps the world could have accepted a de facto , albeit unofficial, partition of Bogoria, or perhaps there would not be up to 20,000 dead in this conflict. Loweport, Vaumort, and Oured failed to recognize that the Papal Republic has an agenda it wishes to see succeed, and because of that, their short-sightedness enables the Papal Army to now march on Utena.

The CDI Did Not Properly Realize Romula's Intentions and Dedication To Its Bogorian Agenda

The second underestimation that I see is the failure of the CDI to recognize the Papal Republic's capabilities within Bogoria itself. Despite the Emmerian airstrikes during the Battle of Rakovnik, the UBLF still has the means to inflict serious damage on the pro-government forces arrayed against it, although on a defensive footing. But it is the Papal Republic's intelligence capabilities that aided it in acting so brutally swiftly in wake of the failed nationalist coup against the late President Kirkilas. The ISI, Rodarion's infamous spy agency, knew more about radical individuals in the Right Vector movement than the Bogorian government did. It is not in the realms of insanity to surmise that the ISI was perhaps aware of the Right Vector-LDV plans for a coup; this would explain the rapid readiness of Rodarian forces prior to the intervention. Since the civil war's beginning last November, the ISI has been present throughout, identifying key individuals of "interest to the cause", understanding and exploiting public opinion, and (of course) gathering military intelligence for the UBLF to use tactically. If the case was that the Rodarians were aware of the coup before even the Bogorian government, this would mark a serious success of the ISI.

Fascade of a United North Bogoria

The third issue that should be debated is not an underestimation, but rather than overestimation of the Bogorian government's solidarity and structural integrity. Bogoria since the collapse of its wretched and inane communist regime in 1999 has always struggled with ultra-nationalist groups and skin-head movements, Bogoria's far right is perhaps the most ugly in its actions in Lusankya. It is withoutr dispute that Rodarion may be the most nationalistic of societies, but its fervent masses are under a great deal of state control. President Kirkilas' leadership, as an excellent case for all world leaders, was taken too well by the CDI powers, praised every day the crisis was mentioned in the press or by CDI elites; unfortunately, key pro-North Bogoria officials failed to recognize the fragility of the unity government in Utena. If the CDI was aware of the pressures from the far right regarding the war-effort, more support to Kirkilas could have been given and more could have been done to sideline and delegitimize the far right movements which had become all too powerful as a result of their LDV units fighting the good fight. As stated above, the Rodarians knew more about the Bogorian far-right than the CDI powers did, and the Rodarians were good at exploiting their vile views of the rebel south and its inhabitants, for use of mobilizing support domestically and naturally deflecting possible criticism of its actions. Of course, these criticisms of the CDI's effort cannot be passed onto inactive powers, such as Belhavia, Eagleland and Belfras; in reality, they had no reason to be involved as much as the other three members, yet all members should take heed of what happened in Bogoria for future cases, especially with regards to Ulthrannia and its haphazard but uneven expansion across Ashizwe.

Underestimation of the New Irredentist and Great Power-Seeking Regime in Rodarion

But the biggest reason for the loss of Bogoria is not a misunderstanding, but a mere failure to recognize who we were contending with. The current Rodarian regime is perhaps the most talented in the realms of information warfare, diplomacy, and shrewdness. There are a thousand and one debates on the extent the Vatican becomes involved in military decisions, although the Papal Continuing Committee, headed by the Pope, is the only body in the Papal Republic to have the power to authorize military action. Rodarion throughout the crisis played with two game faces, the kind humanitarian, wanting to save 13 million people from starvation, bombings and war, and the other as the hard nationalistic rising power, desperate to prove its military prowess, but also to commit to its so called "National Rejuvenation" back to the Lusankyan hegemon. Pope Constantine XIV is as much as the kind, humble humanitarian, is also a shrewd operator; as it is said, in many cases he has outmaneuvered the CDI leaders, Utena, and his own government. For example, at the beginning he passed all responsibility over the crisis to Consul Ottavio Civitarese, for in the event Rodarion's position collapsed, the Consul would have to fall on the sword. I personally do not doubt his assertions that he hates war and the use of force, but as he himself said many months ago, "force is sometimes necessary in light of great evils being committed by those unaccountable to anybody on the basis that their crimes are legitimate on the basis of crude and vile sciences."

The Constantine-Civitarese Duumvirate Proves Successful So Far

The Pope not only understands the merits of geopolitics, security interests, and national power, he works them well as much as he does theological matters; in terms of geostrategic gains, Pope Constantine has gained more for Rodarion in the past year he has been Pope than his three predecessors combined. But all of this would not be possible if it were not for his Consul, Ottavio Civitarese. Civitarese is by all means the most populist, nationalistic, and hawkish leader of a major world power as from the beginning of the crisis, he called Bogoria the "greatest test for the Papal Republic as a responsible world power", many mistook this for being open to humanitarian aid, cooperation with the CDI powers, and respecting Bogoria's territorial integrity; rather, he meant it was a test to determine the Papal Republic's military and geostrategic power, if it won out, it would prove itself perhaps the greatest power in Lusankya, and if it failed, it would still refuse to take up all of its responsibilities demanded of a major power.

Civitarese and his nationalist cronies know all too well what their desired end-game is: international recognition of the independence of all rebel territory, and then when the time comes, international recognition of the south's inevitable reunification with the "Patria", whilst the rump state that will be (North) Bogoria will be forced into perpetual neutrality, ending the CDI presence once and for all and subjecting the poor state to decades of destitution, military weakness, and perhaps becoming an economic vassal of the Rodarian industrial machine. If Bogoria ends this way, Anthor will become entirely outflanked by a rising Rodarion, with its hand firmly planted in the heart of Lusankya, the Rodarians will have a reach into northern Lusankya and perhaps, many academics may come to view Rodarion as the regional hegemony in Southern Lusankya, if they do and leaders accept this, the entire international order will change.

The CDI lost Bogoria not through fundamental weakness, though Anthorian inaction cannot be called anything other than cowardice. The CDI lost Bogoria because it was too optimistic of its success and comparative local position to that of the Papal Republic, it misunderstood Rodarian intentions, its lasting power and of course, the CDI misunderstood who it was up against in terms of political individuals. If the CDI knew as much about the Bogorian far-right as the Rodarians did, perhaps the coup could have been stopped and Kirkilas would still be alive, if the CDI had viewed the Bogorian crisis more widely, in the sense that they understood Rodarion's intentions and positions, a different diplomatic route could have been taken. If the CDI powers understood who they were dealing within in Rodarion, understanding their domestic narrative, things could be different today. But it is too late, the finale has begun and within days perhaps a week, the final show will be open for all to see.

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by **Arthurista** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 12:04 pm

PA CROSSES CEASEFIRE LINE. CDI FORCES RESPOND.
Diplomatic options ‘actively discussed’ by parties

Martin van Brugghen
Batavia Times
26/10/2015

The headquarters of the CDI Forces Command Central Lusankya (CFCCL) has confirmed that Papal Army forces, which entered southern Bogoria in the wake of the defeated far-right coup in Utena, has crossed the ceasefire line and entered the north, clashing with elements of the BDF and the LDV. UBLF forces, including contingents from Basilene, are reportedly also involved in the offensive operation.

According to the CFCCL spokesman, RNLA colonel Frederick de Vries, PAF airstrikes are continuing to hit critical military and strategic targets within Bogoria, including front line and rear area positions of the BGF, power plants, motorways and other infrastructure. This is supplemented by widespread cyberattacks on a number of key Bogorian public utilities and infrastructure, including power, landline telephone, the mobile network and other communications services.

The CFCCL have yet to confirm the identity of those gunmen who have occupied the Utena International Airport. Local sources continue to assert that UBLF ‘terrorists’ or remnant mutineer forces are responsible, while CFCCL have refused to confirm or deny possible Rodarian involvement in the attack, citing their longstanding principle to refrain from commenting on ‘ unsubstantiated rumours and speculations’. BGF and LDV forces from the capital city have been committed to retake the airport and it has been confirmed that CDI tactical air assets provided ‘time-sensitive kinetic support’ for the offensive operation.

CDI ground forces respond

At the beginning of this latest round of crisis, the sole CDI ground forces in Bogoria were an expeditionary brigade group of the Belfrasian Army, a battalion group of the Arthuristan Training Command Bogoria, and a company of Nijdelandish personnel training the BGF in civil affairs. Element of the former had proven instrumental yesterday, as an armoured battlegroup from the brigade successfully opened a gap in the Rodarian Air Landing Force (RALF)’s blockade of the border by ‘forcefully asserting the lawful right to free passage’, to quote a CFCCL press release. Two divisions of the RNLA III Corps have entered northern Bogoria through the gap, with a third division held in reserve in the Nijdelandish side of the border region. Simultaneously, Belfrasian paratroopers have reportedly landed in northern and central Bogoria and will soon be reinforced by a Nijdelandish airmobile brigade. The intent of the CDI ground forces in theatre, both light and heavy, seem to be to consolidate on a vertical axis from Turek to Utena, as well as establishing a screen around the capital city, in order to deter further attacks on the Bogorian military in the north and to strengthen the alliance’s hands in the negotiation process to come.

Offers and counteroffers

Commenting on the Rodarian offers of a diplomatic settlement towards the Bogorian crisis, Leanne Whittaker, Prime Minister of Arthurista, stated that the provisional government of Utena “never disputed the right to the south to self-determination, unlike its stubbornly wrong-headed predecessor,” and laid the responsibility for the war on “extremist elements in the south, who hoped to impose its own diktat on Bogoria’s political future while unreasonably rejecting Utena’s repeated offers to pursue a negotiated settlement.” The provisional government’s proposed electoral map, she said, “validated its claims to respecting the south’s right to self-determination.”

The CDI, she pronounced, would back the provisional government in rejecting any settlement which does not guarantee “complete equality of treatment of the two halves of the country.” She proposed that if the south opts for separation in a referendum “monitored by observers from third party-states not so far involved in the conflict,” the powers involved in the Bogorian crisis “shall jointly guarantee the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of both successor states of the current Republic. Non-Bogorian forces in both halves will be coordinated by a Joint Peacekeeping Committee, containing representatives from the CDI, the Papal Armed Forces, as well as Bogorian and UBLF officers. All foreign forces ought to be completely withdrawn by 2018.” Furthermore, “if one is to be unaligned, both ought to be, likewise regarding the permissibility of the presence of foreign troops on their territory beyond 2018. Unless there is complete equality of positions, unless both are placed in a position whereby they are unable to threaten each other, and have no reasons to do so, a just and lasting peace will remain elusive.”

by **Rodarion** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 1:53 pm

Foreign Minister Pietro Ciano arrived in Batavia late last night for talks with the CDI.

Bogorian rebel political leader rejects Loweport's counter-offer as detached from reality, citing the demand for a referendum on independence is insulting to the thousands who laid down their lives for independence from a fascist oligarchy, Romula has also reportedly denounced the counter-offer as a "sad attempt at deflecting responsibility for a war that has claimed 20,000 dead". The negotiations in Batavia come, as reports emerge from Rodarian forces occupying the Utena International Airport, that a CDI airstrike on the airport has killed close to 100 civilians being evacuated from the main airport terminals by Rodarian paratroopers.

The Senate was informed in detail this morning of the CDI's aggressive and highly provocative entry into Bogoria, the address given by Deputy Minister of Defence, Enzo Cavallero. During his address to the chamber, numerous NCP Senators were heard crying out and heckling him, whilst others booed when Deputy Foreign Minister Roberta Pescatore announced the CDI counter-offer. Minister of Defence, Field Marshal Paolo Terravici is currently commanding the operation in Bogoria and Foreign Minister Pietro Ciano arrived in Batavia late last night to represent the Papal Republic, whilst the rebel south sent Stanislaw Kasznica, the deputy chairman of the Bogorian Christian Republic's governing Liberation Council.

Consul Ottavio Civitarese, speaking to the Senate this morning denounced the counter-offer by the CDI as a "sad attempt at deflecting responsibility for a war that has claimed 20,000 dead and presented to the world, the CDI's desperate attempts to save a rotten fascistic corrupt state from self-imposed decay". The Consul's rejection comes as self-declared President of the BCR, Wislaw Sokal rejected the counter-offer himself, speaking on live BCR television, he denounced the demand by the CDI for a referendum as a grave insult to the "south's greatest sons and martyrs".

"Does she not think that after almost a year of near constant bloodletting, sacrifice and pain that we do not to be free? Does she really expect us to spit on the graves of our sons, brothers, husbands and fathers by giving them a vote result? Our referendum, our plebiscite's results is on the ground, in the soil, it is our blood, sweat and tears, shed for our noble cause. We will not have a referendum, we do not require to satisfy their need to save face, once the peace is agreed in Batavia, we shall be a free nation" he said.

Consul Civitarese went further in his criticism, calling out Prime Minister Whittaker's contradiction, "why state that the people of the south have the right to self determination, then demand that they have it through a referendum? If they have the right to self determination, surely a recognition of their effort for independence is enough? Must the CDI draw out this tragic process any longer?" he said.

However, the Foreign Ministry did confirm that any lasting agreement will contain a clause guaranteeing the independence and territorial integrity of the northern successor state, when the south breaks away. Yet the Foreign Ministry stated that further discussion on the matter of international alignment with regards to the north would be required, as Foreign Minister Ciano stated prior to entering the talks in Batavia, "one key reason this tragedy came about was the blank cheque the CDI gave to the Spidler administration prior to last year's massacre", whilst many in the Senate saw the point on alignment as a "subtle attempt at frustrating the future economic development of the south, by denying it any real position on international matters and any real opportunity to access viable and beneficial international organisations.

Constanzo D'Annunzio, leader of the political movement Rodaria Irredenta and Romula Guiliani (leader of the Patriotic Society of the Papal Republic) have both rejected the point on a nation's right to expand its presence beyond 2018, with D'Annunzio stating on NTV news this morning, "clearly the CDI has in its highly imaginative mindset, a scenario where the Papal Republic would threaten northern Bogoria? Why would it if it is unaligned, why would it if there are now CDI military forces based there? Why would it, if it is not completely surrounded by CDI forces in the north?", whilst Guiliani took a different point, accusing the CDI of finding ways of continuing its military occupation of Bogoria, "the military occupation of Bogoria started when it brought down communism, it has continued through economic turmoil, social unrest and now civil war, even though this occupation has brought ruin and collapse to Bogoria, the CDI still seeks ways of continuing its occupation".

The Foreign Ministry also stated that should CDI counter-offers still prove unproductive in securing a peace deal, the Papal Republic would seek a bi-lateral agreement with the Bogorian provisional authorities.
The tense discussions come hours after the Ministry of Defence released pictures and live footage of the aftermath of a CDI airstrike on the Utena International Airport, captured by Rodarian special forces at the start of the campaign. According to reports from the forces at the airport, over 100 Bogorian civilians were being evacuated from the terminals in expectation of attacks by the BDF, for their safety they were being moved to hangars, as they crossed the runway, CDI bombs struck the runway, killing just over 100 of them, six paratroopers are believed to have been killed, however the Ministry of Defence is still to confirm that.

Should Rodarians be among the dead in this blatant act of criminality, the situation on the ground in Bogoria will surely escalate, with the Papal Air Force deploying a further 80 aircraft to bases in northern Rodarion. Paratroopers are the airport have set up several aid stations to deal with the 97 injured civilians, with the BDF and fascist LDV having closed off the airport, it is likely many more injured civilians will die of their wounds as a result of this coordinated attack by the BDF and CDI aircraft on innocents.

Should this be confirmed, the CDI and the Bogorian government will be responsible for one of the most brutal massacres of innocents in the campaign so far, denying themselves the right to state that they're fight for freedom or justice, when they disregard innocent life.

With tensions rising between the Papal Republic and the CDI, the Interior Ministry has officially closed the Diplomatic Quarter in Romula to non-embassy staff or personnel, through fears of a mass protest outside CDI embassies. The move comes after the Rodarian Nationalist Association and the PSPR both commented on social media about "clearing out the Quartiere Diplomatico of fascist-dogs". However two Arthuristan students were reportedly assaulted in central Romula this afternoon, however the police could not confirm this event taking place.

Despite the local tensions, solidarity marches across the country have continued unabated, with 86,000 people marching in Adriano, 72,000 in Urbisalia and 32,000 in San Cipriano.

Written by Mario Cesaro.

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by **Arthurista** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:51 pm

RODARION ‘RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR CRIME’, SAYS MINDEF
Foreign Secretary arrives at Batavia to assist in negotiations as cockpit video escalates controversy

Mathilda Ochibwe, Security Correspondent
26/10/2015
Loweport

A CAF air attack in support of the UDF’s attempt to retake the Utena International Airport has reportedly resulted in substantial civilian casualties, according to Rodarian and third party sources. In response, the CDI Public Relations Office has released online the ‘cockpit footage’ taken on board a Tempest fighter of No.42 Squadron CAF participating in the attack.

[LINK to footage. Warning: upsetting scenes, viewer discretion advised.]

In the video, recorded using the aircraft’s thermal-imaging sensors, it was clearly shown that the civilians in question were lined up on one of the airport’s two runways, exposed in the open air, just as the UDF was about to launch a counterattack on the airport, as demonstrated by the mortar barrage landing on the runway at the end of the clip. During the approach flight, the flight leader could be clearly heard requesting clarification from the BDF headquarters nearby on the status of the figures seen on the ground, having been advised earlier that all mobile ‘runners’ at the airport ought to be considered Right Vector elements. The video seemed to show that communications difficulties did not enable the flight leader to exchange any information with the ground, while the mortaring of the airport convinced him that the earlier BDF assessment that there were no non-combatants at the airport was correct.

Defence Secretary Charles Walker placed responsibility for the incident squarely with Rodarion. “The PAF had complete air superiority over northern Bogoria. Columns of BDF troops approaching the airport were attacked by PAF airstrikes. Surely, they knew of the progress of those forces towards the airport and had a good idea when they might arrive and attempt to retake the airport. Instead of keeping those civilians in a safe area until the fighting was over, such as in aircraft hangars, or indeed warning the Bogorians that any non-combatants were in the area at all, they were clearly driven into the open, onto runways. If they were truly to be evacuated by air, they could easily have done so in the terminal buildings, in relative safety. Why did they end up in the open, just before the Bogorian attack? The answer was simple. These civilians were placed there as human shields, in complete defiance of international law, in an attempt to deter a Bogorian attack until their own forces were ready. It was nothing more than a despicable atrocity by a cynical power perpetuating an act of aggression upon a neighbour.” His statement was accompanied by a number of photos, purportedly taken by a camouflaged SAS observation team stationed near airport, showing gunmen taking hostages from the terminal buildings onto the runway and leaving them there. The Ministry of Defence has indicated that the same communications problems plaguing attempts by the pilots to communicate with the Bogorian headquarters also prevented the team’s attempt to avert the air strike.

The Defence Secretary also unequivocally stated that it was "physically impossible" for 100 civilians to be killed or injured by the bombing. "The Durandal is a unitary runway cratering ordnance, not a cluster bomb. As the video evidence showed, there was simply insufficient density of civilians on a 2km runway to lead to that sort of casualty figures."

Negotiations at Batavia

Amidst this backdrop of accusations, Foreign Secretary Valerie Chen-Raman has arrived in Batavia to assist in the diplomatic efforts to end the crisis. She, along with Belfrasian and Belhavian colleagues will be advising Prime Minister Peter van der Brugghen of Nijdeland, who shall be leading the CDI powers in negotiating with their Rodarian and South Bogorian counterparts.

Before leaving for Batavia, she held a press conference at Loweport Heather Airport where she addressed recent developments in both sides’ positions.

“I see no fundamental issues with requesting a referendum,” she said. “Perhaps I have gotten a bit too used to working with fellow ministers who come disproportionately from a law background, but I completely fail to see a necessary logical nexus between warfare, on the one hand, and the waiver of procedural proprieties on the other. Referenda are how these things usually work as a matter of international convention, even if it has not fully acquired the status of customary international law. Referenda do not contradict the right to self-determation. Rather, they are how the right to self-determination are normally exercised internationally as a matter of course.”

“In fact, the more contentious and potentially volatile a prospective independence bid, the more it ought to be fully and firmly based on a legal and democratic mandate. If you are so sure that the vast majority in the south supports separation, why be afraid of a referendum? It is a very reasonable request and we are thoroughly baffled as to why they're making a big hoopla out of it.”

“Furthermore, I’m afraid that the Prime Minister has been misunderstood when she made the point about non-alignment. To paraphrase her earlier statement, she said that if one of the successor state is required by the settlement to be non-aligned, so should the other, and likewise with regards to the status of foreign troops beyond the immediate peacekeeping period. She was not so much advocating non-participation in international organisations as to the full diplomatic equality of treatment between the successors. If, for instance, one half joins the World Monetary Fund or the United Development Bank, the other should also be entitled to do the same. Likewise with other international organisations. I fail to see how anyone can come up with a rational, reasonable argument against full diplomatic equality on the international stage among the successor states, with restrictions imposed by the settlement, if any are to be imposed at all, which we do not feel to be necessary at all in the first place, to be equally applicable to both.”

by **Belfras** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 1:40 pm

BNN International
Bogoria

PM Sentar emboldened as Belfrasian Army enters Bogoria
"atrocity and terror are not political weapons, but the weapons of the weak." - PM Sentar
^{27/NOV/2015 | Nathaniel Ridgewood (@RidgewoodNate) (BNN)}

Planes from the RAF were spotted flying into Bogoria.

Utena, Bogoria - Reports of Belfrasian military involvement in Bogoria were confirmed this evening by the Prime Minister in a televised address given at a banquet being held at the Golden Palace. The conflict in Bogoria reignited when the Papal Republic began a military intervention into the country and has rapidly gained dominance on both land and air as the Bogorian military has done all it could do to flee the onslaught to save it's strength. The government of Rodarion has repeatedly stated that the invasion of Bogoria by it's armed forces is a peaceful act meant to enforce the will of the people and to safeguard the lives of those in the south. They have faced stiff opposition from member nations of the Central Defence Initiative who say that the Papal government is lying to the world and is instead forging it's own empire.

Military experts have been tracking the progress of the Rodarion military units in Bogoria, who are now expected to reach the cities of Turek and Jistebnik in an expectant clash that has aid organizations across the world falling over themselves to reach the civilians hurt and to extract them prior to the battles commencing. A spokesman from the Belfrasian Red Cross stated that a convoy was repelled from the main eastern entry into Bogoria by members of the Papal Army, who insisted that it was not safe and refused entry. The act has been brought to the attention of His Majesties Government who issued a strong complaint to the Papal Republic for not offering to escort the supply as any humanitarian-inclined nation should.

Relations between the Papal Republic and His Majesties Government warmed significantly in the aftermath of the Nos Callis terrorist attack earlier this year, but have since cooled once again as the two nations took opposing sides in the civil war raging in Bogoria. The Prime Minister faced stiff opposition from Ian Davies, former Prime Minister and now leader of the opposition, who demanded answers to reports of Myrmidon operational activity within the country in support of the Bogorian military. In the aftermath of the cease fire, an Expeditionary Brigade - a reinforced, purpose-built military unit, was formed and deployed into the country where it is now trapped among the fighting. Reports emerged yesterday that the entire Belfrasian force in Nijdeland had deployed and met 'hostile contact' prior to successfully entering the country from the north, the polar opposite end of the country to the Papal Army.

Prior to the Prime Minister speaking, a spokesperson for the Armed Forces confirmed that the Expeditionary Force deployed to Nijdeland had mobilized and crossed into Bogoria after meeting resistance from a Papal Army unit, but insisted nobody was injured in what became an 'exercise of the freedom of movement between two friendly nations'. Also informed was that the force already in Bogoria was moving to retreat whilst an armed convoy was leaving the country with refugees. The emphasis of the briefing was evidently to try and outline the humanitarian side of the operations, with the spokesperson repeating that the force was providing care and medical assistance to military personnel and civilians when able.

Speaking at a dinner party in the Golden Palace attended by hundreds of politicians and aristocrats from around the country and the many members of the Commonwealth, Prime Minister Sentar spoke about the sudden shift in the Bogorian War:

"The tragedy of the Rodar-Belfrasian relationship is something not to be understated. Through the years we have switched and swapped between friends and foes. The wars we've fought for Callis, our time as allies against the rising communist threat of the late 20th century, and now we are here. It was our belief and hope that relations would vastly improve with the Papal Republic being one of a handful of nations assisting us in the aftermath of the terror attack in Nos Callis earlier this year. Instead they have broken international law at every turn and now have crossed that invisible line by using civilian aviation for their military benefit. They've now announced publicly that the previously believed terrorist attack on Utena airport that utilized a civilian charter was in fact a special forces unit from the Papal Republic. They have now shown the world that the Papal Republic has no respect for civilian aviation nor the sanctity that it possessed until this day. Now a dangerous precedent has been set and all civilian aviation is a target. Is this truly the image that the Papal Republic wants to present to the world? Lies, deceit, and criminality?

"Our hearts go out to the families of those who died in the bombing of the Utena Airport by the Commonwealth Air Force. Let me be absolutely clear: The responsibility of their deaths lie solely in the hands of the Papal Republic. Their acts of callous terror in Bogoria in the first conflict and today's shows an unwavering and highly disturbing consistency in the disregard for life that is shameful for a nation that purports to be the center of Christ's kingdom. The act of utilizing people as human shields, to use civilian planes to conduct military missions, and to commit war crimes on a scale to leave many pale and sick should embarrass the government of the Papal Republic and it's citizens greatly. I have ordered the Belfrasian Army to enter Bogoria and to block the Papal Army advance at any cost to protect the lives of Bogorian nationals who wish to maintain their faith to other gods and are in fear of execution as the reports of war crimes continue to come to the World Council. It became clear that the Papal Army had landed paratroopers along the Bogarian-Nijdeland border with the intention of killing any refugees attempting to escape oppression from the south and to prevent aid from entering the country. I am proud to say that, when met with this opposition, our brave men and women in the Armed Forces literally drove through the blockade with no injuries sustained or inflicted.

"It is a dark time that we face ahead in the face of this belligerent enemy. Where once they held out a hand when we were at out darkest hour in Nos Callis, they now threaten a military conflict on the scale never seen before to grow their empire further. But we should be emboldened, not fearful. We should be brave, not weak. The Papal Republic claims that their illegal invasion of another nation is to protect lives, but they have left fire and grief in their wake. Two weeks ago I took a trip, an unannounced trip to Nijdeland and visited just a handful of the numerous Belfrasian Red cross camps set up to tend to those refugees who have been able to escape the slaughter now underway by the southern rebels and their masters in Romula. It is when I saw those faces that I came to a realization that will haunt me. I realized that we acted too late. When the Papal Army crossed the border, we should've charged likewise and stalled them further south than we will now. Those camps will grow and one thing will remain. Only when it became clear that our vanity would be wounded did we act. Instead we watched it on television and then continued on with our lives. Despite what the Papal Republic seems to believe, atrocity and terror are not political weapons, but the weapons of the weak. The utilization of these cruel and inhumane weapons will lead the Papal Republic down a road of no return.

"With the ongoing protests at our embassy for the Papal Republic, I have instructed our embassy in Romula to take whatever actions they deem necessary to protect themselves, and have given the ambassador full authority in closing the embassy and withdrawing back home should he feel a credible threat to their safety either from the public or the Papal government becomes dangerously present. We are fully aware of international regulations that state clearly that the dimensions of an embassy, including surrounding walls, are the property of the embassy's home nation so long as laws do not conflict and the host nation does not nullify the embassy. With that in mind, the military personnel assigned to that embassy have been given authorization to utilize Belfrasian law to detain and prosecute any protesters that breach the compound. Any Belfrasians current residing in the Papal Republic are compelled to travel to the embassy or to a nearby consulate for your own safety and to contact one of the numerous help lines prior to doing so. The Belfrasian-Rodarian border will remain open and members of the Border Services Agency will be running fast processing rules for Belfrasian nationals returning home."

Many political commentators were quick to get reactions in. Some called it warmongering and posturing on the scale of the Papal Republic, a possible game-changing aspect in which the country will equal the postures of it's largest neighbor. Others have likened it to the address given by Prime Minister Charles Adams prior to hostilities with Tule opening in the 1960s. The aftermath of the collapse of the Belfrasian Empire would've been a heavily chaotic time for Belfrasian politics if not for the leader, later knighted and ennobled by HM King James for what was said to be the greatest leadership since the Great Eastern War. Whatever political commentator you choose to listen to, it's obvious that the foreign policy of the country has now shifted heavily in light of what was stated as "pro-longed bullying" from a country many say is the birth place of the next global empire.

If you are in Bogoria and wish to make a request for military assistance to extract you from the area, please contact the Belfrasian Army Office of Operations - Bogoria. If you are inside of the Papal Republic and fear for the safety of yourself or a loved one, please contact the Belfrasian Embassy to Rodarion. If you wish to find out information about a loved one inside of Rodarion or Bogoria, please contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Nathaniel Ridgewood reported on this with the assistance of his junior correspondence team.
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© Belfrasian News Network 2015

by **Rodarion** » Thu Oct 29, 2015 3:48 am

The Pope gave his address before Cardinals, government ministers and reporters at the Vatican this morning.

His Holiness Pope Constantine has urged the delegations in Batavia to find peace for Bogoria as quickly as possible, whilst criticising the CDI for "playing with the Bogorian soul for the sake of illusions of victory", his speech comes after the Papal Continuing Committee met last night, urging the Rodarian delegation to be pragmatic and swift in securing peace. The Pope has also praised the Papal Army for its success but warned that he would not be willing to authorise a "long term military operation" for the sake of further civilian deaths.

Speaking to senators, government ministers and Cardinals at the Vatican this morning, the Pope who has the final say on all matters in Rodarion, including foreign policy has urged both the Rodarian delegation and CDI governments to seek a swift pragmatic peace deal that will produce lasting peace, stability and harmony in Bogoria. He also made direct comments on Prime Minister Sentar's now controversial address and comments on the Arthuristan proposal, whilst also criticising several opinions made in Rodarion.

"We need to find peace, quickly and pragmatically. For the sake of our soldiers and the lives of innocent civilians trapped between forces of war. A peace that is acceptable to both sides is naturally required, if one side pushes to embarrass or weak the other, there will be no lasting peace in Bogoria.

"Talk of referenda is noble and understandable, yet the definition of self-determination is to allow the nation in question to do as it pleases, if the people of the south in Bogoria do not wish to present the world their will through the ballot box after doing so in blood and iron then the world should accept it" he said.

His Holiness also stated that the position of the Papal Republic will be pragmatic - seen as an order to the delegation in Batavia, but firm in securing a deal suitable for nationhood of the south.

"We will and are, entering this process of peace making, with a pragmatic heart and mind, yet a firm spirit. We will be fair, but firm also, in that we must secure a lasting agreement that establishes the necessary conditions for the south of Bogoria to become a sovereign nation, whilst the sovereignty of the north is respect by all once more. Bogoria is at the heart of Lusankya and naturally, peace and stability there produces the same for all Lusankya - this is a fact that must guide us towards true peace, and not a peace aimed at humiliating or embarrassing one side, I must also warn the CDI to avoid playing with the Bogorian soul for the sake of illusions of victory, securing a lasting peace will be victory for all" he continued.

Late last night the Foreign Ministry website, which is offering a real-time update on the peace negotiations stated that the Rodarian delegation proposed non-alignment to be only applied to security alliances, meaning that the south would not be permitted to join the Romula Cooperation Organisation, whilst equally the north cannot join the Central Defence Initiative. The two states however would be permitted to join trade blocs or economic organisations.

His Holiness however, criticised some world leaders of endangering peace talks through the use of childishly aggressive rhetoric, but he also said that the position and rhetoric of some governments may go further in destroying warming ties between their nation and the Papal Republic.

"I would warn world leaders who back the Bogorian state to resist childishly aggressive rhetoric against the Papal Republic, attempting to portray the Papal Republic as an imperialist and expansionist demon will go far in weakening warming ties, not strengthening them. But also such rhetoric of hate will endanger the peace process, for how can one people work with others who claim them to be an evil wrapped in ideals of the 20th century, this cannot work" he said, seen as a swipe against Prime Minister Sentar of Belfras.

The Pope who has stated that he authorised the invasion of Bogoria following the fascisti's coup against Utena with a heavy heart and immense reluctance, has been relatively silent on the matter until peace negotiations began, warning two days ago against nations using Bogoria as the starting pistol for a new "cold war". He repeated the same warning in his speech today;

"I urge the nations at the negotiating table to not view this situation as the first round of a new cold war, the world cannot be so divided again, the world cannot fall into the trap your machinations and schemes may produce - negotiate peace legitimately and maturely. Should these negotiations, should the lives of Bogorians be used as a game by some to score points, surely we will emerge with a broken peace and a broken world, a world once again subject to the games of geopolitics.

"Should this be the case, I will pray for our redemption, but also mercy for those arrayed against us, for we are not the communists, we are the universal Church, we are the Rodarian nation in service to God, you cannot oppose us so easily as we all did the communists, you cannot undermine our interests be they economic or humanitarian, you will fail.

"So I ask you all, to press on to peace with open minds, cooperative hearts and souls dedicated to saving Bogorian lives and not to fall into the story of game playing" he said. The Pope then proceeded to lead the audience in prayer for the Papal Army and the Bogorian population, urging to God to bless the Papal Army with swift bloodless victory so that Bogoria may begin to rebuild and the south to begin preparing for nationhood.
The tensions remain in Bogoria, yet in Rodarion last night, the national police service reported that sixteen incidents were dealt with involving brands related to CDI nations. Three Brandt car showrooms were set on fire by protesters, whilst two sports clothing stores were broken into and all foreign made clothing was set on fire in the street. The eleven other cases involved advertisement for Arthurista, Belfrasian and Emmerian brands being vandalised with graffiti. Further reports of violent incidents against Emmerian and Arthuristan students continue to come into public light, yet the overall number has fallen from 22 on Monday to 7 last night, with the NPS warning that it may arrest people assaulting foreigners on charges of racial attack - which could result in 20 years imprisonment.

Interior Minister Rafaele di Gasperi urged for calm on the streets after he received reports that nationalist associations would engage in a "week of fury" should the CDI destroy the peace process, the Patriotic Society of the Papal Republic also stated that there were would be a "whirlwind of anger should the CDI destroy the peace process, they're using this chance to humiliate the Papal Republic when it stands on the verge of victory".
The Palazzo Aventino has not commented on reports that Consul Ottavio Civitarese intends to meet with the leaders of the nationalist associations to dissuade them from public unrest should the peace process collapse, should he do so it will be the first time a Consul has met with leaders of civil societies to urge them not to take action.

Written by Mario Cesaro.

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by **Rodarion** » Thu Nov 05, 2015 2:34 pm

The Batavia Agreement is expected to come into force by midnight, officially ended to the eleven month conflict in Bogoria, which has left close to 25,000 dead.

Negotiations in Batavia have concluded with a formal peace plan being agreed between the CDI powers, Utena and the Papal Republic and rebels. According to statements made by government spokesman, Leandro Bassano the peace plan will come into force by midnight the 1 October, with a complete cessation of offensive actions by the Papal Armed Forces and an end to all fighting across the country. According to the peace plan, both nation's right to self determination, territorial sovereignty will be respected by both sides, whilst both will be expected to adhere to non-alignment in relation to security organisations like the RCO or CDI, whilst the Bogorian government and the CDI have agreed to accept and respect the south's right to self determination.

Government spokesman Leandro Bassano speaking on live television explained that the negotiations in Batavia had succeeded and a "lasting, fundamental and strong peace agreement" had been created and signed by both the Papal Republic and the CDI. Foreign Minister Pietro Ciano messaged on Ciao! "we have peace today so that we all may progress together tomorrow". Consul Ottavio Civitarese is expected address the Senate later tonight on the peace deal, before presenting it to the Papal Continuing Committee, in order for the peace deal to be accepted officially by the Papal Republic, it must be voted into law by the PCC. Comments by Vatican officials indicate that the Pope and the PCC intend to vote the treaty in law.

Despite earlier rejections of a referendum, the Bogorian rebel political leadership; the Liberation Council has voted in favour of implementing a referendum by the start of November on the matter of independence. However the Liberation Council has stated that the ethnic Polish regions of Bogoria will be recognised as independent from Utena in practicality until the referendum formalises independence. Independent pollsters from outside Lusankya estimate that between 85%-90% of all ethnic Poles in Bogoria support independence. The Ministry of Defence has also released a statement indicating that the Papal Army forces in Bogoria will proceed to set up positions along the ethnic demarcation line between north and south Bogoria, whilst smaller units will begin peacekeeping in areas of mixed ethnicity.

With the CDI vowing to respect the self determination of the south, calls for reunification with the Papal Republic maybe answered without external pressures. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the "peace-interim" government over the BCR, from now until the referendum will be formed by a quadumvirate; UBLF commander Konstantyn Serafim, Papal Army General Enrico Sciarra, BCR President Wislaw Sokal and BCR Prime Minister Stanislaw Kasznica. The BCR authorities have already begun establishing the foundations for democracy, by redrawing the constituency boundaries ahead of the referendum that will solidify the country's independence. The BCR is expected to begin establishing facilities suitable for registering new political parties, whilst beginning the lengthy process of reconstruction.

It will be close to a week before both sides move their men and equipment into positions respecting the new demarcation line between the two Bogorias. With the Papal Air Force requesting the use of Utena's private airfields to withdraw forces deployed at the city's international airport - unable to access the runways there due to a controversial CDI airstrike in the final days of the war.

There is great expectations of celebrations in both southern Bogoria and Rodarion, with the PSPR movement declaring the news of the peace deal as "resounding victory for the forces of rejuvenation and international harmony". The Finance Ministry has announced that $5.5 billion will allocated to the BCR in a interest-free loan for reconstruction, whilst the Rodarian State Construction Corporation, Rodarion Unicom, the Rodarian State Agricultural Services Corporation and the Rodarian State General Industries Corporation are all expected to be sent to the BCR to assist in the reconstruction effort. The Vatican has announced it will begin dispatching funds from its own reserves to assist the clean up effort, especially in the restoration of churches and chapels damaged during the eleven month conflict.

The Defence Ministry last night confirmed Rodarian battle casualties at 72 killed, 167 injured and two missing, whilst Utena's losses are estimated at around 10,000 killed, 18,000 injured and at least 4,500 captured by both the Papal Army and UBLF. All prisoners of war held by both sides are expected to be swapped by late December. The Vatican has confirmed that a vigil for those Papal Army soldiers martyred during the operation will be held in the Sacred City of Toba, prior to their names being engraved on the Wall of the Fallen at the Valle dei Caduti, outside Romula. The Pope has said on an online message that news of the peace deal "has brought joy and relief to my heart, now we must pray for the martyrs of our endeavour and their loved ones, pray that the Lord and his holy mother accept them with a warm embrace".

President Sokal and the BCR's Liberation Council are expected to arrive in Sobotka later this evening after spending the past four months in Rodarion following pro-Utena airstrikes on Sobotka and the illegal Emmerian airstrikes that were seen as a major threat to the rebel's political leadership. The Ministry of Defence has also confirmed that a further 8,000 troops will be deployed into Bogoria for peacekeeping duties in the ethnically mixed areas, General Enrico Sciarra has been confirmed as the overall commander of Papal forces in Bogoria.

Written by Mario Cesaro.

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by **Arthurista** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:17 pm

HOW THE FREE WORLD SAVED BOGORIA
The story of a combined leadership which banished uncertainty, acted decisively to accomplish limited objectives and landed more or less on their feet.

Mathilda Ochibwe, Security Correspondent
11/11/2015
Loweport

Bogoria is one of history’s wicked problems. Internally extremely fractious with fascists and moderates at each others’ throats, externally with the Papal Army hanging like a Sword of Damocles poised to overrun everything to Utena, for a time in the last couple of weeks it looked very much like the nation was going to fall. With it, the entirety of the CDI’s position in east-central Lusankya looked poised to unravel. Southern Nijdeland would henceforth become indefensible with the Rubicon frontier decisively outflanked and a precedent would have been set that borders, territories and sovereignty of nations aren’t immutable things sacralised by law, but determined ultimately by sword’s point alone.

As we emerged from this nail-biting episode, it seemed that the certain doomsters might have been entirely premature in pronouncing the collapse of the Free World’s cause in Bogoria. The combined powers of the CDI, scrambling in the wake of the crisis, put together a highly effective response package which preserved their credibility on the world stage, halted the Papal Army’s triumphal march to Utena and helped to nail down an overall favourable peace deal through a combination of a talent for improvisation, deft diplomacy, controlled pragmatism and, where it needed to be done, the adroit deployment of military capability combining restraint and ruthlessness wherever those qualities were needed.

Leadership

The CDI, first and foremost, exists as a war-fighting mechanism. It is a thoroughly military organisation designed to deter aggression by hostile great powers against any of its members with its great theatre commands such as the CCLC or CWLC , as well as maintain stability in trouble spots across the world using its well-organised rapid intervention forces. Had the Papal Army marched against Nijdeland instead of its neighbour, the CDI response would have been entirely straightforward.

The Bogoria conflict, however, began as a proxy struggle and ended as a hybrid war, a creature of politics in its entirety, with force of arms a very subordinate means until the very end. While the CDI a has very effective military organisation, headed by a sophisticated command structure, there is no unitary political leadership capable of making decisions ‘on the go’, matching the rapid development of events, on behalf of the entire alliance. The whole ponderous bureaucratic machinery of the CDI, its multifarious committees, agencies and superstructure could bring no meaningful or relevant assistance to dealing with the crisis.

Rather, political leadership was provided by an informal triumvirate of prime ministers: van der Brugghen in Batavia, Whittaker in Loweport and Sentar in Isn Deslan. Having had a previous working relationship built over the last round of the Bogorian crisis, and knowledgeable in this small country’s affairs, The trio coordinated their actions informally, set their forces in motion across two theatres while swiftly building up a coherent negotiating position regarding the ultimate endgame state in Bogoria. It was a remarkable feat of improvisation, one might even say kludgery in the absence of any formal mechanism which would have served the political coordinating role properly, but nonetheless highly effective when the proverbial fertiliser finally hit the fan.

Warfare

There is nothing about the Rodarian military campaign that surprised military observers in the Free World. From the initial hailstorm of stand off missiles and the rapid ground assault based on classic deep operations principles backed by airborne forces. All of these elements have been war-gamed for years by CDI strategists in their preparations to defend the Rubicon frontier and Callis province. A fairly high up member of the Nijdelandish General Staff has described it as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for similar operations on a similar nature, but on a far grander scale, against Rodarion’s more substantial neighbours. The ability of Rodarian cyberwarfare units to paralyse the power grid and civilian communications network in northern Bogoria had been much hypothesised by experts ad commentators, but few military planners were convinced that the Papal Republic’s hackers had made such a major leap in capability from surreptitiously stealing bits classified technology to paralysing whole cities. If anything, similar civilian infrastructure of the major powers are even more vulnerable to this type of attack, given their greater reliance on networked systems compared to the antiquated equipment used by the Bogorians.

The future of airborne forces had been often been called into question in recent years. Many pundits have argued that flying large blundering transports into hostile airspace was tantamount to suicide by SAM or interceptor, and that airmobile forces transported by helicopter would be used for the vast majority of scenarios where vertical envelopment is required. The recent invasions on Niyeria and Bogoria, however, both featured the massed deployment of airborne forces, by both sides in the latter case, demonstrating how paras may still be a decisive force multiplier when used exactly right under the correct conditions, for instance, after salvoes of ballistic missiles had neutralised enemy airfields and suppressed SAM batteries. Rodarion’s neighbours had anticipated the large scale deployment of RALF units and Archangel special forces in the event of a full scale invasion, used to sow panic and disruption in rear areas. The security of rear areas against such incursions is the primary wartime role of the Nijdelandish gendarmerie, the [[Royal Marechausee]], and presumably a major task of the Belfrasian Provincial Defence Force. Given the lack of such a reaction capability among the BDF or LDV, the ad hoc attempt by the Capital Command to retake Utena International, despite the severe disruptions imposed by PAF tactical air power, was a very credible effort at improvised planning on-the-go and hasty execution. I do not presume to speculate the hypothetical outcome if they were indeed called upon to assault the airport. But even if the RALF troopers therein could succeed in repelling the counterattack, it would have been a ‘close-run thing’.

The most effective element of the Rodarian ‘drop plan’, however, were the battlegroups which were used to secure the main cross-border motorways leading into Nijdeland. It was one of those things entirely logical in hindsight, but not anticipated when it counted. The only way the CDI powers could bring heavy mechanised forces into northern Bogoria was via one of these motorways (tracked vehicles may be able to go cross country, but their logistical tail cannot). If not for the exemplary audacity of a small Belfrasian armoured unit in breaking through one of the blocakdes, the endgame would likely have been significantly different.

Indeed, audacity, not to mention imagination, were the hallmarks of the CDI, especially Belfrasian response, who pursued two options at once. The first was a massed airborne operation into the centre of the country – right in the path of the Papal Army’s advance, neatly solving the RALF-border posts problem by serving them with a dose of their medicine. In case this tripwire screen was not sufficient, however, an armoured battlegroup of the expeditionary brigade already in-theatre before the war broke out executed a ‘forceful re-assertion of their lawful right to free movement’ at a RALF-occupied border post with a 60 tonnes main battle tank, clearing the way for Nijdelandish heavy forces to arrive in force, with a whole mechanised division passing into northern Bogoria before the ceasefire and two more poised and ready as a reserve on the other side of the border. Some would characterise this as a reckless gamble, the most dangerous confrontation during the whole affair when real war between the great powers could easily have broken out. However, ultimately success is your proof, and CDI mechanised forces succeeded in moving into northern Bogoria, with both sides exercising great restraint in the process in refraining to open fire at each other throughout the entire confrontation.

What about the Utena International air strike? Reconstructing the chain of events from the accounts of witnesses and survivors, it seems beyond doubt that the RALF troopers present did march the civilian hostages out as human shields. The question remains – could the Tempest pilots possibly have sought clarification and correctly identified them as non-combatants? While the official version of events indicate that communication difficulties prevented them from talking to the Bogorian forces on the scene, some disturbing new revelations may have emerged. A Bogorian Ground Forces electronic warfare officer, who does not wish to be named, stated in a live interview by an internet news site that “I can’t be 100% positive, but I’m fairly sure that the brigade CP’s radio equipment, inclduding the backups, were subject to a brief burst of jamming attack at around the time the runway was bombed, and that the technology employed was unlike any known system currently used by our neighbours.” The Ministry of Defence had reiterated that the communications breakdown was due to an equipment failure, as well as denied a rumour that an SAS team was, in fact, nearby when the airstrike occurred. In all likelihood, this is just that: rumours. If not, however, it shows that, within Arthurista’s famously nice and fluffy liberal exterior it projects to the rest of the world is an establishment which is icily pragmatic in outlook and utterly ruthless in the execution of its goals, an enemy to be reckoned with when opposed.

Diplomacy

Once it became apparent to Romula that they could not march further northwards without risking an even more serious confrontation, the negotiations in Batavia finllay gathered pace, with the pope weighing in firmly behind the effort. What both sides had done, in essence, was pursue a dual-tracked strategy, simultaneously rattling the sabre in one hand while saving an olive branch in the other. In operational parlance, the main role of military action was to ‘shape the battlefield’, which took the form of the conference room.

Once negotiations began in earnest, it must be said that both sides acted to their credit. Neither side seriously brought up the others’ not-entirely-answerable embarrassing fact, such as how the CDI powers effectively turned a blind eye on far right activity in Bogoria, or how Rodarion for all intents and purposes invaded an internationally recognised sovereign state with the flimsiest of casus belli in international law. Both sides pursued modest, realistic, achievable goals, and wisely refrained from irrationally making any tactically ill-advised, profoundly embarrassing bombastic and subsequently unfulfillable comments ideologues and populists are wont to do. CDI leaders persistently refrained from making any statement throughout the long months of the crisis that Utena ought to rule over a united Bogoria, and throughout the meeting reiterated their stance that the final status of the south ought to be the result of the exercise of self-determination. On the other hand, the Rodarian government, in a surprising display of restraint, never promised the mob that it would “march on Utena”, forcibly disarm the BDF or dismantle the Bogorian government. The terms reached were overall very reasonable, especially the mutual military non-alignment clause which did much to reassure the Nijdelanders that their security concerns can be adequately addressed. The only real dispute which arose was the referendum issue, which I was told led to a great deal of genuine surprise and confusion in Loweport, where the Foreign Office assumed was merely a technicality, a convention in independence scenarios to confer legitimacy for the new regime and one which, in any case, the separatists would win by a fairly hefty margin anyway.

In any case, the showdown is well and truly done, with both sides achieving more or less what they set out for. It is likely that Nijdeland and perhaps Belfras will withdraw the majority of their forces from the north, with two to three brigade groups remaining behind for the time being to complete the disarmament of the LDV, maintaining law and order and assist in the reconstruction effort before being withdrawn sometime before the end of 2016. In the meantime, a joint peacekeeping coordinating committee will likely

Lessons learnt

The Free World has saved northern Bogoria from ‘medievalism’, as Arthurista’s enlightenheads are wont to post on various forums, a major shot in the arm for the CDI’s international credibility after the New Pontus fiasco. Yet, in order to maintain this credibility and deal with the next crisis effectively, the lessons learnt during this round of geopolitical sparring must be well and truly incorporated.

(1) The informal phone calls between prime ministers worked well this time in coordinating the alliance’s response this time round. However, going forward, the CDI needs a formal mechanism which can rapidly keep apace as events develop and formulate strategies and decisions on the go. Suppose the heads of government in place during the next crisis are less familiar on the flashpoint’s affairs, not having been primed with months of cooperation on Bogoria beforehand or, worse, enjoyed a less cordial relationship. What then? Few things hurt an alliance’s political credibility more than the appearance of division and the lack of a united front. The top levels of the CDI need some serious restructuring.

(2) Once the alliance decided to act, it did so with resolution and decisiveness, as if the ghost of New Pontus had been thoroughly banished and exorcised. Deterring aggression can be akin to a blinking contest. He who acts boldly and works fast can often make cooler heads prevail in the opposing side.

(3) Cyberwarfare has evolved into an extremely potent strategic weapon, not just a tool for espionage. The powers of the Free World must embark on a crash program create effective countermeasures against Rodarian hacking capability and, perhaps, means of counterattacking against the same.

(4) The crisis provided yet another demonstration of the eternal rules of geostrategic play: go for realistic, limited objectives, one step at a time. Move cautiously, until a situation which unequivocally calls for swift, resolute action arises. Never back yourself into a corner with rhetorics and always leave an exit or de-escalation strategy and, nine times out of ten, cold pragmatic considerations will trump the most hallowed ideology.

(5) The domination of the empiricist school among the Arthuristan establishment has degraded the political elite’s capability in evaluating and predicting the actions of societies with radically different ethos. In particular, Arthuristan analysts and, to a lesser extent, decision makers have shown themselves to be philosophically ill-equipped when dealing with cultures whose dominant way of thinking is normativism, not positivism (curiously, years of dealings with Belhavians did not seem to have helped). Even the Nijdelandish establishment, with a similar societal outlook, had an easier time – Lusankyan rationalists, the school of philosophy which they created in their 17th century golden age and which Arthuristan empiricism was a reaction against half a century later, still postulate, like the Rodarians, that peoples, societies and states have an inherent and intrinsic ‘telos’ (though of course with differing views as to its origin), a statement which positivists reject as unsubstantiable and unverifiable and thus arbitrary and cognitively meaningless. This engrained attitude is not helpful for foreign policy work, and more work must be done by analysts in this sphere. It is time the PPU Domestic Policy Chart, for instance, be adapted to analyse the outlook and behaviour of states on the global playing field. Knowing thy enemy is half the battle, and it would be ironic, if not positively absurd, if an inability to do so stems not from a lack of technical capability to gather information, but sheer cognitive dissonance.

by **Rodarion** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 6:13 pm

South Bogorians declare reunification with Rodarion as option at coming independence referendum

Konin could become the capital of South Bogoria reunited with the Papal Republic.

With two weeks to go until the Bogorian Christian Republic formally secures its independence through the referendum, demanded in the Batavia peace deal, the BCR’s Provisional Authority has formally announced the question, in which one option on the ballot asks whether the voter wants to see the BCR reunited with the Papal Republic. After nearly three weeks as an independent state, the debate across south Bogorian society has been one of independence or reunification. With polling indicating that close to 60% of the population would like to see some form of reunification. The Rodarian Interior Ministry also confirmed that it had been informed about the new question and talks were underway in Sobotka over the process of Bogorian reintegration with the Papal Republic. Consul Civitarese also revealed that should the south Bogorians wish to reunite with the Papal Republic, the BCR will transition into a Special Autonomous Region of the Papal Republic, with various powers still remaining in the hands of the BCR leadership.

Since the start of the South’s break from Utena last November, talk of reunification with the Papal Republic has been loud and extensive across its society. Many in South Bogoria have yearned for reunification with Rodarion since Bogorian independence was granted by the Papal States in the late 19th century, since many ethnic Poles felt more culturally aligned and historically aligned with the Rodarian people, than their counterparts to the north. Since South Bogoria has always had a unique identity compared to the north, a cultural and religious connection has remained exceptionally strong between the Poles and Rodarians.

Many senior BCR officials and UBLF commanders have argued for reunification rather than independence on more rational grounds, with one BCR official who wished to remain unnamed said, “if we do not reunify with the Papal Republic, we may never really succeed as an independent nation, the war has irreparably damaged some aspects of our country, we’d become to economically dependent anyway”. Whilst a UBLF commander said it would ensure prosperity economically and culturally speaking, “I have always said we should reunite with the Papal Republic, we may speak a different language but in our souls we are identical, we would become a part of something great and bigger and become stronger and richer for it and I truly believe Rodarion too would become richer and stronger for it”.

However talk of reunification has become heated, with many anti-separatist elements in the UBLF arguing that such talk undermines the war they had just
won, Tomasz Dawidowski, a UBLF brigade commander said during a public debate this morning, “how we can fight for our freedom and then jut hand ourselves over to another ruler, one that of course is much more tolerant of our needs as a people? How can we fight for freedom as a people, only to become a minority once again”. Whilst other UBLF commanders have accused their pro-unification comrades of “betraying the dead”. Despite the heated debate now arising in the BCR, the case for reunification is apparently growing.

Antoni Bradowski, a member of the governing Liberation Council and leader of the People’s Popular Party, a centre-right and pro-unification political force has argued in public and on BCR TV that unification is not about freedom or liberty, it is about being able to exercise the nation’s full potential.
“I remember growing up as a child, being taught by my parents that during the time Bogoria was a province of the Papal States, that food was plenty, everything was efficient, the mines were safe and clean, the people were happy and healthy, that is something we all want for our people. We do not want the days recently passed, where food was scarce, the lights would not work, the mines were deadly and the people were not happy or healthy and I am not talking about the war, I am talking about before the war, when we were discarded and discriminated by those in the north. I do not believe deep down our nation can strive on its own, how many decades or generations have to pass before we can say we’re happy and full again?

“If we reunite with the Fatherland, the land that fed us and raised us to our cultural and historical peak, then I do believe we will prosper and grow,
welcomed, cherished and embraced, not discarded or discriminated against on the basis of our ethnicity” he said on BN4. The Bogorian provisional authority has declared that the time prior to the referendum will be one for free and open discussion, with the Bogorian leadership vowing to remain neutral on the matter. Since the Batavia Agreement was signed, posters and television ads have already sprung up pushing for reunification, a popular poster says, “I love my country – I want to reunite with our brother nation”.

Reunificationism as it is being dubbed in the BCR has been present in the South since Bogoria was declared independent, the Polish south with its unique cultural identity to the north has always yearned for the Rodarian people to return to them, it is widely noted both in Rodarian and Bogorian historical documents that southern Bogoria was highly developed and prosperous under the Papal States and several south Bogorians even reached the highest offices in the Papal States, this historical certainty has been used by pro-unificationists since the Batavia Agreement.

“We are talking solid economic growth, modernisation, development, security of both financial and personal, political representation, political stability and true freedom and of course cultural security, this is what we fought for and this is what we will get” Kazimierz Chrzanowski said to a large crowd at a unification rally in Konin, Chrzanowski has emerged as the de-facto leader of the pro-unification campaign, a former MP in Utena he led a brigade of the UBLF before vowing to become a man of peace when the Batavia Agreement was signed. Chrzanowski was present with the rebel leadership in Rodarion, becoming a public face of the government in exile, he has argued for unification both on an economic standpoint and cultural. According to a latest poll conducted by the BCR provisional government, 56.7% of South Bogorians back reunification on the basis of economic and territorial security, whilst 40.3% oppose it and 3% don’t know.

Ordinary civilians in South Bogoria both view unification in practical and cultural terms, Magda, a 77 year old woman who had lived in her apartment block’s cellar through most of the war said that unification would give her the lasting security people her age require, whilst also knowing her land had ‘returned home’. “I back unification because I am old and I need peace, people my age across the south need peace, we need peace of mind and of the heart, I love my land but I don’t think we can be strong on our own, we’re too broken after the war, but really I want to see my homeland return home, I want to return to my cousins in Rodarion”.

Father Janusz Korczak, the leader of the United People’s Front, a right-wing pro-unification party has taken a different tone in campaigning for reunification, "South Bogoria is an illusion, a stepping stone...we are fundamentally ethnic Catholics who should be under the guidance of God's government with our Rodarian kin and cousins. We are too small a people to have a small, weak state of our own, that is the truth, we would have given the fascists our blood and our loved ones only to be left with a hollow dream - we must join our kindred spirits and be part of the Papal Republic, giving us liberty, happiness and prosperity.

“South Bogoria is not what we fought for, we fought for success and security for future generations, that will not come with us on our own, our industries are too outdated, our cities are too backward and our agriculture is shattered by decades of northern corruption and greed, if we are to survive as a people, if we are to achieve the things our sons, fathers, brothers and friends died for in our streets and fields, then we must reunite with our kin in Rodarion, I also say that unification allows us to be the people history destined us to be, Catholic and one with our cousins.” he said at a rally in central Librantowa.

Whilst in Rodarion, during a session of the Senate, Consul Civitarese announced details of the Papal Republic’s provision should the people of the BCR vote to reunite with Rodarion.

“After being informed several days ago by the BCR authorities of their intention to offer the case of reunification to the electorate of the BCR, I ordered the Papal Republic’s judicial minds to made provisions for the possibility that the BCR votes to reunify with the Papal Republic. I can now confirm that plans have been made and they are in the nature produced for Carpathia during the 1980s, when its own independence movement was gaining traction.
“In the event of the BCR voting to become apart of the Papal Republic, it will be formally integrated as a Special Autonomous Region, with powers over education, health, policing, justice, social affairs, taxation, welfare, and culture. Matters of the economy will be split evenly between the BCR and Romula to enable an efficient reconstruction process of the BCR’s economic assets and to allow reform to ensure it becomes an economic powerhouse, something the people of the BCR truly deserve.

“Matters of foreign affairs, immigration and defence will be within the hands of Romula as per the SAR scheme. I also wish to use this opportunity to request that members of this chamber and any official of the Papal Republic government to avoid becoming involved in the referendum process, we must ensure that the result is the result of the South Bogorian people’s choosing and theirs alone” he said.

The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that for reunification to be successful, the reunification result will require over 60% support at the ballot box, rather than the expected 50% plus one rule. The referendum is to be held on the 20 November.

Written by Mario Cesaro.

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by **Austrasien** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 8:18 pm

Das Volk
News of Austrasia and the World

South Bogorian Goods must carry new label: The Ministry of Commerce released a long-expected revision to its labeling guidelines, with a minor surprise. As expected goods produced in the Bogorian Christian Republic can no longer carry the label "Product of Bogoria"; the surprise was that they must now be labelled "Product of Rodarion Occupied Territories". Under the Riche's law all imported agricultural and manufactured goods must be labelled according to the country which contributed the plurality of their value value before retail. The Austrasian government has repeatedly stated they do not intend to sanction the new South Bogorian state, but the new labeling requirements send a clear signal of disapproval.

This was re-affirmed by the Commerce Ministry, who stated in the addendum to their new regulations "The new label was chosen in consultation Riche Privy Council and the Foreign Service and is intended to communicate clearly to consumers the official diplomatic position of the Riche, so that they may make informed purchasing decisions according to their own principles, as mandated by the Import Labeling Law of 1990."

In addition the Ministry affirmed that the Riche has no trade or standards agreements with the South Bogorian polity, and all imports from the region will be subject to all relevant tariffs and restrictions. This is likely to have a significant impact on agricultural trade as Austrasian importers will be forced to certify that foodstuffs from the area were produced according to the Riche's food safety standards at their own expense, something that may well be impossible as a travel ban preventing Austrasian citizens from traveling to the the area is still in effect.

In the conclusion of the new regulation guidelines the Ministry of Commerce also included a warning: "Intentionally mislabeling goods produced in the Rodarion Occupied Territories will carry serious penalties." The Ministry declined to comment why this specific warning was included, as it is in principle illegal to mislabel any imported good.

by **Rodarion** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:59 pm

The Papal Republic has a natural responsibility post-Bogoria to protect the vulnerable and developing states of Central Lusankya from foreign powers.

In a special address to the National Catholic Party, Foreign Minister Pietro Ciano official announced the Palantine Doctrine, a new foreign policy initiative that will protect the nations of Central Lusankya from foreign interference and the undermining of their sovereignty by foreign powers. At the Party's main conference venue in Romula, Ciano addressed over 3,000 NCP Senators, party members and supporters, the doctrine was well received by the audience and reportedly has the complete backing of not only Consul Civitarese and his cabinet, but also the Vatican. Ciano heralded the doctrine as a "new era for Central Lusankya, where its development, peace and progress will be defended and protected by the might of the Papal Republic."

The doctrine is reportedly named after the Palazzo Palantino, the government building on the Palantine Hill dedicated to policy development, however its unofficial yet popular name is supposedly the 'Ciano Doctrine'.
The NCP's conference today has been dubbed the "Forum of the New Age", other key ministers are to reveal new legislation over the coming days with Consul Civitarese giving a speech on Saturday. The speech comes as the Bogorian Christian Republic goes to the polls tomorrow to vote on the country's future; either to reunite with the Papal Republic or to remain an independent state. Foreign Minister Ciano's speech has been seen as a cover for the eventuality that the BCR votes to remain independent.

Foreign Minister Ciano outline the doctrine at the start of his speech, "The Papal Republic has now a moral and legitimate duty to ensure the continued territorial and political sovereignty of all nations located in Central Lusankya from foreign interference. This protection will be based on preserving their right to self determination, economic independence and political sovereignty. Any party from outside Central Lusankya and the continent at large that attempts to interfere or undermine a regional nation's political sovereignty or economic sovereignty will be recognised as a serious threat to Rodarian national security and regional stability and intervention by the Papal Republic will become a necessity.

"Protection for the Republic of Carinthia, State of Leova, Bogorian Christian Repbublic, Basilene Empire and State of Bariya will thus be guaranteed by the Papal Republic indefinitely. This doctrine has the aim of producing an environment in central Lusankya built upon principles of brotherly cooperation, interdependence and mutual respect. The preservation of these states' sovereignty is paramount for continued economic prosperity and stability for the region and the Papal Republic" he said.

Speaking further he said, "I cannot stress enough the importance of the preservation of Central Lusankyan peace, as a region we are the most underdeveloped and backward economically speaking, in the continent. And we are all too aware of the poor situation developing nations outside the continent find themselves in; civil wars, destitution, geopolitical battlegrounds and of course economic vassal states to the developed world. The Papal Republic as the developing world's guardian and representative cannot and will not allow the same curses to befall Central Lusankya, we will protect our neighbours and we will aid our neighbours".

Most surprising of all was that the leaders of Bariya, the BCR and Carinthia were present in the audience, Presidents Byoko Pravnov, Wislaw Sokal and Viktor Macek sat alongside Consul Civitarese and Proconsul Candreva, all appeared highly receptive and welcoming of the new policy. Last night the Foreign Ministry confirmed that the three leaders had met with Consul Civitarese and Foreign Minister Ciano to discuss the new doctrine and also discussed economic matters and a new regional free-trade agreement. However it was not confirmed or denied that an extension of the visa-free borders that the Papal Republic and Basilene Empire share was also discussed.

"We have an opportunity now to operate ourselves as a responsible power, as the premier power of Lusankya, we now have the responsibility we needed. We have the responsibility to preserve peace, security and stability in our region of Lusankya, just as much as we hold the same internationally. When we look to our neighbours, we see those desperate for development and economic growth, yet vulnerable to the machinations and schemes of the developed world.

"If we are to be the guiding power of this continent, then there can be no argument. We cannot debate and pontificate the Papal Republic's role and duties in Central Lusankya, we must be its anchor, its protector and guardian. We must be the nation that stands at the walls and says no more, no more will you undermine security or peace as you did in Bogoria, no more can we allow you to bring peoples to war with themselves through your schemes and plots for informal domination. We will say no, we will act if they do so regardless, we will protect our neighbours" Ciano continued, receiving a rapturous applause.
Following the Batavia Agreement being signed last month, many within the NCP have proclaimed the peace treaty as the moment Rodarion entered the negotiations as a major power, yet left as the greatest power in Lusankya. Last week, the Senate Foreign Affairs Select Committee urged the government to begin acting in a way respectful of the country's new found geopolitical position and strength.

Foreign Minister Ciano also used his speech to announce the Lusankyan Destiny Project (LDP), a ingenious regional infrastructure project that will link all regional states by road, rail and air, allowing for greater economic integration and growth and of course political stability between states.

"The Lusankyan Destiny Project is revolutionary, never before has one nation said to its region, we will build for all of us, the most intricate network of infrastructure that will enable unrivalled trade, unrivalled cooperation and mutually beneficial economic development, unrivalled economic interdependence. From the northern frontier of the Bogorian Christian Republic to the plains of southern Basileria, from the snow capped mountains of Leova and Carinthia to the picturesque coves and bays of Bariya, we will be connected. We will trade, we will exchange minds and ideas, we will prosper together" he said, again to rapturous applause.
Several minutes after his speech ended, the Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Industry and Labour all released a joint document explaining the Lusankyan Destiny Project. According to the paper, the Papal Republic will pay roughly 60% of the overall cost by 2025, an estimated $1.2 trillion. The LDP will see vast construction efforts, that will expand road networks, rail networks in all regional nations, connecting them to neighbouring countries. But it will also include new power stations, internet infrastructure, telecommunications and new airports and a new deep-water port in Bariya. As well as $200 billion worth of investment into Basileria over the next twenty years, that will see the country's infrastructure greatly modernised.

"By the grace of God we shall succeed in protecting the weak and vulnerable from the predatory schemes and machinations of those who would undermine the region's peace and stability through malignant ideals of threats and security dangers and threats to their diplomatic positions. By the grace of God we shall succeed in uniting Central Lusankya as a region of model cooperation, unity and mutually beneficial trade and development" Foreign Minister Ciano concluded.

His speech has been widely praised already on social media and by Rodarian academia, over 600,000 #LaVittoriadiCiano (Ciano's Victory) have been posted on Ciao!, the country's largest social media site. However speaking to party Senators after the speech, Consul Civitarese was caught warning his Senators of the CDI response, he jokingly predicted a "whirlwind of hate".

Who is speaking at the NCP Conference?

Thursday 19th November:

Foreign Minister Pietro Ciano: 10.00am - 10.40am
Interior Minister Raffaele Di Gaspari: 10.40am - 11.00am
Defence and Homeland Security Minister, Field Marshal Paolo Terravici: 11.15am - 11.35am
Justice Minister Giorgio Orsoni: 15.00pm - 15.30pm
Employment and Pensions Minister Anna Maria Molinaro: 15.30pm - 16.00pm

Friday 20th November:
Christian Culture and Guidance Minister Augusto Amari: 10.00am - 10.30am
Education and Social Affairs Minister: Aurora Stefanelli: 10.30am - 11.00am
Industry and Labour Minister: Angelo Marcello: 11.00am - 11.40am
Community Affairs and National Unity Minister Gioventin Papini: 12.00pm - 12.30pm
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister: Giovanni Favaretto Cavicchi 12.30pm - 13.00pm
Proconsul of the Papal Republic Ottavio Candreva: 13.00pm - 13.40pm
Trade and International Development Minister: Jakab Virag 14.40pm - 15.00pm

Saturday 21st November:
Finance Minister Floriano Garbarini: 10.00am - 11.00am
National Medical Services Minister: Francesca Raffaelli 11.00am - 11.30am
State Information and Communications Minister: András Tudas 11.50am - 12.20pm
National Energy Minister Flórián Kadar: 12.20pm - 12.50pm
Transport and Internal Development Minister Amalia Capone: 13.30pm - 14.00pm
Science and National Innovation Minister Francesco Staffieri: 14.00pm - 14.30pm
Consul of the Papal Republic Ottavio Civitarese: 14.30pm - 15.10pm

Written by Mario Cesaro.

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