The United Press [archive; closed]

by **Virana** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:23 pm

This post contains all UP news posts from before February 14, 2013. Please do not post here; you may access the main thread for any commentary or accessing more recent news articles. Thank you.

by **Virana** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:24 pm

EMPA Rebels Attack Relief Convoy, Kill Field Commander
Eastern Mektavian Peoples' Army launches first major attack, leads to United Republic military deployment
10 August 2012 | By Antall Máté (@antmatvnn)

United Republic Pararescueman and a Navy SEAL (far left and third from right in foreground, respectively) aiding injured Mektavian military personnel.

FORT HARLISS — The rebel Eastern Mektavian Peoples' Army launched its first public offensive just hours ago, attacking a relief convoy headed to Fort Harliss near the eastern Mektavian border. The attack left several dead and wounded, including field commander Anthony Bennetts and squad leader Terrance Silvetter.

Wreckage of a Mektavian Air Force
jet that was attacked.

The attack was launched just days after a Mektovian Air Force squadron was shot down by what was reported to be surface-to-air fire in the Nemala Hills; sources indicate this may have been performed by the EMPA. The incident led to several nations offering military assistance to Mektavia, including the United Republic. Shortly after the attack, the United Republic deployed two fighter squadrons and an airlift squadron into Mektavia to provide disaster relief and humanitarian support. A statement issued by the United Republic Defense Force indicated the following units were deployed:
57th Airlift Squadron
12th FIghter Squadron
17th Fighter Squadron
The Mektavian squadron that was shot down was participating in a counter-insurgency operation against EMPA rebels in eastern Mektavia. The relief convoy was on its way to resupply the fort. It is currently unclear if United Republic forces participated in the defense against the rebels at Fort Harliss.

Intelligence officials believe the rebel fighters came from the nearby town of Westcraven. The outskirts of the town are thought to be where the Eastern Mektavian Peoples' Army originated from. Sources indicate that Mektavian Military Board is already preparing a counter-attack on rebel installations, although the time and location of this supposed attack is currently unknown. The potential operation may be aimed at eliminating rebel outposts around Westcraven, although this is unclear. Sources from the United Republic Defense Force have indicated that URAF forces may participate in the offensive to provide close air support, casualty evacuation, combat search and rescue, and post-battle cleanup capabilities.

Antall Máté is a reporter for the Virana News Network. The image in the article is courtesy of Kit Up!. None of these organizations are associated with the Virana News Network, and opinions in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the VNN or its employees.

by **Virana** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:24 pm

United Republic Military on High Alert
Human rights violations, unprovoked war by Tezelia may cause United Republic to join coalition, says Congress
9 August 2012 | By Fedra Arévalo (@fedra_arevalo_vnn) and Karen Titarenko (@ktitarenko_vnn)

A United Republic Navy SEAL scans for targets during an exercise with a SCAR-H rifle, the standard rifle for UR special forces.

VIRANA CITY — The United Republic Defense Force issued a statement earlier today which said that all active military forces were placed on high alert following the simultaneous declaration of war by the Empire of Tezelia on the Pansapient Empire of Ganos Lao and nine other nations. Hundreds of active units were placed on defense readiness condition 4, the statement indicated.

Anonymous sources from within the military told VNN that the current alert level was the highest for a majority of active units since the terrorist attacks of 5 June 2000 in Chaleur. When asked why Virana was getting involved, sources said that the immense human rights violations within the nation of Tezelia as well as what they called an unprovoked declaration of war were issues of extremely high magnitude.

"Although Virana rarely intrudes upon the internal affairs of other nations, this is something that cannot be passed up," one source told VNN.

Congress also released a statement saying that they will hold an emergency meeting in order to respond to President Luis Castilla's request for the use of lethal force alongside the rest of the coalition against Tezelia. It is currently unclear whether or not the United Republic intends to declare outright war against Tezelia, although at the moment it seems unlikely. Although having been part of several conflicts over the past few decades, the United Republic has not officially declared war for almost 80 years.

Reports from various international organizations and human rights activists indicated that the Tezelian government was performing mass killings against foreign citizens, particularly those with citizenship of Ganos Lao and other coalition nations. These massacres were the focal point of Congress's statement, which referred to them as "indiscriminate human rights violations which infringe upon international law". Sources indicate that Congress may authorize the use of special unconventional forces to support the coalition, although the use of conventional "Big Army" forces is relatively unlikely.

The Empire of Tezelia declared war on the Pansapient Empire of Ganosia days ago, about a month after the 2012 Ulmeg terrorist attacks in the Tezelian industrial center of Ulmeg. The Tezelian Intelligence Agency (TIA) reportedly traced the attack back to the Ganosian government, stating that the P52 Matrix bomb used in the attack is only used by the Tezelian-allied Emrelites and Ganosia. Tensions between Tezelia and Ganosia stretch back to the end of the Alliance-Tezelia Wars which ended in Tezelian Pyrrhic victory three years ago. Following the declaration of war, several members of the Gholgoth Regional Alliance, of which Ganosia is currently a part of, issued their own declarations of war against Tezelia as per the mutual defense agreements between these states and Ganosia. Several other nations have since followed suit and joined the overall coalition. Currently Tezelia is engaged in a war against the United States of Allanea, one of Ganosia's allies.

Fedra Arévalo and Karen Titarenko are reporters for the Virana News Network. The image in the article is courtesy of Kit Up!. None of these organizations are associated with the Virana News Network, and opinions in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the VNN or its employees. A written copy of the article in a traditional newspaper format is available for download here.

by **Virana** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:26 pm

Bulletin
ICE facility attack: Yukties finally snapped?
Emmerian involvement in Origa?

ICE Facility Attack: Yukties Finally Snapped?
Recent terrorist attack on Virkala ICE joint observation facility backed by Yuktobania, says U.R.
^{17 October 2012 | By Anna M. Phillips (@annaphillips)}

United Republic Pararescuemen from the 18th Special Tactics Squadron heading towards Virkala Facility to aid the injured after the attack.

OURED, D.A. — The president of the United Republic of Emmeria issued a statement earlier today which indicated that the United Republic Joint Intelligence Agency has found "conclusive evidence" regarding Yuktobanian support for last month's terrorist attack on the Virkala Facility.

"Conclusive evidence after an extensive investigation into the attacks has confirmed Yuktobanian involvement," Presidential Palace spokeswoman Sophia Spencer told reporters during a press release. "There will be justice for the people involved. Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and loved ones of those affected by the attacks."

The attacks came a month after the declaration of the Castilla Doctrine, a controversial interventionist foreign policy issued by President Luis Castilla which stated that the U.R. "will actively combat oppressive regimes around the world", terming "radical stratocracies" as one of its targets. The Castilla Doctrine gained widespread domestic and international support and criticism, drastically increasing tensions with the Republic of Segland, Orson Empire and Legion of Kane, Greater Republic of Krintzaika, and even one of the U.R.'s neighbors, the Hegemonic Union. It also placed significant pressure on the Union of Yuktobanian Republics, a former Emmerian territory that just fifteen years ago was being torn apart on the brink of a civil war.

Yuktobanian Premier Miroslav Yevseyev denied these claims, telling reporters earlier today, "[Emmerians] need to stop looking at the world through tinted glasses", labeling the accusations "preposterous and subjective" and an "embarrassing violation of sovereignty of Yuktobania".

Tensions between Yuktobania and the United Republic have intensified ever since the issuance of the Castilla Doctrine, and are widely believed to be at their highest point since the United Republic-Yuktobania Cold War.

The attacks occurred on the Virkala Facility, a joint ICE military observation post in the Emmerian town of Virkala, on 5 September 2012. The facility, which at the time was operating on a reduced security schedule, was attacked by a large group of armed, masked gunmen using automatic weapons—which are illegal without an extensive, expensive background check in accordance with Emmerian firearm restrictions. The attack killed twenty-nine people and injured forty-two more, mostly foreign nationals of ICE member nations. It ended after a forty-eight-hour standoff between the attackers, who were holding hostages, and the base's remaining security forces in conjunction with Emmerian police and SWAT teams, National Guard, and special forces. It was the first time since the War of 1820 that active U.R. military forces were used on the Emmerian mainland.

The attack was the first of its kind on Emmerian soil since the Chaleur terrorist bombings of July 1, 2000 in the financial and economic center of the nation, Chaleur, which prompted U.R. involvement in the Acaema Civil War, a conflict which ended just two years ago. The terrorist bombings in Chaleur were the first foreign attacks on mainland Emmeria since the War of 1820.

The international terrorist organization HZI claimed responsibility for the attack; it is rumored the Natsionalʹnaya Sluzhba Razvedki (NSR; Russian for National Intelligence Service), the Yuktobanian military intelligence organization, has covertly supported the HZI, although these claims have garnered relatively little support on the international stage.

The attacks came five months after a U.R. consulate in Koslograd, Yuktobania was raided by radical Yuktobanian militants, killing two U.R. nationals. It was the first of two fatal terrorist attacks on Emmerian diplomats this year alone, with the second occurring during an observer mission in Trotskytopia where the Emmerian envoys were ambushed by Yandian rebels and U.R. Navy fighter jets were deployed to perform an airstrike on the attackers.

It is currently unclear whether or not further diplomatic or military action will be performed by the United Republic. An anonymous inside source told WZNN that it was unlikely in the case that ICE responds to the attacks for the United Republic to get involved.

Anna Phillips is a reporter for the WZNN. None of these organizations are associated with WZNN, and opinions in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the WZNN or its employees.

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Emmerian Involvement in Origa?
Deadly insurgency in Imperial Verktha colony may spark U.R. intervention, says DoD
^{18 October 2012 | By Colomba Pirozzi (@colomba_pirozzi_wznn)}

U.R. Army STARS operator provides overwatch to a civilian evacuation in Kasavia after the nearby nuclear exchange between the New Lowlands and Death Korps of Krieg.

ATLANTICA — An anonymous Department of Defense source indicated that Chaos insurgents in the Imperial colony of Origa on Verktha may prompt U.R. intervention.

The insurgents, who overtook the autonomous district during its recovery following the thermonuclear war with the New Lowlands, have rendered the recognized government essentially null, declaring a form of martial law fighting for their respective religious deities.

Reports from the region indicate the insurgents violate international conventions on the treatment of prisoners and the dead. Graphic images depicting the shredding, rape, and mutilation of dead human bodies have been leaked across the web as world leaders are contemplating military intervention.

"The blatant abuses of human rights will be stopped. Peace will once again touch the shores of Origa," the anonymous source told WZNN this past Wednesday.

According to multiple sources, the Majestic Fascist Empire of Old Beringia may become involved as well in light of its unilateral Declaration of Intent Regarding Terrorism. An Old Beringian intervention would serve as a strategic deterrent to the United Republic, which is currently in a state of war against the slaver-empire.

It is currently unclear as to the extent of potential U.R. involvement. The United Republic has yet to make an official statement regarding the matter.

Colomba Pirozzi is a reporter for the WZNN. None of these organizations are associated with WZNN, and opinions in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the WZNN or its employees.

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by **Virana** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:26 pm

News Bulletin
F-36 production through the roof
U.R. moving Navy destroyers to south Central Ocean

F-36 Production Through the Roof
Advanced 5th generation warplane exports ordered in large numbers, contractors reeling to meet demand, says UNADS
^{21 October 2012 | By Sarah Kiros (@sarahmkiros)}

United Republic Air Force F-36A Super Viper lands after a patrol in Acaema.

ORONA, VG — UNADS CEO James Lyons told reporters this past Sunday during a press conference that the F-36 Super Viper has sold "too well" on the international stage.

"The fighter's unique level of technological sophistication has attracted a lot of attention across the world. Our sweatshops are reeling," Lyons said jokingly during the press conference.

The Orthodox Federation of the Eagleland reportedly became the 24th nation to date operating the F-36 Super Viper with its order of around 5,000 F-36A fighter jets, according to various sources.

"We've set an international standard," Lyons said. "With over 50,000 fighters produced to date, the F-36 is quickly becoming the fighter to beat on the international market."

To meet the demand, UNADS and other firms involved in producing parts for the F-36 have outsourced manufacturing to other Emmerian defense contractors, particularly small businesses. When the Joint Dominance Fighter program first began, just over 700 defense contractors, mostly Emmerian businesses, were involved in producing parts for the fighter. That number has swollen to almost 1,300—nearly twice the original amount—in all fifty-one states and now supports over 420,000 jobs across the United Republic.

Critics of the program were quick to denounce the large-scale exports of the fighter, describing its technological sophistication as a prime reason to safeguard its secrets.

"The level of capability that it provides is based on the sensitivity of its technologies," said Professor Stephan Decker, prominent defense technology specialist and aerospace professor at the Corsa Institute of Technology (CIT), one of the top technical universities in the world. "We have to stop giving it to everyone—one of these days it'll fall into the hands of someone who we don't want using it."

Decker's statements were made after the government's decision to export a number of F-36A fighters, rumored to be around 150, to nearby Estovakiva, a nation with whom relations have been strained since the issuance of the Castilla Doctrine. The Castilla Doctrine states that the United Republic "will refuse to export military equipment to [oppressive nations]"; the controversial decision to sell the fighter was made after the Castilla Doctrine, bringing the validity of the Doctrine into question as the moderate stratocracy in Estovakiva now owns a significant number of such fighters. Anonymous sources have indicated that Estovakiva intends to use the fighters as "opposing force" (OPFOR) fighters in its exercises, indicating that it may consider the fighters an effective equivalent of what its own opponents use.

The overall situation sparked further controversy when another major power, the Western Confederal States, was also exported a large number of F-36 fighters. The Western Confederal States are a confederacy inherently part of the Central Defence Initiative (CDI), an organization openly opposing the rumored joint Hegemonic Union-Estovakiva aggression in the Central Ocean—these actions may include potential dispute over the Yoshiwa Islands, a special administrative district of the West, and only around 4,700 km from the nearest island in the United Republic. The Kingdom of Belfras, another CDI member nation, also operates a significant fleet of F-36 fighters. Analysts in both the United Republic and in the three CDI nations have blamed the United Republic government of promoting conflict in the region by selling military equipment to both sides; it is unclear whether or not the United Republic may become involved should such a conflict occur.

Despite criticism regarding the international export of the fighter, the F-36 has exceeded its high expectations in both exercises and live military combat. Many pilots, such as U.R. Air Force Captain Simone Mancini, have been quick to declare their support for the $140 million superweapon.

"There was a certain capability gap that it now covers," Mancini told WZNN via e-mail last Friday. "We had been looking for something to cover that and we hit the jackpot, something that we've been aiming for, and I think we got it."

"It's just so easy to fly that it turns you from a pilot to a tactician. You're not focused on keeping the thing in the air, or looking for enemies in the air, or searching for missiles that may be launched at you. It does all of that for you. All you have to do is perform the actions necessary to respond to the threats that it makes so blatantly obvious. It allows you to focus on making tactical decisions in a rapidly evolving battlespace, since you're not overloaded by the type of things that aren't as important."

Continual upgrades to the fighter have enhanced its capability already. Recently, all Emmerian fighters and subsequent units were upgraded to the Symmetriad Laertes IV advanced ejection seat, a fourth-generation ejection seat that revolutionizes many aspects of day-to-day operation, replacing the third-generation Universal Air Systems SJU-19/B. The Laertes IV will be produced by Universal Air Systems in a joint production agreement with Symmetriad Group. Nations desiring to use the Laertes IV can have their fighters upgraded for a relatively low cost.

To help meet the demand, the export price for the F-36 was increased as more and more fighter jets were placed on order. UNADS and all other involved defense contractors signed a new joint production agreement which is intended to allow the fighters to be produced in adequate amounts while continuing to ensure the high level of technical expertise, attention to detail, and high quality is maintained. Sources indicate the F-36 is currently being produced in larger amounts than ever before.

Sarah Kiros is a reporter for the WZNN. None of these organizations are associated with WZNN, and opinions in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the WZNN or its employees.

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by **Virana** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:27 pm

Tensions in Pardes at all-time high
Ralkovian threats lead to military buildup, crisis escalation, say sources
^{13 December 2012 | By Anna M. Phillips (@annaphillips)}

U.R. Army Spc. John Samuels during a clearing operation exercise at Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Marshall, NM. The URDF is conducting numerous military exercises both in and out of country to prepare its forces in military operations in a short time before a potential invasion. The U.R. is on its highest DEFCON level ever, at DEFCON 3.

OURED, D.A. — Sources that requested anonymity told WZNN this past Thursday that tensions in Pardes have reached an all-time high.

"The Hegemonic Union's declaration [of maritime denial of access] is political and diplomatic suicide," the source told WZNN via e-mail. "The United Republic will come under attack and there is nothing that can be done to prevent that from happening anymore."

"If I'd have to guess what is going to happen as a result, I'd say there will be a big [mess] of violence across Pardes."

ICE opposition and tensions with Ralkovia entered an entirely new dimension when the Hegemonic Union, a political union consisting of Tehraan, Natalia, and Tehraani, declared that it would indiscriminately fire upon all non-regional ICE naval military assets in Pardes. The JIA accused the HU and its denial of access, which curiously came just days after Ralkovia implied it would prepare an invasion force, for attempting to prevent ICE nations from fulfilling the characteristic collective security policies the organization is founded upon in response to the potential for Ralkovian aggression.

Reports indicate that the Western Confederal States, a close United Republic regional ally, is willing to sever its positive relationship with the HU should it support such an invasion. As part of both ICE and the regional security organization CDI, the move comes as a unique turn of events representing a shift in Western foreign policy since the WCS's secession from the Citizen's Republic of the West this past September. The West has been allied with the Hegemonic Union since the 1991 First Talibastain War, when the Western Republic, the WCS's effective predecessor, cooperated with Tehraani forces against Rakistani rebels, local revolutionaries, and Alabasta.

Tensions with Ralkovia were initiated when combined ICE military forces commenced slavery interception operations in the ocean between Gholgoth and Tyrrhenia, the focal point of the Ralkovian slave trade, which is among the three largest in the entire world. Traditional allies of Ralkovia, such as the Parthians, are expected to aid Ralkovia in any resulting action. Reports indicate that the massive array of opponents of Ralkovia, including key antislavery proponents Allanea, Lamoni, Libertarian Governance, and Kahanistan, may potentially support the United Republic and allied parties against Ralkovian aggression.

The Ralkovian government or other associated nations have yet to make official statements on the prospect of a Ralkovian invasion.

The United Republic has reportedly requested an emergency CDI session in Laesico to discuss what it termed as "security issues". It is unclear whether this conference is related to Ralkovian threats.

Anna Phillips is a reporter for the WZNN. None of these organizations are associated with WZNN, and opinions in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the WZNN or its employees.

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by **Virana** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:29 pm

Afalia under threat of invasion by oppressive dictatorship
Titianician Ditor declares desire to enslave democratic nation, transform into agricultural production center
^{4 January 2013 | By Anna M. Phillips (@annaphillips) (UP)}

Apexion Grand Stand, TITIANICIA (UP) — Ditor of the IASM Jack Lazin made a speech on international television this past Wednesday regarding his intentions with the prospect of invading Afalia, the United Press said.

In a speech providing the international world with a rare glimpse inside the isolated dictatorship, and only the third time the Ditor has made a public appearance in his life, he declared that he was "planning to introduce a nation named Afalia to sectorization", a procedure involving the transformation of the local infrastructure into a mass production center focused on efficiency.

Reports indicate his goal of invading in order to provide food for the people of the IASM. A recent famine has struck the nation and its people are starving against drastically increased government corruption and military overspending.

The Ditor openly released a statement today claiming that "[t]he media is not freedom, it is oppression", further adding that "democratic ideals [...] are autocratic as you or I" and that the allied coalition against the IASM is "a alliance [sic] so fragile it shall not stand any more if even the slightest of descent [sic] of morality and fear will distort your eyes as you decent [sic] once again into war."

He, seemingly humorously (but likely not so), included that the nations of the alliance are "pawn[s] in a greater game, a cog in a rolling machine, an ant in a hive." The Ditor confirmed allegations of his machine-like appearance, stating that he was not human but a "machine, efficient and effective."

Afalia is a fledgeling democratic nation with a peaceful populace, an anonymous government official told the UP. The nation reportedly has no standing army aside from a security force numbering approximately 500,000 strong, according to another source that requested anonymity because they were not clear to speak with the press. Widespread conscription throughout the country is intended to bring a wealth of troops to defend the nation against the aggressors, although it is not clear whether or not adequate training will be provided.

The Afalian Prime Minister Christopher Kelly called for citizens to enlist in the fight against the IASM during a public address last Tuesday.

"Lazin’s greatest fault is our greatest weapon against him. His sadism, his anger, his complete dismissal of the human condition-that of freedom, individuality and love, leads him to doubt the power of the human spirit, the spirit of a people, the spirit of us all," the Prime Minister said during a speech from his office in Parliament, which was broadcast on news channels and radio stations across the world.

President Luis Castilla made a statement earlier today regarding Emmerian intervention in the ongoing crisis. "We will help the Afalians defend their beautiful nation," he told reporters during a press conference this morning. The President also made a speech regarding the situation this past Tuesday.

"We will not let them [the Afalians] give in to savages, to ignorant oppressors. We will not let them become collective slaves to an ever-growing Titianician war machine. We will not let them fall. We will never abandon Afalia," he announced to a thunderous applause in front of the Presidential Palace.

It is unclear how many Emmerian personnel will take part if such an intervention occurs. The IASM is rumored to have a naval fleet numbering upwards of 200 ships, a fleet size not seen since World War II. Nations taking part in the coalition against the IASM include the United Republic, Phonencia, Arthurista, the Eagleland, Itailian Maifias, and Krowninsburg. The United World Order has allegedly declared its intentions to aid the IASM, although in what form is currently unclear.

Anna Phillips is a reporter for the United Press. None of these organizations are associated with the UP or WZNN, and opinions in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the UP or WZNN or their employees.

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by **Virana** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:30 pm

United Republic withdraws from IASM auction due to "financial concerns"
Akimonad's opening bid "27 million times greater" than U.R.'s intended number, says President Castilla
^{7 January 2013 | By Anna M. Phillips (@annaphillips) (UP)}

Oured, D.A., UNITED REPUBLIC (UP) — Anna Kouviska, spokeswoman for the United Republic Department of Foreign Affairs, told the UP this morning that the United Republic had withdrawn from the auction to purchase the IASM.

During a press conference, President Luis Castilla had told reporters that Akimonad's offer of $1.2 billion Universal Standard dollar was much too high to consider.

"Our opening bid was going to be forty-five United Standard dollars," President Castilla told reporters during the media conference. "Akimonad's offer of $1.2 billion was almost 27 million times greater for an island than we were prepared to pay for the entire country."

When asked why the United Republic would only pay $45 for the toxic militaristic hellhole, President Castilla said that "a House committee formed to consider an offer for the country calculated the cost through an extensive analysis of the nation's status in terms of resources—human, industrial, and agricultural—economy, and, most of all, its people. During their analysis it was determined that the IASM as a whole could cost anywhere from -$75 to $45."

Yes, that is negative seventy-five dollars.

Johnathan Davis, spokesman for the House of Representatives' Committee for the Purchase of the IASM (CPI), made a statement regarding President Castilla's comments.

"It was a nation with an emaciated populace deprived of basic pabulum, caused by actions of a progressively inhuman and increasingly irrelevant government, with further resource destruction through the poisoning of water supply and construction of ineffective macrofactories—which the reigning Lazin regime has erroneously called "marcofactories over and over and over—and buildings the size of Taiwan built for a horrid yet humorously ineffective tyrant. We really couldn't put a price tag anywhere above 45 dollars for that."

He did however mention that the United Republic could have bidded up to $46 for the Tyrrhenian wasteland. "The leader of said nation exterminated about half of his Senate, which represents the people. In effect he destroyed half of the people from the nation. Adding an extra dollar for their freedom was possible—freedom, after all, is priceless."

He was referring to actions by the Titianician Ditor, who told the press in a publicly released statement that "534 senators ... shall now be killed for my entertainment in the amphitheatres of Apexion." The move was provoked by their support for selling a Titianician island to Akimonad.

When asked if the United Republic withdrew due to the threats posed by Elcric Kcalb and the United World Order, the President denied the accusation.

"Their empty threats did not factor into the decision," he said during the media conference. "Theirs was just another case of the ACA utilizing its force, size, and tyrannical mindset to bully and force non-ACA members to comply with their own interests. It's happened before, including behind closed doors during occasions which are left out of the public eye. Public opinion regarding the ACA may be very low, but it's actually pretty good considering they filter the worst from the public."

The IASM is a former member of the ACA, but was ejected due to unspecified reasons just days later.

Just days ago, Akimonadi External Affairs Director Frederick Bremer told reporters during a press conference that "the IASM is a deeply impoverished country, with a largely irrelevant government." Akimonadi media service Radio Free Haven (RFH) reported that the government of Akimonad was preparing to purchase the IASM.

Titianician state news service TSN reported that a bill that entered the Titianician Senate proposed selling Alotosian Islands south of the mainland to private organizations with "very little government intervention." Supporters of the bill included former Titianician Sorvai Marivin, who told TSN that it was "a great step in ensuring the freedom of the Titianician people". TSN reported that the Ditor's second-in-command, Hëgegoverner Iyæn Stratovimä (the Archduke of Hoathelm), condemned the bill entirely.

After Kcalbite state news agency KNN and Orderite state news agency SCE both reported their respective governments condemning the proposal and threatening to take action against the IASM and Akimonad should it fall through, the bill failed to make it through the Titianician Senate. The 534 senators supporting the bill are now to be executed by the 500 finest samurai in the IASM, according to TSN.

"Just more examples of how unstable and ineffective these autocratic regimes really are," President Castilla said of the executions during the conference.

Inside sources that requested anonymity told the UP that it was very possible that two additional nations, Prussia-Steinbach and Ralkovia, were also likely to intervene in the occasion of the bill to sell parts of the Alotosian Islands pass. Prussia-Steinbach is the founder of the ACA, and it is likely, according to these sources, that additional support from ACA member nations would be expected. Prussia-Steinbach and the United World Order, both part of the ACA, are expected to aid Ralkovia in the event of hostilities between Ralkovia and ICE.

"Tyrrhenia is a region of the world covered and dominated by ACA influence," President Castilla commented.

Anna Phillips is a reporter for the United Press. None of these organizations are associated with the UP or WZNN, and opinions in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the UP or WZNN or their employees.

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by **Virana** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:30 pm

CID: Frentia priest arrested for links to terrorism
Leading Artorian cleric reportedly part of terror plan, Rodarian religious hate group
^{9 February 2013 | By Daniel Ellis (@danielellis) (UP)}

The Jamestown apartment where Maximus Savrinola, 54, was arrested after a two-hour standoff with police. Photograph by Daniel Ellis, United Press.

Jamestown, FR, UNITED REPUBLIC (UP) — Local law enforcement authorities in Jamestown, Frentia confirmed to the UP the existence of the high-profile arrest of 54-year-old Maximus Savrinola, a leading Artorian priest of Rodarian nationality, for links to terrorism.

Police surrounded the Jamestown apartment at approximately 4:32 PM earlier today, cordoning off an entire city block prior to a two-hour standoff between the Jamestown SWAT team and Savrinola. Savrinola surrendered to the Jamestown SWAT team at 6:43, releasing 27-year-old hostage Amanda Lazni when he surrendered. Lazni showed clear scars, reportedly having been tortured during her time as hostage.

Arthur Reed, spokesman for the Noria County Police Department, told reporters during a media conference nearby the scene that the department had received a 911 call from the grounds of a nearby Artorian religious building at approximately 1:42 to report an assault on a woman by what Reed described as "a middle-aged male". Police arrived on the scene promptly, but by that time the perpetrator had left alongside the woman, who was evidently taken hostage. Witnesses described the man as having been a leading figure at the East Noria Artorian Center (ENAC), one of the only seventeen Artorian religious buildings in the entire state.

At about 3:55, police determined the suspect to have taken refuge in a nearby apartment building, belonging to Kaden Stimson, 35, a Jamestown resident and newly converted Artorian. The Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the U.R. Department of Justice reported to the Noria Country Police Department at 4:17 that the man who took the hostage could potentially be Savrinola, a man suspected by the CID to be linked to KCP, an Artorian terrorist organization headquartered in Hamsburg, EN.

Within minutes, authorities had surrounded the home and a joint emergency response team consisting of CID and the local SWAT team entered a series of heated negotiations with a man inside the apartment who was reportedly holding a hostage. The hostage turned out to be young Lazni, a small businesswoman from Debruitt, who was reportedly brutally raped and tortured before police confronted the suspect at the door.

The suspect threatened to kill Lazni, prompting a long negotiation process and tense standoff that lasted until about 6:43, when Savrinola exited the building with Lazni and turned himself in. At the time, CID snipers that had taken a rooftop position across the street were preparing to kill him, telling negotiators to lure him near an exposed window on the side of the apartment.

Savrinola is a Rodarian national who has lived in the United Republic for upwards of two years, and has preached Artorian religious ideals at the East Noria Artorian Center in Jamestown since immigrating from Rodarion. He allegedly became a religious icon for Artorians within the country and gained the attention of the CID when he advocated Rodarion, an Artorian theocracy, to invade the United Republic last September in order to spread its religious and political ideology. Prior to his arrest this Saturday, he was considered one of the most influential Artorian clerics in the United Republic.

The police refused to comment on the ongoing investigation regarding Savrinola's motives, which are believed to be religious in nature. According to various accounts, Savrinola has actively advocated armed action against the United Republic for months.

It is currently unclear whether or not Rodarion will enter discussions with the United Republic regarding Savrinola, still a Rodarian citizen living in the U.R. with a green card.

Daniel Ellis is a reporter for the United Press. None of these organizations are associated with the UP or WZNN, and opinions in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the UP or WZNN or their employees.

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