Tyrrhenian Broadcasting Corporation: TBC News

by **Elcric Kcalb** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 3:15 pm

Kcalbite News Network
"Bringing you the latest, most reliable news from Elcric Kcalb, Tyrrhenia, and the world over."

Proposed Change to Anti-Communism Policy Reaches Corporate Senate

Gratenburg, Elcric Kcalb - After many months of hardship through the intangible bureaucracy of Elcric Kcalb, banking company H.A. Haarstad has finally thrust its revision to the Corporatocracy's Anti-Communism policy into discussion. Though this development will go a long way in seeing the proposal through, it is really only the beginning of the even longer process of drafting, debating, revising, and debating again the legislation. Though the road ahead is long and likely bumpy, company spokesperson Johnathon Scott remained hopeful.

"This is a tremendous step forward in correcting an unnecessarily aggressive aspect of our foreign policy, in addition to potentially breaking the stranglehold some Private Military Companies hold on the Corporate Senate." Scott said during a press release earlier this morning.

Since being passed in 1988, the Corporatocracy's Anti-Communism policy proclaimed the intention to intervene militarily wherever Communist revolts took place in the vicinity of Elcric Kcalb. Scott attributes the legislation's passing to "widespread paranoia directed against Communism at the time, in addition to the Corporate Senate's desire to make its Anti-Communism policy abundantly clear, and intimidating."

"Though the fact that Private Military Companies, such as Goliath and Tantamount, were at the height of their influence at the time, and were in the position to gain a lot from such an aggressive policy, definitely played another factor," Scott was quick to add.

H.A. Haarstad's proposed revision involves what could be described as a "preemptive strike in the form of timely investments." Instead of fighting Communist revolutionaries as they appear, the new policy will instead focus on preventing such revolutions before they can happen. The document asserts that Communist revolutions most commonly take place in countries suffering economically, where citizens would feel tempted by the promise of economic "equality" and putting the means of production in the hands of the masses. The solution, then, would be to invest in and partner with suffering countries to remedy their failing economies, thus eliminating any desire for such a revolution.

"With this policy, we will be able to expand Kcalbite influence, spread economic prosperity, and simultaneously enrich our own country. It will benefit us much more than our current policy, which calls for little more than turning nations suffering Communist uprisings into occupational zones."

by **New Belhavia** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 8:16 pm

OoC: This is an agreed-upon backdating by me and Cuk. If there are any comments or you want to make a reply, TG me. This is part of the RP-in-work between the Gratenburg Pact and IASM. IASM: If you want to reply, TG me.

THE PROVISA TIMES

Imperial War Ministry: Military Basing Rights Announced with Cukarica

_{Pictured: Camp Harbinger, under construction, 112 miles northwest of Neopolis, Cukarica}

Levalon: New Military Basing Rights With Cukarica Allow Empire 'Better Force Projection' Within Tyrrhenia
^{February 26th, 2013 | By Joseph T. Kollen (jtkollen@aij.org) (AIJ)}

PROVISA, New Belhavia — The Imperial War Ministry released a public statement announcing that the Imperial government has reached a deal with the government of Latin Imperium of Cukarica, an insular central Tyrrhenian nation, on military basing rights for Imperial forces set for the next twenty years. The War Ministry noted that "the Imperium of Cukarica has, for centuries, largely kept to itself...with this new engagement, Cukarica has agreed to allow Imperial forces to construct several military installations in the northwest of the country."

This surprise announcement comes nearly three weeks after the regional security conference at Gratenburg on February 5th, and several weeks after Akimonad has announced "freedom of navigation" exercises in Tyrrhenia to take place next month. Regional and international security experts are buzzing over the rumors that the Empire, Corporatocracy of Elcric Kcalb, and German Empire reached an accord on invading Titanicia, a failing totalitarian dystopia ostracized by the international community which is often referred to commonly as "the IASM." Officials at the War Ministry were especially tight-lipped, refusing to leak information to the press. When asked at the press conference whether this was an indication towards war with the IASM, Michael Levalon, Deputy Foreign Minister for Tyrrhenian Affairs, said flatly "no." Elaborating, he asserted that "these talks [with Cukarica] were in the works for a while now...the Empire is always interested in growing its global and regional force projection capabilities. This basing [deal] will allow us to contribute to that national security objective. The uncivilized savages in Titanicia are a different concern."

Sam Waterson, Levalon's predecessor in the Imperial Foreign Ministry who is now a regional security consultant at the Sam Rohr International Relations Policy Center, predicted conflict with Titanicia was not far off. "Let [us] be serious here...Provisa needs a staging area if it wants to effectively operate a theater [of combat] with IASM...Aschenhyrst and Tavok are too close and blunt to build up forces before [an invasion]. Cukarica...is sufficiently close but operationally secure from the UDT's reach. A perfect midway point to attack the barbarian realm." When asked for comment, a spokesman for both the War and Foreign Ministries declined to answer.

Garret D'Agos, a former foreign policy reporter for the Dakos Weekly who was named its social media blogger-in-chief last December, argued that this new military basing deal was, instead, a reaction to the planned Akimonadi-Maltropian naval exercises. Reporters found Deputy Foreign Minister for Allied Affairs Jacen Gray and his family leaving Cafe Ouredian, a upscale Emmerian restaurant in Kings Hill, and asked for comment on these rumors. Raising a hand to the cameras, Gray curtly retorted, "[The Foreign Ministry] categorically denies this [basing] deal with Cukarica as some sort of 'reaction' to Kent's latest provocation...this deal was being planned for several months, I can tell you. It's strictly a Tyrrhenian matter." He refused any more questions as he and his family escaped the press by getting in their S.U.V. and driving off.

Levalon vehemently disputed D'Ago's argument when e-mailed for comment, replying back that "A new military basing deal...to be set for twenty years is clearly too long to be some sort of a knee-jerk response to the Akimonadi's recently-announced exercises...so [Mr.] D'Ago's theory is plain wrong. This [deal] is strictly for Imperial force projection pursuit to our national security objectives within Tyrrhenia. I couldn't be more clear on the matter."

The first two military installations, Camps Harbinger and Victory, are set to be fully constructed within the week, using normal combat-tested military prefabricated buildings. An airbase will be attached to Camp Harbinger, and 2,000 Imperial Marines of the 21st Division will arrive by March 3rd. The Imperial Army's 4th Division is set to move out by March 8th, and 30,000 combat personnel will be garrisoned at the military installations by April 2nd, according to a supplemental report released to the press by the Imperial Logistics Department. Meanwhile, the 12th Carrier Fleet will be moving to port in Neopolis for what Levalon called an "indefinite period." The Imperial forces have scheduled a joint war games with local military authorities for mid-March.

Meanwhile, locals are thrilled about the chance for increased business with thousands of foreigners streaming in to work in the new military facilities. Economists estimate $974,000 in additional consumer spending will hit the surrounding communities, especially the entertainment, food, and hospitality sectors.

Joseph T. Kollen reported from Provisa. Michael Jacobson reported from Neopolis, Cukarica. None of these organizations are associated with the AIJ, and all opinions and personal views in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the AIJ or their employees.

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by **Prussia-Steinbach** » Wed May 15, 2013 8:13 am

PRUSSCORP.
International News Service

GERMANY "OPENING UP" - WITHDRAWS FROM IFA

Last night, the German Empire officially resigned its membership in the Imperial Fascist Alliance, a "collection of Fascists, Francoists, Right-Wing Total Monarchies, National Socialists, Rightist Stratocracies, and other Far-Right Dictatorships"

By HILMAR STERN
Published: May 14, 2013

BERLIN, German Empire — Several minutes ago, the Foreign Office officially tendered its resignation from the increasingly irrelevant Imperial Fascist Alliance. According the letter of resignation, "the time in which the German Empire needed the Imperial Fascist Alliance" had "come to an end." However, the language used throughout the notification of immediate secession was undeniably amiable, and Foreign Minister Paul von Bismarck expressed a fervent hope that the close relationship the German Empire had enjoyed with many IFA states would continue.

This came along with a press release by the Foreign Office, detailing a change to imperial foreign policy. Questioning the wisdom of "alienating fellow right-wing states and democracies" and stating that Germany would from now on seek "firm friendship with nations that share our own ideals" and are "nearby our own geographic location," the document adopted a tone of conciliation of near-apologetic sincerity. Announcing that the German Empire would begin seeking closer trade and diplomatic relationships with countries such as Yohannes, the Allamunnic States, and Ascelonia, this is a major turn from the increasingly-hostile and self-promoting path the Empire has recently been taking.

"We are committed to increasing the prominence of Tyrrhenia as a whole," Foreign Minister Bismarck said in the release's introduction. "Our policy is not only to fight Communism and to enrich the Empire — though those are priorities — it is to help our fellow Waldenburgian and right-wing countries achieve a degree of success that others may not ever experience."

The press release was, however, significantly Tyrrhenia-centric, though it also stressed that nations of the far-left would not be worked with, as per usual imperial policy. Stating that "our region is of major importance," it expressed a desire to "rid Tyrrhenia of the Red Horde," and replace it with "liberal democracy and traditionalist monarchy."

"Let us enter a new era of creative Enlightenment combined with practical Realpolitik," Bismarck wrote, in a flourishing script copied to the document. "The world is a new place; it is a place for strength, and a place for wisdom in using it. Let us hope we may exercise both needs."

Hilmar Stern reported from Berlin.

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fluffitypeff Berlin, Brandenburg
...what's the IFA

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May 15, 2013 at 4:51 p.m.

Mark G. Wustrow, Hanover
We were members of the IFA?

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May 14, 2013 at 4:51 p.m.

brare89 Luckenwalde, Brandenburg
The Empire's definition of "open" is kind of amusing, tbh.

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May 14, 2013 at 4:52 p.m.

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by **Elcric Kcalb** » Mon May 20, 2013 6:14 pm

Short article in bound, because I don't care much for writing more.

Kcalbite News Network
"Bringing you the latest, most reliable news from Elcric Kcalb, Tyrrhenia, and the world over."

"That's Not Very Nice." - Exec. Chairman Wilhelm Adenauer

Gratenburg, Elcric Kcalb - A release of information within the United Republic of Emmeria prompted an emergency session of the Executive Chairman and his cabinet earlier today. The leak consisted of a telegram, now dubbed the "Gratenburg Telegram," which asserts the existence of a regional alliance between the Corporatocracy, the German Empire, New Belhavia, and potentially other parties. The telegram also asserts that the meeting cementing said alliance took place within Gratenburg, in addition to that the alliance had a vested interest in invading one country or another. At the end of the session, the Executive Chairman addressed reporters in regards to the article with the following statements.

"I'm not going to comment on the accuracy of that cable. It isn't really necessary at this point. What I will comment on is the United Republic's interest in giving us our 'Acaema, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.' That's not very nice. I'm inclined to believe that, when faced with such a statement, most leaders would get angry and say mean things. I don't think that's entirely necessary at this point either. People have said enough mean things in that "war of words" debacle going on. The very same debacle my staff and I have decided not to take part in- and will continue to do exactly that. It's rather silly."

"Fortunately enough, I don't like to get angry and say mean things, call for blood, fire the missiles, etc, etc. What I would like is for representatives from the U.R. to sit down with representatives from the Corporatocracy and, mayhaps, discuss the reasoning for wishing to give us such a hard time. We try to be reasonable here in the Corporatocracy, so it honestly should not be that alien an idea that Emmeria and Elcric Kcalb can cooperate on some level."

After these statements, the Executive Chairman declined further comments and questions.

by **The Fanboyists** » Sat May 25, 2013 1:47 am

Move Pays Early Dividends
Polls Show Filie & Andrsunn with a commanding lead early in general race
May 15th, 2013

FAEDRULHULM, Allamunnic States - Two months later, the Centrist Coalition is receiving big rewards for the renewal of the coalition: with former Presidential Candidates Heinrich Grimm and Danielle Andrsunn out of the field and campaigning for the coalition (with Andrsunn set to become Chancellor if the party wins the elections). Over the earlier months of the campaigns, the two were perceived to be the biggest threat to President Andrew Filie's reelection bid. With arguably the three most popular candidates consolidated into a single bloc, the Centrist juggernaut looks to have maintained its momentum.

That is not, however, from lack of trying on the part of their opponents. Workers' Party candidate Eric Wilson, along with his running-mate, Edryk Hendriksunn, have been campaigning relentlessly, playing up what they call Filie's pro-wealthy agenda, arguing that he has not been tough enough on businesses that mistreat their workers.

In the heavily-industrial Allamunnic States, the balance between unions and big businesses is still a hot issue, with many claiming that work-places are still not safe enough, and that health benefits and job security for injured workers are insufficient compared to the dangers of work in the factories. Some argue that it is because the government (in particular the Filie administration) has not been tough enough on big businesses, while others claim that allowing large levels of unionization would destroy the national economy. Others claim that this is all a side-effect of legislation passed in 2009 intended to clean up the nation's environment, stating that this legislation passed the cost onto businesses, who have either cut pay and benefits or laid off workers, passing the cost onto taxpayers.

A planned strike at the automobile factories across the city of Meuse, the nation's largest automotive manufacturing center, is expected to test the administration's position on the issue.

by **The Fanboyists** » Sat May 25, 2013 2:37 am

Automotive Workers Strike in Meuse
Estimated 368,000 workers go on strike
May 19th, 2013

As threatened, workers at six automotive companies' factories went on strike yesterday after an incident earlier in the month in which a worker at Piekskaart was severely-injured in a workplace accident and was denied his pension and compensatory benefits. Workers employed by Northwatch Auto (also known as "Naut"), Burgurvogun, Piekskaart, Holt, Fedorson, and Meuse Motor Company are all involved in the strike.

Piekskaart CEO Galen Frost called the walk-off "unacceptable" and threatened those workers participating with the loss of their jobs. "This is not how we go about business here in the States, and in Meuse in particular." Of course, numerous union employees begged to differ.

"We tried everything else, petitioning the boards of directors, petitioning the government, asking for a federal investigation. Nothing seemed to get the executives' attention. So now, we've been left with no other choice," said a union member, asking that they not be identified.

Piekskaart, Fedorson, and the Meuse Motor Company have all announced plans to hire non-union workers to maintain production during the strike. No statement has been released by Holt, while Naut and Burgurvogun (both public-private partnership companies) have both indicated willingness to negotiate with workers.

Workers' Party presidential candidate Eric Wilson praised the unions and their representatives for being willing to take such action, calling them "an example of integrity for workers around the nation." One of his opponents, Isaac Muhlenkampf of the Moralist Coalition, disapproved in terms that cannot be printed in an all-ages news resource. At press-time, current-President Andrew Filie had yet to release a statement.

UPDATE: Filie has made an appearance on television with the governor of Northwatch and the mayor of Meuse, releasing a joint statement:
"While we do not oppose the Allamunnic Automotive Workers' right to strike and protest perceived unfair treatment, we ask both sides to remain open to negotiation, so as to avoid any outcome that would prove mutually-damaging."

Erin Brantley is a permanent staff member of TBC's Northwatch Office. She reported from Meuse.

by **The Fanboyists** » Sat May 25, 2013 3:19 am

Strike Escalates, Violence at the Picket Lines
Seven injured after brawl erupts
May 24th, 2013

Strike-breaking workers attempted to enter a Piekskaart factory, yesterday, but they were met with resistance from strikers. During a small scuffle as strikers attempted to prevent the workers from entering the factory, a striker was struck in the face, which ignited a brawl between strikers and strike-breakers. Seven people were injured, although a total of nine persons received hospital attention after being arrested. The fight lasted about four minutes, witnesses report, at which point police monitoring the strikes separated the belligerents and arrested those involved. A total of eleven persons were arrested, with charges (likely of public disorder, as well as assault in a few cases) pending at press-time.

In response to the violence, Meuse Police Chief Domerik Skmyt ordered the police presence monitoring the strike to be increased from 26 officers to 43 officers, and with riot police on standby in the event of further violence. At a press conference, Skmyt stated that "no matter how strongly those involved feel about the strike, or those breaking it, there is no excuse for violence, now, or ever." He added that the police would allow the public demonstrations associated with the strike to continue so long as there was no further threat to public safety.

However, that was not enough for business owners, including Galen Frost, the CEO of Piekskaart, who announced that from now on, strike-breaking workers would be accompanied by private security personnel. "This company owes it to its consumers and stock-holders, as well as its other employees, to remain functioning and producing. The police are too few in number to help us protect this investment, nor is it their job, so to that end, we have hired security personnel who will henceforth be guarding all of our employees attempting to work during the strike." Executives at Meuse Motor Company and Fedorson have taken similar action, with the three companies hiring approximately 12,000 security personnel between them in Meuse alone.

Though the move is legal, several pundits and law enforcement officers have cried foul over it. Once officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that bringing in private security "is just adding kerosene to a powder keg." Others have echoed that state of mind, saying that the introduction of private security greatly increases the risk of further violence.

In related events, after brief negotiations involving guarantee of pensions and compensatory injury benefits, workers at Naut and Burgurvogun returned to work. It is believed that this will increase pressure on the four remaining companies suffering from the strike as their competitors return to full-capacity production.

Updates will continue from Meuse as events unfold.

Erin Brantley is a permanent staff member of TBC's Northwatch Office. She reported from Meuse.

by **New Belhavia** » Sun May 26, 2013 9:54 pm

THE PROVISA TIMES

Imperial Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Stand-Alone Military Appropriations Bill After War Ministry's Lobbying

_{Pictured: Senate Majority Leader Ian Settas (C-Provisa) talking to reporters after the bill's passage.}

Overwhelming Bipartisan Support Ensures "Strategic Naval Initiative" Is Fully Funded With Duty Surcharge
^{May 27th, 2013 | By Andrew Kominsky (akominsky@aij.org) (AIJ)}

PROVISA, New Belhavia — Late Sunday evening, the Imperial Senate overwhelming passed an emergency stand-alone military appropriations bill 47 - 23, garnering exactly 2/3rds support in the chamber that crossed party lines. The passage of the bill is a victory for Senate Majority Leader Ian Settas (C-Provisa), a possible Conservative 2016 presidential candidate whose knack for coalition-building within the slow-to-move Imperial legislature prevailed on this key piece of appropriations.

Although the Imperial budget process begins in January and goes through committee write-ups and a floor vote by July 1st, the Imperial Navy had lobbied strongly for the emergency stand-alone appropriations bill, which can be considered without a lengthy committee review if its declared a "measure for national security" and has sustainable, specific spending cuts - called "offsets" in government parlance - or revenue sources attached to fully fund it.

Following the start of the global War of Words between the Anti-Communism Alliance (A.C.A.), the center-right defensive alliance and a geopolitical oppositional bloc led by the nation of Akimonad in February, the Imperial military High Command ordered a comprehensive strategic, operational, and geopolitical review of the Imperial Navy's capabilities following the turn of events on the world stage, which will affect Imperial force projection, particularly the Imperial Fleet's "blue water navy" abilities, toward global foes. After a two-month review process, Admiral Daniel Davos, the Chairman of the Imperial Naval Command, released a 44-page report called the "Strategic Naval Initiative" as a conclusion of the Navy's top-down review.

On May 1st, Davos outlined several shifts, both in the short-, medium-, and long-term, in the Imperial Navy's combat readiness, and overall operational focus. Chiefly, he announced that "[O]ur command ship and fire support capabilities will need to be modified in the changing condition of today's navy," pausing to comment that "[W]hile the Imperial Navy will continue to utilize modernized Iowa-class battleships in that operational sense, Naval Command believes that the Monarch-class battleship produced by Triumvirate Enterprises in Pardes will gradually become the primary warship class of command and fire support warships." He elaborated that "Following the 'cooling off' in the War of Words, the Empire's warmer relations with the Kingdom of Belfras will see the transfer of two Perun-class aviation battleships and one Monarch-class command ship from Belfrasian service to the Imperial Navy, where we can realize the needed shift in combat capabilities outlined in the Strategic Naval Initiative." This revamping of Navy warships will cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next few years, coinciding with the SNI report's call to raise the overall number of commissioned warships to 750 by 2018.

Within days of the unveiling of the SNI report, Admiral Davos and multiple senior officers within the Imperial War Ministry publicly called on the Imperial Senate to pass a stand-alone military appropriations bill to fund this five-year naval expansion. President Goldman endorsed the measure a week later during an interview on INN. War Minister Jan Argan and Admiral Davos did a week-long media blitz to promote the Strategic Naval Initiative. On May 16th, a bipartisan contingent of national security hawks led by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Adrian Kalian (C-Dakos) announced that the anticipated funds to pay for the military expansion could be raised through a 1.5% custom duty surcharge on all imports, levied on top of existing tariffs, which differ on a sliding scale depending on the good. The Imperial Budget Office estimated in January that the average tariff on an imported good was 2.1%.

In the last week, Senate Majority Leader Ian Settas whipped his Conservative Party caucus, as well as sympathetic swing votes in the Liberal Democratic Party caucus, and scheduled a vote for Sunday, remarking Thursday afternoon that "I have [all] the votes I need to pass this bill," referencing anonymous tips to the press that Settas had at least 42 votes to defeat a filibuster, which requires 60% of members to vote to proceed in a cloture floor vote to defeat a filibuster in the 70-member Senate chamber. On Saturday, the Senate engaged in a marathon session that defeated almost all attempts to add amendments, called "riders," onto the appropriation package. At 10:36 pm on Sunday, Settas announced that with all votes cast, the bill passed 47 to 23, with 'yes' votes coming from 37 Conservatives and 10 Liberal Democrats, and 15 Lib Dems, all 4 Libertarians, and 4 Conservatives voting 'no'. Nearly the entire Conservative caucus, which has a solid 41-member majority, backed the measure, with all ten crossover Lib Dem votes coming from "rightist" moderates. The 15 'no' Lib Dem votes came from the so-called 'peaceniks' from the left-wing of the center-left opposition party. All four Libertarian Party senators, all staunchly opposed to interventionism abroad, were joined by four libertarian Conservatives, who defected to vote no.

The bill has the 1.5% custom duty surcharge levied at all points of entry into the Empire starting June 1st at 12:01am by the Imperial Department of Immigration, Border Enforcement, and Customs, an Interior Ministry organ that is directed by statute to collect all tariffs, duties, and import taxes for the Ministry of the Treasury.

Andrew Kominsky reported from Provisa, N.B. None of these organizations are associated with the AIJ, and all opinions and personal views in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the AIJ or their employees.

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by **New Belhavia** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:19 pm

[OoC note: I had Pruss' blessing to RP Bismarck in my article's first paragraphs.]

THE PROVISA TIMES

In A Startling Move, the A.C.A. Disbands, German Foreign Ministry Says

_{Pictured: The Anti-Communism Alliance (A.C.A.) Central Administration Building in downtown Berlin, German Empire.}

German Foreign Minister: The Alliance "Has Fulfilled Its Purpose Brilliantly"
^{June 24th, 2013 | By Andrew Kominsky (akominsky@aij.org) (AIJ)}

PROVISA, New Belhavia — In a unforeseen move, the international geopolitical stage was turned upside down as the German Foreign Ministry announced that the Anti-Communism Alliance (A.C.A.), a center-right global defensive alliance dedicated to fighting far-left dictatorships and defending economic freedom, has disbanded effective immediately. Foreign Minister Bismarck announced at an impromptu press conference Monday afternoon in downtown Berlin that "[t]he Kaiser, in consultation with the alliance Grand Council delegates, has decided that the [A.C.A.] has achieved its purpose and no longer needs to continue to function as a coherent organization," continuing that "the alliance will be dissolved hereby immediately."

When pressed for comment by an array of international reporters, Bismarck remarked that "[the German Empire] has always envisioned an end point for the alliance; once its objective was concluded, there would be no further need for it." One journalist asked if this was a victory for the anti-ACA geopolitical oppositional bloc led by the nation of Akimonad, to which the German Foreign Minister quipped, "Not for an Autobahn minute. This decision was made by our highest echelons, of our own volition. Without even a shot fired. The foes of Germany may try to pat themselves on the back, but they had no involvement in His Majesty [the Kaiser]'s decision on the [A.C.A.]'s fate."

The Imperial Leadership Scrambles In Wake of Geopolitical Chaos

The senior tier of Imperial officials seemed to react in a distracted fog, their usual confident - even arrogant or snarky - demeanor in foreign affairs having seemingly vanished. The Imperial Foreign Ministry released a curt statement to all Provisa pool reporters from major domestic and foreign media outlets: "The Empire of New Belhavia has always stood as a beacon of freedom and liberty, fighting to spread economic prosperity and freeing the oppressed peoples of the world from the discredited, evil communist ideology that that still tyrannizes select nations around the world. The Empire's geopolitical Anti-Communist Project will continue, whether the A.C.A. had lived on as a global organization or not."

Deputy Foreign Minister for Allied Affairs Jacen Gray, the son of corporate mogul Harold Gray, the so-called "global face of the A.C.A.," and likely Senate aspirant for the open Freeport seat in 2014, has keep a low profile since news broke about the ACA's dissolution. A spokesman for the deputy Foreign Minister's office declined to answer any questions. Mr. Gray, found by reporters having lunch with colleagues at the premier Emmerian restaurant Cafe Ouredian, waved off an onslaught of questions, saying offhandedly as he left that "this notion of me being the 'face of the ACA' or its 'spokesman' is categorically false...a label promoted by others who know, frankly, nothing." He left without further comment. Opposition Liberal Democrats, led by his likely Lib Dem opponent in the Freeport Senate race, ex-governor Jack Haller, piled on what they called Mr. Gray's "flip-flopping," charging the unofficial Conservative candidate as a hypocrite and "far-right extremist," allegations senior Conservative Party leaders immediately denounced as malicious and "patently wrong."

The Offices of His Majesty and the President both refused comment, declining to respond to reporter inquiries. Imperial Foreign Minister Joseph Hansdann, however, summoned reporters for a brief press conference inside the Ministry. When pressed on Belhavian intentions going forward with former geopolitical foes such as the Republic and Commonwealth of Akimonad, among others, Hansdann adopted a conciliatory tone. "The Empire [of New Belhavia] has, at times, had an acrimonious relation with many nations, particularly the Akimonadis, who as geopolitical...sparring partners...engaged in heated rhetoric." Raising the palms of his hands, the Foreign Minister shrugged, "But really, the A.C.A. business aside...New Belhavia and Akimonad have much in common...similiar cultures, politics, etc. We would be amenable to repairing diplomatic relations and re-examining things such as trade embargoes," adding hastily, "Only, of course, if nations such as Akimonad are mutually interested in doing so as well."

On the Rise and Fall of the A.C.A.: Is the Global Trend Towards Anti-Communism Its Lasting Legacy?

The Provisa political establishment, including politicians, pundits, academics, and government officials, has scrambled to form coherent theories of how the Empire proceeds in a post-A.C.A. world order. On the hard right, a faction of ultra-nationalists have rallied around ACA stalwarts Senator James Gulden (C-Raffen) and neoconservative think tank scholar Jeffrey Goldberg. Goldberg, when reached for comment, argued that "the global rightward shift [towards anti-communism] by a vast majority of first-rate worlds in our current international system is a clear indication that the A.C.A., as [Foreign] Minister Bismarck suggested, has 'achieved its purpose.' Before the A.C.A.'s rapid rise and global ascendency, the communist and socialist blocs had an advantage in crafting world politics." He elaborated, "With the [A.C.A.] on the scene this past year, international geopolitics took a swift turn to the right. Even the libertarian white knight faction," crudely referring to the anti-ACA bloc, "Had stepped up its anti-communist policing actions and foreign policy. This is the A.C.A.'s lasting legacy." He concluded.

However, domestic ACA critics and opponents, such as Scott Lerner, a left-leaning scholar at the centrist Provisa think tank, The Center for Responsible Media and Government (CRMG), asserted that "[t]he Akimonadis and Emmerians [were] right on point - the A.C.A. was a crypto-fascist alliance of warmongers and tyrannies, and our country's role in it was shameful and disgusting." He continued that "we should atone for our membership and conduct by allying ourselves with [our] former geopolitical foes - Akimonad, Emmeria, Austria-Bohemia-Hungary, the United States of Minnysota - right in our geographic backyard - and others." Leading Liberal Democratic Senator John Fellan of Merrina Province, an outspoken member of the opposition party's far left-wing, essentially concurred. "We must demonstrate to the virtuous nations of the international community that New Belhavia will shake off the taint of the ACA and recalibrate its foreign policy towards Kent, Oured, and so on."

However, Senator Gulden advocated a different vision: "[New] Belhavia must maintain its prominence in the community of now-defunct ACA nations, to rally them in a new offensive against the world's remaining few Communist and socialist regimes. Our foes can not be accommodated! Only through a neo-A.C.A. league rising from the ashes of Berlin's failed endeavor can we accomplish the Anti-Communist Project through the utter and wanton destruction of the Communist bloc."

Bracketed by these extremes - or in spite of them - a new consensus is emerging among the majority of the political establishment. Co-opting ideas from both hardline rhetorical camps, a mainstream faction led by Senate Majority Leader Ian Settas (C-Provisa), a possible 2016 presidential contender, has put forward a different path. "The Empire [of New Belhavia] has already established an alternative, non-A.C.A. geopolitical network of influence, diplomatic ties, and alliances," Settas spoke candidly in an exclusive interview granted to the Provisa Times. "The United Republic [of Emmeria], the Itailian Empire, [the Kingdom of] Belfras, Gratislavia, [the Kingdom of] Afalia, and so on...the Empire is free to build a course in a rightist, anti-communist community of global powers who are eager to leave [New] Belhavia's A.C.A. past behind to craft a new world stage...where the few remnants of Communist regimes are isolated, neutralized, and liberated. I feel confident about our nation's path going forward."

Andrew Kominsky reported from Provisa, N.B. Joseph T. Kollen reported from Berlin, Germany. None of these organizations are associated with the AIJ, and all opinions and personal views in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the AIJ or their employees.

MORE IN SPECIAL EDITION: A.C.A. COLLAPSE

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War Ministry Announces Naval Base Lease in Itailian Empire [ 906 ]
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ACA Hardliner Pundits Rally Around Sen. Gulden, Analyst Jeffrey Goldberg [ 99 ]

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by **Ascelonia** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:40 pm

Markets Uncertain as ACA Disbands

_{Stock indices drop as word of ACA's demise spreads.}

ACA No More Today
^{June 24th, 2013By Patrik V. Rosgeld (pvrosgeld@sva.org)}

Mednordia City, Mednordian International Canal Zone - Facing extreme pressure from it's critics, the Anti-Communism Alliance disbanded today with an announcement from its long time de facto leader, Kaiser B.E. Steinbach of the German Empire. The organization left an indelible mark on the world with its firebrand politics and aggressive positioning that almost drew its membership into a war with right-wing Pardesian statess. Moreover, the threat of intervention from Akimonad against the increasingly belligerent German Empire prior to the dissolution of the coalition lead some experts to believe that Akimonad and its allies forced Bismarck into a position where dismantling the alliance was his only option.

Dr. Harald Joohal of the Institute of Tyrrhenian Affairs, a foreign policy think-tank based in Cyrone, remarked, "The fact that the ACA disbanded so suddenly and without explanation must be a certain indication of tensions building up behind the scenes. Bismarck either couldn't keep a lid on internal issues or he couldn't wiggle out of the mounting crisis with Akimonad." Joohal went on to explain that the German Empire's actions have left a power vacuum in the region. "Without a Tyrrhenian organization in the international scene, the region will likely be less secure and more prone to piracy and imperialism from outside." Joohal's concerns have been reflected in the presence of extraregional leftist military forces in Levantia and a sharp decline in investor confidence at home.

The MEDNDEX, or the Mednordia Investment Index, dropped 173 points today as speculators coped with the news of the ACA's demise. In particular, the armaments industry, recently recovering from the succession crisis and the government's insolvency, suffered huge losses in derivatives and futures. Several other export sectors of the economy lost significant value with businesses that dealt with the German Empire, including a couple of tobacco retailers and shipping firms, taking the brunt of the impact. The losses began immediately following the announcement from Berlin, halting once Empress Caroline made an appearance with elected Chancellor Tahira in the Mednordian International Canal Zone to declare Ascelonian intentions to protect regional trade and defend the region against external threats.

"Today, we've seen the failure of aggressive 'diplomacy'. Violent posturing with belligerent rhetoric only creates enemies. Bismarck and Steinbach were men who sought battles with democratic republics and their sympathizers. They ended up making enemies out of democracies and republics. That will not be our perogative," Caroline said with a dozen of the country's leading businessmen at her back. "Ascelonia will not seek enemies outside the region. However, we will build partnerships with other countries who value free trade and free markets, and we will continue defending this region, not because some politician says so, but because the people of the country and the free peoples of the region demand it."

Amid the speech, several left-wing protestors heckled Caroline before being driven off with anti-capitalist slogans and red banners. Toward the close of the rally, Caroline handed off the microphone to Chancellor Tahira who had this to say, "We are not an imperialist nation and we will not seek unilateral policies in the region. In fact, we are currently in talks with allies and friendly countries in the region to plan for a future without the ACA and with a strong regional defense policy." Several pundits, especially on left-leaning talk shows, have blasted the speech despite the fact that the stock market's sharp drop slowed as a result of it.

Ascelonia Tonight's Rebecca Aversly spoke to an audience of twenty million viewers, "Caroline's playing a dangerous game. She can't pursue an interventionist policy like her predecessors. That's why we were several trillion dollars in debt and why we were forced to sell off major government assets. We cannot continue down the path of privatization and economic liberalization. We need more protections and more spending at home instead of abroad."

On the other hand, political theorist and international relations specialist Jorhal said this about the new Empress, "Caroline, unlike Steinbach, knows where to delegate her authority. She knows that she needs to work with other nations and give them a say in any partnership. However, she's not the type who would let them exploit our friendliness and generosity. Carolinian politics and policies are here to stay and, based on what we've seen thus far, that's a damn good thing."

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Broadcasting Corporation, the Stem van Azkelonica, or the Ascelonian Government.

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by **New Belhavia** » Fri Jun 28, 2013 6:34 pm

THE PROVISA TIMES

Joint Belhavian-Ascelonian Naval Exercises Launched in South Tyrrhenian Sea in Empire's First Post-A.C.A. Move

_{Pictured: Imperial War Minister Jan Argan gesturing at a press conference Friday afternoon.}

Argan: Joint Naval Exercises "Due To Closer Geopolitical Relationship" Between Nations
^{June 28th, 2013 | By Joseph T. Kollen (jtkollen@aij.org) (AIJ)}

PROVISA, New Belhavia — Late Friday afternoon, Imperial War Minister Jan Argan announced that the Empire of New Belhavia and Western Tyrrhenian nation of the Grand Republic of Ascelonia would be conducting joint military exercises, starting this weekend and continuing for two weeks. The Ascelonian 3rd Levantian Task Force, commanded by Commodore Valeria Behrstein from the Caroline-class fleet carrier HMS Relentless, will conduct maritime and amphibious naval war games with the Imperial 3rd Fleet, headed by Rear Admiral Davin Jacobson in his flagship, the De Ruyter-class Battlecruiser Counterpunch. The Imperial 3rd Fleet is based in the Shelvay Islands Crown Territory deep in the South Tyrrhenian Sea nearby German and other tropical colonies.

The two naval squadrons will transverse the South Tyrrhenian Sea, rendezvousing north of the Aurelius Islands and engage in a round of war games that will see the two strike forces head south to Lamehk, north to port calls in the small western Waldenburger principality of Krune, before parting ways. During the southern leg of the exercises, the joint force will practice amphibious landing missions in the Shelvay Islands Territory. At the press conference, War Minister Argan lauded the move as "[a] sign of closer relations...it's due to [our] closer geopolitical relationship over the last few months." He added that he "anticipates both naval fleets will conduct themselves professionally, productively, and honorably," quipping, "we don't want a war, now do we?" This elicited chuckles from the gathered journalists.

Is Caroline Positioning Ascelonia Towards the Grat Pact, Eastern Tyrrhenian Powers?

After the recently-ended Ascelonian War of Succession, more commonly called the "Succession Crisis" within the Grand Republic itself, Empress Caroline is a broadly-popular monarch but whose reign is threatened by her tenuous hold over Ascelonian elites, many of whom opposed her bid for the throne. Professor Alan Kierkgaard, an Ascelonian political scientist who is a guest lecturer at Imperial Provisa University, asserted that "[Empress] Caroline needs to recalibrate her foreign policy...the previous policy of restraint and pseudo-isolationism hasn't worked - and won't work - thus threatening her reign." He elaborated, "a more forceful foreign policy by her will solidify her strength among Ascelonia's middle and lower strata, while weakening opposition from elites."

Jeffrey Goldberg, a noted realist thinker whose prominence in the public sphere on the news network circuit and, more recently, a leader of a faction of stalwarts still hewing to the defense of the now-defunct Anti-Communism Alliance (A.C.A.), argues that "Ascelonia has taken steps in recent months to align itself with East Tyrrhenia, where the 'Grat Pact' nations, who are the regional hegemons, lie...its a shrewd strategy: she opens up new markets and alliances, while allowing the 'Grat Pact' to do the heavy lifting." Sam Waterson, a regional security consultant at the Sam Rohr International Relations Policy Center who first made public rumors about the shadowy tripartite geopolitical league between the Empire, Germany, and Elcric Kcalb, opined that "[Empress] Caroline is walking a political tightrope...on the one hand, she risks a backlash at home if she seems to be 'cozying' up with the Grat Pact regional hegemons." He continued "on the other hand, however, she needs to secure Ascelonia's place in the regional order, and that means coming to terms with the Grat Pact leaders."

The Empire's reach into Western Tyrrhenia is limited. Imperial embassies and private industry trade contacts are fairly modest, though Ascelonia has moved up the Imperial Economic Statistics Bureau (IESB)'s ranking list of regional trade partners from 33rd to 21st since 2003. The closest Belhavian military presence is in northwest Cukarica, where the Imperial High Command has 50,000 ground troops, a full Air Wing, and a carrier strike force. "The outreach goes both ways," Goldberg added. "Ascelonia comes closer to East Tyrrhenia, but New Belhavia and other Grat Pact nations may begin to have some influence in Western Tyrrhenia as well." "Indeed," Waterson concurred, it is a two-way street. The Imperial leadership knows what its doing here."

Joseph T. Kollen reported from Provisa, N.B. Andrew Kominsky reported from Mednordia City, Mednordian International Canal Zone. None of these organizations are associated with the AIJ, and all opinions and personal views in the article do not reflect the viewpoints of the AIJ or their employees.

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