The Democritus Sun (approved participants only)

[Anxiety Cafe]

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At-Home and Abroad, Argentina Strengthens Ties
Buenos Aires — 30 January 1990

El Obelisco during the lighting up ceremony

The past week has been one of intense diplomatic activity as Argentina's leadership seeks to improve regional relations with her South American brethren. Just a few days ago, His Majesty King Alberto received the Colombian President Espinar in the Royal Palace in La Plata as the latter ended his grand tour of South America, engaging in productive discussions with the region's most powerful leaders. King Alberto and President Espinar have been close friends and allies since the latter's rise to power, with Argentina being among the first nations to recognize Espinar's new government and the King personally releasing a statement shortly after commending Espinar's efforts to stabilize the country.

The two are said to have met privately in the Royal Palace and conducted hourslong negotiations over topics unknown, with the usually high-profile and politically-active Royal Family maintaining strict secrecy over the contents of the meeting. However, the Palace commented that the discussions were "extremely productive" and that "the friendship between Argentina and Colombia has never been stronger."

The President Espinar departed from nearby Buenos Aires to return to his home country at the end of his visit, although not before the two visited the city's famed Obelisco, which had been lit up with the colors of the Argentine and Colombian flags as a testament to Argentine-Colombian solidarity and the strong relations between the two countries. Espinar gifted the King a silver Morion helmet in preparation for celebrations of the 180th anniversary of Argentina's founding later this year.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Andea, where Espinar had also visited, Prime Minister Aguirre met with his Andean counterpart President Sánchez to congratulate him on his recent election and begin negotiations over the proposed free trade agreement, marking, "a new era in Argentine-Andean relations." Before departing to Lima, the Prime Minister celebrated the historic event, which commentators have deemed "the first major breakthrough in decades."

PM Aguirre emerged from their meetings with promises to continue his best efforts to improve bilateral relations, alongside a preliminary framework for several diplomatic and economic agreements to be further discussed between the two countries. He later stated that the visit, although his first to the country, is unlikely to be his last, as he complemented Sánchez on his "like-minded policy goals" and "desire for cooperation."

Among these agreements is an ambitious student exchange program, which seeks to bring hundreds of Andean students to prestigious Argentine universities such as the University of Buenos Aires and the National University of Córdoba - educational institutions renowned nationwide but also within the Ibero-American world for their great academic rigor, famed alumni, and research output.

Other agreements were developmental in nature. One would see the construction of a rail line between the Andean city of Tarija and the Argentine Orán. This latter city, of course, being part of what PM Aguirre's office has identified as the "Northwestern Pole", an axis of national importance where infrastructural investments aim for easier freight and passenger rail interconnections among the region's (and some of the nation's) largest cities, like Tucumán, Salta, San Salvador - and Pichanal, whose port lies at the highest navigable point of the Bermejo River.

Further agreements focused on gradual improvements of the economic linkages between the two nations, including an eventual easement of trade barriers, intended to spur cross-border activity. Although not concrete yet, several of Argentina's largest food companies have already expressed interest in establishing food processing facilities in the northern neighbor, since the proposed lessening of tariffs would allow for cheaper production and trade.

Upon his return, Aguirre met with King Alberto and the two released a joint statement emphasizing the history and culture that linked the South American nations together as well as their desire to continue strengthening relations. This rapid rise in bilateral diplomatic activity has led some to float the idea of a larger multilateral forum for regional cooperation, although neither figure has yet publicly discussed the possibility.

[Nowa Polonie]

Womens' Protests Continue, Primate of Poland issues statement



The Primate of Poland, Cardinal Jozef Glemp, has spoken out amid continuing controversy surrounding the Catholic Church in Poland and abroad - this comes as a break with the Vatican, which has continued to remain silent on the issue - speaking on the issues facing the Church within Poland during a sermon in which the Cardinal spoke of several topics, primarily St. Brigid of Ireland, who holds the date as one of her Saintly Days. On the controversy, however, Glemp spoke candidly and for some length, offering the Church's ''Unreserved and complete apology,'' for crimes committed in the past, and stated that in his capacity at the Primate of Poland, and a Cardinal within the Curia, he would use what means were available to him to convince the Pontiff to adopt an official stance on the issue for the wider Church.

Speaking of his ''Personal regrets'', Glemp's sermon, perhaps rather than producing the conciliatory effect intended, has acted only to inflame division - both within the protest movement and within the Church also. Many within the Church feel that the country is abandoning Roman Catholicism as its traditional pre-eminent religion, and take Glemp's 'surrender' as an indication that the authority of the Church is under real threat - they are a minority, however, and many more feel that Glemp's apology is a step towards reconciliation. The protest movement has seen a somewhat mirror effect; more radical protestors believe that this comes as the first real sign of weakness from the Church, while moderates believe that the time has now come to begin more productive dialogue. It is apparent that the extremists of both groups belong to the 'extremes' of the right and left-wings of Polish politics respectively, with goals ranging from the de-secularization of the country, to the implementation of state atheism and the soft persecution of religious institutions.

While small Church groups have begun to actively address the controversy and to begin dialogue, the wider Church in Poland itself has stopped short of anything more than an apology, while Glemp speaks on behalf of the Church in Poland - the matter continues to cause controversy abroad, which will continue to spill over into Poland. It is clear that until the Pontiff himself addresses the controversy, no meaningful conclusion will be reached.

Riots in Kyiv, ZOMO Deployed



Formed in 1972, the Motorized People's Milicja Reserve, or ZOMO, was formed as an elite armed-police unit to be used to assist the Milicja, Policja and Border Protection Service in matters of riot control, counter-terrorism and other sensitive tasks. Since then, however, it has readily become known as the iron fist that the Polish Government makes use of when its silk gloves fail - political opponents and dissidents refer to them derisively as the 'Beating heart of Polish law and order', and their appearance generally marks a trend towards the rapid reintroduction of 'lawful peace', or a prelude to the introduction of martial law.

General unrest across the country has manifested in Kyiv with a series of riots. Although the Ukrainian Federal Republic does not have a majority Catholic population, and the greatest extent of anger has flown over their heads, within Kyiv itself, a large population of Poles saw smallscale demonstrations take place throughout the city. Under normal circumstances, such a thing would be above the notice, or likely tacitly encouraged by local politicans, eager to avoid, or court, controversy. In Kyiv, however, the presence of a large Russian-speaking, Russophilic minority complicates the issue. While most Russian-speakers in Ukraine are not actively Russophilic, or even sympathetic to the Soviets, within border territories, and particularly Kyiv, Soviet agitation has bloated local support for Ukrainian nationalist groups, as well as pro-Soviet fifth-columnists.

Kyiv lies a short boat trip away from the Soviet Union, and local administrators were horrified when several areas of the city experienced increasingly severe instances of rioting as the presence of the police was drawn away from identified 'trouble areas' of the city by the otherwise peaceful protests taking place within the city. It is now estimated that anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 people are now actively engaged in rioting across several districts of the city, and the city's mayor has actively approved the deployment of the ZOMO to rapidly restore order to the city, and has issued a city-wide curfew for the next three days, to be enforced from 7:30PM.



Participants in prior peaceful protests have found often themselves caught in the cross-fire between law enforcement and rioters, with some 'radical' members of the original protests attempting to continue protests in light of the rioting, or to arrange gatherings after the enforced curfew. It is likely that this will see further controversy and consequences for local politicians who approved the deployment of the ZOMO, but in the percieved defense of the Republic, all costs are deemed to be worth paying.

[Orostan]

IF TOMORROW BRINGS WAR

The Soviet Union boasts the world's largest writers associations, the largest film industries, and innumerable other ways of making culture available to the people. But this culture has little presence outside the USSR, and perhaps for good reason. The preparation the USSR has made for war with the west has included preparing its population. Soviet war movies focusing on the Great Patriotic War always remind the viewer that the west (more specifically Poland) attacked the USSR twice before, and will do so again. Every Soviet child has read comic books where some heroic communist defeats Polish invaders or some other western villain of the week. The other mass media is also there, always reminding the Soviet people of this threat or another. The Soviet government does not push this type of thing cynically either - if anything there are many in the Communist Party who believe the government isn't doing enough to make the USSR's people familiar with their enemies.

Over time even the best and most truthful propaganda can lose its effect. For decades Soviet society has been in a state of tension and the talk about war or enemies on all sides has become normal. It is a fact of life, and since the western block began to disintegrate and lose the cohesiveness it once had the Soviet media has found less of unified group of enemies to talk about. The "Iranian threat" seems much less dangerous to the Soviet people than the no longer existing threat of united Europe against the USSR. Poland as well is seen as weak, and the talk about Polish cultural poverty and military neglect makes it seem more likely that Poland will become weaker rather than become the mercenary anti-communist state of the west again.

Despite the USSR's position of strength for decades its leadership has not come to terms with its global position. The Soviet military strategy and foreign policy is defensive, and the Soviet navy although being the largest in the world is not prepared for long range deployments required for power projection. On paper the USSR seems as though it could smash any nation which opposed it but its leaders know that power on paper seldom translates exactly to power in real life. This military obsession of the USSR manifests itself in all types of projects. The Polyus project, which is being done at the highest levels of secrecy, prepares a network of laser satellites for missile defense. Similar projects are underway to launch satellites capable of carrying tungsten rods as kinetic weapons with the yield of small atomic bombs, all with enormous cost and secrecy of course. It isn't as if the Soviet military budget has any shortage of rubles anyways.

The USSR follows the maxim of "When weak appear strong, when strong appear weak." No Soviet public data on the military is reliable except for the most general numbers. The real scale of Soviet military spending is carefully concealed through spending on various industrial development and other projects. Warehouses across the USSR, but mostly in China and western Russia, are filled to the brim with military equipment and technology in preparation for a third world war. For decades the USSR has believed a war with the west was winnable, but only if the Soviet Union had a strong advantage in the start. This is why the USSR carefully watches for any sign of weakness in its neighbors. While Poland is aware of the USSR's backing of Ukrainian terrorism, it is not aware of how closely Soviet spies observe Polish politics or the daily reports from all around Poland received by the KGB on corruption or administrative weakness that the Polish state itself might not be aware of. The USSR believes that victory in war will not really be determined by defense budgets (although that certainly helps), but by the strength of the competing states. No matter how high the Soviet defense budget, public and secret, goes it is known that military power is nothing without leadership and organization. Even the Polish nuclear arsenal is nothing without the strength of its state and the Soviet Union's leaders believe that if Poland was weak and pressed by the USSR to give up its territory east of the curzon line that it would do so rather than use its nuclear weapons in a war where Russian and Chinese civilization would survive, but Polish civilization would not.

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GOSPLAN SAYS "WORLD WIDE WEB" COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY HAS CRITICAL MILITARY AND ECONOMIC VALUE

GOSPLAN has been criticized in the press for its unusually high investments into computer technology, with the Leningrad communist party press being particularly viscous in its condemnation of spending on "useless nonsense" while Soviet military industry requires expansion. The press in Voronezh and Tver has been similar, and it is no coincidence that all three cities were attacked with western nuclear weapons during the war in one way or another. The press in Moscow, Harbin, and other cities has praised the investments into computer science. Pravda is already issued to institutions such as universities and certain schools via the "World Wide Web" which functions as a communications infrastructure developed simultaneously in the west and east. It's use is primarily as a way of sharing information between educational institutions and research facilities in the USSR and west and the Soviet government has shown controversial interest in the technology since its conception. GOSPLAN's remarks today that its investments in computer technology and particularly the WWW have critical military and economic value is a reflection of the Soviet state's thoughts on the issue. Although the USSR has lagged behind the west in a number of ways in the distribution of personal computers and computers in major enterprises, the economic planning value of computer and world wide web technology has become more prominent to GOSPLAN.

It is possible that with a computer in every major enterprise constantly reporting data to GOSPLAN that the economy can be planned in real time with adjustments made to the five year plan on a daily basis rather than a weekly basis for example. Telephone technology already revolutionized industrial communication when it was first developed but is not practically capable of allowing GOSPLAN to oversee the entire economy in real time. The industrial computer promises a similar leap in industrial technology to its most ardent defenders. The military's interest in the technology is likely to keep investment in computer science going up even if GOSPLAN abandons its "real time planning" ideas, as the military has already decided to acquire up to two hundred personal and larger computers for use in...

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OCCUPIED KIEV DESCENDS INTO RIOTING

Following the start of rioting in occupied Kiev and the deployment of Polish military peace the foreign ministry has said that the Soviet position is to to remain "supporting anti-imperialists" in Polish occupied Soviet territory. The recent riots prompted by scandals within the Polish backed catholic church and existing anti-polish sentiment in Ukraine have surely caught the attention of the Soviet government in more ways than a press conference in particular when the riots happen just across the Dnieper. The USSR has never had riots on the level that some capitalist countries do, and it is a great shame that Soviet people under Polish government have to endure the incompetence of their state that allows cities to descend into disorder. It is however possible that the misallocation of police presence that allowed a city like Kiev to descend into uncontrolled rioting was deliberate, as this could only happen under a government which has its forces already spread thin. The deployment of Polish military police into Kiev is a sign that Poland intends to declare martial law over Kiev or perhaps over all of occupied Ukraine and Belorussia.

The imposition of martial law would the highest sign of severity and weakness in Poland. If the Polish state believes that its occupied territories are so unreliable that the deployment of its military into a more typical occupation arrangement is necessary then there would be no better time for a Soviet liberation of the west and the establishment of the curzon line as the internationally recognized Soviet-Polish border. Any deployment of troops requires the movement of them away from the border with the USSR and is a sign that not only is there high resistance to Polish occupation, but also that there could be a high amount of pro-soviet partisan activity during any war in which Poland would undoubtedly be smashed. It could be unlikely that Poland decides to use its nuclear arsenal in a war where the Soviet objective is to throw Poland back over the curzon line, as a nuclear attack would mean retaliation against not only Poland but its foreign supporters in France and Britain as well. Polish, British, and most probably French civilization would not survive a nuclear war but Soviet civilization would surely endure with the protection of the largest and most advanced missile defense system in the world. It is entirely possible that Poland would simply surrender if the army were to cross the border, not willing to fight a war that it would surely lose and that its foreign backers would be reluctant to support knowing the consequences for them if the war were prolonged and nuclear war was made more likely. Despite these facts can be said that the position of the Communist Party is hardly one of simply attacking when Poland seems weak - the party leadership and particularly the Chinese elements do not favor a war unless under very special circumstances...

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[Lendenburgh]

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February 23, 1990

Danubia bans the export of raw crystal products
Though Czech made crystal hangs in the great palaces of Europe: in Paris, Istanbul, Milan, and Leningrad; much of the fame for its production has always been given to French and British design houses who have commissioned the works. While, in a few cases, Danubian artisans are appropriately credited for their hand in designs made in collaboration with foreign firms, the long-term effects of this extractive relation have been the denigration of Danubian goods on the international market. In a near-unanimous vote, the People's Congress voted to place 13.5% tariffs on the import of all non-Trimarian crystal precursors, and a 20% tariff on all non-Trimarian finished crystal goods, while banning totally the export of Bohemian raw crystal and crystal precursors. To support greater production from the resources that will be kept in the country, the government is dedicating ~23bn CZK to new production facilities and artisan training for crystal work, most of which will be concentrated in the Czech Republic.

Natural gas, Uranium mining efforts expand, nuclear power plants approved-
In Eastern Hungary, one of Europe's only supplies of natural gas rests under the Carpathians. The Romanian government, which was long dependent on the oil fields of the Dobruja, has neglected to develop pipeline or fracking infrastructure in the area. Carpathian Hungary and Transcarpathian Slovakia remain two of the most energy-unstable areas of the country, far away from the nuclear and hydroelectric projects to the west. So, the harvesting of natural gas is seen not only as a way to improve the energy security of Danubia, but also to supply rural households with electricity at the lowest infrastructure cost possible. Combined with rail construction efforts to Odessa in the Carpathians, these natural gas projects are estimated to bring an unprecedented level of economic opportunity to the region.

The northern mountains of Bohemia are, by far, the largest deposit of Uranium in continental Europe. For years, the Czech government has considered beginning to harvest these resources, but with ample cheap coal to power the country, it has never been necessary. Now, the world and its energy market are in a new era. The cheaply available deposits of coal across the Czech republic and Slovakia have drastically decreased in output, and its clear they can only maintain their production for so long. As a result, mining permission has finally been given on the exploratory permits in the Northern Sudentenland. Additionally, exploration permits were given for mining operations in central Slovakia, and the Austrian alps, where more Uranium deposits have been suspected. As the mines in Bohemia become operational over the course of the next 5 years, it will propel Danubia to the largest producer of Uranium in Europe outside of Russia- with Germany's mines nearly exhausted and falling further behind in production every day. To make use of this new fuel source, the government has approved expansions to both of Hungary's existing nuclear power plants, as well as the construction of an entirely new nuclear complex near Brno to provide power throughout Bohemia, Moravia, and Austria.

Danubian wine beats out Burgundy Grand Cru for the first time in history
The first vines of Danubia were planted by the Celts and Illyrians, predating the Roman plantings in France and Germany by thousands of years. With the organization of the wine-making industry into municipal-level communes in the late 60's, the Danubian wine scene is finally coming into full bloom. The Tokaji region of Hungary, long known for its sweet wines, has begun to also produce form grapes unaffected by 'noble rot'. This new vintage of white wines has shown levels of minerality and complexity previously only tasted from the most prestigious vineyards in Chablis, the Moselle, and the Côte d'Or. While the Tokaji wines still ranked below the prestigious vintages of Western Europe, it was the Slovene wines, specifically plantings of Gamay in the Podravje, were able to outcompete even the finest of Grand Cru French wine. The victory of the Slovene bottle over a prestigious Beaujolais was the largest upset in the wine world since American producers from Napa came onto the scene over the course of the last decade. The government now sees Hungarian and Slovene wine as the Danubian ticket to the international market scene, and a way to associate the country with luxury goods in the eyes of the West.


The government of Hungary has marked out the vineyard area from Mád to Tokaji hill to be considered the first 'Grand Cru' in the Country.

[Anxiety Cafe]

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Las Malvinas Son Argentinas!
Buenos Aires — 22 February 1990

Port Stanley, the Malvinas Islands

In a stunning and quite unexpected way, Prime Minister Aguirre's government will go down in history as one of unprecedented diplomacy, security, and compromise. Minister of the Exterior Fabio Lunes, having just returned from a trip to London that few in the public were aware of, made the historic announcement in a press release this morning: the Argentine Kingdom has settled her longest-lasting, and only remaining, territorial disputes, ensuring the security of her borders and territories as well as proving the great diplomatic influence of PM Aguirre's government.

The first, and largely more important of these disputes is the Malvinas Islands, which Argentina has claimed since her independence in 1810 under the principle of uti possidetis juris ("as you possess under law"), although which the young nation had little real control over, especially following the 1832 establishment of British settlers on the islands. Since then, successive Argentine governments have registered formal complaints about the unilateral British government of the islands, although largely friendly relations with London meant that the dispute rarely became an issue of importance.

Apparently, however, PM Aguirre had considered settling the dispute, as well as all of Argentina's territorial disputes, to be of the utmost importance for Argentine growth and prosperity. His office revealed that channels with the British government to negotiate over the islands had been opened as early as the week of his election, last year, and that the two governments had been in constant discussions since then to determine the islands' fate.

These discussions have clearly been fruitful. As part of Minister Lunes' press statement earlier today, an exhaustive final draft of the Treaty of Port Stanley was released, detailing the various facets of the agreement negotiated with his British counterpart. The primary basis of the agreement involves a turnover of the islands' governance to the Argentine Kingdom, aside from the municipality of Port Stanley (the islands' only major civilian settlement), as well as the Mount Pleasant Royal Airforce Base, both of which remaining under British sovereignty.

The islands' will become Argentina's first autonomous territory, maintaining its separate set of laws, and its residents will be automatically granted Argentine citizenship alongside their existing citizenships if they so choose. Additionally, British citizens have freedom of movement to the islands, only needing to register residence with the Malvinas Autonomous Government. Ships flying the flag of the United Kingdom will be able to dock at any of the islands' ports duty-free, and the UK will hold sole rights to offshore oil field exploration and exploitation within the limits of the islands' EEZ for the next thirty years. Argentine military operations must also receive express approval before being established on the islands.

In addition to this handover of the islands, the Argentine government will begin a base-sharing agreement with the UK in the military facilities near Bahía Blanca, province of Patagones. Among these facilities will be a to-be constructed spaceport for the launch of satellites, complementing the Franco-British Union's existing one in French Guiana and being Argentina's first. Additionally, the two countries have agreed to reduce trade barriers in areas of mutual importance; specifically, Argentina will open her markets to French and British car manufacturers, while Argentina's lithium production will similarly find new markets across the Atlantic.

This Treaty of Port Stanley is set to be signed by representatives of the two governments later this month in the homonymous settlement, with the Royal Family likely to be among the delegation.

[Nowa Polonie]

Mayor of Kiev announces 'normalisation' of life in Kiev



For the first time in several weeks, large public gatherings are once again a common sight in the city of Kiev, where recent rioting saw the deployment of the elite riot/counter-terrorist unit, the Motorized Milicja Reserve, or ZOMO. Although there is already an air of controversy, as the deployment of the ZOMO has, and likely always will, attract controversy; the normally libertine culture and attitudes of the Republics' naturally being offended by what is an otherwise exceptional authoritarian crackdown - however in light of rioting, and reports of activity by fifth-columnists, most agree with and understand with exceptional measures. Recent gatherings in by Kiev have been marked by a general mood of support for the federation, with the 'three-finger salute' adopted by many representative of the triple-bands of the Republic's flag, as well as a Ukrainian national pride, flavoured heavily by anti-Soviet/Russian sentiment.

The Mayor of Kiev, Leonid Kosakivsky, has announced a return to 'complete normalcy' in the city of Kiev, where recent rioting and unrest, triggered primarily by Soviet-backed fifth-columnists, but exacerbated by pre-existing protests surrounding the recent controversy surrounding the Catholic Church's role in historic abuse, saw a temporary breakdown in law and order in several primarily Russian-speaking districts of the city. After the deployment of the ZOMO anti-riot unit, and a curfew of three days, later extended to five, the city has gradually returned to normality.

Several dozen arrests have been made, and several members of both the public and Milicja have been injured, with one officer of the Milicja being held in one of Kiev's hospitals in 'Critical but stablising condition', after his head was struck directly by a brick; several other members of the public have also been hospitalised, suffering from assorted injuries ranging from broken bones to burns - though these have been caused by both rioting members of the public, and 'administrative zeal' from members of the civil authorities. While most of those arrested have been issued fines or suspended sentences, several identified agitators have been identified and held for further questioning, with two unnamed individuals being investigated by Poland's intelligence services for potential links to the Land of the Soviets.

Economic disruption from the unrest is thought to have cost both the city and government in millions of lost revenue, and despite a general trend among Ukrainians and Kievans both of support for the federation, and solidarity in the face of Soviet-Russian aggression, the incident has left a sour taste in the mouths of many, with some voicing discontent with the deployment of the ZOMO, and its tactics in crowd-suppression, which are among some of the most aggressive found in Europe. Though the ZOMO is not generally deployed, and its appearance is a rarity, it has nevertheless fuelled calls within Ukraine and the other Republics to re-examine the role of the ZOMO, its practices, and general policing reforms more broadly.

'Europe's Fashion Orient' - The Booming World of High and Low Fashion in the Polish Republics



Despite recent economic trends slowing the growth of the economy and living standards both, Poland and her member-states continue to enjoy growing prosperity, and one of the highest standards of living relative to their geography - a rich cultural melting-pot of Western Slavic, Baltic and Ruthenian cultures has expressed itself in the music, cinema, and increasingly, the fashion world of Poland, which is rapidly seeing increasing recognition abroad, especially among neighbors.

Polish Fashion traditionally has been viewed as antiquated and behind-the-times, with the 1970s and 80s, in particular, seeing fashion trends pre-dominated by reinvention of earlier cultural styles, both domestic and foreign - economic constraints encouraged households to mend clothes and reuse fabric, with home-made cloth-making remaining a popular hobby and vocation among much of the public.

However as the Millenium approaches, Poland's fashion world is becoming much more sleek and modern, with a reputation for both a quality matching some of the most vaunted French and Italian names, with affordability unheard of for high-fashion in the West. Reports of so-called 'Fashion Tourism' emerging, particularly from allied members of the Trimarium, and from 'poorer' European countries, particularly those found in the Balkans. For the price of perhaps a week's wages, though it is still no small sum, women may decorate their arms with a Polish handbag of as fine a make as any by Gucci or Armani.

Polish Airforce reports 'marked' increase in recent Soviet incursions



In the past month, the Polish Airforce has seen a 43% increase in the rate it has had to scramble interceptors to respond to Soviet near-incursions into Polish Airspace. The Soviet Union is particularly fond of testing Polish Air Defenses frequently, often flying bombers dangerously close to Polish airspace to test the response of their Polish counterparts, but in the past month, the Air Force has had to drastically increase the rates at which its fighters both actively patrol their airspace, and scramble to meet potential Soviet challenges.

In closed diplomatic communiques, the Polish have expressed their desire for their Danubian counterparts to show 'solidarity', and to increase their defense commitment to 'detererrant allied forces' operating in Poland, which already hosts several support battalions of the Danubian Armed Forces, and a small Greek contingent in Odessa.

It is believed the Soviet policy of harassment has been exacerbated by reports of rioting in Kiev, with no doubt in the minds of Polish planners that the two are linked, and perhaps even indicative of a pre-prepared conspiracy to seriously challenge the defense resolve of the Polish - it is for these reasons that they are allowing what would otherwise be considered a move of escalation by inviting further allied support into the country; if the Soviets intend to test for Poland's weaknesses, they must only find a unified wall of resistance, and it is the belief of Polish planners that if the Soviets at any point truly perceive and believe that the Polish state is weak and vulnerable, the outcomes for European peace would be 'disastrous'.

Communication between the Polish and Soviet Governments is rare, however through both pre-existing diplomatic channels, they have addressed the Soviet leadership directly, demanding it cease its recent challenges, and desist more generally from its policy of harassment at the border. Additionally, through 'backdoor' channels, the Polish have begun to court and encourage Soviet-Chinese opposition to Soviet-Russian sabre-rattling - many Polish intellectuals in the field of Chinese culture and history have tried to express publically that 'Sino-Polish Relations will always remain strong, and it is the belief of all Poles that it has never, and will never, be in the interests of the Chinese people to fight and die in a white man's war.''

[Federal Pacifica]

The Federal Republic of Pacifica

Ad Finem Saeculi

As a new decade dawns, the Federal Republic finds itself at the end of an almost ten-year long nightmare. Civil War, famine, plague, genocide, societal collapse, every unimaginable horror that can be name occurred in what was once the Pacific States. What was supposed to be its end and the beginning of a hopeful reconstruction, was interrupted by the largest war in North American history since the collapse of the Old Union. The Continuation War fought between the Federal Republic of Pacifica and the separatist United Coalition of Independent States, once former allies, saw additional deaths in hundreds of thousands and the displacement of millions. The two-year long war ended in a costly Federalist victory and the utter-devastation of the former-UCIS.

At the end of it all, more than 15% of the population is gone. Dead, missing, or fled. Once prosperous cities reduced to rubble; the list of what was lost is endless.
The Federal Republic of Pacifica birthed by this nightmarish calamity enters the world having lost any semblance to it’s past. The hellfire consumed everything that once defined Pacific States of America, its culture, values, society, all reduced to ash. The Federal Republic must rebuild not just physically the world that has been destroyed, but the social reality that has been reduced to absurdity, the existence that has been reduced to meaninglessness; the very fabrics of its society must be sewn together again, the very meaning of existence must be redefined.

The Federal Republic emerges from this nightmare with one of the most formidable militaries on the continent; it's air-force although a shadow of it's former-self, remains domineering, it's navy still somewhat intact. However, sustaining this military is no longer tenable; the costs simply bleed too much essential funds. With the return of peace, reconstruction is the priority. The Federal Republic has only a limited time to make use of it's current firepower before it's inevitable downsizing; already, it is beginning to scrap and sell equipment it can no longer afford. What is perhaps even more formidable though, is the Federalist intelligence apparatus; intelligence and information is what allowed them to take over, it's what won them Civil War, and it's what won them the Continuation War. To those aware of it's capabilities, the Federalist intelligence apparatus is perhaps the most horrifying aspect of the Federal Republic, it's extent and efficiency is to the degree of absurdity.

Even though it has been two-years since the Civil War proper ended, reconstruction has been slow. Food remains scarce due to the utter destruction of Central Valley, so thoroughly bombed by weapons of all kinds, it’s fertility may not recover for years if it at all. With the Continuation War at its end, true reconstruction can finally begin. The California Republic remains completely devastated and many of its cities are simply gone; refugees flock to the Bay Area, the last place left in the Republic with functioning infrastructure. The situation in the Republic remains tenuous at best and unstable at worst, especially in the former Commune. In the East, the former-UCIS will have to be rebuilt by the very people who destroyed it, in an irony not lost on the Federalists. In the north, the Frontier Union’s resources are spread thin as its cities remain in disarray and with critical infrastructure on the verge of collapse; the Union cannot support both itself and the rebuilding of everyone else at the same-time. It's economy was fueled by the Continuation War, and with the wars end, conditions in the Union are returning to destitution and stagnation; despite that, the Union stands as the economic center of the Federal Republic, although that is a low bar to meet.

Yet, as the Federal Republic begins to construct its new order, scraps of the calamity remain. In the north, remnants of the old kleptocratic lardsmen government organized themselves in the State of North Columbia, hoarding a small number of nuclear weapons to deter potential aggression. In the south, the State of Sonora has long refused Federal Authority; having witnessed the destruction of the UCIS however, they will likely rejoin under conditions of special autonomy, lest they risk a similar outcome.

Even more problematic, are the Vulture states around it. The Free States of America, once considered the sister of Pacifica, has done nothing but defile her corpse. It’s complete incompetence in handling the Civil War was a contributing factor in the nightmarish hell that followed. It’s present illegal occupation of the Lakota Free Territory, an associated territory of the former-PSA, cuts Pacifica off from it’s most important breadbasket. The FSA, ever the liberal kleptocrats, refuses to allow food to enter the Federal Republic. They hope to starve the Federalist government into being toppled in a glorious democratic revolution no doubt; Fredons are ever blinded by their arrogance. The Confederates occupy another former-PSA associated state, the Kansas Free State, that is critical to Pacifica's food-supply; they have however, been more cooperative with the Federal Republic; however, they have yet to indicate any wiliness to withdraw from Kansas. Indeed, as it stands now, North America is once again at the verge of another crisis between the Old Union’s off-spring.

In the Pacific, Pacifican territory had been devoured by the Australasians; taking advantage of the calamity and the absence of the Pacifican Navy, they occupied the Pacific territories of the former-PSA. They annexed the former-associated territories of the PSA and turned the State of Hawaii into a “protectorate”, viewed by the Federal Republic as nothing more than a mere trinket plaything of the Federation.

The Federal Republic will take back every inch of land that was devoured by vultures, every breakaway separatist rat nest, it will take everything that was stolen back. The Federalists are of course, not completely unreasonable; they will negotiate and make compromises so as long as the principal objective is met. The pen and the sword are two weapons of equal value to the Federal Republic, and they will not blindly play the drums of war; every war started will be precise and targeted. However, should the Federal Republic be attacked or should it's enemies start a war with it, it is more than willing to reduce their enemies to ash and leave nothing left standing. Pacificans have been hardened to ash; it's enemies however, not so much.

The Federal Republic of Pacifica enters the twilight of the 20th century on a crossroad that will determine the future of entire generations. Forged by a catastrophic nightmare that is etched into the very threads of its people and society, controlled by a government willing to do anything and everything it can to ensure it never happens again, the road it walks is filled with the fog of uncertainty. If the road to hell is built with good intentions, what intentions build the road out of it? The question remains open to whether the Federal Republic, Pacifica herself, has truly conquered the nightmare, or if she merely devoured it.

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All Quiet on the Eastern Front
Date: Janurary 1st, 1990
One week ago, the final stronghold of the Separatist Coalition, Phoenix, had finally fallen. For almost two months the UCIS held firm, every gain made was paid in blood. A price we of course, were more than willing to pay. The soldiers of this Federal Republic, survivors of the catastrophe, died long before they perished; when death came for them, it’s touch was a welcoming feeling. One last sacrifice made for our future. There are two forces to fear, a man who has everything to lose and a man who has nothing left to lose; both will fight ferociously, the former to survive the latter to die. It was the clash of these two forces that defined the Continuation War.

For nearly two-years, what was supposed to have been the end of this calamity had devolved into a protracted conflict between the victors. The United Coalition of Inland States, formed by the governments of the Inland-States abandoned by the old government, was hesitant to accept our demands for reunification. They could know longer trust the “Coastal States”; that since they were betrayed once, they would be betrayed again. We cared little for the petty politics of the past; such past grievances are nothing more than ash in the winds, but we were willing to let them be under certain conditions. After several months of failed negotiations, military incidents, and growing mistrust, a new war became inevitable. They refused to leave California, they refused to hand over treasonous mice that fled from us, and they became needlessly belligerent. While we were still referring to them as our allies, they began to call us label us as a “toxic menace” and a “coercive contamination”.

When UCIS rebranded themselves as “the United Coalition of Independent States”, it became clear to us they were ruled by rats turning to separatism; they wanted total independence, with no prospect of future reunification nor even peaceful coexistence. They wanted to keep the land they stole as conquests disguised as liberations. Once our intelligence discovered the UCIS’s connection with the Free States, we no longer could tolerate the Coalition’s continued existence. Even if the Separatists deceived themselves into believing the righteousness of their cause, they were in the end nothing more than a Freedonian meatshield.

When war did break out, unlike the calamity that proceeded it, it was a war with conventional elements. The Federal Republic initiated a militarization process that revitalized our military industry, reestablished trade, and prioritized rebuilding the conventional military; the Separatists did the same. These resources could’ve been spent on our recovery and quality of life, but instead were spent to cause destruction and prolonged suffering. We are accustomed to these conditions however, while we crave for nothing more than peace, we’ve known nothing but its absence; the populace did not rejoice nor compliance but maintained the familiar silence. The Separatists, however, were sheltered by this: Phoenix, Salt-Lake, the calamity was always distant to them, it’s effects only being the echoes that reach them. The Separatists believed we would give up after the first several thousand causalities, after witnessing the brevity of their soldiers, and the ferocity of their defenses; but we have paid this price a thousand times before, and we were willing to pay it a thousand times again.

For two-years the UCIS fought for every inch of their territory; the terrain was hostile, the people even more so, but our victory was an inevitability. Our military was hardened by the crucible that proceeded this war, our air-force was revitalized, our navy still domineering, our intelligence-network all consuming; the Separatists could only but increase the expensiveness of the inevitable. The ferocity of the Separatists would only increase as we closed in, as our spies turned their fellow States against themselves, as they became isolated and alone.

In the end, Arizona was all that was left, and it was the one that paid the highest price. They would lose everything unless they surrendered, if they did not, Phoenix would be removed from future maps. For two months they attempted to delay the inevitable. At first, they inflicted their wraith upon us, the flames of their anger burned in a bright fury that consumed many, but eventually the flame left an ash of fear, their fears turned to dread; they surrendered before we were able to bleed them dry, and for doing so, we healed their wounds. We are cold to our enemies, but never needlessly cruel. Everything is done for a purpose; we do not engage in such needless acts unless there is a point; we will never justify our actions as righteous, nor remove the humanity of those who are our victims. We despise cruelty, we despise suffering, we despise all the sorrow we cause, but we recognize and accept the reality that such things are sometimes necessary to achieve a future where suffering and cruelty no longer exist, where everyone is flourishing.

With the war finally over, there remains those lost by it. Separatist holdouts exist all around the former-UCIS, refusing to surrender. They will be dealt with accordingly, those who wish death will have their wish granted, those who surrender will be granted amnesty and all will be forgiven. We will not perpetuate the cycle during times of peace.

We have made our point, and now we must simply deal with the consequences. We must now rebuild all that we have once again, ourselves, destroyed; the survivors of this continued calamity our now citizens of this new Federal Republic, and they will be promised a future of flourishment; we will do everything in our power to ensure that. With the Storm Clouds subsiding, the winds once again carry peace, but this time we have little confidence it will last; this Continuation War has made us realize there can be no peace until we have established security around us and eliminated the threat of vultures that continue to observe us; they will do everything in their power to undermine us, as has been demonstrated time and time again.

[Orostan]

THE OTHER PARTY

With nearly 125 million Chinese in the USSR Russian is no longer the sole lingua franca of the USSR, and Mandarin is taught as a second language in Russia. Many Chinese districts exist in Soviet cities from Ukraine to China itself as a consequence of Chinese labor brought in to help rebuild after the war, and in those areas the Chinese section of the CPSU is strong. The incorporation of North China and Xinjiang has also caused the Soviet Union to now have two industrial and population centers at opposite ends of its territory. The People's Government of North China's conflict with the KMT adds to those far eastern concerns. The Chinese population has seen their SSR's develop with the rest of the USSR and from the 50's to 1980 their life expectancy has nearly doubled and their rate of literacy has similarly grown. Their living standard has improved as well, but in recent years things have changed. Life has been stable and while the children are being educated there is no improvement from last year to the next. There are few better quality houses being built, and instead the people of North China have seen war industries built up and military conscription increase. While mines, mills, and factories continue to be built it is felt as though those industries no longer serve the people but instead serve the state. The Chinese section of the CPSU has already noticed this and are less predisposed to the foreign concerns that the Russian section has. Mao later in his life could see the writing on the wall and Deng Xiaoping who after him did too. Deng got so far as to briefly occupy the position of Chairman of the CPSU before handing off power to Ryzhkov who was a more acceptable compromise with the more conservative Russian old guard. The unique structure of the North China and Xinjiang SSRs that allows the Chinese section of the CPSU to maintain what is essentially a parallel government in Harbin and Urumqi has agitated many Russian communists, especially after the display of their growing political influence when Andropov was ousted and replaced with Deng.

Deng in his brief stay in (direct) power wrote the first drafts of the economic and political agenda that Ryzhkov would later modify. However, Ryzhkov has not been satisfactory to the Chinese CPSU despite their support of him. Rather than cutting back wasteful military spending on thousands of tanks, rockets, and other war machines he has only frozen that spending. Rather than a decisive break towards building consumer industry and not war industry Ryzhkov has made "dual use" industry the priority. Ryzhkov is similarly isolated with the conservative russian wing of the CPSU who would rather see military spending rise further than it has. For now though, nobody wants to risk taking power from him lest the other side gain from it. Most of the inner workings of the CPSU are concealed from the world and even the Soviet people. The CPSU has presented one iron front to the world for decades and shows no sign of ever changing that even if a few streaks of rust decorate it.

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GOSPLAN SAYS NEW GAS PROFITS WILL GO CONSUMER INDUSTRIES

The USSR's petroleum industries stand as the world's most developed, and this country ranks in the top exporters of everything related to fuel or to oil related products. However as the world's economy expands the demand for gas outside the USSR expands as well. As of this morning GOSPLAN has declared that gas profits will no longer be directed entirely into the USSR's currency reserves which stand as the largest in the world by far. Instead increases in gas profits from the first of April onward will be converted into rubles and used for the expansion of the Soviet consumer industries which in recent decades have not been prioritized. This includes the production of new and higher quality housing, clothing, sporting equipment, and other goods that have been criticized in the past for a lack of supply or a lack of quality. The development of these industries will be even across the entire USSR according to the GOSPLAN statement, including SSRs that have typically focused on only a few major industries like Uzbekistan where the growing of cotton and other cash crops has long dominated economic activity. The number of new enterprises which GOSPLAN hopes to develop has not been made public but the expansion is likely to mostly consist in the development of already existing industries. GOSPLAN says that by the year 2000 it hopes to increase the production of shoes and clothing by...

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FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF PACIFICA TO RECEIVE AID, OTHER TRADE AGREEMENTS ALREADY SIGNED

As the unfathomably brutal civil war ends in Pacific North America the survivors are left to repair their country. The smashing of the last large separatist coalition strongholds occurred only some months ago and it is believed that many parts of the country still have not yet had communication or centralized government restored. The USSR has observed the civil war with great concern since its start although the provisioning of aid has been of great difficulty due to the use of biological weapons and risk of travel by sea. Similarly hostile neighbors have made travel by land as difficult although with the war over restrictions on at least parts of the land border have been easing. The repair of port infrastructure in several areas of the coast has also improved access enough for aid to be provided and relatively normal trade to resume. The Foreign Ministry of the USSR has published a series of statements and documents regarding the supply of humanitarian aid to Pacifican cities including those of the former separatist republics. This aid is focused on providing food, sanitation, and clothing to the millions who are without homes or jobs after the war. Accompanying what is necessary for immediate survival are tractors and machinery that will allow the restoration of agriculture and industrial activity. Seeds are provided to go along with agricultural equipment, and Soviet experts accompany equipment and machines to ensure their correct use and maintenance. The majority of aid by labor value is actually means of production to help restore the Pacifican economy.

At the same time humanitarian aid provisioning was being decided on the Soviet government a trade agreement was also signed to establish a labor based trading system. The USSR commonly trades with other countries which cannot provide hard currency on the basis of exchanging goods of equivalent labor value. This arrangement advantages the less developed country which means that it is mostly made with countries the USSR wishes to provide aid to. Over time as the country develops the agreement becomes a much more even exchange. The trade agreement signed with Pacifica focuses on the Soviet export of heavy industrial goods such as steel and chemical products including fertilizer. It also makes allowances for the hiring of Soviet construction and technical enterprises to assist in rebuilding and the delayed payment for imports which is a great help to the damaged state. GOSPLAN expects the volume of Soviet-Pacifica trade to increase above pre-war levels by…

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YANG SHANGKUN SAYS NORTH CHINA SSR WILL “EXCEED GOSPLAN GOALS TWICE OVER” IN CONSUMER SECTOR

Yang Shangkun, the President of the North China SSR, said in a speech given in Harbin yesterday that the goals set by GOSPLAN for consumer industrial development were to be exceeded in the North China SSR. It is a common tradition for the leaders of various Soviet administrative divisions to declare their intention to exceed five year plan goals, but it is less common to declare that the goal will be fulfilled twice over. It is likely that this is no idle chatter either, the North China SSR certainly is not lacking in men or materials to make that happen. It is also known that the North China SSR’s government has proposed certain “amendments and additions” to the five year plan which have been accepted by GOSPLAN. These changes have not been made public but it is likely that they concern the distribution of labor between light and heavy industries. It is well known that Yang and other high ranking members of the CPSU in China like Premier of the North China SSR Li Peng have been supporters of Presidium Chairman Deng Xiaopeng’s bid for party leadership in Moscow in 1983 and his position towards economic reform. The changes to the five year plan in North China are likely intended to show that consumer based economic reform is compatible with the larger five year plan and the USSR meeting heavy industrial requirements, which have not been subject to any request for change in North China. Chairman Ryzhkov said that the initiative of North China was commendable but reiterated that it was required for the SSR to meet its other obligations to GOSPLAN. Those obligations include…

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[Grandes Terres]

6th March 1990

LE GRAND PLAN TGV DU NOUVEAU MILLÉNAIRE

SNCF

announced today 'The New Millennium TGV Grand Plan', which seeks to greatly expand SNCF's TGV high-speed rail network across the FBU, allowing passengers to travel as far as Glasgow to Nice entirely on high-speed rail. As well as the FBU, the network will also encompass Belgium and the Hanseatic Confederation, with Hanseatic high-speed rail being managed by SNCF Hanseatic, a subsidiary of SNCF. The new millennium plan, which SNCF accepts will not not be fully completed by 2000, will connect every major city in the UK, France and the Hanseatic Confederation by high-speed TGV services.

With several high-speed lines already in operation in France, it is expected that the French high-speed network will be completed first, with the UK and Hanseatic networks being completed shortly after. With work on the Channel Tunnel nearing completion, a comprehensive network of TGV lines in both France and the UK will improve interconnectivity and ease of travel across the FBU, reducing reliance on air travel and ferries.

As part of the expansion, new 'TGV Duplex' rolling stock will be rolled out on new lines, increasing capacity by having two floors of seating in each carriage. The TGV Duplex models are expected to being commercial passenger operations in 1995. As well as improving passenger travel, TGV La Poste will be able to run its high-speed postal carriers on the new lines, improving access to express shipping for tens of millions of people across Europe.

President François Mitterrand hailed The New Millennium TGV Grand Plan as 'The future of transport and community in Europe', claiming that by connecting so many people from so many different backgrounds with a single high-speed rail network 'Europe takes a step forward together towards achieving greater unity whilst reducing our collective CO2 emissions simultaneously.'

View The New Millennium TGV Grand Plan here!

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RENAULT WORKS WITH ANDEA

Renault has announced it's plans to work with the Andean government to create a new company based in Lima that will specialise in the manufacturing and research of electric vehicles, with a primary focus on buses and electrified public transportation vehicles. Renault wil hold a 35% in the company, whilst the Andean government will hold an equal 35%, with the remaining 30% of the company being publicly traded on the Andean and French stock exchanges. The Andean government has assured Renault that the company will have an immediate guaranteed customer in the Andean public transportation sector, which is looking to buy buses to reduce traffic congestion. Several French cities including Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon have also expressed interest in electric buses to help reduce air pollution in the cities.

Alongside the founding of this new company, Renault has also taken a 49% stake in the construction of a new bus factory in Andea, with the remaining 51% being controlled by the Andean government. Renaults history and expertise in bus and truck manufacturing makes it an invaluable partner to the Andean government, which is pushing for domestic bus production to get cars off the roads across the country, reducing both congestion and air pollution issues facing the country.

[The Pacific Federation]

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The Australasian Gazette

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The Protectorates of the Federation - The Aftermath of the Pacifican Civil War

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When the war started in late 1980, the Pacifican claims were still under the protection of the nation's powerful navy. However, as the war went on and as supply chains were cut off the Pacifican Fleet was either recalled or scattered among the warring factions within the nation. This left the far-flung territories of Pacifica without access to supplies including fresh water and reliable food. To alleviate this and to help their Pacific kin, Australasia began to send donations of food via air and sea to Samoa, Guam, the Mariana Islands, and Hawaii and the Federation began to supply food and water to the troops on isolated military bases such as Wake and Midway. These donations came at no expense to Pacifica as it was labeled as disaster relief by the Australasian Assembly, and it helped built ties between the islands and reforge cultural connections. This continued well into 1981 with cooperation between the Federation and Pacifica on the matter improving.

However, on the night of March 14th, 1982, the situation drastically changed when the oil storage tanks in Pearly Harbor were detonated by saboteur forces from the Los Angles Commune to try and restrict the movements of the Pafician Fleet and prevent naval operations in Southern California. The resulting explosion damaged residences and caused the aid ship SS North Star to be lost with eighty-seven out of its 122-member crew. While the Pacifican fleet was dealt a major blow, the attack sent shockwaves throughout the Pacific. Until now, the war had been restricted to North America, but it was spreading outward to the furthest colonies in the Pacific. In November of the following month another Commune attack occurred on Guam, sinking a Pacifican ship and killing several locals. Strikes on Midway and Wake followed shortly after utilizing submarines sized from the Pacifican Navy. With the threat of war now on its doorstep, the Federation government called an emergency meeting on April 8th to discuss the rising crisis in the region.

Federation ANZAC Frigate ANV Brisbane Deployed to Guam

As proposals began to enter the legislature, Pacifica's Federal Government recalled its naval forces from the Pacific to Columbia meaning that now the island territories no longer had any real protection from the war and that their populations would be on their own to fend for themselves. In a surprisingly aggressive move, the controversial Castle Bill was passed by the legislation to address this sudden change. The Castle Bill set forward that the Pacifican Naval Bases at Pearl Harbor and Guam would be under the supervision of Australasia until the end of the Civil War to ensure the continuation of peace within the Pacific. While this Bill passed by a slim majority vote, it was supported by Muldoon's government and thus action was taken. By the end of April, the Australasian Banner was waving above Pearl Harbor, making citizens across both sides of the Pacific uneasy.

As the war raged on in North America and Pacific became too busy to address the concerns in the Pacific territories, the Pacific waited for a conflict that never came. Hawaii, Guam, the Marianas, and Pacifican Samoa all operated under the Pacifican Federal Government while the Australasian Federation provided defense and security needs. Many feel this led to an end of the attacks by the Commune due to them wanting to bring a foreign power into the war, however, others point out that during this time the Commune was very much tied up at home. Regardless of the reason, the territories saw an increase in trade, wealth, and development that came while the Federal Government floundered at home. Pacifican Samoa was the most notable of these territories. From 1981 to 1984 the territory saw the standard of living skyrocket and its impoverished people began to see real change for the first time in decades. Culture returned, over-fished reefs began to see life once more, and the impoverished Samoan people were living in global standards for the first time. This prosperity in a time of war that was absent during periods of time when the rest of Pacifica was thriving in the rest of the 20th century led to unrest among the populations of the territory. All of this change led to the shocking declaration by the Samoan people on May 8th, 1985, to become independent of Pacifica following the fall of the Federal government on the mainland.

Independent Samoa's capitol city of Apia

At first, they petitioned to join the Federation as a member state which was immediately shot down by the Assembly. Not wanting to anger Pacifica, the government did not want to incorporate sovereign territory and risk confronting Pacifica. However, Muldoon and the administration did not want to risk conflict breaking out on the island either. The government decided to guarantee the independence of the new Independent Republic of Samoa in July of 1985 and declare it a protectorate under the Federation until the end of the Civil War. Shortly after in January of 1986 the Marianas declared its independence as well followed by Guam a week later. Both nations received the same guarantees as Independent Samoa. Lastly, Hawaii declared itself an independent republic by a slim margin in January of 1987, taking with it the Line Islands, Wake, and Midway. Both naval bases at Guam and Pearl Harbor were returned to their respective owners with docking rights for the Federation given in return. While it was not a perfect solution, the Federation did not want to leave its cultural kin to the mercy of the Civil War, nor did it want to risk the wrath of Pacifica.

Now the war is over, and the military giant that is Pacifica is once again turning its eyes toward the Pacific. Many of the new protectorates have begun floating the idea of rejoining their former motherland while other support abandoning the title of protectorates and integrating with the Federation. Australasia has not commented on the matter yet, but it is clear war is not the preferable alternative. There have been reports that Federation representatives have reached out to begin talks with Pacifica on the issue, however, none of the protectorates have yet to be included in these talks. What will occur from this is currently unknown, however, it will have a lasting impact across the entire Pacific.

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| Federation Ross 5 Base Begins Mission | Talks with Argentina Begin in Regard to Economic Cooperation | Hawaii Issues Protests for being Left Out of Talks |

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[Grandes Terres]

15th March 1990

CANAL DES DEUX MERS - CONNECTING THE BISCAY TO THE MEDITERRANEAN

Today the VNF, the authority for canals and waterways in France, announced the confirmation of the construction of the Canal des Deux Mers or 'Canal of Two Seas', which is set to link the Atlantic from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean and built slightly larger than the Suezmax and Panamax standards to allow larger ships in future should either canal be expanded. By cutting off the need to travel around the Iberian peninsula, journey times and fuel consumption between the busy seaports of northern Europe and the manufacturing hubs of Asia will be reduced, lowering shipping costs to and from Europe and improving the lives of consumers and manufacturers in both the the far east and the west.

The Canal des Deux Mers is named after the existing two historic canals, the Canal du Midi and Canal de Garonne, which combined are referred to as the Canal des Deux Mers. The new canal will obviously be much wider and more significant than the existing canals, and will only loosely follow the path of the historic canals, preferring a more straight route that avoids all urban areas to reduce disruptions to local residents and the amount of demolitions required.

Local NIMBY groups have protested the construction of the canal, stating that it "will forever scar the landscape as well as bringing noise and pollution to quiet rural communities across Southern France." But despite the opposition, business groups and central government have backed the plans, stating that construction will bring "tens of thousands of local jobs during construction and thousands of permanent jobs after its completion." In response to concerns over damage to the environment by building the canal, the VNF have published their environmental mitigation plan, which includes tree planting and wetland creation along the route of the canal as well as the creation of 11 new nature reserves along the length of the route.

VNF is aiming for completion of the canal 'early in the new millennium', with an unofficial completion date of 2002 being discussed, making the Canal des Deux Mers a 12 year project.

The route of the historic 'Canal des Deux Mers' that the new canal will loosely follow:

[Orostan]

THE ENEMY TO THE WEST

The end of the second world war in the USSR was seen as less of a end to war in Europe and more of a temporary ceasefire as both sides recovered from devastating and expensive direct conflict. The year 1990 is the 40th year since that "temporary" cease fire and for all of those forty years the USSR has been preparing for a resumption in hostilities. The fracturing of the western block and the emergence of Poland and Danubia's "Trimarium" as an independent alliance did little to shake the Soviet commitment to military development. Only a few short years before the last war the west looked just as divided with Hitler's camp against the traditional western imperialists and their Polish mercenaries who could not use Hitler against the USSR as they had hoped. If not for the atom bomb it is likely that the USSR would have attacked Poland a long time ago and ended the western threat. Recent developments in cruise missile technology that make missiles harder to intercept than they already are and the potential of thousands of enemy conventional missiles acting as decoys for a few hundred indistinguishable nuclear bombs has become a threat that is always on every Soviet defense planner's mind. War, to use a capitalist term, has become unprofitable for everyone. But with Moscow much closer to the border than Warsaw and the easternmost point of Poland farther east than Leningrad war cannot simply be set aside. The USSR must always be ready and with space based kinetic weapons in the early stages of design and testing it has become possible to consider ways to make up for this disadvantageous border that are not several thousand nuclear missiles ready to launch at all times. The more hawkish believe that space based weapons which only the USSR has the resources to deploy in a reasonable time frame can promise real victory and annihilate the enemy before he has a chance to respond. The expense would be astronomical, far larger than even the Soviet's moon program or the totality of its nuclear weapons programs. The cost on its own builds opposition to that policy of finding new and creative ways to level Warsaw, and the government of Deng and then Ryzhkov has opened a different and far less expensive path to peace if the Poles will take it. Despite sharing one of the largest (and most militarized) borders in the world the USSR and Poland do not engage in regular trade, and by far the greatest product that flows from the USSR to Poland is a series of gas lines that carry Soviet gas mostly to other customers in South Europe and elsewhere. The Soviet Air Force regularly launches nuclear attack drills against Poland, scrambling squadrons of nuclear bombers and escort aircraft who will fly towards the border and only turn away at the last moment. Poland always sends up interceptors to meet them should the attack be real this time but for the benefit of humanity a missile has never been fired.

But as the cold war drags on and men like Molotov (with Kaganovich not far behind him) fade into history the old guard of the USSR that was there when the five year plans industrialized the country and fought in the second world war fade into history as well. The younger generation which was born after the western territories were lost looks favorably at the chairman's ideas of "reaching an arrangement" with the Poles even if they disapprove of him on other issues. The growing strength of the reformist group in the CPSU has also shaken the power of the old russians that once gripped soviet politics tightly. For the first time in forty years it is possible that the Soviet policy on a foreign issue could change.

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A DEAL IS OFFERED TO POLAND

Following a series of high level meetings hosted in undisclosed neutral countries Chairman Ryzhkov announced to the Presidium and the public that an economic arrangement with the Poles concerning transport across the line of control was possible and likely. This announcement while short and lacking in specifics carries enormous gravity. There does not exist even one rail bridge in regular use across the Dniepr River and crossings in Belarus and the Baltics are similarly limited. Diplomacy not related to preventing nuclear war has not occurred in any meaningful sense since the end of the Great Patriotic War, and even a small gesture towards real diplomacy presents a significant political change in the west. The Chairman however did stress the necessity of a "border adjustment" in Belarus and the Kiev region which would go a great deal to bringing the border to a place that does not harm the USSR on the strategic level. As the border stands the constantly increasing speed of missiles means that Poland enjoys an advantage in a situation where they were to launch a first strike on the USSR. Moscow is alarmingly close to the border and Polish occupied Belarus extends like a knife pointing at the Soviet Union's throat farther east than Leningrad. The advance of technology brings the heart of the Russian SFSR in striking distance of difficult to intercept cruise missiles while Warsaw and other important Polish cities sit farther from the border. What keeps the USSR safe is the impossibility of a Polish victory in a conventional war and the certainty of total annihilation via thousands of nuclear bombs in another type of war. This is not to mention the multitude of other unfriendly states that surround the USSR and require that the entire Soviet military not be focused on maintaining superiority to Poland. An agreement that solves the western problem could potentially cause these unfriendly states to...

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NORTH CHINA RAIL ROUTES TO SEE INCREASED "HIGH SPEED" SERVICE


An ER200 trainset, capable of 200 kilometers an hour, in operation along a rail line in between Moscow and Leningrad

The densely packed population centers of the North China SSR present a more efficient circumstance for efficient fast rail transport according to Soviet Railway Ministry head Nikolai Konarev who also says that by 1995 Shenyang, Changchun, and Harbin will be connected to such a network. Plans exist to connect high speed trains to the trans-siberian with a new line specifically for such trains between Harbin and Chita, but these plans are at a "purely theoretical" stage Konarev says. The development of true high speed rail in the USSR has been of lower priority compared to infrastructure upgrades allowing regular trains to reach their maximum speed more often but the high speed line between Moscow and Leningrad has been very well used and similar high speed expansions to Kharkov, Voronezh, and Stalingrad are in the later planning phase although it is estimated by the rail ministry that they will not be complete before 2005 at the earliest. The Soviet Union is such a large country that frequent high speed travel between all major cities as is enjoyed in the much more compact France is unlikely to be possible soon. True high speed railways which can take speeds of 300 kilometers an hour require their own right of way and completely new construction. The rails also must be built to a much higher standard than normal railways and are exclusively for high speed use which presents an extremely large cost. It is certainly possible that in the future a high speed network in the east and in the west will be established but until higher speed trainsets are created the establishment of a complete network is a cost which cannot justify itself according to Konarev. He also said regarding the potential of using new lines to...

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[Lusophone]

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President Bettencourt signs latest economic liberalization package

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LISBON — For President Jorge Bettencourt, this is the momentum his presidency has been building up towards, putting Lisbon back on the map as a force in the global marketplace and in diplomacy.

“Portugal vai bem” (Portugal is doing well) is a common sentiment amongst Portuguese nowadays. Not since the Carnation Revolution of 1973 has Portugal been more self-confident as it is. Like the Carnation Revolution, at the end of the millennium, Portugal is reinventing itself, capitalizing off its boom and expansion in banking, energy and natural gas, and telecom sectors with an ambitious long-term goal of displacing foreign firms in Latin America and Africa as prime investors.

Since winning the presidency in 1988, President Bettencourt has spent his mandate instituting liberalization, privatizing most public sector firms, and deregulating many service sectors. Over the past four years, Portugal’s economy has grown considerably, on track to grow to 1.5 trillion by the end of his first term. In that time, his party, Os Conservadores, reduced the budget deficit five-fold and shrunk the unemployment rate. He also has made good on his pledge to introduce real competition in Portugal’s energy and telecoms sector. The strong growth, however, has rekindled inflation to which Bettencourt’s administration is cautiously attentive.

Bettencourt’s program is sensible yet ambitious — he remains firm in continuing to eliminate the public deficit, reduce costs of shedding labor, lowering unemployment, and passing his proposed income tax cut, as well as putting Portugal’s social security system on a firmer footing, both of which the Partido Liberal is fighting in the National Assembly.

Two years to a possible 1992 re-election, the question now is whether his government, which goes to great lengths to forge a consensus behind its many reforms, will carry through on additional measures, the need for which has been hidden by a favorable economy and wage moderation by unions.

His policy of liberalization has maintained and reinforced, least at first, the old oligopolistic market structure, stifling competition. The government has learned the hard lesson that big privatized companies, when unchecked by truly competitive markets, concentrate too much power.

The liberalization package, passed just this week, is the Bettencourt administration's partial redressing of the early mistakes of his privatizations by clawing back power from incumbent near-monopolies in oil, gas, electricity, and telecoms. Local access in telecoms will also open to competition beginning in January 1991 and cross-shareholdings that reinforce monopoly power will be strictly limited in these sectors as well.

At the Belem Palace signing event, Bettencourt remarked that robust competition is essential if Portugal is to grow much faster than its European neighbors and emphasized the country should not settle for mimicking “dozy continental methods.” Bettencourt believes that for Portugal to catch up with the rest of Europe in wealth, it must be daring "in four big ways:"

1. Regulators and competition authorities must be made formally and materially independent of government control: “Such a modern regulatory structure will foster Portugal’s international role by keeping Portuguese multinationals on their toes,” said Betterncourt who sees vigorous internal rivalry as the only way to make Portugal’s companies nimble enough to prosper in risk-filled emerging economies.

2. Asked by a Diario de Noticias reporter about the rekindling inflation brought by Portugal’s economic growth, Bettencourt irritated that political interference with regulation and competition policy “only makes companies uncompetitive,” and that the “government must refrain from using regulation to control inflation and corporate activity.”

3. As Portugal enters a new millennium, the Conservadores President said that the country is at an inflection point: “Portugal must decide whether to let other countries innovate or to join and catch up with today’s emerging global technological innovation. Without improved research and development, our country will be left behind and the gap between Portugal and world leaders will grow.” Bettencourt conceded that “even meeting government promises to raise R&D spending to 2% of GDP is not enough.” He stated that the issue is not only increased investment but also of a change in the organization of research to “reward creativity and excellence as measured by international standards.”

4. Bettencourt and the Conservadores also stand firm in their push to overhaul Portugal’s pensions and healthcare system, which they see as essential to sustaining growth, increasing efficiency, and promoting fairness. Bettencourt’s current plans are too timid thanks to Partido Liberal’s opposition: they tackle only public health expenditures, not the underlying welfare state structure. Speaking to Conservadores MPs at the Belem Palace signing event, Bettencourt lessoned "labor market liberalization must run parallel to welfare state reform. Without improvement here, the benefits of increased commercial competition cannot be fully reaped." Bettencourt added that he also has aspirations for overhauling public administration, which he sees necessary "to promote efficiency by rewarding hard work and quality of service, not seniority and over-manning."

Even if President Bettencourt continues to get his way with these bold reforms, his program might unravel if unmatched by domestic political daring. Imaginative solutions are needed to make Portugal’s restless regions, particularly in the Ultramar, fit comfortably with Metropolitan Portugal. Without initiative here, the prospect of both regions drifting away is real. Participation of the Ultramar in Portugal’s modernization project would probably be guaranteed if Luanda were to become, effectively, the second capital of Portugal.

Portugal 1990s Lore | Portugal 1990s Map

TAG(S): PORTUGAL, PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, LUSOPHONE

[Fregantes Empire]

Date: 28/03/1990
Breaking the Splendid Isolation

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Looking South and Looking Deep

Since the end of the Indian Interregnum, it has been largely yet silently accepted that the "Three Powers" in India had their respective areas of influence. In the name of good conduct and realpolitik, it has also been the practice that an Indian power would not violate another power's are of influence. It naturally follows that the parent nations would seek even closer ties with the states they lead. For Punjab, this means a MDP encompassing nearly all of Northeastern India. For Bengal, this means an ideological alignment. For the Deccan, though, this means economic cooperation.

For the last four decades, the nations of the southern tip of India have been in the economic orbit of the Deccan. The Confederacy is their largest trading partner, and intends to remain so. The business elite in Mumbai and the political elite in Hyderabad have a common cause: Bring Madras, Travancore and Sri Linka closer to the Deccan. Plans on how to best achieve this varied, but all revolved around the economic might of the Confederacy. Bilateral treaties on commerce and defence are already in place between each of the three minor states and the Deccan, yet no comprehensive and multilateral framework has been in place. Until today that is. PM Dewan annouced on the morning of the 28th of March that a summit would be held in Mysore to create a customs union and a free common market between the four states. Representatives from the three minor states have already pledged to attend the summit.

The framework, named "The South Indian Free Trade Area" (SIFTA), is an ambitious project from the Confederacy. It is a rare sight to see Hyderabad and Mumbai cooperating and boldly projecting soft power outside. Indeed, as many commentators are already remarking, the "Splendid Isolation" of the Deccan Confederacy is over. Access to the southern Indian ports is crucial to the Deccani interests, as it gives Mumbai and Goa more area to manouver commercially and projects the Confederate maritime and commerical reach further into the Indian Ocean. It is not yet known whether mutual defence will be one of the points defining the SIFTA agreement, yet even if it won't, one can perfectly imagine another framework following SIFTA for such a purpose.

Looking East and Looking Wide

The Andaman Islands have always been a rather underdeveloped region within the Confederacy. Many issues exist within the region, ranging from neglect to non-representation on the Council of Princes, as the island chain is administered from Hyderabad directly as a "Confederation Territory". Yet the current state of affairs do not mean that Hyderabad has forgotten about the Andaman Islands. The island chain is a possession of immesne geostrategic importance. Well placed military and naval installations would give the Confederacy much leverage against any rival power that is bound by the Straits of Malacca for maritime shipping access. In addition, a well placed harbour might prove to be a good docking point for many long distance cargo ships. To this end, plans were announced by the Ministry of Defence that naval and aerial defence installations would be constructed on the Andaman Islands. In addition to these projects, the port in Port Blair is to be expanded to increase the docking capacity and encourage development in the area.

Related to the same scheme, and as a part of a larger plan unofficially named as the "Bay of Bengal Initiative", private companies are also contracted to upgrade the port in Visakhpatanam. Already housing a major naval base, the port looking at the Bay of Bengal is another strategic asset. Certain commentators are calling these measures as "Security oriented", while others as "Commerce oriented". A more fickle yet attentive description is perhaps "Containment oriented". The containment of which entity, needs no naming.

Looking West and Looking Far

The two most prominent economic engines of the country, Mumbai and Goa, rely on maritime trade with the countries lying to the west of the Confederacy. Investment opportunities in Somalia, access to Saudi Arabian oil shipments or the Arab Federation's port in Basra; all are enticing deals for the Deccani business leaders. Yet, none come close to the land of progress and innovation that lies beyond the Red Sea and the Suez Canal: Europe. Increased access to European markets in a key objective of the Deccani West Coast, as the entreprise friendly and technologicaly capable markets of the continent offer unique opportunities for the Deccani companies. In many fields, the Confederacy is heavily dependent on Europe, especially in the newly emerging digital technologies. As such, presence in and ifluence over Djibouti, the stability of Yemen (both of them) and Somalia and unrestricted access to the Suez Canal are all vital objectives for the Deccan.

In this quest, diplomacy and military go hand in hand. Hyderabad has recently pledged to use its naval capabilities to combat any potential acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Mogadishu, Sana'a and Aden are deemed as key partners in this endavour. The Confederate diplomats and business leaders have equally pledged to invest in the port of Djibouti. Further negotiations with Ethiopia will follow to strengthen the regional partnership. While many are optimistic for the "Gaze towards the West", many more are questioning the effort. Maybe these funds could be spent for bringing the relatively poor countryside of the Confederacy to contemporary standards? Access to clean water and hunger issues are issues that are mostly resolved yet not extinct. Perhaps the government should look inwards first and then look outwards?

[Puertollano]

BREAKING: Colombian troops enter Panama | President Espinar addresses nation

Gun-fire broke out in southern Panama only hours ago as news began to disseminate that the Republic of Gran Colombia initiated military engagements against CSA-controlled Panama. From initial reports from local media, but also through selective military assessments released by both the CSA and Gran Colombia, so far it has been revealed that beleaguered Colombian forces engaged in a surprise attack on the CSA army positions in Panama. Though the dust is yet to settle, Gran Colombian naval reinforcements have been seen moving into recently captured port towns close to the border - including the small town of Puerto Obaldia where the airport has been secured for the Colombian forces. The initial advances appear to be slowing, as the rough terrain and dense rainforest and proving difficulties for the Gran Colombian shock troops, but have so far faced little to zero resistance in their attacks.

To compensate for the little information on the war, President Fabian Espinar of the Republic of Gran Colombia has appeared on live television for a rare public address to the nation. In which, he discusses the the Gran Colombian invasion of CSA-controlled Panama. An English translation-version was provided to the international media:

On the 23rd of March at 13:00, the Army of the Republic of Gran Colombia has engaged the military forces belonging to the Confederate States of America. In, erhhh, in a surprise attack on the Confederate States of America in Panama, the Army of the Republic of Gran Colombia has successfully carried out their operation and are beginning, erhh, the next operational phase of our war against the Confederate States of America. From this moment on, I decree the dissolution of all diplomatic relations with the Confederate States of America, erh, including the arrest of the Confederate States of America diplomatic corp here in Bogota. It is part of my duty, as President of the Republic of Gran Colombia to make clear to the, erhh, international community, our full intentions in the military operations we are conducting against the Confederate States of America. Our first and clearest duty as Gran Colombians is the swift defeat of American forces in, erhhh, in Panama. Panama is historically a Latin American nation whose relations to Gran Colombia cannot be broken -- and it is important to note that, erhh, Panama was historically always a department of the Republic of Gran Colombia. Only through the colonial project was it lost to our ancestors by force, for which, for which we have not forgotten. Moreover, erh, Panama has been exploited and manipulated by the Confederate States of America in undermining the Republic of Gran Colombia. Whether it be the support of far-left terrorist organisations during the, during the deadly insurgency, that my government defeated, or the relaxation of law enforcement on the dangerous drug cartels and narco traffickers. Through our - erh - through our anti-narco operations in northern Colombia, we have found significant links between drug traffickers and the Confederate States of America. Under my own decree, it is our duty to defeat this narco-regime posing north of our border in Panama. That is why, erh, we will continue military efforts in this war against the Confederate States of America in Panama. It is within the best interests of both states that this remains localized in central America, otherwise more blood will be spilt in this necessary historical correction.

President Fabian Espinar giving his address to the nation.

[Lusophone]

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How a disgruntled technician blew the whistle on Portugal’s own nuclear ambiguity

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Deep beneath desert sands, an embattled sub-Saharan state built a covert nuclear bomb, using technology and materials provided by friendly powers or stolen by a clandestine network of agents. This exotic tale of the bomb hidden in the desert is a true story that rather applies to a country also in Europe. In an extraordinary feat of subterfuge, Portugal managed to assemble an entire underground nuclear arsenal — now estimated at 90 warheads, and even tested a bomb nearly a few decades ago, with a minimum of international outcry or even much public awareness of what it was doing.

The decision to arm Portugal with nuclear weapons was made in the 1960s by Estado Novo dictator Antonio Salazar, who envisioned that Portugal, embattled and isolated by the international community for its insistence on retaining its African provinces, must be self-capable of deterring threats to the pluricontinental state. Some worried that Salazar’s real intent was to deploy these weapons against rebel insurgents throughout Portuguese Africa.

Portugal quietly dealt with countries that turned a blind eye to its gathering of the material and expertise to make nuclear warheads. PIDE agents were ordered to find their way into some of the most sensitive industrial establishments in the world to buy fissile material and state-of-the-art technology. Some agents were responsible for securing vital uranium-enrichment technology from Urenco, a European consortium, photographing bribed centrifuge blueprints temporarily "misplaced." Despite the fact that Portugal’s nuclear program has been an open secret since a disgruntled technician blew the whistle on it in 1982, the official Portuguese position is still never to confirm or deny its existence.

After being abducted by the International and State Defense Police (PIDE) for nearly 60 hours of extensive questioning, Afonso Baptista revealed in the communist newspaper, Avante!, his eight years at the top-secret Spinola Nuclear Research Center in the Moçâmedes desert, Ultramar. In the article, he claimed he had been closely followed by PIDE since he was laid off as a technician and that he was seduced in Luanda by a PIDE agent. He claimed to have been then flown to the Azores where he was seized by more PIDE agents, put in chains, and shipped to Lisbon. Baptista provided photographs, and documents he had illegally taken during his employment to support his claim that Portugal possessed chemical weapons and nearly 90 nuclear warheads.

What followed was the “Baptista scandal,” ensuing after the National Assembly thoroughly scrubbed through the International and State Defense Police (PIDE, now SIRP.) The National Assembly hearings originally intended to investigate the tactics and ethics of PIDE, but surprisingly uncovered schemes to assassinate foreign targets, meddle in African affairs, and invasive spying of domestic targets. The theater of these hearings and the political showdown that resulted to Rafael Renaldo’s insurgent rise in 1984 drowned out headlines about Portugal’s deterrent capabilities, much to the delight of national security circles in Lisbon. In 1988, Afonso Baptista was convicted of treason and espionage for revealing sensitive national security-related information and was sentenced to 18 years in prison, 12 years of which in solitary confinement.

International Institutes struggle with quantifying actual figures and determining exact locations of Portuguese sites, but all collectively agree on estimates that Portugal’s strategic deterrence consists of several cruise-missile systems and has missiles with short and medium ranges. By the early 70s, Portugal was able to develop two-stage solid-fuel Manuel-1, reportedly put on high alert in 1973 during the Carnation Revolution. Weighing 6.5 tonnes, with a length of 13.4m and 0.8m diameter, its reported range of 500km carrying a 1,000kg payload and, reportedly a circular error probable (CEP) of 1,000, meaning it has a 50% chance of falling within a 1,000m radius of the target. International nuclear scientists and experts believe this to be intended for nuclear delivery.

From the mid-1970s to the late 1980s, Portugal is believed to have developed a longer-range version by extending Manuel-1’s length to 15m and increasing the diameter to 1.35m. Designated the Spinola-1, this system has an estimated range of 1,500–3,500km, with the same 1,000kg payload. Although said to have improved accuracy, the CEP is not known.

Portugal’s strategic deterrence is not much talked about, in part because the Portuguese government does not talk about it at all. The country does not engage in nuclear brinksmanship and does not crow about new capabilities or introduce new systems year upon year. Portugal does not parade its inventories, test flights are very rare and it has never used these systems in combat. Nonetheless, for Portugal, its program represents an important piece of contingency planning.

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Bettencourt announces trilateral Franco-British summit in the Azores

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Jorge Bettencourt often said among friends that his greatest interest as a politician was world affairs. Any political follower could tell by his body language that he’s more comfortable talking about the balance of power in Africa than the price of a gallon of milk. Coming into the presidency as one of the most qualified candidates to assume office, he’s had a long career in the National Assembly and national security circles crafting Portugal’s post-revolution bureaucracy, and had four years of hands-on training as Prime Minister.

As a Foreign Affairs envoy for President António Ramalho Eanes, he was undoubtedly in his element, crafting imaginative foreign policy related to Portugal’s pluricontinental fate. His tenure was brief, however, because Eanes yanked him back to Lisbon before the 1984 election to lead a battered International and State Defense Police (PIDE.)

The sour aftermath of the Baptista scandal had produced a thorough scrubbing of PIDE and a leadership crisis within the organization. It was the last assignment in the world Bettencourt might have wanted; Jorge and Belmira Bettencourt both believed it would be fatal to his career. However, the President was calling and Bettencourt, a former soldier, saw that his first duty was to answer. During his short tenure, Bettencourt restructured PIDE into SIRP (SIS and SIED), revived morale, and projected a new culture of responsibility. President Rafael Renaldo later rewarded him with premiership for helping his 1984 campaign.

He was elected in 1988 on the promise of continuity with the Renaldo years and has since proceeded cautiously; his domestic program is ambitious but is careful as to not present it as radical change. He is constrained by his promise not to raise taxes or cut military spending, to do so would betray the electorate Rafael Renaldo had built, and dissipating allies in an increasingly conservative party. This political nature has made it hard for Bettencourt to usher in his culture of moderate and pragmatic politics.

The upcoming trilateral summit between the Franco-British Union and Portugal is Bettencourt’s attempt to demonstrate how Portugal’s domestic priorities can intersect with global affairs. It’s his specialty, having cut his teeth in the 1970s as a Foreign Affairs envoy and SIED director in the 1980s, amassing a global Rolodex of foreign dignitaries and officials. Ahead of the 1992 election, Bettencourt is trying to capitalize on the positive momentum brought in part by his economic agenda and a need to forge his own authentic political brand away from his predecessor's shadow.

Bettencourt's Press Secretary announced that the President will host the meeting with UK Prime Minister and French President Francois Mitterand at Bettencourt Palace on the Azores Islands, where the President enjoys spending his summers. The 17th-century residence was purchased back by the Bettencourt noble family in 1977. The three parties are expected to sign several agreements related to humanitarian aid and security assistance in Africa. Once more, Jorge Bettencourt finds himself in his element, at the dawn of a new millennium where Portugal can turn the page towards returning as a force in the global marketplace and in diplomacy.

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Argentina’s YPF, Galp Energia, negotiate energy and gas development

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LUANDA — Since March, Galp Energia, Catavento, and EDP Group representatives have reportedly been in talks with Argentina's YPF to examine cooperation within oil and gas exploration and production throughout Argentina and internationally. Galp Energia is seeking to establish an office in Buenos Aires for offshore projects, joint presence development, and joint onshore exploration of shale oil. Belem Palace confirmed that a meeting between President Jorge Bettencourt and Argentine Prime Minister Aguirre has been scheduled following the trilateral Franco-British Union summit.

Portugal 1990s Lore | Portugal 1990s Map

TAG(S): PORTUGAL, PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, LUSOPHONE

[Lendenburgh]

The Banners of Perun are Raised

April 2, 1990

Danubian military announces successful test of hydrogen bomb
Yesterday around 10:00, a 15 megaton hydrogen bomb was detonated underground near the Polish border in Slovakia. The test marks Danubia's transition to a world nuclear power, after having supplied the Polish nuclear program with raw materials and expertise for decades. The Danubian military stated that the nuclear weapons were going to become a key part of the deterrence/defense doctrine of the nation, and affirmed that the People's Congress had already passed a resolution banning a pre-emptive first strike. The test was considered a success, though we do not have more details. There has been some apprehension from the population, especially those near the testing site, about the possible environmental impact of radiation, but polls indicate that the majority of people support the country becoming a nuclear power.

Conscription extended to 1 year, Tatra ordered to increase defense production
In the same press conference that they announced the successful nuclear test, senior military press officials announced that all new conscription would be for a one-year term instead of a six-month term. Additionally, the People's Congress has allocated funding to recruit additional volunteers for the standing army, with a manpower quota of 200,000 active personnel. This marks the first expansion of the armed forces since the end of WWII, and is indicative of an unstable political climate in Europe.

Foreign contractors included in design for new MBT
Rheinmetall and Saab have been authorized as foreign contractors in the engineering of a new Danubian MBT design. The German defense company, famed for its production of the Leopard MBT, will be supplying censors, range-finding equipment, and targeting technology, as well as the gun of the vehicle. The Swedish, on the other hand, will have a part in the engineering and central computer of the vehicle, while it will be assembled domestically by Skoda. This is not the only order which the military has placed. Reportedly, feelers have been placed into the arms market for fourth-generation fighter jets, and the truck and vehicle manufacturer Tatra has been ordered to double its production of their 815 Chassis, used for armored personnel carriers. The national congress of the Czech Republic placed an additional tax on automobiles and automotive parts in order to discourage consumer spending in that sector, evidently wishing to devote resources to the armed forces.

The Hungarian Breadbasket
On a similar note, the government has raised concerns over possible insecurity in Danubian food supply. As a result, the government has ordered a doubling of cereal crop output from the Hungarian Republic- going from ~15 million tonnes/year to 30 million tonnes/year. This will make Danubia the largest food producer in Europe behind Poland, and one of the top in the world. Experts have pointed out this may indicate a Danubian fear of the Istrian peninsula or Bosporus being blocked off to international trade, though the exact motivations behind the policy are unknown. The new quota for cereal production is expected to be reached within 3 years, as the government has diverted labor quotas from some consumer goods industry in Hungary in order to provide more labor for the project. However, a majority of the production increase is likely to come from technological improvements, as the Agricultural Institute of Budapest launches a program to improve farming methods and help farmers upgrade their equipment.


Government requests missile defense systems from Franco-British Union
National plenum conference for public engineering is cancelled
Construction on trans-Carpathian cargo rail deemed 'of the highest priority'

[Anxiety Cafe]

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The Liberation of Panama
Buenos Aires — 1 April 1990

These are the words that appeared again and again in Prime Minister Aguirre’s statement today. Released shortly after information came in that the Colombian military had engaged their Confederate counterparts in southeastern Panama, his words represent the first official stance by any nation on the conflict.

It is a historic day for Latin America, one of celebration of the liberty and equality that remains central to the region’s ideals. As many of you are already aware of, the military of our Colombian brothers has entered Panama to begin its liberation from the decades-long occupation of its Dixie oppressors.

The people of Panama have long suffered under the oppression of their Anglo wardens, who forcefully separated them and their land from Colombia in a blatant act of imperialism and military aggression. The reason? Solely to commit crimes against nature, in their efforts to bomb and flood a canal through some of Panama’s most cherished geographic, environmental, and cultural heritage.

The people of Panama were certainly not asked their opinion on this. And nor was their view ever taken into account subsequently; their vote mattered little to the Dixies in Richmond, and Panama has suffered as a result.

It is unfortunate that the actions of those Dixies has resulted in a violent conflict, but the liberation of Panama is and has always been a necessary inevitability from the moment it was first occupied. That is why it is the official position of Argentina that Panama is an integral part of the Colombian nation, and that this military operation, while regrettable, is absolutely necessary.

The Argentine Ministries of Defense and the Exterior also announced that a convoy was being put together to evacuate Argentine citizens from the region. Additionally, medics, food, water, and other humanitarian supplies would be sent to Puerto Obaldia to “assist in reducing loss of life.”

[Federal Pacifica]

The Federal Republic of Pacifica

Numquam Iteram

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Sonora Ascension
Date: March 1st, 1990
On the morning of the first day of March, the Federal flag was raised over the Sonoran State Capital building, alongside the Sonoran flag. This affair was not due to a military victory; rather, it was a product of a haste negotiation process that saw the State of Sonora rejoin the Federal Republic peacefully. Ever since it's annexation by the Pacific States, Sonora has long been defined by it's policy of careful political pragmatism. As the states of the PSA divided themselves into the three regional blocs, Sonora was the only state to navigate the crumbling politics of the PSA without definitively aligning with any regional bloc. Sonora valued it's autonomy and institutional independence above all else, and when the Pacifican Civil War broke out, it was among the first state to turn towards separatism. That is not to say they were sparred from the horrors of that war; Sonora's anglo-latino government was besieged by Sonoran communards, Latino-Nationalists, fringe groups of Mexican nationalists, anglo-supremacists, etc. Sonora had it's fair share of chaos, but unlike the majority of states, it managed to come out of the war with the least amount of devastation.

Sonora resisted the temptation to join the UCIS, which ultimately sparred it from the continuation war that devoured the Coalition. Sonora and the UCIS were not allies militarily, but had a mutual political alliance, or understanding rather, due to their shared ambition and goal: complete independence. However, the demise of the UCIS shattered any dreams of separatism in both the now occupied inland states and the still then independent Sonora. Sonora had lost it's mutual separatist colleague, and began to see the writing on the wall. The Federal Republic's decimation of the separatist coalition set an example to the remaining separatist States; rejoining the Federal Republic was no longer a conditional arrangement, and they could either do this the easy way or the hard way. Sonora ever the pragmatists, opted to negotiate a peaceful ascension under the conditions of guaranteed autonomy. The Sonoran government's principle interest has always been the retention of it's political autonomy. While this may initially imply they would have opted to fight for their independence, they understood that fighting would only bring the same devastation that had befallen Arizona and the rest of the UCIS, nevermind a Federal military occupation and the complete loss of autonomy. The Sonoran faced two paradigms that would result in the same outcome, thus they choice the option that was the least damaging. Better to lose independence but retain a decent amount of autonomy as opposed to taking a risk that results in the same loss of independence but with the complete loss of all autonomy.

Negotiations began days after the fall of Phoenix and lasted into late January. In the end, Sonora agreed to officially join the Federal Republic on the 1st day of the following month, March, under the conditions that Sonora would have asymmetrical status; it would enter the federal system with more autonomy than the other two principle members. The Federal Republic agreed to these terms, primarily because it did not want to spare the time and resources to replace the already established and functioning institutions with Federalist ones; additionally, Sonora's extra autonomy would be beneficial in the short-term as the Federalists can simply defer principle and otherwise Federal responsibilities to the Sonoran authority instead, saving Federal resources. Sonora's government on other hand, does not trust the Federal Republic to uphold it's end of the deal in the long term, but for now it will navigate the waves and handle circumstances as they arise, as it always has done since the beginning.

With the ascension of Sonora, only two separatist vestigials remain. The State of North Columbia has so far refused any negotiations relating to rejoining Pacifica, it's boldness bolstered with a few dozen nuclear weapons sourced from hidden silos created by the old government. The State of Hawaii, hiding behind it's Federation overlords, has thus far not made any official statements regarding the matter. The official stance of the Federal Republic regarding the question of the Pacific Territories and the State of Hawaii is that any separatist actions, such as declarations of independences and arrangements made with foreign governments, remain unrecognized; additionally, the Federal Republic views the as separatist Pacific "protectorates" of the Federation as Pacifican territory held under foreign occupation. In other words, the former-Pacific Territories and the State of Hawaii are illegitimate separatist breakaways, if not that, then they are territories held under occupation by a foreign power; both are unexpectable to the Federal Republic.

Ultimatum Pro Pace aut Bello
Date: April 4th, 1990
The month of April began with mounting tensions in the Americas. For the past several months, the Federal Republic has been saber raddling with it's neighbors. In March, North Columbia had been thoroughly frightened when Federal forces, without warning, entered into North Columbian held territory, taking the city of Vancouver and the surrounding metropolitan; Pacifican forces did not go further. Despite their nuclear threats, they did not respond. According to the Federalists, the Vancouver area was officially part of the South Columbia, and was simply taking it back; of course, depriving the North of it's most important coastal city. North Columbia since then has activated their nuclear stockpile, putting it on immediate standby.

In the east, Federal forces that were tasked with the annihilation of the UCIS have yet to leave, and in fact, have been accumulating at the border between the Federal Republic, occupied Lakota, and occupied Kansas. The logistical infrastructure established in the nominally inhospitable wasteland that is the inland states have also yet to be de-established, and in fact, have been improved. The Lakota Free Territory and the Kansas Free State were neutral associated states of the former-Pacific States created in the aftermath of the Territorial Wars, which the PSA had narrowly won. When civil war erupted in the PSA, the Free States and the Confederate States valiantly set aside their differences to contain the Pacifican Civil War and to prevent it from spilling over. The Free States mobilized it's military and valiantly stormed into Lakota while it's confederate allies stormed into Kansas, actions that violated existing codified agreements and were done without the consent of the now occupied territories. This was just the first in many, many, acts of betrayal by the Freedons; no words can truly describe the utter incompetency displayed by a country that was once considered the inseparable siblings of Pacifica.

With the civil war over, the Freedons and Confederates had done all that they could to prevent the further rise of the creature that had been birthed under their watch, yet their fear of being dragged into a continental American war prevented them from taking decisive action when the cards were still in their hands. The FSA sponsored and supported the UCIS but abandoned them the moment open war broke out; it supports the North Columbians but watched as Pacifica took Vancouver. Both have their eyes fixated on their former-sibling, terrified of the zombie that is seemingly coming for revenge, but both fear shooting it in the head.

Since the beginning of the year, the Federal Republic has been eerily silent diplomatically with it's problematic neighbors; no words spoken and nothing more than visible actions. Both Freedons and Confederates grew anxious watching for what happens next. Come the first day of April, the Federal Republic finally spoke and it was as they fearingly expected. The Federal Republic issued an ultimatum to all nations occupying former-Pacifican territory and associated states; if they do not begin the process of immediately and completely withdrawing within 1 month, it will mean war. While the ultimatum applies to all powers, including Pacific Federation, it does not apply equally. The Federal Republic's immediate priority is to stabilize it's domestic situation and to deal with it's vultural neighbors, it will not go to war over Hawaii and co. for now.

As it stands, the continued occupation of the former associated states, Lakota especially, is unstainable and intolerable. Lakota was, and is, the essential breadbasket of Pacifica. The Freedons had demonstrated to be unreliable occupants who cannot be trusted to hold onto it, they have yet to allow food imports from Lakota back in. First it was their fear of the flu, now it's their love of democracy and liberty and unwillingess to sustain what they view as an abomination. The Federal Republic is in a perpetual state of famine, relying on the generosity of foreign powers and gracious humanitarians for food. The destruction of central valley has left the remaining agricultural sector at the brink of collapse, unable to satiate the food needs of everyone. It will take years to recover. The legacy of the Reaper's Flu has also meant caution by foreign powers, limiting potential assistance. Reestablishing control over the agricultural sectors of Lakota and Kansas would bring immediate relief and reestablish long-term food security from a domestic source.

The ultimatum is obviously an open threat, but within it contains some degrees of reason; the Federal Republic will negotiate over this, and in fact desires to do so. It doesn't want a war, but if it cannot regain control over it's most important source of domestic agriculture, it is more than willing to light the entire continent on fire. While nominally Pacifica cannot take on both at the same time, the difference lies in resiliency. Freedons cannot handle thousands upon thousands of coffins returning home, especially if the reason is to defend their occupation of a native-american territory they illegally occupied. For Pacificans, such a thing was but a normal Tuesday. The Federal Republic is gambling, it's people aren't going to suppress their exhaustion and fatigue forever, not after breathing in months of peace, every day of peace lessens the numbness they grew; it expects it's neighbors to backdown and agree to negotiate, but should the pen fail then it is more than willing to pay the price of using the sword. Pacifica has played it's turn, now it is theirs.

[Anxiety Cafe]

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Cuyan Controversy: Aguirre Gets Backlash
Buenos Aires — 2 April 1990

The National University of Cuyo

Prime Minister Aguirre has found himself with a controversy on his hands, as tensions exploded during his visit to the city of Mendoza, Cuyo Province. There, he met with José Llaver, Governor of Cuyo, and his counterpart from Salta Province, Hernan Ulloa, representing the two major oil and gas producing provinces of the country. Alongside them were a number of executives from YPF, Argentina’s state-owned oil and gas production company.

The group, engaged in discussions in the Government Palace of Cuyo, were interrupted by a dozen angry protesters allied together by their anger at PM Aguirre’s recent actions. Supporters of the government opposition, the Broad Front coalition, joined together with environmentalists, indigenous activists, and Portuguese and Panamanian opponents to his position on the Colombian invasion of Panama.

The group, which exited through another side of the building and were escorted away, then visited the National University of Cuyo, Argentina’s premier institute of higher education in the fields of geology and petrology. The result? A line of hard questioning from various students, who were disillusioned with the volatile hydrocarbon job market and envious of the robust and ever-growing operations just across the border in Chile.

Upon his return to La Plata, the PM’s office released yet another statement on the events.

The Prime Minister is overjoyed to have had the opportunity to interact directly with his provincial colleagues as well as with their constituents in Cuyo this past week. He believes engagement at the local level with voters is of the utmost importance to ensure that these voices are heard.

Many of the concerns raised during this extremely productive conversation are shared by the Prime Minister and his government. He wishes to assure those concerned by YPF’s intention to increase oil and gas exploration and bring in foreign investment that comprehensive environmental impact studies will be conducted, and that indigenous traditional lands will not be disrespected.

Additionally, he sees a bright future ahead for the Argentine hydrocarbon market, especially due to the intelligence, creativity, and dedication of the students he had the opportunity to meet. Although mounting global tensions may affect the market, it is certain that these students are doing a great service to their country in securing its energy supply.

Finally, for those hurt by the Prime Minister’s comments on the situation in Panama, he wishes to express his deepest apologies. He has received requests from multiple domestic and international partners to elaborate on Argentina’s position regarding the conflict. This office wants to reiterate and clarify Argentina’s stance: this is not a matter of politics or economics or imperialism, but one of equality, justice, and morality. The people of Panama deserve the opportunity to decide their own fate; Argentina’s stance has always been in support of the right to self-determination, which applies not just in Panama, but to all areas of concern. Argentina will always continue to support the will of the local people in these matters.

His opponents, however, remain unimpressed. Noting his complete disregard for indigenous voices and environmentalists in his political career, they claim his statement is nothing but a public relations move, with no real intention behind it. And some Broad Front politicians, who elected to remain anonymous, reported that there were concerns that Aguirre’s closeness with the Espinar presidency clouded his judgement on the Panama situation.

[Lusophone]

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Portugal rekindles Franco-British Union ties at Bettencourt Palace summit

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The Bettencourt noble family’s 17th-century residence was center stage at the Franco-British Union trilateral meeting in the Azores today. It is the first time that heads of state and government between Portugal, France, and the United Kingdom have met since the Carnation Revolution, a clear break from Portugal’s isolationist past.

President Jorge Bettencourt is currently enjoying positive momentum brought by his economic agenda. Political observers believe this to be his attempt in demonstrating how Portugal’s domestic priorities can intersect with global affairs. Having cut his teeth in the 1970s as a Foreign Affairs envoy and SIED director in the 1980s with a global Rolodex of foreign dignitaries and officials, Bettencourt is in his element, finally able to forge his own authentic political brand away from his predecessor's shadow. Bettencourt now travels to Luanda for a bilateral meeting with Argentina’s Prime Minister.

The three parties signed several agreements, including an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) and a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) to support humanitarian aid and security assistance to developing African countries. The ACSA agreement will support an exchange program between countries to meet unexpected needs and shortfalls of troops stationed abroad for humanitarian and peacekeeping missions in Africa. Some examples include food, billeting, clothing, communication services, spare parts/components, training services, and security equipment. The trilateral summit also green-lighted a multilateral agreement for cooperation in signals intelligence. Portuguese Armed Forces, SIED, Franco-British Armed Force, DGSE, and MI-6 will collaborate to exchange logistics and intelligence to support future humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.

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In Luanda, students stage protest ahead of Argentina bilateral

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Nearly three hundred student activists in Luanda have formed a human chain, attempting to capture President Jorge Bettencourt’s attention ahead of his bilateral meeting with Argentinian Prime Minister Aguirre. Participants in the human chain — organized by Ultramar group Em Nossas Próprias Mãos (In Our Own Hands) — were asked to write their aspirations on neckerchiefs, which they used as links in the chain.

Among these students from the Ultramar’s largest public university, there is a widespread feeling that the central government takes much more in taxes than it gives back. But the complexity of budget transfers makes it hard to judge exactly how much more the Ultramar contributes than it gets back from investment in services, such as schools and hospitals.

Several students, speaking to reporters present on the ground, also called out the Argentine Prime Minister ahead of his bilateral meeting with President Jorge Bettencourt. “If he supports Panamanian’s right to self-determination, he should stand side by side with us, instead of signing another deal that just makes the Metropole richer,” said Ana, a political science undergraduate.

Since the Carnation Revolution and secession of African provinces, the Ultramar has enjoyed broad autonomy unseen in any other region of Portugal’s pluricontinental state. The Ultramar is one of the wealthiest and most productive regions of Portugal, with its own police force, education system, and language.

Em Nossas Próprias Mãos (In Our Own Hands) traces its roots to independence movements in the Ultramar during the late 1960s. The independence movement — long associated with Portuguese old enough to recall the Estado Novo dictatorship — has started to show a younger face in recent years. Ultramar independence leaders have never wavered from facing batons, prison, and exile in the belief that they are building a better country for their grandchildren. Unfortunately, what their grandchildren say they want are better jobs and cheaper rent.

Among young people in the Ultramar, doubts about secession have crept in, losing interest in sovereignty and engaging instead with issues relating to work, race, and the environment. If the trend holds, it will spell the end of support for any independence movement. Support for independence among people aged 18-24 in the region was 60% in 1982. Now surveys show it has fallen to 39% among the same group. Secessionist political groups can no longer take the support of the youth for granted.

Support for outright Ultramar reunification with Angola has fallen over the years, currently around 15-17% according to polls. The border barrier between the Ultramar and Angola is a stark example of why there is no appetite for reunification; on one side, lush developments and better living conditions, while instability and civil war rage on the other. Many, though, believe the population should be given the right to vote over their future ties to Metropolitan Portugal.

There’s a chance the tide could change again. But if it doesn’t and independence leaders have lost the future generation for good, then the movement is probably over in any serious sense. Once thought of as a future vanguard for a roiling independence movement, the Ultramar’s youth now question what’s in it for them.

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Banco Totta, Banco Comercial Português, postpone Gran Colombia expansion

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LISBON — Portuguese leading firms Portugal Telecom, Banco Comercial Português, Banco Totta, Partex, and Galp Energia were reportedly in early discussions with Gran Colombia counterparts before the Panama conflict broke out; Banco Comercial Português and Banco Totta have since rescheduled talks. Credible sources inside Portugal’s largest companies have individually expressed concern that the potential of foreign direct investments may be affected, in light of recent political developments in the Americas. Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs coincidentally announced that President Jorge Bettencourt’s bilateral meeting with Colombian President Fabian Espinar is yet to be finalized.

THE STORY SO FAR | MAP | TAG(S): PORTUGAL, PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, LUSOPHONE

[Grandes Terres]

5th April 1990

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE CONFIRMS 'LETHAL AID' WEAPONS TRANSFER TO POLAND AND DANUBIA

Today Defence Minister Jean-Pierre Chevènement confirmed in a press release that the government of France has provided both Poland and Danubia with so-called 'lethal aid', in the form of defensive weapons consisting of Mistral surface-to-air missile systems in both MANPAD and PAMELA truck-based configurations. The exact number of units transferred to each nation was not been disclosed in the press-release but minister Chevènement described 'rising tensions between the two nations and the Soviet Union' as the primary justification for the action, including 'strategic analysis by DGSE suggesting the possibility of conflict is high and constantly rising'.

As a de-facto buffer between the Soviet Union and the FBU, many have seen the transfer of defence weaponry to Poland and Danubia as an attempt to shore up the military capabilities of the two nations as both a deterrent to the Soviet Union as well as a way to stop conflict spilling further west towards France by keeping any conflict firmly focused between the three warring parties should any conflict occur.

In his press release, minister Chevènement stressed the importance of dialogue between the three parties which are currently facing heightened tensions and are preparing for a 'resumption of hostilities'. Plans have already been drawn up by embassies for the evacuation of FBU citizens from all three countries in the event that a conflict does take place, which would be 'extremely bloody and destructive for all involved' according to minister Chevènement.

Mistral MANPADS (left) and PAMELA (right) systems to be sent to Poland and Danubia:

[Arela]

The Andes Times

April 5, 1990

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Panama leads the charge for decolonization

Panamanian fighters patrol the countryside

On March 7, 1990, Panamanian nationalists rose up against their Northern oppressors. Subsequently, Colombian forces crossed the Darién Gap to aid our South American brethren. Military analysts expect a swift Colombian-Panamanian victory, with the Confederate forces caught completely off guard against Colombian blitzkrieg tactics.

Like many other South American states, Andea denounced the illegitimate Confederate occupation of Panama, and called for their forces to fully withdraw from Panama. Andea's Foreign Ministry had previously announced that it would send substantial humanitarian aid to Panama, but later it was clarified that such plans were temporarily put on hold to deal with the worrying situation in Eastern Europe.

Eastern Europe in flames, Andea introduces food rationing

The worst fears of Andean officials have come true. A diplomatic standoff in Eastern Europe has escalated into the Second Polish-Soviet War, a full-scale conflict not seen since the likes of WW2. As hundreds of Soviet bombers fly over the skies, Poland's Danubian and Greek allies rush to reinforce the front. The situation is grim.

The shock waves of the war are reverberating across the world. The USSR and Poland collectively produce over 30% of the world's exported wheat, and are the largest exporters of fertilizer, in addition to being key players for many other commodities. Additionally, the disruption of the Panama Canal has also added to inflationary pressures, as European imports must now travel a more strenuous route across the Cape Horn.

Although Andea is not involved in the conflict, it will nonetheless strain Andea's food supplies. To counteract this, President Sanchez has signed an executive order implementing 3 weeks of food rationing for all essential food items. Sanchez has urged for calm, stating that Andea is prepared for such a scenario. "As we speak, Andean officials are busy finalizing treaties with allies across South America and beyond. Let it be known, Andea is not alone."

[The Pacific Federation]

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The Australasian Gazette

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Stormclouds Gather - A 2nd Pacific War?

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With the recent Ultimatum from the Federal Republic of Pacifica in regard to the return of former Pacifican territory, the Federation and the Protectorates have all called emergency meetings within each of their governments. Further, Independent Samoa has called for a meeting between the four Protectorates to discuss the ultimatum and reach a joint resolution. The Federation has not been requested to attend, in fact the government of Hawaii has specifically requested that it refrain from joining the meeting to reinforce the fact that any decisions made during the meeting are in the interests of the Protectorates and their people and not the Federation or Pacifica. However, regardless of the views of the governments across the Pacific, the Australasian Gazette has decided to reach out to the people of the Protectorates to determine the views on the ground and how the average citizens view the situation. Here is their responses:

I mean I won't really notice too much of a difference for whoever runs the island. Everyone needs something fixed regardless of who's in charge. First it was the Spanish, then the Pacificans, and now we are self run. Some of the independence crazy folks will try and talk your ear off about Guam for its people, frankly it doesn't bother me. My father was a Pacifican Marine and my mother was an island native, I see both sides and know that both have their ups and downs. Sure, the Federation has been very kind to Guam with aid and such, but who says that will continue now that the war is over? The only thing that concerns me a little is that the Federal Republic issues this ultimatum instead of talking to us. We are technically still citizens of the Republic in their eyes, why not just peacefully ask us to rejoin? I know that Pacifica will give Guam a bit more attention due to its positioning, but they won't really do much besides retake the military base here so talking to the people shouldn't have really been that much of an issue. But hey, I'm not the one in the driver's seat so I will just go with the government on this.

- Andrew Tokla, Mechanic, Republic of Guam

This whole ultimatum is exactly what I expected from Pacifica. They didn't view us as equal citizens before the war and this new government appears to view us the exact same after. Samoa has always been a poor backwater, overlooked by the needs of Hawaii and Guam. We have little opportunities and are impoverished compared to the rest of Pacifica, yet we never once received any major aid. Then this war comes along and we are left out to dry, without help or protection. Yet, for the first time in recent memory Samoa is thriving against all odds as an independent country. Jobs are popping up, wages are rising, investments are arriving, and thanks to aid from the Federation the poverty issues are slowly being addressed. In 5 years we have done more to help our people then Pacifica did in nearly a century. Samoa and its people view this Ultimatum as returning to the old ways and ignoring the rights of the so called 'citizens' that they claim to represent. Pacifica, if you want us back in we demand that we be greeted as equals, not colonies!

- Maria Letota, Senator, Independent Samoa

Well I say its about damn time they came and brought us back in! Hell, we were a state in the Republic and they left us out to dry for nearly a decade! I voted against secession, against this government, and against becoming a protectorate. We were already part of a great country and we left it for what? Self rule? I am a Pacifican, no question and I stand by the decision that the Federal Republic made. Besides, if the Hawaiian government thinks that it can stand up against the Federal Navy they're out of their minds. Hawaii needs to wake up and realize that this little idea of independence is not one that will last before it ends up getting people killed.

- Mark Harrow, Fishermen, Republic of Hawaii

Well I can't say I am too happy with the way that Pacifica has gone about requesting that the islands return to their control, and I think many others here agree. Business has been growing for the first time....well ever. Everything used to go to Guam and we were kinda forgotten about time and time again. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to be under military protection from Pacifica and during the war I flew the flag, even recently I was still flying it. But this....ultimatum...has made me nervous about the new government. I can understand wanting territory back, but there is no occupying force so who are they telling to withdraw? The locally elected governments? The people who voted for them? It seems like they are ignoring the decisions made by the people to suit their own needs, and that's not the Pacifica I remember being a part of.

- Kendra Borja, Shopkeeper, Marianas Republic

To be honest sir, this ultimatum feels less like trying to reunite the nation and more like a power grab in the Pacific. Hawaii is a crucial part of the Pacific and was once an integral part of Pacifica, but that was a decade ago. We are no longer part of that sphere and have gone our own path whether Pacifca likes it or not. This government is not an occupying force, it was lawfully elected by the people of Hawaii following a lawful election calling for independence. For Pacifica to ignore that and demand that the islands be turned over make us feel that we no longer have a voice and will not have a voice within this current government. Hawaii was originally split on the issue of rejoining the Federal Republic, but this has changed many views here, myself included. I don't know what the government will do. The Federation will defend Hawaii if things go wrong, but Hawaii will be the frontline during a war, and that is something I don't think that either side will be prepared for.

- Alika Akamai, Hawaiian Navy Defense Force Captain, Republic of Hawaii

Prior to this ultimatum, there was still popular support in both Hawaii and Guam to rejoin the Federal Republic while the Marianas was mixed. Since this announcement, support for rejoining has seen a slight drop and demonstrations have occurred across the Protectorates. Most of this is due to the fact that the Pacifican Ultimatum appears to have disregarded the fact that the Protectorates were established by popular vote and that the governments are widely recognized by their citizens as legitimate. Many feel that their voices and concerns have now been disregarded by the new government and that rejoining Pacifica will result in the local needs being overlooked by national policy. What ultimately will occur is now in the hands of the Federation, Pacifica and the Protectorates.

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Arise, the Southern Cross Agricultural Advancement Pact!

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Diplomats from Argentina, Andea and Australasia today gave their signature to a new international document, the Southern Cross Agricultural Advancement Pact. Forged in an era of growing uncertainty, with conflict erupting in Panama and Eastern Europe, the members of the Southern Cross have agreed to cooperate in the field of agricultural research, trade and production. Accompanying a press release from the Australasian negotiating team, the following terms of the Pact were unveiled:

Observing a world in which food security is challenged by great power rivalries, resistant diseases, natural disasters, market forces and a changing climate,

Recognizing the need for collaboration by non-aligned agricultural producers to fairly alleviate immediate crises, and provide long-term supply stability,

- Hereby pledge to remove trade restrictions between Southern Cross members on agricultural products, machinery and production inputs designated 'complimentary',

- Avoid nationalistic competition between Southern Cross producers by respecting comparative advantage, price pressure and target markets,

- Jointly negotiate the removal of international barriers to Southern Cross exports, and express formal opposition to export dumping,

- Promote joint research into environmental protection, sustainability, farming productivity, and climate change,

- Maintain the central principle that food security is apolitical, and that as a non-aligned grouping the Southern Cross will contribute to developing reserve capacity, establish an international food aid service, and pragmatically conduct agricultural trade with all nations on fair terms

Premier Muldoon was jovial when approached for comment, satisfied following the close of negotiations with Andea and Argentina, and agreed to an interview with the Gazette.

Fundamentally, the rural folk are the backbone of our economy. Whether you are talking about a wheat farmer in Western Australia, dairy herder in the Waikato, or the sugarcane harvesters in Fiji, they are the real hard-working Australasians. And if they are our economy, it is my responsibility to support them, and that's exactly what I am going to do. It is clear that we must be guided by trade, seek out trade, and promote trade. It's for our benefit, and the benefit of our neighbors. Now, are we going to waste time competing with our comparable producers? No, we are not. Some say that's in the interest of this party, or just an unavoidable part of doing business, but I know better. And I hope that if those people are listening to this interview, I can explain it to them sufficient so that they will agree with me and say that we will not compete with them either. I am proud of the fact that no Australasian will ever go hungry under my premiership, but I know that I don't want to eat nothing but Australian wheat, New Zealand lamb and Papua New Guinean bananas! If we can truly provide this uncertain world with greater food security, on fair terms, and offer better choice for our own dinner tables, then that's an agreement worth making. I'm glad that my counterparts in Argentina and Andea understand it, as I understand it, and hope that listeners from Perth to Palau and back again will too.

In detail: Navigating under the Southern Cross

While some foreign analysts may soon interpret news of agricultural cooperation in the South as a direct consequence of war in Panama and Europe, or yield increases in Danubia, there is clear evidence to demonstrate that this move has been under consideration for some time. Talks are believed to have been underway with Argentine officials for many weeks, prior to more recent media reports, and it is also expected that other countries may be considered for accession to the Southern Cross in the future. What, then, is the true ambition of the Pact?

It appears to be an alliance of common interest, sharing surplus production, inputs and information with the aim of bolstering agricultural resilience in the face of growing challenges. The inclusion of food aid, anti-dumping statement and sustainability will offer tangible benefits to countries reliant upon food imports across the world, in addition to environmental and financial benefits to the Southern Cross economies. Many fear that a second nuclear war could be more devastating than the last, destroying Eurasian food supplies and distribution methods, with wider global fallout. Even smaller crises, such as the ongoing threat to the Panama Canal and border regions of Poland, could have a significant impact upon agricultural prices and accelerate food insecurity. Altogether with the ever-present threat of natural disaster, viruses and a changing climate, Agricultural Advancement appears to be a cause that transcends national boundaries.

The technical measures to be implemented are clear - export licensing, selective removal of trade barriers, logistics support, shared knowledge, pooled resources, and new potential reserves of non-perishables, fertilizers and seeds. The Pact is also expressly non-aligned, with a note that members cannot be forced to, or prevented from, implementing sanctions against non-members. Signatories will establish a convention of sending courtesy notice when sanctions are planned, so that other members may consider participation on the merit of each case. Consequently "Southern Cross Sanctions" are possible, but not necessarily a regular occurrence. This pragmatism is matched internally - signatories can be expelled, but only if all other options have been exhausted (and requiring a majority or consensus of members supporting their removal). The primary method for dispute resolution will be a process wherein a member officially files a complaint against another member, and then the two can begin negotiations toward successful mediation. Finally, should the Pact not prospect as predicted, signatories may withdraw at their own initiative provided three months IC notice.

The world is changing, the Painful Peace may be over, and as the great powers begin their competition anew it is vital that non-aligned nations safeguard themselves, and the wider international community, to provide food for all.

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| Ross 5 Base Sets Up Harbor | Federation Refrains From Comments on European Tension, Citizens to Evacuate, Advisories Issues | Navy and Air Force Prepare for Possible Deployment |

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[Georgian Kingdom]

Arab Federation to raise Oil Prices globally


The Arab Federation, one of the world's top oil exporters, raised oil prices for buyers from all regions with the prices to Europe and Asia experiencing the highest spikes as the disruption from the Russo-Polish conflict getting worse. The move signals that Damascus still sees strong demand in its main market. State producer al-Mawaarid Company increased this month's prices for all crude grades that will be shipped to Europe and to the Americas. The Arab Federation stated that it is willing to change the output at short notice if the situation on the market worsens and if such move will be deemd as beneficial for responsible market management practices.

Decrease in Separatist Activity
Minister of Security Services Hakeem al-Nayaz stated today that the Arab Federation is witnessing a dramatic decline in terrorist and separatist activity nationwide after the oil price spike. Although it is too early to issue any final verdicts in regards to that, the minister stated that various separatist groups in the Kingdom have suffered an enormous blow as a result of a coordinated work by the country's security and police services. Hakeem al-Nayaz assured that the Federation will continue pressuring the terrorists until each one of them is brought to justice.