Pardesian News Network (Closed; Attn Pardes)

[Ulthrani]

Terrorists ravage Chioggia
Jose Antonio Alba| March 15th, 2015

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Scenes like this are common in Chioggia, where attacks have left 400+ dead

The town of Chioggia, with a population of some fifty thousand people and some thirty thousand Albiyan refugees has been the site for one of the bloodiest terrorist attacks in modern Ulthrannic history. At 8:30pm Ashizwean Standard Time , some forty to fifty armed insurgents launched an attack on the Albiyan border station in Qoryaale, the town opposite of Chioggia before continuing into Ulthrannic territory. The terrorists proceeded to divide themselves into two forces, one that attacked refugee centre Camp Vincent de Paul which was run by the Rodarian human rights group Association of the Immaculate Heart and another refugee camp run by the local government. The other that assaulted Chioggia proper, around twenty men, proceeded to open fire at local police and army units that they came across with small arms and grenades. Some of the men attacked the local Hotel Di Stefano where internationals are located, attempting to emulate several terrorist sieges that have occurred in Albiya such as the famous Al-Kema Siege of 2005.

Chioggia is a popular tourist town and one of the gateway towns that allows Albiya to connect with their disconnected northern provinces by land. International businessmen and tourists come to see the local Lake Anastasia known as the Ruby of the South in Ashizwe. And although Chioggia has been the scene for other terrorist sites, they have usually been more managed and vastly less violent than this concurrent strike, effecting primarily Qoryaale.

Using the darkness of the night and lightning fast attacks were able to avoid responding forces and hit Camp Vincent de Paul with two suicide bombers and a hail of small arm and RPG fire. They killed anyone indiscriminately although some emphasis was put on the section of the camp where Albiyan Arabs are located, which may be a hint as to the cause of the attacks.

The second group splintered into small kill-teams and caused chaos in the streets of Chioggia, attacking police stations and the small outposts run by the Livrichese Royal Army, the state's personal defense force. improvised explosive devices and RPGs were used in these attacks causing much damage to their desired targets. Such buildings targeted included two police stations, five military outposts, a Ulthrianist Prayer Garden and a group of two sprayed reportedly sprayed gunfire into a cafe operated by the Hyman family who hail from Belhavia.

Some of these terrorist kill teams would converge Hotel Di Stefano, where the terrorists had hoped to get hostages for their alleged cause, were thwarted by rapid reactionary forces from the Royal Army's local garrison just outside the city. After a day long battle to reclaim the hotel and the streets of Chioggia, the Livrichese Royal Army put down all terrorists within the city limits at the cost of fifty three civilian casualties and ten Royal Army and police casualties.

The chaos and confusion of the combined attacks has made it difficult for local authorities to clearly identify nationalities and where each casualty officially came from. Locals describe how firefighters and soldiers were attempting to put out the flames caused by the fighting and dragging away severely injured persons from the hotel and in the streets of Chioggia. What can be confirmed is that three Rodarians working for the AIH who died have been identified as, Ionel Popescu 55, Maria Lupescu 28 and Wadim Nicolescu 31, respectively. Their identities were confirmed by officials within the Rodarian embassy in Los Reyes and by AIH members in Chioggia, their remains are to be flown back to Romula for burial. In addition, numerous Belhavians, Westonarians and Emmerians were targeted and hospitalized with no known fatalities as of yet with only one Bryon Wallis, a traveler from Oured D.A, being known. Wallis, 49, was in a critical condition after sustaining injuries caused by a fragmentation grenade lobbed into the conference room that he and others were hiding in.

Secretary of State Grant Meradala has condemned the attacks will be holding a press conference at an unknown time later this week with the Emmerian embassy confirming that four of its citizens being hospitalized. No statement has yet to be released by the Belhavians nor the number of Belhavian casualties are being reported.

The Westonarian Embassy also released a statement confirming that two of its citizens, Johannes Van der Vyver and his wife Ineke Van der Vyver were killed after Johannes attempted to wrestle the gun from one of the attackers and was subsequently executed for the act. His wife died during the assault by the Royal Army although whether she was killed by the terrorists or in the crossfire is unknown at this time.

The attackers on the camp were pushed back by reinforcing local security forces and were intercepted by an aviation assault company from the 2nd Fuerza Expedicionaria de Ultramar stationed an hour from Chioggia, despite not requesting the border crossing action from the Albiyan government. General Dario Ardelean of the 2nd FEU said in a statement that his troopers performed with the ferocity and laser-guided accuracy that they are renowned for, neutralizing the enemy threat in Albiya.

By the time it was all over, some four hundred people would be killed and some seven hundred injured. The majority of these were Albiyan refugees killed in the camps but some sixty Ulthrannic citizens were killed in the attacks along with twelve police and Royal Army personnel. It is believed that the strike by the 2nd FEU killed the last remaining attackers although that cannot be confirmed as massive crackdowns begin to sweep border towns across Ulthrannic Ashizwe. Local government is reporting that over eighty suspects have been arrested in police and Royal Army raids across the border region.

However, there is criticism being lined against members of the local Tropas de Ultramar garrison who, after responding to the threat had been reported to have summarily executed two captured fighters by hanging although this report cannot be verified.

The conduct of the local defense force is being put into question by Los Reyes, some even believing that the ineptitude of the local border security was the cause of the crisis.

"If the Livrichese had put more efficient border security measures and personnel perhaps an event like this would not have ever occurred" Representative Raul Juanito Oleastro said during an emergency meeting in the Grand Assembly today, garnering much contempt from Livrichese representatives in the empire's lower house. An official hearing will be held by the military sometime in April. Attacks have been increasing along the border since ethnoreligious tensions bursted earlier this year in Albiya with anti-arab and white sentiment grew in the country alongside growing clashes between the tribes of the south. Nicodemo Fausto Morales, an specialist in Albiya believes that the attackers belong to the Ukhir tribe, radical Pan-Ashizwean supporters who have been behind numerous ethnic killings in the past.

"The slaughter that occurred in Camp Vincent de Paul, with Arabs and especially members of the Seddrat tribe being targeted does point towards the Ukhir being the perpetrators" Morales said in an interview with local television, although Los Reyes denies to confirm that any individual tribe or group in Albiya are behind the attacks.

The Grand Duchess of Livirica and her cabinet are rumored to be writing a plea to the Emperor to request that military actions be taken against the source of the terror and to end the violence currently afflicting the border region. Emperor Carlos X has called for a meeting with local officials and the Lord General of the Tropas de Ultramar to analyse what allowed such a situation to occur and potential solutions to the problem. An official memo from his office has claimed that the use of military action was not to be the preliminary response but wrote that 'such actions are not being excluded'. Hardliners from the Hijos de Oro Imperio and others like them have called for an immediate and devastating response to such an insult to the Empire, with a spokesperson from the Office of the Vicar saying that "Al-Kema and those who support such terrorist actions would know what the wrath of the Grand Ulthrannic Empire is."

Al-Kema has yet to release a statement although President Ghazzawy has confirmed he will be releasing a press statement and that the Albiyan government has condemned the attacks as "barbaric".

By RTVO Correspondent Ricardo Landin

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IMPERIAL NEWS

• Terror strikes the border with Albiya
• A New Great Game?
• Unemployment crisis

MORE FROM RTVO

• Bogorian Civil War
• Rodarian technology reforms
• Oured Peace Treaty signed

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[Arthurista]

ARTHURISTAN AND EAGLELANDER PARATROOPERS CONDUCT JOINT EXERCISE

"Regional Rapid Intervention Force" proposed

Mathilda Ochibwe, defence correspondent
16/03/15

In one of the largest joint exercises conducted between Arthuristan and Eaglelander forces, the Commonwealth Army’s 1st Parachute Division was deployed to Eagleland’s Lacedaemon Province today for a series of war games to test its intervention capabilities.

The 1st Parachute Division is one of the three manoeuvre elements of the Commonwealth Army’s Rapid Reaction Corps, along with the 2nd Parachute Division and the 1st Mountain Division. They are the only light infantry formations in the Commonwealth Army, configured for strategic mobility. Aside from their specialities, all three divisions are capable of conducting air assault operations in conjunction with helicopters.

“We’re beginning with battlegroup exercises,” said Brigadier Thomas Walsingham, the division’s executive officer. “We’ll move onto brigade group, division and, finally, corps level operations in the coming weeks. Taking full advantage of the open desert terrain, we’ll be testing the ability of light forces to defend themselves against mechanised formations when well-supported by attack helicopters, UCAVs and tacair.”

Conventional scenarios will not be the sole focus of the exercise. “What we’re witnessing in Bogoria is the rise of ‘hybrid warfare’ – it is signalling the end of an era in which traditional ‘force-on-force’ encounters dominate the scene – the strategic picture is getting murkier. This is doubly so in this volatile continent.” One of the main aim of this exercise was therefore to gauge the division’s ability to accomplish a wider variety of mission objectives – “unconventional warfare, foreign internal defence and counter-insurgency, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping and crowd control: these are all scenarios which we have to familiarise ourselves with, very rapidly.”

If anything, said Brigadier Walsingham, the Commonwealth Army is adapting to a new security environment by studying a long-neglected playbook. “This is unlike the massed mechanised warfare scenario that we practiced so hard at for the past sixty years. Rather, we are reaching back to how we operated in Ashizwe in the last century. Naturally, there is a major difference this time – we are not here as imperial adventurers, but as friends of the legitimate governments of Ashizwean nations – to assist them in protecting their sovereignty against unilateral attempts at revanchism, or to alter the territorial status quo by force.”

Regional Rapid Intervention Force

Indeed, unconfirmed reports from the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office go even further than Brigadier Walsingham – high level discussions may in fact have begun with the Eaglelander government to create a Regional Rapid Intervention Force.

“Peace and stability in Ashizwe is vital to the interests of all civilised nations in the area,” said analyst Mary Wishbone of the Commonwealth United Services Institute. “Accordingly, the main threats to the maintenance of those objectives are threefold: from the side of states: illegitimate regimes which perpetuate crimes against their own people, and revanchism from powers intending to revise some imagined historical slights. From the side of non-state actors, your usual gamut of terrorists, pirates, militants and rogue mercenaries. It is doubly vital that we, alongside our partners, vigorously confront these threats to Ashizwean stability and, where the status quo has been illegitimately disrupted, to restore it as efficaciously as possible. For that, we need increased rapid intervention capabilities on land, and an increased presence on the Golden Sea. So, don’t be surprised if this exercise in Lacedaemon is followed up by a major manoeuvre of the Home Fleet down south. Overall, things in one of the least developed and most volatile areas of the world will get very interesting in the near future.”

[The Eagleland]

Katsaros: "The Eagleand will become the Centre-North's Principal Technology Centre."
Government to strengthen technology sector of the Eagleland Economy.
^{16 March 2015 | By Ioannis Vasilikos (@john_vas) (ENT)}

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The Lamia Technology Centre (left) and Avlona Information Tower (right) are just two projects clearly outlined in the White Paper as integral to the development of the Eagleland's Technology Sector.

CONSTANTINOPLE, KCT — The Eagleland Government released a White Paper before the Senate today about the past, present and future of the Eagleland's technology industry, with the intent of turning the Eagleland into one of Pardes' leading technology centres, rivaling Emmeria, Belhavia, Arthurista, and soon-to-be rival Rodarion.

Said White Paper, officially referred to as Government Proposal #03-7721/2015, is a highly-detailed, 407-page proposal, proposed at both houses of Parliament in both Athens and Constantinople. It has been drafted by a group of economists, technology experts, and members of the Ministry of Finance, led by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Michalis Katsaros.

The White Paper has specific details pertaining to the past ten years of the Eaglelander Information Industry, a comparison of its present state with the equivalent Emmerian and Belhavian industries and future trends. It is viewed that in 50 years' time Rodarion will become a rival of the Emmerian and Belhavian technology sectors owing to its technological boom. As stated in a National Exprima article on March the 12th, 2015, "Minister of State for Science and National Innovation Annamária Budai explained the reforms to the Senate this morning in very simple terms, "we are going privatise technological development, we are giving our brightest minds freedom they have never experienced before. We are giving the nation, its full potential."

In order to make the Eagleland competitive, a Technology Investment Fund will be established, attracting financial capital from all over the world, including from the Eaglelander Government, which will start from a $10 billion base, and will used to finance technology projects and top-performing startups for further development, in IT, Robotics, and other technology sector commodities. Additionally, the cities of Avlona, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupoli, Sparti, Iraklion, Limani Perikleous, Volos, Larissa, Lamia, and Komotini will also become centres for technology, shifting away from other cities which are more developed but simultaneously expensive, such as Constantinople, Maroussi, Athens and Piraeus.

The manner in which those cities will become technological centres is also outlined in detail in the White Paper. At first, all startups, in all fields, in said cities will be exempt from taxation permanently. All businesses whose object of trade is technological commodities, from Information Technology to Biotechnology, will also be exempt from taxation from those cities, and the local municipalities may not impose council taxes on them. Two skyscraper projects, the Lamia Technology Centre and the Avlona Information Tower are also included in the plan, saying their realisation, plus other measures, will increase the cities' competitiveness.

Another way by which the Eagleland will become compet firms is to enhance its robotics sector. Kokkinia, Piraeus, Patra and Athens' robotics sectors are thriving, in spite of public weariness. In the white paper it is argued that the booming robotics sector must be supported by the state, for military and medical research. It proposes that defence R&D spending be appropriated to high-quality research, in order to develop enhanced robotics for use by the Eagleland Armed Forces, as well as by the Eaglelander National Health System (ESY). Funding by the ESY will be provided by a rationalisation of spending within the ESY's budget.

Finally, the lack of qualified robotics and IT specialists in the Eagleland is to be curbed through a series of extensive training programmes. Not limited to recent education reforms, Professional Qualification Centres (KEKs) will now begin hiring more IT experts to teach Information Technology, as well as other technology subjects such as robotics, in the form of qualification courses intended to re-qualify labourers and provide them with skills in order to move forward in an increasingly digitalised world. High-intensity summer courses will also become available for other labourers who may feel the need to diversify their skills. All teachers and students will be required to attend national examinations for respective qualification, which will be accredited and recognised by the Government and Employers alike.

Deputy Minister of Finance, Michalis Katsaros, said: "This is just the beginning for our country's technology industry. Technology," he added, "is the future of the world, and those ill-prepared for it will suffer the consequences. Our plans will ensure that we are fully prepared for it. In ten years, the Eagleand will become the Centre-North's Principal Technology Centre. This can only ensure our progress as a Nation, in a world of austere competitiveness."

Discussion on the white paper is intensifying in the Senate, and a bill centered around the white paper is to be proposed by the House of Representatives in Athens. Its initial processing stage is currently ongoing, and its first reading is planned for the 30th of March.

Ioannis Vasilikos reported from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory. Konstantinos Irakeides contributed to the article from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory.

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© ENT 2014

[Virana]

Opinion: Ceausescu's Oured
The failure of Rodarian lobbying and the power of the anti-Rodarion lobby

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Jameson Nash (Op-Ed Contributor)
^{March 16, 2015 10:21 pm}

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Editor's note: Jameson Nash is a renowned political scientist, professor at the Daniel Hemingway School of Political Science at Northwestern University, and former Brettons Institution scholar.

Money drives the government. That much is true, whether you're in the deserts of Mutanga (that's in Husseinarti, for those who don't know) or the palaces of Isn Deslen. But it is especially true in Oured.

In Oured, money does not equal power, but it is frequently the tool through which power can be obtained.

If that much is true, how come all the money in the world has not done the trick for Rodarion and its embattled consul, Octavian Ceausescu? Why has all the money in the world not been enough to polish Rodarion's image among the leaders in Oured? The key here is between the lines.

Where Romula has succeeded

It was a chilly autumn evening in the nation's capital in October 1990, the sun hovering above the horizon blanketing the sky in an orange hue. Several blocks from Elizabeth Avenue, on the corner of 10th and Ferst, was a small, rundown restaurant called "Bolo's Wings" (incidentally, the same place would become a household name after The Braden Times reported two decades later that it was a favorite of then-Vice President Washington Hayes). It was a two-man show, run by an aging chef and entrepreneur of a very modest background named Bolo, and his assistant and cashier Gregor.

It was a tiny eatery, with a small bar-style sitting area next to the register and three booths placed around the edges. At one of these booths sat a young, fiery looking character, his boyish expression radiating from his tall, athletic demeanor; he was a baby Federalist delegate from Carina, Murray Benjy. Across from him sat another young man with mid-length brown hair combed to one side and a paralyzing gaze emanating from his big blue-green eyes. These two men, sitting with two of their colleagues (one of them Senator and soon-to-be President Hayes), laughed and joked about recent events, enjoying time over plates of the tastiest hot wings in Oured.

This was where Benjy first fell for the man across from him, an up-and-coming Rodarian senator from Trajanare, Octavian Ceausescu.

Benjy had spent the 1980s obsessing over confrontation with Rodarion. As a young political science major interning under the human rights-centric National Democrat Arslan Diya's presidential campaign in 1981, Benjy was indoctrinated with a strong sense of the importance of rights and freedoms in global politics. His contempt for Rodarion developed the following year when he worked as a congressional aid for Federalist senator from Sariya, Cody Humbert, then the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. While running a few errands for people working in Humbert's office, Benjy personally witnessed the murder of 50-year-old Viktor Hasdeu and his 47-year-old wife Yulia, both senior members of the Free Rodarion Alliance and advocates of Rodarian liberty, by gruesome gunshots to the head.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, this was an integral part of the Rodarian intelligence establishment's Operation Rainbow, a systematic killing of 8 prominent FRA members in Oured in 1982.

Coincidentally, Benjy's boss Senator Humbert became a leading member of the provisional joint Committee for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, which was formed to investigate the possibility of Rodarian involvement. Benjy had personal insider access to the committee's report which, as revealed to the public when it was eventually published, implicated Rodarian intelligence services for the killings. It was here that the seeds for Benjy's notorious hawkishness towards Rodarion were planted.

And the seeds grew quickly. Unknown to the public, the United Republic engaged in a covert war of assassinations against Rodarion, long held as a Cold War ally. When Benjy was elected a delegate for his state, he became known for his fiery anti-Rodarion stance. His eventual presence on the House Intelligence Committee gave him unprecedented access to much of this information, and it only exacerbated his opinions. He openly criticized the regime in Romula in every way imaginable. He gave passionate speeches on why Rodarian fascism was a much more present evil than far-off Anikatian communism. He enthusiastically supported every possibility of sanctioning Rodarian politicians bar none.

Yet the close of the decade had a calming effect on Benjy. As a detente between the two embattled Cold War allies came to a pinnacle at the turn of the 1990s, something changed in Benjy. Nobody knows exactly why. Some say he was swept by a personal period of intense Christian spirituality; others say the detente cooled his head; yet others claim he realized allying with Rodarion was the only way to swiftly defeat communism. For whatever reason, Benjy reached out to Rodarion. And that's what led to what was arguably the turning point of his political career: his informal meeting with Ceausescu in that Oured wings eatery.

Now, 25 years later, a much older Senator Murray Benjy is arguably the most pro-Rodarion member of Congress, and he still goes gooey over Consul Ceausescu.

He's become an icon of Rodarion in Oured. His fringe views actually present a compelling argument to an Oured audience stunned by the Rodarian pope and consul and unsure of what to do with them. He's issued the same gospel of detente that headlined the latter half of the 1980s: that the United Republic should reconcile with Rodarion and find a common ground. Rodarion's voice needs to be heard.

"I think if we had better cooperation with Rodarion, we could have averted a relationship that is now in the rocks," says Benjy. "Over the years following the Cold War we have minimized the areas of cooperation and maximized efforts on things that could be viewed as belligerent by Rodarion."

This is as good as it gets for Ceausescu and Pope Constantine in Oured. At a time of worsening tensions, the Rodarian leadership could, now more than ever, stand to have a few friends in the turbulent Emmerian capital. But it increasingly seems to Romula that Benjy is the only ally they have. Rodarian Foreign Minister Mircea Basescu openly blamed Oured for actively pursuing the degradation of relations between the two countries, saying he has "very serious reasons to believe" that the United Republic is pursuing a strategy to topple or change the regime, aided by Benjy's colleagues inside the beltway. "If you look at the U.R. Congress," Basescu remarked, "eighty percent of them have never left the URE. That's why I'm not surprised at the level of Rodarophobia in Congress."

Where Romula has failed

The Rodarophobia in Congress is so extensive that Romula largely lacks any friends in Oured today, save for a few slick yet ineffective lobbyists and publicists that have sucked millions of dollars from Rodarion to help burnish its image. Public affairs giant Travers is the big company on the Rodarian account, earning more than $60 million, according to FES publicly released filings, from the Vatican over the past ten years. And for what? Rodarion is viewed in a more negative light today than it was when Travers was first hired in 2005. Emmerians shrugged when asked in polls if they viewed Rodarion as a threat in 2005, with only 10% of people saying yes, as the middle-Lusankyan country elected a new figurehead for its consulship. Today, that number has risen to 69% in 2015, according to a recent UPN poll.

Of course, not everything is the lobbyists' fault. To spin something in a certain light, there has to be some sort of truth. But when a country aggressively stamps out dissent in its territory, handles its own politics with levels of corruption mirroring banana republics, and supplies arms to rebels to fight in its own cause against a democratic government, reality doesn't provide for a very easy spin. An official who used to work at Travers, and who asked not to be named, described it as "trying to polish a turd."

First hired in 2005, Travers was handpicked by then-Consul-Elect Ion Iliescu to boost Rodarion's image in preparation for an EG3 summit at the tail end of a gruesome recession in Rodarion. Iliescu and many members of his media-savvy administration knew that an Emmerian-style makeover for Rodarian state-owned enterprises would help. And Travers delivered at EG3, arranging media interviews, organizing podcasts, and connecting with Emmerian officials and think tanks to showcase Rodarion in a positive light. Their effort won them a long-term deal with Rodarion that would become one of Travers' most lucrative profiles. Travers publicists, now flying in first class to Romula, boosted their operations, scoring op-eds for Rodarian officials in newspapers, convincing U.R. officials to change their opinions on Rodarion, and starting a new web platform for material disseminated by the Rodarian government.

And that's where the fairy tale ends. Travers laid out advice through briefing papers for Rodarian officials, but they rarely followed through. In 2010 when Rodarion appointed a new ambassador to the United Republic, Travers set up a comprehensive plan to prep Q&A sessions, op-eds, and meetings with Oured influencers. Much of this was ignored. But Travers wasn't surprised; corporate public agencies were known for not heeding advice of hired publicists. But Rodarion was just worse with it, according to a Travers official. And that was not the extent of the failure. The lobbying firm Travers had contracted to handle Rodarian affairs, Lawrie & Holland, had effectively stopped lobbying members of Congress. According to the Travers official, the lobbyists "stopped doing shit".

And so Travers dismissed Lawrie & Holland, understandably. It replaced them with the all-too-notorious firm Eduard Group. Eduard had a unique reputation inside the beltway. Whenever it came to a conversation about human rights in Oured, it was difficult to avoid bringing up the powerful firm. Eduard Group has lobbied for an all-star team of tyrants: Vladimir Makarov, Abdul al-Rawi, Akuchi Chinonso, and Suleiman al-Mutayr. With a roster that includes human rights strongholds like Estovakiva, al-Rawi's Baharaq, Husseinarti, and Ariyadh, the Eduard Group has been described as the "voice of global pariahs" by Mateo Cathaoir of EPOCH magazine. And there's truth to that statement.

There was, however, a culture clash. Rodarian officials had difficulty understanding why lobbyists couldn't simply buy or manipulate journalists. At least initially, they didn't fully understand why they had to try to open up to Emmerian and Free Pardes media, let alone Congress. Volodislavu Yusef, former head of the U.R.-Rodarion Business Council, a lobbying group representing Emmerian and Rodarian companies, said that "Not all Rodarian lawmakers are corrupt, and there is some legitimate lobbying in Romula. But it's a newer phenomenon, and unfortunately to a great extent it still involves simply passing over an envelope to somebody."

Where the anti-Rodarion lobby has succeeded

Not everything can be blamed on Romula or lobbyists themselves. After all, there's another force at work here, a particularly powerful group of officials and lobbyists who are collectively referred to as the highly organized and systematic anti-Rodarion lobby.

The origins of the anti-Rodarion lobby lie largely in the 1982 Operation Rainbow, which defined Emmerian-Rodarian relations for the next decade. It comprised several influential groups. The most important of these were military hawks arguing for U.R. hegemony who fought the Cold War not just against communism but also against those countries who desired to dissent against an Emmerian-dominated world order. The second group was liberal hawks and organizations formed after the turbulent 1940s to lobby for human rights and freedom internationally. President Diya, as typified by his characteristic "human rights diplomacy", was a closet member of the latter group. This latter group also included organizations like Liberty Watch and Human Rights Observatory, which began to protect global liberties but rapidly transformed into tools to oppose Anikatian and Qaradamlari communism and Rodarian fascism.

The anti-Rodarian lobby lost influence as the Rodarian-Emmerian detente swept global affairs at the close of the 1980s. However, it experienced a rapid revival after the 2001 fall of Communist Anikatia, when war hawks searched for a new enemy and liberal hawks searched for another tyrant. Members of the lobby were afraid of closer cooperation with Rodarion, even in the wake of strengthening ties to a brand new democratic regime in Anikatia that was barely on its feet. They saw Rodarion as the next big threat, 15 years before the rest of Emmeria agreed.

Although Rodarophobia is not a national interest, the anti-Rodarion lobby has succeeded in feeding to the media a harsh image of the country, convincing them that it is a well consolidated and highly dangerous power. A clear example is this: there are thousands of articles in the mainstream UR press implicating the Vatican (and in some cases, the pope or consul personally) for the murder of opposition journalists or defectors or leaders. There are only a handful of pieces questioning these claims. The anti-Rodarion lobby has convinced ideologically diverse groups to push for a tough stance against Rodarion. Organizations like Liberty Watch or the Foundation for Emmerian Security almost universally portray Rodarion as a threat. Rodarophobic rhetoric is standard for numerous members of Congress and policymakers in the Presidential Residence, sympathetic of the Rodarion-threat approach.

The lobby's anti-Rodarion activities have contributed to damaging relations between the U.R. and Rodarion. Anti-Rodarion groups have extensively invested in portraying the country as a relentlessly autocratic regime with little regard for civilian life, promoting a hardline policy against Rodarion among the leadership in Oured. Rodarion's virtually defensive behavior in central Lusankya gets lost in the overall picture. This success for anti-Rodarion groups is largely derived from how the Presidential Residence defines Emmeria's role in the post-Cold War world, predisposed to mistrust Rodarion out of the mirage of Emmerian exceptionalism: that Emmeria leads the world and is the torchbearer of democracy.

And so the lobby's anti-Rodarion rhetoric just this past year in regards to Bogoria has transformed into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whereas the anti-Rodarion lobby has promoted an image distrustful of Rodarian intentions in Bogoria, Rodarion has, in response to the Rodarophobic rhetoric spewing from inside the beltway, ignored the advice of Emmerian officials and pursued a much more unilateral approach to handling Utena. This approach is typified by the prevailing opinion of many Rodarians: that the CDI is dedicated to containing Rodarion's influence as a great power inside its own borders and away from its own neighbors.

Because the anti-Rodarion stance is an issue of global politics more so than a dislike of culture or political system, a stronger Rodarion will continually provoke a negative reaction from leaders in Oured as long as the anti-Rodarion lobby continues to succeed.

Where pro-Rodarion groups have worked

As I wrote before in this article, not much of the lobbying done on behalf of the Rodarian government has succeeded in shifting the views of Emmerian people or politicians. But a separate, independent force has jumped in and arguably kept Rodarion's image from the bottom of the trash can.

Enter the New Founding Fathers of Emmeria (NFFE).

NFFE is a group in existence since 1988. For many years, its primary goals were to contribute to traditionalist Christian (mostly Catholic) policies in government: anti-abortion, creationism, that type of thing. It formed deep-seated alliances with Islamic and Jewish organizations throughout the country, promoting an image of Emmeria as a conservative, religious nation with God's favor--Deo Favente, as a traditional Emmerian motto goes.

Around 2006, when NFFE had substantial influence in Oured and in several more conservative states, it began to shift its efforts from solely pro-religion policies to a more comprehensive political platform involving strong support for Rodarion. Playing off of cold warriors' views that Emmeria, like Rodarion, was a religious country, NFFE began to organize donations and support from the nation's Catholics in support of the Vatican. It rapidly became one of the wealthiest lobbying groups in Oured. Between 2006 and 2011, it strongly promoted pro-Rodarion policies, including a major bill passed in 2008 under President Castilla reducing visa restrictions between the United Republic and Rodarion.

But that's where even NFFE's successes grinded to a halt. In 2011, Jayce Lieberman, who served as a treasurer of NFFE from 2002 to 2009, provided The Oured Tribune a set of documents revealing that NFFE had received a substantial amount of money from Rodarian officials. Under U.R. elections legislation, any group representing foreign interests is required to file its sources of funding and its activities to the Federal Elections Service, which then publishes them for the world to see. NFFE had not, afraid of being accused of being a Rodarian agent.

A major media frenzy ensued as NFFE came under fire for accepting large donations from Rodarian officials without disclosing them under law. In 2013, Archbishop of Chaleur James Grey was arrested by Secret Service agents, who were investigating the Rodarian financial allegations, for helping funnel millions of dollars from the Vatican to NFFE accounts without official disclosure.

While this mostly hurt NFFE, it did not make it easier Rodarion's legitimate lobbyists in Oured--Travers and its contracted firm, Eduardo. Both of them lost years of work and suffered through extensive investigation of all of their foreign accounts by the Secret Service. Members of Congress who had ties with Eduardo's lobbyists were far more reluctant to meet with them. The relationships that had been built over the last decade started to deteriorate again.

NFFE was forced for a few years to back off of the Rodarion rhetoric in the face of what was effectively a public relations disaster. It went back to lobbying solely for Christian concerns. It was part of a large, loose coalition of lobbyists and special interest groups who funneled money to Federalist nominee Alex Vaziri's 2013 presidential campaign. Anyone in Vaziri's Oured knows how difficult it is to handle social issues at the federal level under the current administration. President Vaziri's extensive decentralization of social issues was largely what allowed conservative strongholds like North Morena, Antea, and the Emmerian Far East to hold tight onto pro-life policies and educational theistic evolution (seen by the academic community in those states as superior to the more traditional creationism).

And these efforts in support of the Vaziri campaign brought back NFFE's influence inside the beltway. NFFE has shown signs of carefully and methodically returning to its famous pro-Rodarion plaform, but at a much slower pace to avoid another major public relations disaster. NFFE's efforts as an independent force lobbying in support of Rodarion have been largely successful in eroding the edges of the substantial influence of the anti-Rodarion lobby.

The next few weeks will show who has the strength to win this never-ending tug of war in the nation's capital.

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5871 comments

^{STAR THIS DISCUSSION}

[New Belhavia]

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Trending Stories -- Oured Agreement -- Bogoria Conflict -- Chioggo Attack -- Goldman in Prestonia -- Rodarian Economic Nationalization

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OPINION: Ulthrannia's Vicar the Most-Loathed Man In Pardes

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_{Pictured: Octavio de Fey, Vicar of Ulthrannia.}

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Op-Ed: Why Ulthrannia's Fresh-faced Vicar Is Disliked By Nearly Every World Government
^{March 16th, 2015| By Dovid Adelstein (Op-Ed Contributor) | 9:31pm EDT}

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Editor's note: Dovid Adelstein is a well-respected political scientist and professor at the Abramowicz School of Foreign Affairs at Imperial Provisa University.

There is perhaps no world leader more disliked, held in contempt, and regularly ridiculed than Ulthrannia's head of government, Vicar Octavio de Fey. He is the Grand Empire of Ulthrannia's boyishly good-looking young reformer, who rode a wave of domestic discontent to win the Vicarship in July 2014. He was the hope of the Ulthrannic ultranationalist far-right, leading their Hijos de la Oro ("Sons of the Golden Empire") party to victory. Once he took the reigns of power, that is when the problems began. Just fast-forward to today.

Internally, he is a strikingly-polarizing figure. His own Emperor, Carlos X, reportedly cannot stand him and jokes often about the "de Fey disease." Ditto for Manuel Cedeno, the head of Ulthrannia's powerfully independent intelligence service. The Ulthrannic left and center dislike him, and even the center-right has become increasingly critical of him. And that is just in his own country. Allies of Ulthrannia across the world in alliances and organizations such as the Romula Cooperative Organization (RCO) fare little better.

Romula has signaled its contempt for his grandiose statements in global affairs that have been followed by little action so far. One close confidant of Rodarian Consul Octavian Ceausescu told media last month that "[W]e have begun to think of our friend in the East [De Fey] as a bit of a disappointment. He says one thing, but never follows through. How can we depend on him to act if he repeatedly fails to do so?" Particularly scathing to the Rodarians is de Fey's almost open-secret desire to leave the RCO and have Ulthrannia go its own way in world affairs.

His nation's nominal ally through the RCO, Tarsas, a contentious former centuries-old archenemy, still loathes him in public, despite Romula's public proclamations of Tarsan-Ulthrannic renewed harmony and peaceful co-existence. "Vicar de Fey is no friend of the Enlightened Empire," a deputy Foreign Minister in Civitas Tarsae declared to reporters three months ago when tensions flared between the two old-time rival powers. "If that expansionist radical continues to rail for the Disputed Zones back under Los Reyes' unilateral hegemony, I expect the peace between us will collapse. Ulthrannia under de Fey does not know what 'peace' even means."

And that's just his friends and allies. It gets worse from there.

Belhavia, a leading global power with extensive Far East interests, with whom Ulthrannia had long enjoyed a cordial part-partnership, part-rivalry, has turned cold and hostile. When de Fey supported Livrichese efforts to threaten Belhavian and allied territories in Southwestern Ashizwe, Provisa personally and publicly slammed de Fey as "radical, extremist, and absurd" and his conduct as "disturbing and, frankly, outrageous." Arthurista's leaders, in a similar vein, have reportedly called the Vicar behind closed-doors a "bloody lunatic," "dog-house mad idiot," and "petty despot with megalomaniacal delusions."

In Emmeria, the Ulthrannic Vicar is viewed with mixed feelings. "De Fe is our most powerful ally and our worst enemy in Los Reyes. On one hand, he supports Ulthrannian withdrawal from the RCO in contradiction to the Emperor, a necessary force to oppose the emperor's fanaticism. On the other, de Fe is outright dangerous. If he were let off the leash he'd be the next conquistador. He has power and he has ambitions. And that is a deadly combination," said an anonymous senior Vaziri Administration official, who was not authorized to discuss the President's and his inner circle's views on the man, to the Emmerian news channel UPN in February.

But it is not just Central Defense Initiative (CDI) powers who feel that way. The leadership in Cata Larga hates the man, fearing his ambitions would see the seacoast-based trading power annexed back into the Ulthrannic Empire. Political watchers in Puerte-de-Liberete believe the Commonwealth's Director-General, ia Klerka, nodded towards de Fey when he told Ashizwean media last week that "Ulthrannic aggression is dangerous to us, dangerous to Ashizwe, and dangerous to the world, and certain individuals within the Ulthrannic government who support such actions ought to be educated on proper behavior in the modern world." Pointedly, when a CataLarguenese delegation arrived in Los Reyes for diplomatic meetings, they refused to meet with the Vicar. Instead, they arranged a sit-down with Carlos X.

Anikatia's top leaders, long influential members of the Organization of South East Nations (OSEN) and intermediaries between the CDI and RCO, dislike de Fey. The new Prime Minister reportedly liked de Fey's domestic education reforms but worries over his Ashizwean and broader Far East ambitions. Her deputy Prime Minister, right-leaning Nikolai Tretyakov, was more emphatic, denouncing the Ulthrannic head of government as "foolishly failing to deal with his country's internal problems and has dangerously turned to neocolonialism abroad to distract his home audience from their troubles."

And the list goes on. So why is Vicar Octavio de Fey so intensely disliked abroad by his fellow global leaders? It can't simply be his ultranationalism and expansionist rhetoric. After all, Rodarion's Octavian Ceauescu, despite all his controversial global moves in recent months, has the respect and friendship of many world leaders. So what is it?

It comes down to perceptions of psychological sanity, reasonableness, and credibility. The universal theme for the global leaders community's distaste of de Fey has more to due with perception's of the man's state of mind than anything else. When he declares Ulthrannic ambitions for a 21st-century Reconquista, his fellow peers readily believe he's reckless enough to do it. Unlike the Ulthrannic emperor and his intel chief, de Fey has struck many among the heads of state and government across Pardes as patently unreasonable. And to the Rodarions and his fellow RCO allies, he's been categorically lacking in credibility.

Despite the ebb and flow of global geopolitics, leaders have relied upon sanity, reasonableness, and credibility as the touchstones - the foundation, you could say - of maintaining global order, stability, and peace. While Rodarion's Consul concerned leaders across Free Pardes and OSEN, they believe that he is sane, credible, and at his core, at least marginally reasonable - and thus they do not fear a world war when Ceausescu talks about putting ground troops in Bogoria or expanding the RCO's force projection into the Akkadiya Ocean. Because at the end of the day, his peers believe - with good evidence - that he is a man they can deal with. A man who is intelligent, cunning, and plays by the rules of the game known as world geopolitics. The same cannot be said for De Fey. And that is why he's the most-loathed man by his fellow global leaders. He's a character set apart from the rest. And as long as he behaves as he has been these past six months, he can expect more of the same.

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[Rodarion]

His Holiness received great swathes of support from the 188 Rodarian Cardinals of the Church

In an official Papal Bull, signed and declared by the Holy Father, the death penalty for homosexuality has been official repealed. In a three-week long 'behind-closed doors' debate with Rodarian Cardinals, the Vatican announced it had reached a decision and effective immediately at midnight on Friday, 20th March, homosexuality will no longer be a capital offence. Speaking to the assembly of 188 Rodarian Cardinals, the Holy Father said, "today, Christ's Church has taken the first step in its obligations as the governing body of our Papal Republic, to ensure that compassion and respect become the new norms of our society, we must ensure that our children and grandchildren enter this world, where compassion and respect greet them, not dogmatic repression and spiritual tyranny."

The Vatican announced that the Pope's efforts to ban capital punishment for homosexuality was backed 122-66, a resounding majority. The Vatican conceded that the Pope faced opposition from more conservative elements of the Sacred College, but careful and polite expression, gained the support of a majority of Cardinals who agree that a path of compassion and respect is necessary for the Papal Republic and its 1.3 billion citizens. Several months ago, Pope Constantine made clear his opposition to capital punishment for homosexuality, saying, "who are we to judge? When the only true court of opinion we must take note of, is not on this mortal earth but in the Kingdom of God. If a man loves another man in that manner, but also loves God and seeks God's love, who are to judge? Do not we all seek God's love and mercy?"

The Pope's position on the homosexuality community is supported by over 70% of the country, in a poll released in January, when asked "do you support a ban on capital punishment for homosexuality", 72% said yes and 28% said no, the poll was interesting in that "don't knows" received no backing. However, Archbishop of Voluntari and Dovii, Emilian Radulescu (also General Superior of the Order of the Cross), said today, "yes the move by his Holiness was a great success and we thank God for such a resolution, but by public opinion, 408 million citizens do not back it. We must respect their opposition, but know that over a billion others do support the Holy Father's decision, the nation will be better for it."

However the Archbishop of Helesteni, eminence Ergon Ionescu (also Secretary of the Congregation of the Security of the Mother Church) was one of the most vocal opponents of the Papal bull, stating in his address to the Sacred College, "his Holiness has my full backing as our pontiff and as the Bishop of Romula, but I must protest at this pace of reformation of how laws and attitudes are to change in this nation, this Mother Church and the people that serve it, have a greatly supported notion and opinion of the matter of homosexuality. This nation and this universal Church abide by scripture, we have a clear view on how to deal with those who suffer from homosexuality and that is, that they be dispatched unto God for swift and immediate judgement, unless they show repentance for their grave sin, we, God's clergy, through the sacrament of penance, we may forgive them, if they chose not to ask for forgiveness, then they must be passed onto the Lord's judgement. We cannot break this tradition, nor break the boundaries of this Church's morals through setting of precedents."

Numerous Senators have announced their support for the Papacy's decision. National Democratic Party senator, Lucinda Popescu said online, "his Holiness strikes again! We are truly blessed as a nation to have such a humanitarian and loving supreme leader." National Catholic Party senator, Grigore Lupu also said online, "a move has been made that will ensure the continued spiritual harmony of the nation, no longer will the seeds of self-doubt grow and fester, his Holiness made the decision to spare homosexuals the death penalty, because it is no longer the human thing to do and that is that."

The Senate by convention will receive the Papal bull and acknowledge it into law, the Proconsul (President of the Senate) will present the bull to all 700 Senators (attendance is mandatory), he will read the bull's contents to the Senate, who will then conduct the sign of the trinity and say aye in unison. The Proconsul will nod to the Praetor of the Senate, and stamp the bull, officially acknowledging it as law.

At least 49 men will now be spared the death penalty on charges of homosexuality, but may still face the death penalty for other offenses, since no man has been executed just for being gay in the Papal Republic. All have been sentenced to death for drug trafficking, paedophilia or child abuse. Under the new law, those found guilty of homosexuality as a lone sentence will face life imprisonment with no chance of parole. However, the new law has made a provision for a series of facilities for homosexual inmates, separating them from the general prison population. As Pope Constantine stated in his address to the Sacred College, "why detain them in a lock establishment where other inmates will surely murder them rather than the state? We cannot allow this to be a case for perpetuating sin in our society, we must allocate these people a safe and secure establishment where they can spend the rest of their days in rehabilitation or repentance."

The Ministry of Justice has confirmed the request from the Papacy to open a large facility for all those facing charges of homosexuality and those no longer on death row, the facility will be run by the Magisterium as with every prison in the Papal Republic. The facility will provide rehabilitation assets and programmes for the inmates, the Ministry of Justice also confirmed that the facility will offer the 'Repentance through Labour' scheme, which is also in place in every prison, where inmates will work; mostly producing light goods such as stationary, shoes and light bulbs for example. The facility will be able to house 10,000 people.

The Holy Father in his final address to Cardinals before the synod on the issue closed said, "today we have begun to ensure the continued compassionate nature of our society and the people of the Church state. Today we have shown ourselves, the nation, the world and the Lord himself that we will take lead in matters of morality and continued justice for those in need of forgiveness and those who reject God's forgiveness. I thank the Lord, that I am blessed to serve beside such venerable and honest souls, God bless you all and God bless the Mother Church."


Written by Melita Vaduva.

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[Anikatia]

Rodarion ships on delivery to Anikatia
Anikatia has confirmed that it will be taking delivery of the first two Saint Sebastiu-class warships from a Rodarion-led consortium.
Seok Yeong-nam (@Seok_Yeong-nam)
^{March 18, 2015 6:21 AM | Antiytia, Anikatia}

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ANV Kystia pictured enroute to Anikatia, March 18, 2015
Source: Cheon Ip-sae / VOSTOK PRESS

_{S T O R Y H E A D L I N E S}

:· NEW:Pope bans capital punishment
for homosexuality
:·UPDATE: Bogoria fighting continues
in wake of cease fire deal
:·Arthurista and Eagleland propose
Regional Rapid Intervention Force

ANTIYTIA, Anikatia — Correspondents say the sale will mark the first time Anikatia has purchased such sophisticated naval equipment from the Papal Republic. The delivery of the two vessels come as part of President Sui Anyi plans to significantly modernise and revamping the nation's armed forces, a policy started under President Bykov.

The President’s office announced that the two Saint Sebastiu-class landing helicopter dock type warship were delivered today to Naval headquarters in Kopolcha, where it will undergo an inspection and then be sent to a shipyard to have domestic systems installed before it's commissioned fully within the fleet. The delivery was originally agreed for February but stalled for a month over issues in accepting the vessels for delivery.

The Saint Sebastiu-class landing helicopter dock ship are two of three amphibious assault ships that the Ministry of Defence purchased from Rodarian Shipyard Consortium in 2010, to replace aging domestically produced variants Hekate-class ships. The three ships, together would be able to perform the same role as the existing six Hekate-class vessels, representing a significant reduction in cost and an increase efficiency. They are expected to form a key part of future amphibious operations by the Anikatian Naval Forces.

Many have questioned why Anikatia which possesses a large domestic shipbuilding industry would seek international support for it’s latest naval procurement. An insider spokesman reported that Anikatia’s shipbuilding industry is clearly experiencing difficulties. All the major shipbuilders and shipyards are overstretched and simply could not produce the vessel required by the Navy within the time frame given by the tender. The order could represent a key step forward in revitalising Anikatia’s naval defence sector, following its decimation in the wake of the Cold War.

The deal has raised concerns and unease among Anikatia's allies particularly within CDI countries, especially the United Republic, as well as some of Anikatia's immediate neighbours. But the decision to procure the Saint Sebastiu-class but does not come alone, as fellow OSEN ally Valinor also decided to procure up to four vessels of this class only last year. However since that time international tension between Rodarion and the global community, particularly within the CDI and within vocal sections of OSEN have turned against and internationally condemned the actions it has taken in Bogoria.

While the initial purchase order was conducted under the previous conservative coalition. President Sui Anyi has come under fire from the opposition for following through with the order at a time of crisis in Bogoria, which is widely suspected to be the result of efforts from the Papal Republic in supporting the local rebel forces against the government.

The Anikatian order represented an extension of some larger trends, but it is still a sea change on several fronts, it represents shift to even closer ties between the Anikatia and the Papal Republic, which has conducted defence agreements in the past following the end of the Cold War. But it marks the first major sale of Rodarion equipment as well as the largest international naval order since the fall of the DSRA.

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  © The Antiytia Times 2015

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2743 comments ^{STAR THIS DISCUSSION}

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cdi86 · 3 hours ago
Anikatia’s surface fleet is very old. They must be desperate to turn to cheap Rodarion junk.

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15 up · 83 down

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seutallin · 3 hours ago
Purchasing a couple heli platforms that they can neither protect nor maintain elicits a big yawn.

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13 up · 10 down

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Jeon · 6 hours ago
Everything seems to be made in Rodarion these days, can't we protect our own industries anymore.

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26 up · 20 down

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[Central Prestonia]

Howe Praises Pope Amid Penal Reforms; Rights Groups Sceptical


File photo from the Hudson Pride Fest 2014, the largest of several annual LGBT pride and solidarity events held throughout Prestonia

Hudson Premier Jordan Howe today praised the actions of Pope Constantine XIV in moving to rescind capital punishment for accused homosexuals, calling the move "an important and historic moment" in the global LGBT movement even as opposition and civil rights groups today expressed scepticism over the sincerity and efficacy of the move.

In his daily press briefing this morning, Howe stated that the move, effected by way of Papal Bull and ratified into law by a rubber-stamp from the Rodarian Senate, represented "the most dramatic shift in centuries" of Rodarian and Catholic social doctrine, calling upon the Papal Republic to continue to make strides toward improving the social and human rights situation within its borders.

"This is, obviously, a watershed moment and an overdue one for the Papal Republic and indeed the world," Howe told the press corps this morning. "We have long called upon the Vatican to demonstrate the mercy and the love of Jesus Christ in its governmental and spiritual capacity, and to use its moral authority to effect positive change in the world, and we are very pleased to see that these calls have been answered. This represents not only a positive first step for the LGBT community of the Papal Republic but also for the world, and I know that the thousands of gay members of the Catholic church who have thus far lived their identities in secrecy will be heartened to hear His Holiness' words this afternoon. We call upon the government of the Papal Republic to continue to work constructively on this matter with a view toward increasing the dignity and respect to those with nontraditional sexual identities."

A separate statement released by the Premier's office expanded upon Howe's spoken remarks, painting a more muted picture from the Premier's optimistic statement. In it, the Premier called for additional reforms and appeared to make reference to Petru Verde, a Rodarian reformer and longtime professional colleague of Mr Howe who was controversially executed for homosexuality and subversion late last year.

"We recognize that reform in any matter of social significance is a matter measured in years rather than days, and yet we must urge in strongest terms that the issue of anti-homosexual morality law in the Papal Republic be given an immediate and comprehensive overhaul upon the base principles of justice," the statement read in part. "In particular, we urge the Papal Republic to consider and effect the repeal of the so-called "beard law" which criminalises the spouse of an accused homosexual in perjury and abetting vice, and we strongly urge a revised burden of proof in cases of homosexuality brought before the Court, so as not to turn the offense into an irrefutable catch-all for those the government would wish silenced."

On the heels of Howe's remarks, Opposition Leader Mary Cullen this afternoon issued a statement calling the Premier's praises "deluded, irrational and fundamentally insulting" to the nation's LGBT community. Cullen's Premiership included the repeal of significant portions of the "offences to public morality" portion of the Criminal Code, including the decriminalisation of homosexuality and atheism. Neither had been criminally enforced for decades prior to repeal.

"The Premier has once again demonstrated that where international affairs are concerned he is fundamentally clueless and incapable of reading between the lines," Cullen told an assembly of Prestonian and world media this afternoon. "His Holiness' gesture is little more than a window-dressing, designed and implemented to draw the favor of the free world, and Mr Howe has of course eaten it up with nary a second thought. Well we in the Opposition recognise a bad deal when we see one, and what the Pope has offered is worse than a bad deal, it is a rotten deal which does nothing to practically advance the situation of the LGBT community in Rodarion. We will not be awed by the Vatican's smoke and mirrors, and we will not concede to nor apologise for tyranny of any sort, including that which wears vestments and carries a cross."

The president of the Rainbow Alliance, Prestonia's largest LGBT rights group, also issued a statement this afternoon calling Howe's remarks "deeply disappointing" and calling upon the Government to more forcefully condemn what they called "an empty act of false contrition" by the Papal Republic

"This move does nothing to fundamentally alter the situation of the LGBT and the suspected-LGBT in the Papal Republic," the statement read. "Homosexuality remains a catch-all, irrefutable offence under which those who displease the regime may be persecuted, and we call upon the Government to recognise this fact and take a firm stance against this victimless offence to silence and oppress in the Papal Republic and throughout the world."

Prestonia's leading Catholic cleric, Cardinal Paul Fishbourne, was not available for comment on the matter and a spokesman for the Curia stated that Fishbourne had voted in favor of the Bull but did not offer any specific remarks from the Cardinal. Fishbourne, one of the youngest Cardinals in the College of Cardinals, is known to be the de-facto leader of the Church's liberal bloc, but has kept a low profile of late, issuing few statements on current affairs since the election of Constantine XIV as Pope late last year. Political analysts and Vatican watchers have variously opined on the recent development, coupled with earlier statements from the Pope, as evidence of a softening in the Papal Republic's typically archconservative foreign and domestic policy. Addressing this, PBC Senior Vatican Affairs Correspondant Scott Thompson told PBC Evening News that such predictions were likely to be premature.

"Vatican watching is always a difficult game, because so much of the top levels of ecclesiastical and domestic policy go on behind closed doors and in secrecy," Thompson told PBC this evening. "While we have noticed that the new Pope has been more active in political matters than his predecessor, it must be remembered that to a large extent the Pope operates much like our Emperor. He'll suggest and guide as he sees appropriate but he's not going to be seizing the reins and directing the country this way or that way. Fundamentally, the Papacy remains a religious office, and while differences between itself and the Consul on matters of policy may exist from time to time, His Holiness will generally defer to the elected authorities to implement policy."

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© The Prestonian Broadcasting Corporation 2015

[The Eagleland]

OPINION: Why Rodarion's nationalising the shipbreaking industry will not harm shipping.
In spite of Belhavian criticism, not all things that are bad are lacking in positive aspects.
^{20 March 2015 | By Ioannis Vasilikos (@john_vas) (ENT)}

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A shipbreaking facility in Rodarion.

ROMULA — On March 16, 2015, the Rodarian Government announced the nationalisation of the country's Shipbreaking Industry, citing labour, environmental, and legal issues like tax evasion. According to a relevant news article by the National Exprima (Vantu, Florentin) The government has announced plans to regulate the ship-breaking industry have several undercover reports by independent journalists showed extensive illegal operations taking place. The most common offence, being the employment of large numbers of workers without permits or legal documentation, allowing ship-breaker employers the ability to pay their workers on an inregular basis and denying them onsight equipment.

As it is highlighted in the same article: Another report conducted by the journalists shows major enviromental damage to waters around the breaking yards, however the Ministry of Industry and Labour has dismissed the reports as "enviromentalist nonsense", the office of Enviromental Affairs has also dismissed the report as "shoddy and greatly misleading." However the Minister of Industry and Labour, Costică Sala, did state that the legality of the sector regarding worker's rights would be addressed.

The shipbreaking industry, known as the 'scrap industry' among Eaglelander maritime cycles, exists as a means of terminating the life of a ship, once it exceeds its time of life when it was economically viable to the shipping firm in question. That is, when the upkeep of keeping the ship moving exceeds the amount of money the shipping firm makes by using such ships. The process of scrapping a ship, referred to as 'demolition' by Eaglelander maritime economists (in spite of the fact that the process of per se demolishing a ship on the high seas is now forbidden by the Pardesian Maritime Organisation (PMO), an OPA branch created for the regulation of the shipping industry), involves sailing the ship into a shipbreaking facility (which usually has limited capital costs to set up; a beach plus some auxiliary facilities are rudimentarily required) where the ship is disassembled.

Another practice for such firms is to sell such scrap metal on the market, predominantly in their local areas, so as to maximise revenues. This also includes selling spare parts like toilets, mirrors, beds or bed parts, lights, pumps etc to the local community and/or factories, so as to boost production capacities. Hence, at shipbreaking facilities, a ship is disassembled and its parts are then sold in the market, hence a very large market, made up of persons with miniscule incomes, is the perfect climate for the shipbreaking industry to thrive, because scrap metal and spare parts have a very low value indeed.

For instance, assume a shipbreaking facility opened in Emmeria. You may have a fairly large market, but firstly, who is going to buy scrap metal and spare parts for $350/tonne? The answer may be positive, but it may be not. Besides, demand for scrap metal is larger in societies where poverty, the extreme variant specifically, is rampant. And secondly, who will disassemble the ships? Emmerian workers, who tend or tend not to be unionised but also demand salaries larger than $12,000 p.a.? While the average Emmerian may think of that as slave wages, that same amount of money is enough to make a Rodarian worker feel extremely well off. But also setting up such a facility may prove legally problematic in the first place, because entire beaches are used and polluted during the course of this activity, and that would certainly develop into a legal issue if that ever turned into reality.

It goes without saying that in this instance the scrap price will go up and people will avoid going there, and that goes assuming the Emmerian Government does not shut it down. After all, environmental, health and safety regulations in Emmeria are too strict for this to work in Emmeria.

But let's analyse the nationalisation. According to a revelant National Exprima news article (Vantu, Florentin): Minister of Industry and Labour, Costică Sala said in a press conference this morning in response to the blogs being posted, "the government takes very seriously violations of the Manual Employment Documentation Act, it is a vital process of employers in ensuring that their workers are covered by their provincial health-care facilities. Not only does it provide workers with access to necessary health care in the event of a work-related incident, should their personal health insurance cover them, it also allows the government to keep tracks on the number of employed, which allows us to formulate national policy and ensure that companies are taxed the required amount."

If Minister Sala gets it in the manner desired, compliance with health and safety standards will incur more costs. Safety measures, health bills, and even health insurance cost money, which does not fall from the sky. Indeed, while costs increase, the market price for scrap metal will rise, limiting demand for scrap metal, creating a management issue since you have more expensive metal which not everyone may want to buy; after all, one needs to do something with all that metal. Furthermore, the firms will be charged with higher fees for the scrapping of their ships; no one demolishes one's ship for free, because such a process can bear very unhealthy consequences.

But that is not going to change anything in the shipping industry. Why is that? Currently, freight rates continue to rise, even though in absolute terms freights for dry bulk cargoes, such as wheat and grain, iron ore, coal, bauxite and alumina, phosphates, etc., liquid bulk cargoes like LPG and even oil remain low. Demand for LNG continues to soar, as will demand for oil (crude and products) in light of new sanctions in the Ankaran Union. Furthermore, exports of final products of high value, such as cars, continue to rise, further boosting the demand for container ships from liner companies.

The conclusion? While health and safety standards in Rodarion will decrease competitiveness, when freight rates are rising no one scraps ships; shipowners use every ship they can to generate much needed revenue, and in fact increased fees for scrap will act as a partial decelerator for that growth in freight rates because shipowners will be discouraged to demolish their ships.

Ioannis Vasilikos reported from Romula, Rodarion. Konstantinos Irakeides contributed to the article from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory.

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[Rodarion]

The Papal Republic's economic success can be seen physically in the expansion of cities

Rodarion has dispatched three Saint Sebastian class amphibious assault ships to Anikiatia, not only does it provide Anikatia with the means to project power, it provides us with a fine sight of Rodarion's growing economic appeal and might. We now see how the economy and its products have transformed in quality.

An article by Antityia Times lent us a comment that must be used; "Everything seems to be made in Rodarion these days, can't we protect our own industries?" Indeed this comment is rather alarmist, but the first few words are indeed true. 'Made in Rodarion' is found on millions of products across the world, that is owed to the PRR's economic system, which is the anathema of neoliberals across the globe, to them it is too much state control, inefficient, a denial of market economics and a rejection of freedom at the economic level, but such things would be said when an opposite of the world's economic orthodoxy proves to be a success story. Arguably, the PRR's system has produced two world changing results: firstly, it has provided the Papal Republic the means to improve its social and economic conditions at a pace unknown to human history and second, it has given the developed world an industrial base that could mass produce goods on a cheap and colossal scale, which no doubt has provided people across the developed world more spending power as the price of their basic goods has fallen.

To the man on Antityia Times, I would say this, yes everything is indeed produced in Rodarion. It is because the PRR's economic system makes that possible, the neoliberals who despise the system no doubt wear clothes that 30 years ago would have cost dollars more, they're children play with toys cheaper now than in the 1990s, they watch television on sets cheaper than what they were or cheaper compared to non-Rodarion brands and the neoliberal's university children, now do work on a Lenarda laptop. They claim this is only possible due to the private owned businesses in the PRR like Lenarda, yes indeed it is. They claim that the system's use of state owned enterprises has bred inefficiency, indeed there is inefficiency as there is inefficiency in private businesses in developed and developing countries, inefficiency is not monopolised by the Papal Republic, but the systems detractors would have us think so. But with news that the PRR is set to become the world's largest economy by the end of 2015 (according to growing numbers of economists), it is testament to the system used in the PRR; no matter what Belhavians will tell you, basic mathematics do not lie, the PRR will overtake both Emmeria and Belhavia at the end of the year.

The delivery of the three vessels to Anikatia and eventually Valinor's four vessels is showing us why the PRR is set to become the world's largest economy, perhaps the Belhavian nationalistic economists are right and the PRR's economy system won't overtake their neoliberalism this year, but it will happen eventually and here's how:

Firstly, the very fact that such vessels are being exported show how far the PRR's defence industry has come a long, 20 years ago the roles would have been reversed. By no means am I deriding Antikatia's ability to build such vessels themselves, but simply the PRR has the capacity to build such vessels in large numbers in quick succession because shipbuilding in the PRR has become a world beater. According to the Ministry of Industry and Labour, the country has 1,647 yards, churning out an average of $3.6 billion worth of orders. In terms of market share, the PRR produced 67 million gross tonnage of ships in 2014, with both state and prviately owned yards proving equally profitable. Claims by people inside and outside the Papal Republic that workers are repressed, poorly treated and paid a pittance are mere lies aimed to stain the good picture present already.
Secondly, the PRR is the world's industrial powerhouse, last year Pope Constantine declared the PRR the 'Foundry of Humanity' and there is reason behind it, in 2013 the PRR produced 20% of the world's light goods (toys, textiles, stationary for example) according to some estimates, it is unmatched in size and speed, with 810 million workers, its work force is larger than most countries' populations. No other developing nation can match or compete with the PRR on scale, the PRR is the supplier of the developed world's most basic goods and most needed. Rodarion remains the supplier of humanity and perhaps always will to some degree due to the lack of sufficient other sources in the developing world, this manufacturing dominance is on top of the fact that the PRR being the largest consumer market in the world, has very much aided the developed world as much it has Rodarion, but now in some cases the developing Rodarion is exported what the developed world does, a most interesting development.

Thirdly, the deals with both Anikatia and Valinor can be traced to excellent economic management under successive National Catholic Party governments. No other party began a boom and sustained it. The Belhavian Conservative Party can take the credit for the neoliberal revolution, but not sustaining it, that goes to the Liberal Democrats too. Since 1979, the NCP has tweaked and perked the economy to meet its requirements, privatising when necessary, nationalising when necessary. It has raised and cut taxes according to need, increased and cut state investment when needed to spur growth and innovation. But never have they abandoned the principles of 'Patriotic Capitalism'. Of course neoliberals denounce the policy as evil and degenerate state control over markets, but in the PRR the system has transformed the lives of hundreds of millions, 600 million people have been brought out of poverty since 1979, illiteracy has fallen from 88% to 1.4%, the life expectancy of citizens has risen from 60 to 71. Child mortality rates have fallen from 46.93 to 7.20, ensuring a continued young work force for future generations. The governments of the NCP have fuelled the economic drive with vast infrastructure projects, since 1979 over $2.22 trillion has been spent on railroads, highways, canals, tunnels, airports, ports, harbour facilities and telecommunications, the NCP has built a nation from a destitute backward agrarian state into an economic superpower. Whether you agree with the National Catholicism as an ideology or not, no one can say that they haven't transformed Rodarion.

Fourthly, as mentioned above, no other developing nation can contend with the growing economic might of the Papal Republic. No other country has the work force, the economic competence or the potential. Eaglelander businesses who want cheap textiles mass produced in high profitable Rodarian establishments will do so knowing the job will be done, Belhavian industrialists who want to have their products mass produced in a timely manner will do so because they know the job will be done. The Anikatian is perhaps right that outsourcing is killing their industrial base, but it is the Papal Republic's industrial base which is making the goods and products Anikatians buy everyday much cheaper, whilst fuelling the modernisation of the Papal Republic itself. No other nation in the developing world can do this, the PRR has a monopoly over the productivity of the developing world, neoliberals would scream, the 600 million Rodarians no longer in poverty would rejoice.

The day the Papal Republic becomes the largest economy in the world is the day that neoliberal critics will silence, the day the event happens is the day that the world changes. It is not a question of how, but now it is only a question of when.


Laurentiu Draghici is a leading economics professor at the University of Saint Mihail, he has written numerous articles and books on the nature of the Rodarian economy and how Patriotic Capitalism could become the general system for the developing world.

Written by Laurentiu Draghici.

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[Anikatia]

Opinion: Religion and the new Cold War
Religion help bring down communism but now it is religion that now threatens to herald a new confrontation.
Ji Kyu-jong (Op-Ed Contributor)
^{March 24, 2015 3:30 PM | Antiytia, Anikatia}

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Source: Antiytia Times composite

Editor's note: Ji Kyu-jong is a acclaimed political theorist, theologian, professor, and Head of Department of Political and International Affairs at University of Antiytia.

In 1950 Emmeria and Rodarion joined forces to fight against the Communist threat in Bogoria. Now 65 years later a new Cold War emerges as once again Emmeria and Rodarion fight in Bogoria. But this time they face off against each other as the threat of religious nationalism takes centre stage.

Tanks and troops invading a satellite state, tit-for-tat spy expulsions, high-risk military games of chicken involving nuclear bombers and fighter jets, and angry diplomatic exchanges – if it sounds familiar, then it should. The escalating tensions between a collective of nations and western countries led by the UR are certainly reminiscent of the bad old days in some significant respects. The cold war, a truly global stand-off of immense ideological, military and political intrigue, began, roughly, in the late 1940s with the formation of the Koskazgan Cooperative and continued until the dissolution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Anikatia in 2001, an event later deplored by a number of Anikatians and by a great many more remaining socialist nations as one of the biggest tragedies of the 21th century.

But this time around, the battleground is a little closer to home, the battle-lines less clear. The particular trigger for the resurgence was the crisis in Bogoria. Where it is claimed that Rodarion has been actively supporting religious separatists fighting for independence, or at least autonomy, from the CDI-backed government in Utena. Meanwhile the Ulthrannic Empires implicitly threatening CDI colonies within southern Ashizwe, while the Islamic Ankaran Union defeated the CDI in New Pontus.

While ‘Free Pardes’ does contain a small number of influential state supported religious nations in particular, Belhavia and Eagleland. They do still apply a clear level of separation between church and state, unlike the vast majority of state religions within RCO. The seeds of religious nationalism and fundamentalism can be traced back to two key instances within the Cold War. First was back in the early beginnings of the last Cold War during the period of violent political instability within Rodarion. In the 1930s and 1940s when communist movements came close to a revolutionary takeover. Instead this period saw the rise of National Catholicism and the rise of the National Catholic Party which entered government in 1955. The political instability ended when the NCP government brutally cracked down on communist parties and other movements allowing its own brand of religious nationalism to grow unopposed.

This also paved the way for an uneasy alliance among ‘Free Pardes’ where they joined forces with what came to be informally known as ‘Authoritarian Pardes’. They were allies against communism but their bond could never hold as they slowly descended into infighting and opposition. Most notably with the 1981 Operation Rainbow where a covert espionage war between the United Republic and Rodarion broke out. By the late 1990s all cooperative operations against communist forces were ended. This is often marked as the beginning of the rivalry between the two nations.

The second instance casts a long shadow on the failures of both communism and capitalism in the long bloody proxy war in Nazali. The United Republic made the mistake of funding reactionary fundamentalist Muslim anticommunist militias during the ultimately pointless conflict. As both the Communist nations of the Koskazgan Cooperative and ‘Free Pardes’ led by UR attempted to win over control of Nazali but it was eventually fundamentalist religious nationalism that would seize power overthrowing the UR backed government in the Great Nazalite Islamic Revolution of 1979. The legacy of the Nazali War is a reminder to the harsh and violent power of religious nationalism.

It holds a reminder to the United Republic and it’s CDI allies regarding their latest failure to protect New Pontus. They have emboldened their enemies, even as they attempt to impose symbolic economic sanctions against the Anikaran Union. But they can’t dampen the wave of excitement and hope across the Middle East and elsewhere. Rodarion professor Serban Vulpes at the University of Saint Mihail, in international relations; declared "this new world dynamic is about a resurgence in politico-religious identity, a new resurrected battle between faith and secularism in political form." 'Free Pardes' is now at risk from fundamentalist religious nationalism that may grow within their own nations and across all of the world, challenging their ideals of religious tolerance.

It was during the 1980s in the last Cold War that the Neoliberal Revolution occurred and many academics suggest this marked the beginning of the end for the communists nations, as much as for the ‘Free Pardes’ alliance. As the new found economic growth allowed Rodarion and Ulthrannia greater international confidence. But the spread of post Cold War capitalism has produced regimes that are neither liberal nor democratic. Instead they take their cues from ‘Authoritarian Pardes’ rather than ‘Free Pardes’. In Bogoria, across Ashizwe and elsewhere communism evolved into ethno-nationalism, supported by fundamentalist religious nationalism.

This new Cold War lacks some key features that distinguished its forerunner. Ideologically speaking, the once definitive struggle between the monolithic rival systems of communism and free-market capitalism has largely been replaced by a contest of values, such as fair and open elections, respect for human rights, freedom of expression and movement, religious tolerance and the rule of law, as championed by the UR and its allies; and a system of managed democracy, fervent religious nationalism and limits on individual liberty in exchange for supposed economic benefits, as practiced in the Papal Republic, and a similar system in Ulthrannic Empire and other emerging states.

But even in ‘Free Pardes’, the world has entered a post-democratic phase where democracy remains formally in place even after actual democratic practices like voting and party membership dramatically decline and power reverts from the masses to small elites and new classes. After thirty five years of the neoliberal revolution. We have seen the synthesis of state and market at the expense of civil society autonomy, as virtually all civic institutions are subject to the administrative and symbolic order of the post-democratic, authoritarian market-state. This new form of religious nationalism seen in Rodarion and the Ulthrannic Empire can be seen as a way to confront the problems of secular capitalism while still working together within the capitalist ideals.

The CDI might denounce it, and President Vaziri may still claim the 'Emmerian Century'. But Consul Ceausescu's declaration of the 'Rodarian Century' certainly seems to align with the global rise of religious influence; with an estimated population of 2.4 billion followers according to the 2014 Diocese Count, the Rodarian Catholic Church should intimidate ‘Free Pardes’. Billions of followers stretching across hundreds of nations all listening to the words of the one Pope in the Papal Republic. In the vast Ulthrannic Empire too a new assertiveness has been found with quotes from the highly divisive Vicar Octavio Magallanez de Fe. Known for his fervent religious ulthrantionalism have been highly supportive of the Livrichese Grand Duchess Giustintiani's contentious remarks stating “it is right for us to have returned what was stolen and I will only add that from this day forward the CDI should begin a policy of leaving the Golden Sea and we shall help them do that, one way or another." In this new Cold War ‘Free Pardes’ has no monopoly on the economy either, in fact newspapers have many suggested that the Rodarion economy will overtake both Belhavia and the United Republic to become the largest in the world by as soon as the end of this year.

However not all believe this is the case as Dr. Benjamin Aronov, Professor of Geopolitics at Almania College. stated "The premise of what some are calling the 'New Cold War' is based on nationalism, not religious nationalism - though religion has come to buttress the nationalism of nations such as Rodarion or Ulthrannia, where a religious furor often goes hand-in-hand with their international ambitions to supplant Free Pardes. However, Rodarion does not seek to establish a 'Catholic world order' - simply a Rodar-led international system. The same could be said for Ulthrannia. Religiosity undergirds and propels the nationalism of these and other anti-civilization powers, but 'religious nationalism' is not the cause of such geopolitical posturing. Simply and plain nationalism is."

This has been rebuffed by remarks from Benito Perez Santiesteban, Associate Professor at the University of Santa Victoria saying "De Fey is dangerous because he is one of the first modern Ulthrannic politicians who doesn't simply use his faith as one of his tools in his political toolbox nor does he keep them separate like Rojas. He has combined the two together, believing that his right to govern is the exact same as his duty as an Ulthrianist." this combined with assertions like those of Proconsul Alexandrescu that "it is our duty as the defenders of our God blessed destiny, we will never tolerate a nation opposing our ordained future." Make it clear that Religious ideologies are so deeply embedded within the political structures. It becomes difficult to tell if the leadership really does begin to believe their own dogma or not. Santieseteban went on to suggest that "Ever since the end of the Ulthrannic Civil War, you really have seen an increase in how important Ulthrianism has become in an individual's life. This phenomenon has not come out of the blue, this isn't an isolated incident but rather a closely examined chain of events that has seen the rise of ultranationalism and religious fervor within Ulthrannia" If enough of the vast billion Ulthrianists and Catholic populations across the globe believe it too, then that is the real danger to ‘Free Pardes’. As in this new Cold War the enemy that cannot be so easily removed without sacrificing their own ideals of religious tolerance.

While most states within 'Free Pardes' were quick to snuff out the fires of communism during the Cold War. Attempts to unpin religion and it’s influence in their societies would be both damaging to their ideals of religious tolerance and ultimately futile. A cautionary tale of the difficulties in attempting to do so come from the last Cold War. When one of the leading Communist powers the Democratic Socialist Republic of Anikatia under the leadership of Kai Seul-ki. Attempted to completely expunge religion from the new socialist society, deeming it outdated and superstitious. But prohibiting worship and forbidding the practice of any rituals just pushed people to worship in secret communities. By the late 1980s the government ended up retreating from this policy and once again legalised the practice of all religions. In particular the indigenous religion, Yeosindo which since the fall of the DSRA in 2001, has now regained its position of prominence in society. Effectively becoming a ‘de facto’ state religion due to a 2006 amendment to the constitution.

We now know that the end of the Cold War was followed by a brief unipolar world order based on essentially secular values of individual freedom, religious tolerance and neoliberal democratic capitalism. Arguably, the parallel rise of religious nationalism and religious fundamentalism is largely a reaction against the triumphalist arrogance of the generally secular 'Free Pardes'. But now Bogoria remains central to the direction this new confrontation will take, but not everything depends on what happens there. Just like the original Cold War, this new Cold War will play out across the globe, but one thing is clear religious nationalism will be playing a central role.

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  © The Antiytia Times 2015

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4862comments ^{STAR THIS DISCUSSION}

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cdi86 · 1 hours ago
Leadership from Vaziri is saving the Bogoria.

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Pope_Constantine · 2 hours ago
Free Pardes are as usual the instigators of these types of conflicts, they simply do not want a military or economic power that can undermine their interests anywhere in the world.
They had no real adversary since 2001, but now all that is changing and the Emmerians don't like it.

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NoCDI · 3 hours ago
It is my belief that the Antiytia Times wants a new cold war. The signs are numerous from their extreme anti Rodarion bias when reporting on Bogoria to their openly propagandist new east network, which has some very dubious UR based pro-CDI partners.

The question is why?
The editor, is a prominent member of the secretive pro-CDi foundation.
If I say more I know from experience that my post will be removed. :-/

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Ostalgie · 5 hours ago
I am rather nostalgic about the Cold War...I miss the old DSRA, it was really a much better place.

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[Central Prestonia]

Midweek Roundup: Howe Talks Terinyi, Tech, Youth Pay in Diet

It's been a productive week for Prestonia's Premier, covering topics from the OPA resolution on Terinyi to the future of the nation's tech industry and the so-called "youth pay gap" during a varied and at times tense round of Questions this afternoon.

On Terinyi, Howe reiterated comments made earlier this week pledging no military intervention or support for the OPA-led invasion of that country, whose legitimate government was displaced by national-socialists in a coup d'etat earlier this year. While praising the OPA resolution as "a necessary and productive means to a legitimate end of international concern," Howe told the Diet in no uncertain terms that no Prestonian boots would be hitting ground for the initial invasion.

"What we have communicated to the Tippercommoner government, through our mission in Chaleur as well as through my office directly, is that while the UTR has our vote and our support, this does not extend so far as to put Prestonian lives at risk for a mission which, for us, lacks any real strategic significance. This was understood by [Tippercommoner Chief Minister] Mr Keegan and my Government remains committed to support for this operation in any context which may become appropriate," Howe told the Diet today. Howe went on to downplay suggestions that disturbances in Terinyi could threaten Prestonian interests in Ugala and Kimbazwe, calling these suggestions "over-simplified."

"There is a tendency in world politics to look at Ashizwe as a unified whole rather than a series of disparate parts, and this tendency is perhaps what brings these ideas to mind," Howe said. "But the fact remains that the Ugalan and Kimbazwean states are not at any sort of threat from what appears to be an isolated incident half a continent away, and we trust that any sort of spillover which might occur can be competently and adequately managed by their respective security forces."

As typical, in politics what is left unsaid is just as important as what's said, if not moreso, and the Premier is certainly no exception. What might be the biggest takeaway from the Premier's statements on Terinyi is what he didn't rule out, namely a "humanitarian" or "peacekeeping" venture along the lines of the Government's Bogorian mission. With Anikatia committed, and the Government interested in deepening ties to Sussex (and the rest of the UTR's abundant natural resources), it's easy to see the Premier walking his commitments back in the coming months under his favorite buzzwords: "humanitarian coalition," "OSEN," and "force for peace." On its face, though, his seeming reluctance to take part in a mission Prestonia's own OPA ambassador voted for does strike the casual observer as a bit off. Has Jordan Howe tired of playing optimistic peacemaker? One can only guess.

FM Hawkins Inks Technical Co-Op Deal With Anthor

Another continent away, Foreign Minister Elliott Hawkins was all smiles earlier this week as he met with Anthoran Prime Minister Thomas Dalen to sign an economic and technical cooperation treaty rumored to be several months in the works. The treaty, as treaties go, is fairly standard fare; lowered economic barriers, university exchanges, technological partnerships, and suchlike. Howe, of course, wasted no time in parrying this into a trumpeting accomplishment for the Federal Party, exhorting his colleagues today to take a deeper interest in developing the IT sector of the national economy in the coming years.

"We cannot remain a first-world state and rely on primary-goods export as the bulk of our economy," Howe told the Diet. "It is imperative going forward that we focus on STEM topics and research at every level of the school system and build the economy of tomorrow today. The coming century belongs to the realm of technology, and we must consistently strive to improve our technological development if we are to thrive and even perhaps lead the way into the future." All very exciting platitudes, I'm sure, but given the Premier's success in negotiating OSEN membership and gaining the CDI's vote of confidence on Bogoria, I'm not entirely sure what he's playing for here. The tech sector isn't Rodarion-tier, to be sure, but certainly isn't hurting. Maybe that tax holiday on big business can bring some of those call centres back home though. I'm tired of getting some bored Madrastani or Rodarian whenever I need my computer fixed.

On the flip-side of the speculation, you have to wonder what Vaumort is playing for with this seemingly out-of-nowhere deal. A play to turn Hudson CDI maybe? They have been mighty chummy for being in a differing alliance and not particularly active on the world stage; first Bogoria staging and now this. Rumor has it a base leasing is in the works too. Either Dalen doesn't get how politics work, or he's playing a long-game that only he knows the outcome of. Either way, I won't complain and neither will the Feds. One last sidenote, for those of us who prefer our hats of tinfoil: a reader recently suggested that this whole affair has something to do with that announcement last year that Prestonia would seek to develop nuclear weapons. Personally, I can't see it. For one, we don't know that Anthor has nukes. Two, if Prestonia wanted nukes, why not go to allies in Sieuxerr or Anikatia? Just doesn't add up to me. Then again, what ever makes sense in the world these days?

Youth Pay Gap: We'll Get There, Eventually

For every home run though, there's a strikeout, and if Howe can be said to have struck out on any issue thus far, the pay gap is undoubtedly it. Despite pledges to address it as soon as possible, the results have been less than forthcoming. Maybe he should ask his buddy Arthur Cavington for permission to put that one up; we all know Howe's the bottom in that relationship, if occasionally a power-bottom. Pressed again on the issue today, Howe once again dodged. His new rhetoric? We should eliminate the necessity of youth employment, not raise the youth minimum wage. For a man that grew up working-class, you'd expect there to be a little more candor here. Maybe his statements on youth pay should finish with "dictated but not read by Sir Arthur Cavington."

Seriously though, does the Premier not realize that kids work to have spending money these days? Seriously, last time I had an allowance was when I was 10. After that, if I wanted money, I was mowing gardens or shoveling snow. Not that I expected the Pattersons to pay me seven crowns an hour to shovel their sidewalks, but still. A kid doing the same work as an adult deserves the same pay as an adult, that's just common-sense right? Or have the Feds forgotten that whole "equal pay for equal work" thing from the women's movement in the 50s? Either way, I predict a very low youth vote for Team Yellow next time around if Howe doesn't shape up his act, and soon.

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© The Prestonian Broadcasting Corporation 2015

[Rodarion]

A T-330 anti-ship missile being test fired in Saint Viktor last year

The Ministry of Defence and Homeland Security has announced the final phase of the 'security modernisation' of the Saint Viktor islands in the central ocean. The islands which have been owned by the Rodarian nation since 1684, are set to receive new batteries of coast-to-sea anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles and anti-missile defence systems, as well as three more squadrons of fighter aircraft. The Ministry stated that the islands have served as a key strategic springboard for Rodarian interests across the central ocean and were in need of drastic improvements to its defences.

Minister of Defence and Homeland Security, Field Marshal Ionatan Codreanu said in a press conference this morning; "Our decision to formally complete the modernisation of defences within the Saint Viktor island chain is in reflection of the continuing modernisation of the Papal Armed Forces and its capabilities. In light of growing global tensions and flashpoints, the Papal Republic is utilising its right as a sovereign state to deploy the necessary systems and materiel to ensure its continued territorial security."

The Saint Viktor Islands are over 5,000km east of Rodarion, located in the Central Ocean, some 500km south of Belhavia's Ross Islands, the territory is home to over 700,000 Rodarian citizens and is a key naval and air force base for the Papal Republic. Between 2000 and 2010 over $2.2 billion were spent on modernising the islands' infrastructure and expansion of the naval base, allowing the islands to host heavier vessels such as Fortis cruisers and aircraft carriers.

Since 2013, the islands again saw an expansion of its defences, with new fibre-optic communications and new command and control centres located deep within Nou Suceava Island's (main island) mountains. The island also received improved and modernised surface-to-air missile batteries, with the focus being on the Papal Army's "layered walls" approach, offering the islands, HQ-9s, HQ-16s and HQ-7 missiles for a multi-layered defence. The islands also welcomed two new Spear class frigates and a Chaplain class destroyer.

Papal Legate of Saint Viktor, Emilian Radu praised the announcement from Romula, in a press release this morning, he stated that the "islands of Saint Viktor rejoice at the efforts of the fatherland in addressing the defences of this islands. We know that many in this part of the world look upon these islands with envious gaze and it is a great comfort to know that the Papal Republic is eager to ensure the security of these islands."
Although the deployment has not been stated to be in response to any formal action by a nearby state or bloc, the Foreign Ministry released a statement, indicating that Belhavia had been informed prior to the announcement this morning, "as to avoid any unnecessary concern or apprehension". Many advisors to the Consul and His Holiness reportedly stressed that the deployment of a battery of CJ-10 and TVR-09 cruise missiles would cause concern in the Ross Islands and it was agreed that the Belhavians would be informed of the final phase of the modernisation project in advance.

The TVR-09 land attack cruise missile (LACM) has a range of 4,500km and carry a warhead of high explosives, cluster munitions and reportedly a nuclear warhead, although the Papal Republic has not confirmed nor denied whether it operates nuclear weapons, from Church rhetoric it is highly unlikely the country possesses such devastatingly evil weapons. The CJ-10 has a range of 2,500km and carry similar warheads. Both missiles are within range of Skandera, with the TVR-09 being within range of eastern Tippercommon in some places.

Tivadar Budai of the Global Resolve think tank, commented that the recent deployment marks a major increase in the Island's defences and present firepower, "with four DF-21 missile launchers being delivered to the islands in 2014 and the latest deployment of cruise missiles as well as modern anti-aircraft systems, the islands may now prove to be a truly tough nut to crack in any amphibious invasion. The deployment of cruise missiles is truly interesting, since it would allow the islands to retaliate against any invader, should be a state in Central Ocean region."

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Saint Viktor military forces
- Six warships - Three frigates, one destroyer and two minelayers
- 45 aircraft - 30 fighters, 10 close-air support, 5 naval bombers
- 3,200 regular soldiers
- 18,500 local Orducii volunteers
- Up to 25 surface-to-air launchers

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Written by Zalan Egon.

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[Anikatia]

Anikatia vows cooperation with the Ankaran Union despite OPA's sanctions
Cha Sang-hyeon (@차상헌)
^{MARCH 27, 2015 12:00 PM | ANTIYTIA, ANIKATIA}

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Source: Cheon Ip-sae / VOSTOK PRESS

Antiytia, ANIKATIA — Anikatia vowed Friday to go ahead on economic and diplomatic cooperation with the Ankaran Union despite OPA sanctions against Nevşehir over the takeover of New Pontus from Eagleland, stressing their relations are based on "mutual need".

"The practical cooperation between Anikatia and the Ankaran Union is based on mutual need, it seeks win-win results and has tremendous internal momentum and space for development," said Antiytia's foreign minister Myeong Su-ji.

As a result of the sanctions, the Ankaran Union's Ekrem Kader is facing a sharp decline in its lira currency amid an economic crisis fuelled largely by inability to export it's vast energy resources.

While Anikatia is a permanent member of the Organisation of Pardesi Affairs and officially backing the sanctions against the Ankaran Union, however rumours were widespread that it was set to abstain from voting; until the United Republic agreed to amend the resolution to allow for continued investment and trade in non-energy related sectors of the economy.

Myeong told reporters on the sidelines of the Legislative Council, Anikatia's is the upper house of the parliament, that Antiytia and Nevşehir will "continue to carry out strategic coordination and cooperation to maintain international peace and security".

Myeong's comments signal that Kader, assailed by the CDI over the annexation of New Pontus, can count on continued Anikatian economic and diplomatic support.

Antiytia and Nevşehir, allies during the Cold War, have over the past quarter century often found common ground internationally, despite growing strategically apart with Anikatia joining OSEN and the Ankaran Union becoming an observer member of the RCO.

They have also forged increasingly closer economic ties, with Anikatia often relying on the Ankaran Union's vast resources. OPA sanctions have made seeking stable markets an urgent need for Kader, whose economy has already been hit hard by the OPA sanctions crippling it's energy exports which are a major source of revenue.

Kader and Anikatia President Sui Anyi, who met twice last year, but are said to have a positive and congenial working relationship.

Sui told visiting Ankaran Deputy Kılavuz Saeed Rasfanjani in February that the two countries' "cooperation will grow even deeper".

In the economic arena, the OPA sanctions may complicate this somewhat but the two sides will "work hard" to increase bilateral trade, while intensifying cooperation in the financial, chemicals, industrial, and mining sectors, Myeong said.

Among other results, she said they would begin "full construction" of an new chemicals production plant and also sign an agreement on the access to new non-energy related mining sites in the country for Anikatian businesses.

Myeong added that they would begin working together to develop a new full scale investment package, hinting that it may involve RCO partner nations like Rodarion and Estovakiva.

chasanghyeon@vostokpress.co.ank

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#OSENSummit, #EaglelandSiege, #BogoriaTurmoil

_TAGS

OPA, Sanctions, Anikatia, Ankar, Economic, Trade

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COMMENTS (1034)

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원 · 5 minutes ago
It looks as if the sanctions against Ankar were designed to benefit RCO nations even more than CDI nations like Eagleland. What a great comrades allies Eagleland and the UR.

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7 up · 2 down

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idc0n · 1 hours ago
Congratulations to Anikatia and Ankar. Bad news for all the trolls on this website, especially since the latest news on the Internet is that both the Ankar economy and lira is on the rise, while investors are pouring back into Ankar. My condolances to the CDI banksters. Your wicked little plot with the sanctions did not work.

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4 up · 10 down

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Hong Da-reum · 3 hours ago
Hear, hear. Sui will go into history as one of the greatest stateswomen of our times.!!

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5 up · 1 down

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[Ulthrani]

Emperor Elects new Military Chief
Miguel Nicodemez Reyeno| March 28th, 2015

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Captain General Altamirano (centre) alongside her subordinate officers saluting the Emperor

The Court of Nobles yesterday approved the Emperor's nomination for a new Imperial Marshal, that of Captain General Maria Jose Altamirano, who is the commanding officer of the Tropas de Ultramar. She is the first female to be the Imperial Marshal since the founding of the second empire in 1951 and also the first to hold no titles of nobility. This stands in stark contrast to her predeccesor Lord Admiral Eduardo Jose Gutiérrez, who is the current Duke of Santander. The title of 'Imperial Marshal' is an appointive office and stems from the old rank of 'Marshal of the Empire', whom also was given on appointment by the Emperor but not with the approval of the government. Altamirano gains a seat in the Court of Nobles alongside the other Lord Generals and Admirals.

Maria Jose Altamirano joined the Tropas de Ultramar in 1978 on her eighteenth birthday. She is a combat veteran and skilled officer, gaining these traits from many foreign deployments including actions in Senamique, Albiya, Baharaq, Tehraani and Seukutan. Although not the first female commander of the Tropas in history, she is one of the most highly respected staff officers in the Imperial Armed Forces. On her acceptance as Captain General, she was given an administrative Captaincy General in the Shield Islands between Tarsas and Arthurista.

The only criticism laid at her thus far is that she is a Christian and not an Ulthrianist, although this detail is only held against her by the most religious of the Court and the Grand Assembly. When asked during his press release what he thought of the appointment, Vicar De Fey shrugged saying that "Regardless of her faith, I support my Emperor's decision based on what her credentials are and what she can bring to the table in the coming months."

Such criticisms were left to the sidelines at today's ceremony with dignitaries from the Court of Nobles and military officers from across the branches of the Empire's armed forces. She was blessed by Archbishop Pedro Álvarez de Rada of the Catholic Church and by two esteemed members of the Ulthrianist Faith; Primo Emisar Pedro II, Head of the Ulthrianist Church and Lord Castellan Siervo Balcaldur of the Order of the Fiery Heart, a military order within the Chamber Militant of the Ulthrianist Faith tasked with guarding Los Reyes and the Emperor. After kneeling before the Emperor swearing fealty to him as his new Imperial Marshal she also shook the hand of Vicar De Fey, swearing fealty to the Ulthrannic people, the government, the land and the military that protects them all. After the ceremony, she went before the Court of Nobles to give a speech.

"I am honoured that you esteemed ladies and gentlemen have granted me this honoured position to be the head of our mighty and immortal armed forces" Altamirano opened tearfully before the Court today surrounded by lords, dukes and cameras from the media swarming the capital due to De Fey's calls. "I have, by the Grace of both the Almighty Father above and the Holy Messenger Ulthrianel, been given such an esteemed and challenging position in our empire's time. I only hope that I can do my best in service to my Emperor and his Empire and to bring glory to the Imperial Armed Forces upon which I have been given command." She continued in her speech to shed light on the operations commencing in the Ashizwean country of Terinyi and the Ulthrannic contribution to Operation Pegasus, saying:

"I have great faith in the ability of our military to complete its objectives in the field of battle and ensure stability and peace off it. Our combat troops are some of the finest in the art of warfare and I know that General César Fernández Arriagada, who Lord Admiral Gutiérrez and others put forth as the commander of the operation, will do a fantastic job. César is a fine commanding officer and if he can replicate his successes against the ACRA rebels in Amaneceria during his time in Terinyi then we can rest easy knowing that it will be a short campaign."

Altamirano plans to present her new Imperial doctrine before the Emperor and other military commanders later next week. The so-called "Altamirano Doctrine" is currently ambiguous but insiders in the government claim that it calls for additonal reforms and 'further insight into new strategem in the continent of Ashizwe'. She also announced that she will be opening a dialogue with her Tarsan counterpart to prepare for new wargames between the two empires and their armies. She stated that it was high time for the two allies to actually do what allies do and co-operate more thoroughly.

The Albiyan Liberation Act

The Grand Assembly along with the Court of Nobles passed unanimously the 'Albiyan Liberation Act of 2015', which calls for regime change in the Federal Republic of Albiya and for more democratic initiatives. The terrorist attacks in Chioggia spurred this act, which was on ice for nearly three to four months in debate in both houses of government. Emperor Carlos X, alongside Imperial Marshal Altamirano, announced the Act before news media today, outlining the causes of the act and what the Empire plans to do with its unrestful neighbour.

"It shall be the policy of the Grand Ulthrannic Empire and her territories to bring peace and order to our border regions on the continent of Ashizwe. It is the policy of this Empire to bring about prosperity and stability to the Federal Republic of Albiya that has thus far been poorly managed and poorly taken care of. President Ghazzawy has failed his obligations to peace both within and without allowing such violence and chaos to brew. We cannot stand by and allow our people and the Albiyan people to die and suffer due to inaction and political ineptitude." Emperor Carlos X announced that he and his military leadership were willing to authorize military action against radicals and violent tribal groups close to the Empire and even as far as deposing the President if he failed his obligations.

The Act comes with strong words from many different political elements within the Ulthrannic Empire calling for justice and revenge. Grand Duchess Giustintiani, who attended a public funeral service for the fallen in Nuovo Stellaria two days ago said in the wake that"Albiya must be dealt with, we must correct the mistake of our previous governments in allowing such an unstable tinderbox to remain unchecked".

The Vicar during his own press meeting openly supported the Albiyan Liberation Act, claiming that Ghazzawy was both directly and indirectly responsible for the chaos within the border state and that it was the duty of the Empire to ensure "peace and stability reign both on the border and beyond her borders". There are unconfirmed reports that two regiments of Imperial Army forces are being deployed to the border. The Kingdom of Djarni, the small autonomous state that borders Albiya have made their own preparations by beginning major police and defence force exercises. King Zwelithini announced in the Court of Nobles that "the proud Djarnese would not tolerate barbarism and tribal slaughter near her borders".

However, some international observers are concerned that the Act and the open hatred are just a trojan horse for further military actions on the continent. Kyŏng Jeong-Ja from the University of Antiytia wrote that the Albiyan Crisis was being exploited for political, geopolitical and economic reasons, writing that: "What we are seeing in Niyeria and with the deployment of thousands of Ulthrannic soldiers to Terinyi shows that Ulthrannia is truly turning back to Ashizwe. The Albiyan Crisis, a tragedy for those in the country and for the lives lost on the Ulthrannic/Livrichese side, is only a cassus belli to further the Empire's goals for Ashizwean dominance."

By RTVO Correspondent Miguel Nicodemez Reyeno

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IMPERIAL NEWS

• Albiyan Liberation Act: What does it mean?
• De Fey announces new wave of reforms
• Veterans protest in Santiago over unemployment

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[The Eagleland]

Artho-Aetochoric Quick Reaction Force Formed, say YPETHA.
Headquartered in Maroussi, New North Attica, the QRF-A2 will enhance the security ties between the Eagleland and Arthurista.
^{28 March 2015 | By Ioannis Vasilikos (@john_vas) (ENT)}

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Eagleland National Guardsmen on training, playing the role of the opponent for the combined Eaglelander-Arthuristan Paratrooper Forces.

SPARTA, LACEDAEMONIAN PREFECTURE — On the 16th of March, 2015, one of the largest exercises between the Commonwealth Army and the Eagleland Army took place on the scorching deserts of the Lacedaemonian Prefecture. In the Lacedaemomian Desert, notorious for its extreme fluctuations in temperatures, striking a maximum of 55oC in summer, has been one of the Eagleland Armed Forces' most important training grounds, owing to its flat features and limited numbers of canyons. For the past few days, it has accommodated the Arthuristan 1st Parachute Division, which would conduct joint operations with the Eagleland Airborne Forces, the Eagleland's Fourth Army, and the Lacedaemonian National Guard.

The exercise was multi-faceted. Exercise Themis 2015 was designed to test ground warfare capacities against numerically superior opponents, manoeuvre-based warfare, and interoperability exercises. The Lacedaemonian National Guard acted as OPFOR for the exercise and engaged the combined Eagleland-Arthuristan Para Force, in fifteen missions. The results? 'Highly Satisfactory' by the Eagleland Ministry of National Defence. The end result? The Eaglelander 1st Paratrooper Division and the Arthuristan 1st Parachute Division have combined their strengths into QRF-A2, known as QRF Demos, based out of Maroussi, New North Attica.

QRF Demos has certain characteristics which take the interoperability capabilities of the Eagleland Armed Forces and the Commonwealth Defence Force to the next level. It has been designed so that personnel stationed in the Eagleland from Arthurista operate on the precise timing as their Eaglelander counterparts, and this entails everything from a common logistics network, which shares everything from ammunition to ration packs. It also involves a common doctrine, defensive and offensive, and a joint command system. But the unit is commanded mostly by Eaglelander officers, although their Arthuristan counterparts will play a significant role in the orders process.

Criticism stressing the language barrier between Eaglelander and Arthuristan soldiers is being refuted by Brigadier Thomas Walsingham, commander of the 1st Parachute Division. "The language barrier is not quite a problem; Eaglelanders have a very good level of English, and it goes without saying they speak better English than we speak Greek. However, there is an innate level of understanding about the way we need to do our business, because basic soldiering skills are exactly the same." The Eagleland Ministry of National Defence will also provide Greek language courses to Arthuristan Personnel, to a level in which basic military terminology can be understood; alternatively, Arthuristan officers will provide Eaglelander military personnel with insight into Arthuristan military terminology.

The long-term brotherhood between the Arthuristan and Eaglelander Marines will also continue under this scheme. Specifically, 55 Commando and 575 Marine Regiment, Arthuristan and Eaglelander respectively, even though they will not be an integrated part of the QRF, will enhance their cooperation between them. As mentioned by Major Konstantinos Likas, 575 Marine Regiment Commander, "We share a common tradition. We both wear the Green Beret and we both have the ability to conduct unorthodox warfare. However, our Arthuristan counterparts are more focused on the latter, while we lean towards the Emmerian model of Marines; essentially, we combine assymetrical warfare capabilities with the ability to hit the beach with immense firepower in terms of armour and artillery. In the event of an amphibious assault, Arthuristan units will act as recce elements, while our men execute the main attack per se."

Ioannis Vasilikos reported from Sparta, Lacedaemonian Prefecture. Konstantinos Irakeides contributed to the article from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory.

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© ENT 2014

[Central Prestonia]

A Kinder, Gentler Rodarion? Don't Kid Yourself
Premier Howe and Free Pardes believe Romula can be changed. Their naivete plays right into the Vatican's hands.

By Jonathan Howland

Last week, the world rejoiced as the Pope in Romula announced that being gay would no longer be a capital offence. Many across the world saw it as evidence of Rodarion's supposed continued "liberalization". Several years ago I was within the liberal optimistic camp, that patience would see the Papal Republic liberalize politically and economically in the fashion of a Free Pardesi nation state, but my extensive links to Rodarian academia and state officials provided me with an epiphany; the PRR will never liberalize economically and politically into a fully fledged liberal democracy and we must stop kidding ourselves, because they need us to be naive.

Between 2003 and 2013, I enjoyed the wonders being a 'friend of Rodarion' (a term used by the PRR government to describe foreign academics who paint a pretty picture of Rodarion), I had direct access to Papal Army and Papal Defence Corps commanders, civil servants, curia officials, Senators and even Cardinals in the Vatican. In those years, I like many, were in awe at the country's progression from a destitute, near feudal agrarian land to arguably, the world's manufacturing superpower, I like many, would produce books and articles on how patience would see us witness a great transformation of the Papal Republic into a liberal democracy, with full appreciation for the rule of law, liberty and freedom of individuals. It was not until 2008-09 that I began to see through my gross naivety, through discussions with government officials I realised that it was all a well constructed lie and mask, for the Rodarian establishment - the Vatican plays the greatest pragmatic game and it is this game, that fools us all.

In 2009, the Voluntari Banking Group (VBG) was created, the PRR's first privately owned bank, Belhavians and Emmerians danced in joy at the first step towards economic liberalisation, in the same month, the government nationalised 16 medium to large private businesses over claims of 'gross violations of employment laws', the businesses were merged to form the Rodarian State General Industries Corporation, it is now the largest state owned conglomerate and one of the fastest growing corporations in the world. In 2010, the government announced reductions on the levels of censorship on independent newspapers, magazines and journals, the same month it drastically increased surveillance online. In 2011, the government announced its intention to allow foreign teachers to teach non-language courses such as history, geography, philosophy and journalism, same month it banned any reference to the values of "Free Pardes" in its classrooms. This is the game the Vatican plays, indeed all of this is mostly directed through National Catholic Party legislation, but I'll get to that later on. The game is simple, you offer reform that is greatly covered by state media and mostly independent media, the other side of the coin; the backward step is done completely in secret, as in it is NOT reported on whatsoever. All foreign Rodarion watchers see, all Rodarians see is this greatly progressive reform process. Some call it progressive, pragmatic, I call it shrewd authoritarian operation.

By no means am I denouncing the recent announcement by the Vatican regarding capital punishment for being gay, I welcome it, not as an academic but as a human being, as do a vast majority of Rodarians according to polls on the move. But I do wonder, what move is being taken in secret? Last night I found out, as of next Monday, foreign NGOs will be subject to tougher regulations, NGOs focusing on human rights, LGBT freedom and worker's rights will be most hardest hit. I was gifted this information by a friend in the Vatican's curia, of course I will not reveal his name, but I can assure you it is legitimate, but do not go researching for it online, you won't find anything, even the minutes of Rodarian Senate sessions are censored. Rodarian Senators are told what legislation they can and cannot discuss outside the chamber by officials from the Vatican, but I know from personal experience that this is also at the behest of the NCP, since the two are truly one in the same since 2005, this is the truth of Rodarion today.

In 2007, I was invited to a dinner with the late Archbishop of Moreni, Nicusor Tilea, along with several other academics from Anikatia, Belhavia and Belfras. Dressed in the most lavish black tunic and red tash, the Archbishop looked the part, Cardinals in Rodarion are revered as much as the Pope in some cases, they are similar in status as members of the Royal Family, in a sense the Pope is king and the Cardinals, his princes. At this dinner, I asked Archbishop Tilea his thoughts on the possible reduction in Papal control over the Rodarian government, he looked at me and with a big grin, said, "when will this happen? I'll be long dead before then" his statement was not a humorous reference to his age, but rather a statement revealing the Vatican's true opposition to complete political liberalisation, I know this from further discussion with key Vatican officials and government leaders. In late 2007, I read a book published by a group of Jesuit priests who are employed in the Vatican's Office of Political Affairs and Strategies, (the Vatican's policy unit in effect), titled: 'Vivacitas Respublica Ecclesiastica Analysis' (Analysis on the Longevity of the Ecclesiastical Republic), in it the book stated that the Vatican would continue to act as the sovereign political body of the Rodarian territory for centuries to come, since it is the Church established by Christ through his apostle Peter, regarded as the first Pope. Arguably no other institution has governed a nation for as long as the Catholic Church in Rodarion, which has ruled over the Rodarian territory for over 1,200 years. The problem for democratic forces in Rodarion, is that the Vatican sees Rodarion as an extension of the Holy See itself, every Rodarian citizen is a direct servant and fellow citizen of Saint Peter and because of that, the territory of Rodarion cannot possibly exist without the Church governing it.

Furthermore, Rodarians would argue that they are a democracy already, albeit with more powers resting outside the legislature compared to other states. They cite Anthor as a less extensive companion in this difference to the liberal democratic orthodoxy. But then most Rodarians aren't aware of how fraudulent their democracy really is. In truth, Rodarion is a single party theocratic state, the NCP holds a complete monopoly over democratic function and democratic institutions, it dominates the Senate, provincial councils and local government, it has a strong hand in the Church control judiciary and has the backing of the state media empire, but really this is only possible with the Vatican's grace and assistance. In 2010, I received a letter from a trusted friend in Rodarion, who explained to me that he was being arrested and would no longer offer me information, opinions or facts. He had written in a popular journal, how extensive NCP control was and how the Vatican endorsed this, he was stripped of his tenure and subsequently arrested for sedition, I have not heard from him since. In his letter, he detailed a series of mechanisms the Vatican uses to aid the NCP, one of the most startling was the fact that the opposition parties must send copies of their manifestos to the Vatican prior to elections, for 'proof-reading and vetting', every manifesto returns with edits, the parties must accept. The edited manifestos, fail to offer real alternatives to the NCP, blunting any chance of the NCP being removed from government through elections again. The Vatican also uses its extensive control over the media, to offer the NCP greater air time, during elections the Vatican press office, enforces a ban on debate over pollution, Rodarion's cancer villages and deplorable worker's rights, the opposition are silenced on issues that could seriously hurt the NCP. These mechanisms are not the products of the 1950s when the NCP first entered government, this was all introduced in 2005, to ensure that the NCP would never be elected out of office again, considering what a damaging failure the National Liberal government (1997-2005) was, this is not how a nation progresses towards liberal democracy.

In 2010, my relationship with the Rodarian political establishment began to sour as I began to document this policies, over the three year period, growing numbers of Rodarian academics, politicians, Vatican officials refused to take my calls, in 2011 all of my publications were no longer being published in Rodarion, then finally in 2013 my academic visa was revoked, I was exiled so to speak. They enjoy the hopeful narrative painted about Rodarion's future in Free Pardes, because it maintains the high levels of foreign investment and diplomatic ties the country enjoys with numerous free nations such as Belhavia and Eagleland. The moment we realise the game is in play, we will realise such greater aspects of the PRR, its authoritarian oppression, its aims for building an Rodarion-focused world order where the values of liberty and freedom are abolished as international norms and instead replaced with a strict respect for national sovereignty, right to oppress and right to tyrannise. We have to stop kidding ourselves everytime the Vatican does something progressive, because behind the scenes their doing something else much more dark.

The game has been so successful in blinding people and governments to the truth of Rodarion, that they and us have become comfortable with the status quo, we must spread the word of the Vatican's ploys and ensure that Rodarians themselves are made aware of how flawed their "democracy" really is.

Jonathan Howland is a former PBC Vatican Affairs Correspondant and regular guest contributor. He is the author of Ex Cathedra: An Inside Look at the Modern Papacy and numerous columns and articles on Church history and governance.

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[Tiami]

BREAKING: Terrorist Attack Kills 14 in Virian

By Hilary Welker (@H_WelkerANI)
March 28, 2015

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Au de Kalokos, Kalenia-

Gordo's Expresso Shop, one of Virian's famous landmarks was the scene of a mass bombing today as several unknown men entered the shop, detonating a series of bombs. More than thirty people were injured in the blast, with at least fourteen killed. While the motive remains unknown, the attack has been the latest of a series of terrorist attacks across Kalenia's major cities. Just last week, in the wake of Saral's nuclear plant meltdown, several men, now dead, stormed the Hightower Park skyscraper, killing dozens before they were gunned down by police forces.

The attack happened early this morning as citizens made their usual rounds to the store. Gordo's is among Virian's most popular destinations, making it the perfect target for an attack. The attackers entered through the main entrance wearing heavy coats. While unknown at this time, the blast can be assumed to have come from suicide vest that each man was wearing, what we do know is that the blast occurred near the center of the room. This spot was likely chosen as it was the most crowded area of the shop.

The subsequent blast sent ripples through the block, shattering glass and throwing people off their feet. Inside, the blast killed fourteen, including a newborn and her mother. President Peris recounted the events of earlier today as she paid her respects to those who lost their lives:

"What purpose does terrorism serve in our nation? In the world today? Terrorism serves as a way to instill fear upon the common people. Today, fourteen lives were lost in a cowardly attempt to render Kalenia a subject to the perpetrator's whim. We will not bend. We will not surrender. We will forever fight. And we will win."

"My sincerest condolences go out to the families that lost their beloved. I can promise you that there will be justice served. You can bet on that. Thank you."

While brief, Peris reiterated a long-standing policy of combating terrorism. She recently released a statement saying that negotiation Is no longer an option against terrorist.

While the attacks are identified as being a terrorist-affiliated attack, there are no known whereabouts about which organization attacked Gordo's this morning. All we can hope for now is that the attackers claim the cowardly attacks as their own. We will continue to update this event as more news becomes available.

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Hilary Welker is a news correspondent for Alkharanian News International.

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MORE IN POLITICS

• Rodarion to Become World's Largest Economy? [ 9,385 ]
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© ANI 2015

[Husseinarti]

You Can't See Me!

Sieuxerrian Air Force announces upgraded fighters are now fully operational.

In the last few days, the MB.870C/II of the Escadron de Chasse 09-72, apart of the 9e Escadre de Chasse Tactique, have finally become operationally active. The 22 aircraft of the 72nd Fighter Squadron received a number of important and as Adjudant General of the Air Force Major General Roch Beaudouin stated "Game changing" upgrades to improve their combat capabilities. The hot topic of the upgrades for the MB.870C/II, known as the "Super Mirage" by crews, is that these include a revolutionary type of stealth technology known as Active Cancellation.

Active cancellation is an adaptive technology, producing an artificial radiation field has equal amplitudes and same-frequency, but is the opposite phase from the target radar's scattering field. The technology levels the field of stealth, allowing active cancellation to possibly become a very cheap alternative to the costly and expensive RCS reducing designs and coatings. This allows legacy era fighters like the SCAR-1, the MB.2000 and the MB.4000 the ability to compete with ultra modern fighter aircraft. The technology has been closely watched with OSEN and the world alike, as it can be used by nations unable to afford the 5th generation aircraft pushed by those in CDI and RCO.

While currently, there are no standing plans to allow this to for export even to OSEN nations, as the technology is still considered new and untested in combat. It has been rumored that the technology will be applied to aircraft exported to OSEN nations that have bought and produced Sieuxerrian aircraft like the MB.4000

[The Eagleland]

ΒREAKING: Prestonian Embassy Crisis Concluded.
8 arrests made, all hostages saved, and all remaining terrorists have been neutralised.
^{29 March 2015 | By Ioannis Vasilikos (@john_vas) (ENT)}

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The Eagleland Police stormed a jet, as part of a ruse to draw the terrorists out of the embassy.

CONSTANTINOPLE, KCT — The Eagleland Police have, at 23:07 Constantineian Standard Time (CST) announced officially that the Prestonian Embassy Siege has been terminated. After a five-hour siege, the Prestonian Government, in what has later been confirmed as a ruse, has provided vehicles and a private jet, with a briefcase theoretically filled with 1.000.000 UR$. The terrorists later exited the building, wearing explosive vests with bogus dead man's switches. After the terrorists reached the private jet, which was previously rigged with flashbang devices, the jet was stormed by EKAM teams which were on site, terminating the hostage crisis.

Police Colonel Panagiotis Sidiropoulos, Commander of the Constantinople Police Directorate, had released an announcement at a press conference later in the evening. "As of now, March the 29th 2015, after a four hour siege, the Prestonian Embassy siege has been concluded thanks to the proactive and highly effective application of legal violence to the resolution of this situation by our Police Officers, who put their lives on the line to save Prestonian hostages held hostage by terrorists of Bariyan origin. Consequently, we would like to express our gratitude to those officers, for their heroic acts of valour, displaying the worth of the Eagleland Police."

"We would also like", he affirmed, "to thank the Prestonian Government for their input towards the rescue process as well as their understanding of the risks involved, and to our options which, were we to implement, would certainly be necessitated by the circumstances, but not favoured by the [Prestonian] Imperial Government. Hence, their comprehensive contributions to the eventual absolution is appreciated and we endeavour to help their nationals recover, prior to their return to their homeland, to the best of our ability."

Of the estimated twenty-five persons confirmed as the active force, it is preliminarily assessed that one died in a suicide attack, three were gunned down by Prestonian embassy guards, one was killed in the helicopter crash alongside all occupants of said helicopter, eight, including the commander, were arrested and the rest were killed in the raid. No Prestonian hostage was harmed in the raid, although some bear injuries and five women bear signs of rape; one of those was unconscious at the time of the attack.

The Prestonian Government has been informed of the action and has been praised for coining the ruse to draw the terrorists out of the embassy. The arrested terrorists will be deemed innocent until proven guilty, as an interrogation process is underway. The Prestonian Government has thus far not applied for their extradition.

The Prestonian Embassy is currently sealed off proactively as long as forensics examine the building prior to its cessation to the Prestonian Government. The building has been confirmed as booby-trapped and hence the Constantinople Directorate has dispatched a bomb squad to identify and eliminate these booby traps.

Ioannis Vasilikos reported from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory. Konstantinos Irakeides contributed to the article from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory.

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[The Eagleland]

ΒREAKING: 2015 Narcotics Act Passed into Law.
Marijuana to be legalised; punishments for supply, use, and addiction on said substances more draconian.
^{3 April 2015 | By Ioannis Vasilikos (@john_vas) (ENT)}

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Growing marijuana will now be legal, but a vetting process by the SID is required for a permit to be issued.

CONSTANTINOPLE, KCT — In a landmark event in Eaglelander Political History, President Konstantinos Theodoropoulos signed Law 4078/2015, to be published into Government Gazette 015B, into law. Law 4078/2015 "On the legal status of controlled psychotropic substances", known as the "2015 Narcotics Act", to enter into force on April the 30th, 2015, will dramatically change the climate of drug prosecution in the Eagleland, as marijuana will be decriminalised and legalised for sale and supply, while simultaneously the penalties for possessing and using other prohibited drugs have become more draconian than ever before.

In a press conference earlier this morning, President Theodoropoulos issued a relevant statement "Today a milestone in our war on drugs has been reached. In spite of fierce resistance from segments on the right and the left, I am signing a law which will play a pivotal role in our fight to win the evil and disgusting forces of interests which have condemned too many of our Eaglelanders, young and otherwise, into addiction. To those vile rats we say Molon Lave, as we redirect resources, both police and judicial, from the prosecution of harmless substances into the harmful ones. Although we might never make the Eagleland drug-free, we shall fight to the bitter end."

He then added: "Some persons, both Eaglelanders and foreigners, say we should legalise all substances, not just marijuana. But if we legalise it, we allow ourselves to be seen as weak to those evil pieces of rubbish that want to push drugs into this country, in order to make us weak! Therefore, cocaine, LSD, MDMA and other crap shall be legalised over my dead body! We will make this country as hostile as possible to drug sellers and save our victims from certain death. Zero tolerance will be this administration's guideline, and we shall not concede not one centimetre to our enemies!"

Law 4078/2015 legalises the use of marijuana for personal use, as well as the supply of said substance and derivatives of said substance thereof for any and all uses. Before the law was passed, only medical marijuana was legal for personal use, and weed could be grown only for commercial purposes. Now its legal status has been equated with tobacco which means it may be smoked in public unless otherwise prohibited in specific zones and/or closed areas. It is also estimated that 11,208 prisoners at the very most will be released and their criminal records will be erased of any marijuana-related offences, as the legalised status of the drug renders this action no longer an offence and there is no legal ground to retain prisoners based on that activity; however, if other offences have been committed alongside the use or supply of marijuana and its derivatives thereof, then a post-conviction hearing will be held.

However, the law provides a stringent set of regulations for growers. Every person, who intends to register as a grower, will be required to lodge an application directly at the Narcotics Department of their local Police or Gendarmerie Department, and will undergo a vetting process by the Special Investigations Division, which will screen for criminal records and character, followed by psychological assessments. All authorised growers of Cannabis will then register within the National Legal Psychotropic Substances Register of the Special Investigations Division, whereas those whose application has been denied will be given a 48-hour deadline to dismantle their operations or face charges for illegal manufacturing of psychotropic substances.

Τhe law also adjusts the issue of other illicit psychotropic substances, but with a totally different context, in that sentences will increase in austerity. This includes all Amphetamines, Cocaine and relative products, Dextromethorphine and Ketamine for non-medical uses, LSD, MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly), Phencyclidine, Psilocybin, Krokodil, and Oxycontin, as well as any other home-made narcotic substance with similar effects as the aforementioned.

The reason why they were not legalised is explained by Minister of Public Order Dimitrios Kalaiktzides. "Cannabis, as empirical evidence both here and abroad illustrate, does not enhance aggressivity; it acts, rather, as a means of pacification and users do not exhibit an addiction to the scale of other drugs. It is also hypocritical to retain its illegality status when alcohol, statistically a bigger killer than marijuana and relative products, as well as tobacco, the leading cause of death after obesity in the Eagleland, remain perfectly legal. While it may make logical sense to decriminalise and legalise all drugs, in reality it remains morally wrong and breeds corruption among our youth, which is why we will crack down on all drug sellers and users we can. We owe it to the people of this nation and our future generations that cocaine and other harmful substances never be tolerated. These laws, therefore, make sense in their implementation."

All such narcotics will have a common strict punishment system, colloquially known as the '150-50-5-1.35' rule. At their discretion, courts may offer a compulsory rehabilitation programme for any offender convicted of the first three offences in lieu of their sentence, but not for the last two.

• Any quantities of such substances which are smaller than 1,35 grammes (0,047 ounces) is considered "Residual" and will not be prosecuted.
• Quantities between 1,35 and 5 grammes (0,17 ounces) will be considered ''Misdemeanour Possession", and be prosecuted with a confiscation of substances and a 50€ fine.
• Quantities between 5 and 50 grammes (1,7 ounces) will be considered as "Felony Possession", which will be punished with a prison sentence no smaller than six months and no greater than five years, and/or 150 strokes of the cane, and/or a fine maximum of 5.000€ and a minimum of €500.
• Quantities above 50 grammes and up to 150 grammes (5,2 ounces) will be legally considered "Misdemeanour Supply" and will be a mandatory prison sentence not smaller than 5 years and no greater than fifty years, and/or a fine no greater than 50.000€ and no smaller than 10.000€, and/or 200 strokes of the cane.
• Quantities exceeding 150 grammes will be considered "Felony Supply" and will be punished with a mandatory death penalty, with the right of one appeal, simultaneously with a complete confiscation of any and all assets in said person's name or the name of next-of-kin or offspring or spouses/legal partners, which will be auctioned without right of appeal from any of the latter.

The most notable but simultaneously notorious facet of Law 4087/2015, however, is the legal basis for arresting persons based on dependence on any and all of the aforementioned substances. Under Article 35 of the law, any persons that exhibit signs of dependence on any aforementioned substance must be arrested and detained at the nearest police and/or gendarmerie station for testing, under the basis of "inability for personal management"; if confirmed as an addict or direct (not indirect) user of any prohibited substances, then the person will be sent to jail and will be called to attend a trial, where if convicted of said person will be forced to spend time at a rehabilitation centre for at least six months. This measure effectively allows police to arrest 'junkies' on the street, citing "inability for personal management" as a ground for arrest.

Under this new law, criticised by many for its draconian penalties, is a new wave of crackdown on the limited but still, as regarded by the government, critical issue of drug use. Foreign nationals criticise the new law, saying it violates the right of persons to use drugs, but the Eaglelander Government say "Persons who feel that drug use is acceptable by any means are not welcome here", as mentioned through the SID Press Representative Maria Vlachou. "The Eagleland will never become fully-drug free, but we are prepared to fight the drug war any way we can, up to the very end, and although this will include redirecting resources from the war on cannabis, which is a failure, this will also include a zero tolerance policy towards both drug sellers and drug users alike."

Ioannis Vasilikos reported from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory. Konstantinos Irakeides contributed to the article from Constantinople, Konstantineian Capital Territory.

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[Tarsas]

Legionary High Command Announces Greater Cooperation With Ulthrannia Amidst Announcement of Stability By Force Doctrine

Foreign Minister Count Alrec Severeoth Nimirae released a joint statement with Executive Commandant Cassus Remae Singulus, stating that with the appointment of Maria Jose Altamirano as Imperial Marshall of the Grand Empire of Ulthrannia, a deal had been reached for greater military cooperation and increased Tarsan presence in future operations. It is rumored that Maria Jose Altamirano went into negotiations with Cassus Remae Singulus, first over video conference then in person as both met in Los Reyes, Ulthrannia.

Singulus arrived in the middle of last week and negotiations continued into the current week as both parties began to hammer out an agreement for both sides. The most immediate consequences of the meeting was the announcement of Operation Deep Water, a series of military exercises between Ulthrannia and Tarsas that are set to start later on this month. The exercises will be held in the Central Ocean and will encompass assets from all branches of both nation's armed forces. Live fire exercises as well as mock battles are to be planned and carefully policed by military authorities, as hatred and racism are still prevalent in some portions of both nation's forces.

When asked about the potential for issues to arise, Singulus had this to say. "I am better aware than anyone of the thousands of years of hatred and enmity that exists between our two nations. The Singulus family has a long history of military service and my forefathers led Legions of men and slaughtered millions of Ulthrannians. However, that is the past. The age of great warring empires must come to a close, we must look to the future and combine our resources to stop the encroachment of other new powers that have risen up in the modern era who would oppose our growth and peaceful existence and threaten our new vision, one of peace."

A second press release hours after the first confirmed that negotiations were underway for possible Tarsan cooperation in accordance with the Albiyan Liberation Act. Though normally following a policy of hard neutrality in most conflicts, several high ranking Tarsan officials expressed interest in participation in the operation. It is a well known fact that Tarsan citizens live in the Republic of Dacia, which possesses territory reasonably close to Albiya, This has prompted a call by several high ranking senators for Tarsan assistance and intervention.

So far, only naval and air support for Ulthrannic ground troops has been discussed but Legionary High Command has stated that the possibility of deploying ground troops has not been ruled out. If ground troops are deployed, it will mark the first Tarsan intervention outside of Akkadiya since the colonial era. Thousands of ethnic Tarsans, and Tarsan nationals, call Dacia home and instability throughout the region is felt heavily in the closely linked economies of Ashizwe, who trade extensively. Tarsas has sought to bring a peaceful end to the conflict raging in Dacia between the government and the local tribes but has thus far proved unsuccessful.

Many within the senate claim that this is the first in a long list of planned interventions to stabilize the region via force by establishing secure governments backed by a strong force of arms. As the conflicts in Ashizwe worsen and diplomatic solutions are far and few between, the RCO as a whole has been more active in finding resolutions to these conflicts. Dacia, as an acting RCO member, has received much economic aid from the organization and attempted to utilize it to stabilize the region.

Stability by Force Doctrine

Legionary High Command also announced the inception of the Stability by Force Doctrine, which would be the backbone of Tarsan foreign policy in Ashwize. Ongoing negotiations between the Dacian government and the Sishtu Freedom Front have been happening since 2001, but no solution has been reached.

The ambassador to Dacia, Vala Careus, had this to say on the SFF. "The SFF has shown it's complete unwillingness to find a viable diplomatic solution to cease the armed conflict raging in Dacia. Executive Altran Vetra has been cooperative and calm during the many long hours of negotiations between both sides and has shown his cool and level head. The SFF has continued to attack innocent civilians and stir the fires of war as its unreasonable demands, such as the removal of all non black Dacians from the nation, have not been met."

It is known that a similar problem persists in many war torn Ashwize nations. Stability by Force was laid out as early as 2010 by Executive Commander Hadrian Fareulus Regulus in 1998 before he retired in 2001. His successors continued to refine and push the proposal in foreign policy meetings in the Imperial Senate and the palace. Additional refinements by Cassus Remae Singulus garnered the support of many formerly isolationist senators and advisers. Emperor Romulus officially sanctioned the plan after a sixty page proposal was drafted by the Senate Committee on Ashwize Policy in cooperation with Legionary High Command. The doctrine will officially use Albiya as a test template, with permission from the Ulthrannic government, and will assess if it is suitable to be used in Dacia.

The document stated that the doctrine had three objectives; to stabilize Ashwize nations through the mobilization of combined arms by quickly moving in and taking out hostile elements, to facilitate the construction of a strong government composed of well respected local officials with a well equipped military force to back it up, and the continued economic and military support of the new government from external sources for a period of time lasting until the nation is judged stable. The doctrine was revised by a combined council of officials from the palace and the senate and put up for a vote, where it passed today a 450-150 majority.

With the passing of the doctrine, full negotiations will begin in Los Reyes on how to best proceed in Albiya and its use as a test template for the doctrine. A three year trial period has been determined as ideal, where the it will be tested and revised as needed. Executive Commander Singulus hailed the passage as a 17 year old dream coming to fruition. No course of action has been announced yet but it is clear we will see the Tarsan military finally operate outside of Akkadiya in the coming months.

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[/list]

[Arcevia]

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Stockton: "Arcevia will no longer stand alone"
Supreme Chancellor Alexander Stockton announces this morning that the Union of Arcevian Republics has applied to join the Romulă Cooperation Organisation as a full member.

April 12, 2015
By: Maximilian Peters

Supreme Chancellor Alexander Stockton at the steps of the Lionhead, the central government building, speaking with Arthur Lee, Director of Treasury and Monetary Policy (not pictured).

Davenport, Arcevian Republic of Pendragon - Supreme Chancellor Alexander Stockton announced its planned accession to the Romulă Cooperation Organisation as an full member this morning. The Union of Arcevian Republics, has aligned itself with the RCO in countless occasions, despite voting in favour of the OPA resolution placing sanctions on the Ankaran Union for its role in the invasion of New Pontus (known as Erdine to the Ankarans) last year. The OPA vote, supported by CDI aligned nations and several independent nations, passed unanimously. Ankaran leader Kilavuz Ekrem Kader, denounced the move and sought to rally his people against the coming sanctions regime.

Stockton has stated that the ascension to the RCO is his top political agenda during his State of the Union Address. In recent months, the government has acquired navy vessels and tanks from the Papal Republic of Rodarion and the Imperial Federation of Estovakiva. In addition, the government has announced the extension of the Operation Testudo, the annual training exercise of the UAAF, for a third month. The planned accession to the RCO means that Arcevia will be able to access the largest economies in Pardes. In 2014, the RCO's combined GDP was worth URD 63.9 trillion.

"The people of this great Union will no longer stand alone." Stockton addressed the crowd in Churchill Park in downtown Davenport. "It is time for us to join the connected Pardes."

Support for moving away from the policy of armed neutrality has been a growing idea for the successive Supreme Councils and Chancellors following the Valentine's Day Crisis. In February of 1989, the Tulese, supported by the Skanderan Union (now the Organisation of Southeastern Nations), surprised the first Supreme Council led by Roderick Urquhart. The Radicals has voted in favour of joining a political bloc to counter the growing Skanderan Union influence in Australis as the Moderates favoured more along the lines of Armed Neutrality and joining economic blocs to trade peacefully.

In 2012, the motion by Arcevian Supreme Council to apply to the RCO as an optionary member successfully vetoed by former Supreme Chancellor Katherine Ryan.

Despite its application to the RCO, the Supreme Council has ruled out the possibility of having foreign troops in Arcevian soil. "For now, we will be considering our trade options with the RCO economies." stated Anthony Decker, the Council spokesperson, "The Supreme Council has not expressed its interest in allowing bases for foreign troops."

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Across Pardes:
Rodarion to bolster military forces in Saint Viktor islands.
Prestonian Embassy Siege in Eagleland concludes.
Terrorists attacks Ulthrannic city of Choiggia.
Rodarion to reform homosexuality law.

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[Rodarion]

38 Rodarians feared dead in Bogoria missile attack

Emergency response volunteers with the UBLF attempt to find survivors

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that 36 Rodarian nationals have been killed in a missile attack on a field hospital several kilometres south of the Rakovnik area which is currently seeing a major confrontation between UBLF forces and neo-fascist government forces. At 07.54am this morning, a missile believed to be a Bogorian OTR-21 Tochka ballistic missile struck a field hospital in the village of Plowy. 88 people are believed to be dead, mostly wounded UBLF soldiers along with 36 volunteer Rodarian medical staff, the Foreign Ministry has also released a second statement indicating that 22 of the 36 are Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart, the Association of the Immaculate Heart which is coordinating humanitarian aid in south Bogoria has also confirmed that the SEC has suffered fatalities in the bombing.

In an indiscriminate and desperate attempt to reverse their losses around Rakovnik, the illegitimate government in Utena launched a major counter-offensive last week, utilising cluster munitions and ballistic missiles and air power. However UBLF forces have pulled back to more easily defended ground and have begun exacting a heavy price on the government neo-fascist forces. At least 104 civilians are believed to have been killed in the battle due to the government’s use of indiscriminate bombings and weapons.

Foreign Minister Mircea Basescu has denounced the news of the massive loss of Rodarian life, “what is clear is that the illegitimate and ultra-nationalist government in Utena is now content with the mass killing of innocent life and the innocent lives of foreign nationals in their pursuit of this vicious racially motivated rampage across the Bogorian south. The mass murder of Rodarian nationals is clearly a part of an extensive campaign to evict those with sympathies for the wounded and dying in the South, however this government will not allow such a barbaric crime to go unpunished.”
His Holiness Pope Constantine has been debriefed on the situation in a special session of the Papal Continuing Committee, Consul Octavian Ceausescu proposed a series of responses, however at this moment we do not know what the response will be, however chairwoman of the Senatorial Foreign Affairs Committee, Senator Diana Ciora (NCP) has hinted that it may involved military action, speaking on NTV1 this morning, just after news broke, the Senator stated, “I can see, or rather I hope the government takes seriously tough action against those butchers, who have not only massacred injured combatants but also 22 sisters and 14 doctors, all of Rodarian origin and citizenship, one possible option is the demand that such weapons are withdrawn from combat, should the thugs in Utena refuse, the Papal Air Force would be granted authorisation to cross into Bogoria and destroy these systems. That is one option, another is immediate and tough sanctions and a third is supplying the UBLF with heavier weapons to match the use of this diabolical weapons.”

The event question, according to eye-witnesses occurred at 07.54am, when eye-witnesses confirmed hearing a large droning noise, followed by a colossal explosion where the field hospital stood. The UBLF confirmed that an abandoned school was being used and that the explosion has completely flattened the structure, an estimated 211 people were inside, including patients and medical staff. An estimated 127 people have been killed in the explosion according to the Public Health Service in the Bogorian Christian Republic. The PHS also believes that up to 73 people are trapped inside the rubble and that emergency response teams are struggling to clear debris in order to offer them medical help.
President of the BCR, Wislaw Sokol also denounced the missile attack, visiting injured UBLF soldiers near the city of Librantowa, there he denounced the BDF as nothing more than a ‘collection of murderers and rapists’.

“This war has seen many crimes committed by the government with the backing of their CDI masters, now they murder injured defenceless soldiers and medical staff, of them are sisters of the cloth, how can one defend such a vicious and purposefully deadly act? Who murders nuns? Who murders the injured or the dying? I will say that this act will now dampen our spirits but rather energise them, energise them with revenge. We will make Rakovnik their grave” he said.

Already outrage has begun to pour out across the Papal Republic, over 454,000 references to the field hospital have been made on Rodarian social media, with #PlowyMassacre being used over 320,000 times, many have demanded an immediate response. The Patriotic Society of the Papal Republic (PSPR), the largest non-party political movement has demanded that the government respond militarily, with a statement on PRRB1 News this morning, in it the statement said, “the Patriotic Society of the Papal Republic is making clear its demands that the government respond to this war crime with immediate military action, any government that massacres Rodarian citizens must be held accountable and punished, no matter where they are in the world. The government cannot cower from its responsibilities.”

However in his statement this morning, Foreign Minister Basescu rejected calls for military action as ‘premature’.

“We need to gain a better understanding of what has occurred this morning, before we commit to any action, however to use the popular saying, all options are on the table. Later this morning, I will meet with the Consul, his Holiness and the eminent members of the Papal Continuing Committee to discuss a response to what is looking like a targeted attack, I can assure citizens of the Papal Republic, who share our fury and rage, that action will be taken, but at this moment, what action is to be determined” the minister continued.

Proconsul Alexandrescu announced the news in the Senate 20 minutes ago, receiving howls and boos from across the chamber, in his announcement to the Senate, he denounced the missile attack as a “barbaric act of unprecedented proportions in the 21st century, I cannot and I believe no honourable member in this chamber cannot accept such a travesty, we will not forgive and we will never forget” he received a standing ovation from a vast majority of Senators, excluding those of the Green Party and Rodarian Socialist Party, who have been highly critical of the government’s approach towards the massacre of innocents in South Bogoria which began with Utena’s monstrous rampage in December.

The government is expected to reach a final decision later this evening, we will keep you updated.

Written by Maria Lupescu.

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[Bogoria1]

KIRKILAS CONDEMNS 'FALSE FLAG ATROCITY'

Rebels responsible for destroyed hospital, said President

14 April, 2015| 17.00 PCT | înregistrate| By: Filipina Bonkowska | @FBonkowskaBBC

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In the wake of a ballistic missile attack on a field hospital in Plowy, Southern Bogoria, which caused the deaths of 38 Rodarian medical personnel, president Kirkilas responded in a press conference today that the it was the insurgent groups, rather than the Bogorian military, who were responsible for the incident, either through the reckless use of an obsolete, inaccurate weapon system near inhabited area, or a deliberate ‘false flag’ attack in an attempt to discredit Utena.

”Despicable act of atrocity by proxy”

“One only needs to examine the track record of the respective sides of the conflict to see who truly was responsible for the act,” said the president during the press conference. “Since the Treaty of Oured came into effect, the Bogorian Defence Force has adhered to its provisions to the letter. We have withdrawn all artillery over 100mm in calibre up to 50km from the ceasefire line, while rocket and surface to surface missile systems were withdrawn to 70km. We have not embarked upon a major military operation since then. In fact, we exercised the utmost restraint in dealing with the persistent campaign of provocation mounted by the insurgents. Over the course of last week alone, our forces have suffered 14 deaths as a result of rebel violations of the ceasefire. Not once did our personnel open fire first, rather than in self-defence against an unprovoked insurgent attack.”

“Given the aforementioned facts on the ground, it is crystal clear who the real culprits were. Seven Tochka launchers were captured by the rebel side during the fighting, together with close to twenty missiles. These have been used against our forces in the past. Unlike the latest models produced in Estovakiva, these have a maximum range of 70km; hence, those employed by the Bogorina Ground Force are barely able to hit the forward edge of the ceasefire line from the distance they were withdrawn to, let alone a town some distance in insurgent-held territory.”

“The only realistic conclusion we can draw from the incident is this: the Tochka that was fired was a rebel weapon, one captured in fighting earlier or, just as probably, one supplied by Rodarion. The obsolete, inaccurate weapon was either recklessly deployed near an inhabited area, or else used in a ‘false flag’ attack to deliberately smear the legitimate Bogorian government.”

“In either scenario, the response from the Rodarian side, in an attempt to milk political capital out of a blatant act of war crime, represents a despicable act of atrocity by proxy.”

What of the missiles?

When asked whether the missiles will be withdrawn further than 70km from the ceasefire line, the president responded with an air of indignation. “We will not bow to intimidation by opportunistic political bandits. Neither will we cease our longstanding adherence to the terms of the ceasefire. I call upon all signatories to the Treaty of Oured to step up their efforts to force the insurgents to fully implement their obligations under it.”

“Indeed, this is a good opportunity to lay down an ultimatum to the insurgents - either cease all unprovoked violations of the ceasefire, or suffer severe consequences.”

Despite the president’s belligerent answer, however, the reality on the ground appeared to be rather different. Satellite photos apparently showing the withdrawal of most or all the Tochka systems near the frontline to bases to the north have been circulating on foreign defence blogs. When pressed for information, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated that these missiles were indeed being moved to depots in the north for ‘routine maintenance and upgrade’. He declined to comment as to whether this development was connected to the Plowy ballistic missile attack.