Poras, People's Republic of Cedoria
The People's House, 0700 hours, Central Committee Meeting # 312043
After clearing through the minutiae of minor domestic and internal issues, the 35 members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cedoria finally turned their attention to the main item on the agenda. Transfixed, the most powerful officials in the People's Republic of Cedoria stared at the briefing papers as they were passed around. In North America, great unrest was continuing to spread. The new Canadian Republic, suffering from economic downturn, corruption and increasing authoritarianism following the downfall of the United States, had suddenly began suffering a series of unexpected attacks from Leftist guerillas, since the confrontation had not been expected, the People's Intelligence Agency was still redirecting intelligence assets in the region to monitor developments closely, but it seemed the rebels had a great deal of public support, as well as beginning to carve out a large body of territory in the west of the country...
The question on everybody's mind, of course, was how Cedoria should respond. Of course, under ordinary circumstances, they would have jumped at the opportunity to assist their comrades. However, the situation had implications well beyond Canada. The neighbouring Hoosier Alliance, still ruled by President Garrick Madison, was also undoubtedly aware of the situation.
It had been several years since the last war with the Hoosiers, and it had ended upon satisfactory terms for Cedoria, with the destruction of the Hoosier Pacific Fleet, and the signing of the Treaty of Ephesis, which had effectively eliminated the Hoosiers presence in the Asia-Pacific, the initial cause of the confrontation had been resolved satisfactorily.
However, since then, a low running espionage and propaganda war had continued, with both countries attacking one another through their respective media and propaganda outlets, and both countries undoubtedly had many intelligence operatives working within one another's nations. For the Cedorians, Hoosier agents who had been attempting to infiltrate the lower rungs of the bureaucracy were quietly executed, a crime the Hoosiers couldn't protest publicly, as it would involve admitting their espionage operations. Cedorian spies had been caught too, although neither side believed that the other had stopped gathering information.
Thus the Canadian situation, bordering as it did the Hoosier Alliance, was much more volatile, and had much broader implications then a simple local revolt.
Opening discussion, Chairwoman Natalie Tizack asked for her comrades views. Now in her early fifties, this formidable women had streaks of grey running through her blonde hair, a testament to the immense task of running a nation like Cedoria, but her mind was as sharp and direct as ever, and her formidable reputation in both peace and war was well-earned. She was not a woman to cross, and, her hatred of Hoosier President Madison had extended to occasionally expressing a wish to have him assassinated, in private.
Interior Commissar Tom Haze and Foreign Affairs Commissar Dorian Mar both opposed Cedorian assistance for the rebels, for different reasons. Haze was concerned about the potential difficulties that such a war might inflict on the home front, potentially increasing civil unrest or emboldening counter-revolutionary dissident activity. Mar was opposed to an action that risked destroying the Treaty of Ephesis, arguing that the treaty already satisfied Cedoria's main objectives, and that the Hoosier Alliance being obliged to its terms meant no interference from them in Cedoria's backyard.
Others however, were more outspoken, Defence Commissar Beris Nemaskov gave a passionate speech in favour of supporting the rebels, not merely because of the inherent rightness of supporting comrades attempting to liberate themselves from exploitation, but he argued that the overthrow of the Canadian government would give Cedoria an operational base in North America, and weaken the strategic position of the Hoosier Alliance, without starting a war. Confident that the situation would not escalate further, Nemaskov fully articulated the case for supporting the rebels. As he settled down again, he gave the Chairwoman an imperceptible nod.
After that, others spoke in favour, by far more then the number of those who had initially opposed Cedorian support, the numbers were clearly in a majority.
As the last member who wished to speak finished, Chairwoman Tizack smiled enigmatically, like any good Chairperson, she had worked out her preferred outcome before the meeting had begun, and structured the discussion in a way that would create it. Nemaskov had supported her, as she knew he would. This sort of internal intrigue was not uncommon in the upper echelons of the Communist Party, as each decision could only be reached by majority, behind the scenes wheeling and dealing, give and take was not at all uncommon, but being the Chairwoman gave Tizack an advantage that the others did not possess, control of the order of speaking in the Central Committee.
A formal vote was not then taken, resheduled to the discussion a week later, but everybody knew what the outcome would be, and the time between then and the vote would give the People's Intelligence Agency time to get a handle on what exactly was going on, and how the needs of the rebels might be met in a way that benefited Cedorian plans...
