A brief history of Mexican Customs and Culture
Part IV
The Empire of Mexico is currently a highly ethically diverse nation united under one banner, and most importantly one unifying culture, that is being Mexican. Being a Mexican most commonly involve a great many things. Things that could be found from Northern California all the way to the southern reaches of Yucatan. There are many things that unite the highly diverse Mexican people. As a colonial nation, Mexico had a populace of a whole lot of skin colors and of all types, yet they are united in their love of tacos, beer (and tequila), and the glorious sport of Futball. The "Liga Mexicana de Futbol (Mexican Futball league), is among one of the most respected and watched organization in the country.
Inauguration of the Azteca Stadium
1966
As the nation progressed through the twentieth century. A lot of fads came into fashion that slowly but surely where added to the Mexican identity. One such fad was the introduction of the Soda Fountain and the introduction of fountain drinks.
The Humble Pharmacy. Home to Fountain drinks and Ice Cream
It all started with the increasing popularity of the "Topo Chico" Mineral water, water from the Topo Chico Mountain in Monterrey, Mexico. The sparkling water gathered at the source of the Mountain was refreshing and carbonating. According to Aztec legend, an Aztec princess once fell fatally ill in Tenochtitlan (modern day Mexico City). She was told that there was no cure for her illness, save for perhaps the magical waters of the Topo Chico Mountain. According to legend the princess drank from the source and was cured.
This ancient legend fascinated the populace, and once they where able to replicate the carbonation of the water in a laboratory, enterprising businessmen began to sell it at pharmacies (one of the only places where one could find a laboratory). And so the prominent "Topo Chico" soft drink company was born, as well as several smaller ones that experimented with carbonated drinks. Soda consumption became a major part of Mexican culture. A product that has been enjoyed by all of its populace since its conception. The Topo Chico Company has grown to become a major Corporation in the Mexican Nation.
As you may have heard, Portugal wishes to impose sanctions against India and encouraging the globe to do so, without settling the dispute first. This is appalling, saying to me that they will encourage others if we back down but at the same time not giving me a chance to negotiate! How much longer will we let Europeans decide what we are to do and what we are not! I speak to all countries that have been oppressed by Europe! AFRICA, ASIA, SOUTH AMERICA! RISE UP!! Do not let these "democracies" dictate what we have and what we do not! I want my people back who were stolen from us so long ago. (I realize it may be different but I'm pretty sure colonization, imperialism, and the mass atrocities committed by Europeans still happened, just saying)
Portugal, if you are a democracy, let the people decide where to go! ( that should be decide by gm)
As you may have heard, Portugal wishes to impose sanctions against India and encouraging the globe to do so, without settling the dispute first. This is appalling, saying to me that they will encourage others if we back down but at the same time not giving me a chance to negotiate! How much longer will we let Europeans decide what we are to do and what we are not! I speak to all countries that have been oppressed by Europe! AFRICA, ASIA, SOUTH AMERICA! RISE UP!! Do not let these "democracies" dictate what we have and what we do not! I want my people back who were stolen from us so long ago. (I realize it may be different but I'm pretty sure colonization, imperialism, and the mass atrocities committed by Europeans still happened, just saying)
Portugal, if you are a democracy, let the people decide where to go! ( that should be decide by gm)
From: Kingdom of Portugal
To: Democratic Republic of India @GandalftheGrey
CC: World
Negotiate? Now you wanna negotiate? Your last communique as we can state stated this:
The short is this: give us what land you have in india or face the power of trade sanctions. We were willing to pay you for it and we hoped to better an alliance but now you have put this on yourself. I would not come back with empty threats of war, it would not end well for you. We do not seek war but will come to it if we must.
The way we see it, you threatned us first. Now you are calling for negotiations, because you realize Portugal is right in its position. We already stated that the people of Goa have the right to decide there future. It is not Dehli's right to decide for them, just it's not Dehli's right to absurdly claim all of India as you have done. Something I'm sure our good friends at Islamabad will take offense to.
We urge the Indian and Portugese governments to de-escalate the growing crises over Goa, and offer our services as impartial mediators towards resolving the dispute.
We urge the Indian and Portugese governments to de-escalate the growing crises over Goa, and offer our services as impartial mediators towards resolving the dispute.
From: Kingdom of Portugal
To: Empire of Japan @Arthur Frayn
The Japanese Government has been a long time friend of ours. We would be glad to let you end this dispute over Goa.
Secret:
Truth be told we were most angered at the impolite tone the Dehli Government partook towards us. They were very offensive. While Lisbon understand, Dehli's desire to ascertain the rights of the Indian Population, the fact of the matter is the people of Goa haven't expressed any desire to join India at all. Surely Tokyo can understand that?
The '90s were a strange time for the Southron Social Republic*, and it became even more so following the emergence of a cultural movement, known as Knock. Initially an aspect of political expression through the medium of music, Knock evolved from a political outburst, to a music genre, to a cultural movement. While the roots of these could be found in Jazz and Blues of the south, the heart and soul of this came from greater connections to African heritage, especially in the form of an outspoken leader of the movement known as "Kunta Kinte", who took a West African name as his stage persona. Kinte fused earthy African rhythms and melodic Jazz records to form one of the most provocative and influential musical movements of the century, one based on liberation of the political persona through the expression of music. Four tenets found the base of this movement: Turning (essentially spinning turntable records by hand to develop original bars), Tagging (graffiti art widespread through the development of spray paint), Boxing (initially developing beats with the mouth, but would develop into slinging, which is the art of forming rhyme schemes to the beats of Turners and Boxers), and Breaking (the art of dancing to the music created by Turners and Boxers). All of these combined form the basis of a new cultural movement from the heart of the south, specifically Atlanta, which would soon become known as the House of Hard-Knocks.
We urge the Indian and Portugese governments to de-escalate the growing crises over Goa, and offer our services as impartial mediators towards resolving the dispute.
India wants Goa. As you have heard, Goa was stolen from us long ago by the Portuguese and since then no one has challenged their claim to the land... until now. We want it back and are willing to pay for it or provide other means of payment if they wish. They don't want to sell the land and think that since they are Europeans and "democratic" they can do what they want. They think that it's the right of the people to choose where they want to go but they use it as a cover to keep the land and extract its resources.
The President of Mesopotamia, Sameer Hakim in his 30s, 1988
With the end of the Hashemite Kingdom of Mesopotamia in a bloody coup, the victorious military officers who had dismantled British control and the legacy of imperialism by both the British and the Ottoman empires, quickly began plotting against one another and an internal power struggle began. Despite British attempts to discredit the new nationalist, pseudo-Metaxist regime and lead to its overthrow during the tumultuous early Republican Era. The cadre of military generals would find themselves with control of one of the most powerful states in the region with generous room to develop as an emerging market thanks to its vast oil reserves and large population. The secular nationalists who had formed the Arab Social National Party in Syria and exported their ideology to educated officers around the Middle East, sought to unify the Mesopotamian state around an ideology, to succeed where the Hashemite Monarchy in Mesopotamia had failed. Following numerous plots, assassinations blamed on Kurdish separatists or Assyrian nationalists or the unruly Shiites, General Sameer Hakim would overcome his opponents. Having been a mostly quiet and reserved man, Hakim had bid his time well and assumed power in a bloody internal party struggle. At first, Hakim ruled according to the principles of Arab Social Nationalism: A strong central ruler, judicial rights for minorities, and a secular government.
In Iran, the Shahdom of Iran came to a swift end in 1986 following the Tehran Crisis when a wave of protests saw the fleeing of the Russian-backed Shah, who's government following the nationalization of the Anglo-Iranian Petroleum Company had been beholden to Russian arms and trade deals following Britain's sanctions and cutting off from the Commonwealth economies. The Russian Empire would gradually expand its influence within the Qajar Dynasty, which would in turn grow more authoritarian and repressive. When peaceful protesters in the early 90s, mostly university students and socialists, along with nationalists opposed to the Shah and their former party's betrayal of "national honor", touched off a wave of protests, which eventually brought the fall of the Shah and the establishment of the Republic of Iran. Having lost Khuzestan to Mesopotamia in the Mesopotamian War of 1989, the battered Iranian state would emark on the road of significant domestic and military reforms. This war, which the British had helped fund for the Mesopotamians while selling them weapons in the hopes of seeing a Russian client receive a bloody eye in the region, would further drag the negative opinion of the British among the Iranian government and society.
Back in Mesopotamia, the increasing belligerence and instability of President Hakim made many in the region uncomfortable. The tolerant and secular state was facing increasing opposition among the Shiite, who were being repressed with the Sunni minority, who had been empowered by Hakim's rule and gained entry into the bureaucracy and state institutions. Regional governors were repressing the Assyrians and the Kurds in the north had always been rebellious, particularly now that the Kurdish Peasant and Workers Party (KGPP) was reemerging in the rural regions outside of Erbil and Mosul. The paranoid President Hakim commenced cracking down on populations he felt were disloyal, and began portraying non-Sunni populations as fifth-columns and potential security threats. The Kurdish Uprising of 1987 shocked the world with the aggressive and violent means with which the Hakim regime was willing to use to pacify any threats to its rule when it shelled parts of Erbil to kill off a KGPP attempt to jump start a "Kurdish National Revolution" that only saw the Mesopotamian Arab Republican Army use VX nerve agent in conjunction with napalm and sustained heavy bombing of civilian neighborhoods to flush out the would be rebellion, while scattering many Kurdish communities in the surrounding countryside, many of which fled to Iran or Turkey.
Kurdish refugees fight over water at a Red Cross refugee camp in Iran
By the time Hakim had decided to invade Kuwait in a deranged plan to "dominate the global petroleum market" which would eventually involve an invasion of the Kingdom of Hashemite Arabia (although this would not be known until after the Second Mesopotamian War), Mesopotamian society and the economy were ailing significantly. British sanctions and the exclusion from global markets and credit thanks to the World Congress meant that the Mesopotamian regime was running on fumes by the time the late 80s rolled around. Food riots had begun to effect even the loyalist Sunni regions and the regime was crumbling around the Mesopotamian Social Nationalist Party. This did not stop Hakim, who felt that a war abroad was necessary to unite the country as it did in the 1980s war. The occupation of the former-Commonwealth state was swift, but it brought about international condemnation from a world that believed that violent land annexations should be a thing of the past. The World Congress condemned the Hakim regime and Britain imposed a strict economic and military embargo of the Republic of Mesopotamia, demanding their withdraw from Kuwait before allowing them to rejoin the international community again. The Hakim regime refused, and commenced preparations for an invasion from the Imperial Commonwealth.
The British and their Commonwealth allies, with troops hailing from West India to Canada, amassed forces in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. The Iranian military began conducting "military exercises" near Khuzestan and the "refugee camps" in the north on the border with Kurdistan grew more numerous and moved closer and closer to the border. By the time Baghdad had rejected World Congress-led negotiations in London for a second time, and ignored the proclamations of the Churchill Government for a unilateral disarmament of its chemical weapons and assets, the invasion was already underway. A British carrier in the Gulf and Commonwealth air craft basing out of Arabia, the British and Commonwealth aerial superiority is inevitable. The advanced and fairly large Mesopotamian Republican Air Force is poorly trained and severely lacking in spare parts and replacements thanks to the British economic and military embargo. British, ANZAC and West Indian mechanized infantry pour over the border and into Kuwait, utilizing the RAF and Commonwealth air forces to weaken opposition before them. Kuwait City falls within three weeks and Basra less than three days later.
Suddenly, the Iranian Republican Army streams over the border into Khuzestan, finding a completely unprepared defense force. The Mesopotamian 3rd Guard, tasked with being the ones to defend the Khuzestan region and protect significant Mesopotamian oil deposits from Iranian irredentism, had had its leadership purged on numerous occasions in the years following the First Mesopotamian War. Popular and competent military leadership from the war in the 1980s were reassigned or charged with "crimes" at the whim of President Hakim's paranoia and jealousy. The budget cuts forced on the country thanks to the British embargo and blockade meant that even the military was feeling the pinch, as the Iranians enter Khuzestan and retake their stolen territory and putting their Tsarist Era Russian military equipment to work. While the Iranians might have been in the middle of an economic recession, and the loss of rich, oil producing territories in Khuzestan greatly weakened Iran, the Iranian military was still strong, and while more inclined towards the nationalists, was still very receptive to the idea of retaking Khuzestan and reclaiming old glory. The Iranian military had significant Russian vehicles and weapons, which were in constant resupply, unlike the constantly shorted Mesopotamian forces.
British army shells Mesopotamian positions outside of Baghdad
The campaign in Syria begins shortly after the fall of Basra, with British and Hashemite forces entering Syria from the South and Royal and French marines landing in Lebanon from Cyprus. The Mesopotamian military is scrambled, as most of its backbone, the Republican National Guard, was preparing for the defense of Mesopotamia proper and Baghdad in particular as Iranian, British and Hashemite forces raced from the south and east to reach the center of Hakim's regime. Suddenly, the President of Syria, a Mesopotamian puppet named Mohammed Awad, is overthrown by a group of generals who wish for a negotiated end to the conflict, at least as far as Syria is concerned. With Damascus paralyzed and elements of the Syrian Republican Army in the streets facing off against one another in a confused quagmire that allowed the Franco-British and Hashemite forces to advance further into the country, seizing Homs in June of 1991. By the time the Independent Arab Republic of Syria is declared with the help of British armed militias and proxies. The Syrian countryside falls quickly following the occupation of the major cities and the withdraw of the Mesopotamian military units to either south Mesopotamia or shore up defenses against the Kurds.
Since the invasion began in earnest, the south and the north of Mesopotamia were abuzz with anti-regime activity. The Assyrian Christians in the south had long ago begun their "resistance militias" and the Kurds had always had the presence of the KGPP (at least since the 60s) as a militant and revolutionary armed organization to defend the Kurdish homeland. As defiance in the streets of Erbil and other Kurdish majority cities continued in the form of protests, and public displays of unrest, and Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad began forming their own militias, with the Assyrians openly linking up with Hashemite forces on their way to Karbala and other cities in southern and central Mesopotamia, the situation grew more desperate for the Mesopotamian military. Massacres of minority populations began occurring with greater frequency, as town after town and village after village began getting shelled, dealt with in the manner of public executions or other forms of mass murder, to the point of even chemical attacks on more than a few Kurdish towns in the north. The resulting refugee crisis, caused by populations desperately moving into Commonwealth and Hashemite occupied territories to receive shelter and food, is enormous. While Syria had gone down rather quietly, Mesopotamia proper would apparently not.
As Commonwealth, Hashemite and Iranian forces approached Baghdad from different directions, the regime continued its scorched earth tactics, deploying chemical weapons against enemy positions and forcing the Commonwealth, Hashemite and Iranian forces to adapt by not only equipping their own troops with ABC suits and equipment, but retaliating in an operation that was quickly unraveling at the seams. With the official goals of the Commonwealth and its allied partners being the occupation of the region, the Hakim regime has no desire to wait and see if it can negotiate or end the conflict, but instead focuses on going out in a blaze of glory and taking as many British and allied soldiers he can. Religious broadcasts and propaganda, already having become important parts of his cult of personality and the functions of the state as religious radicalism seemed to be a good way to shore up his collapsing government as secularism and pluralism did not seem to be cutting it. Hakim ordered the military to expand religious services, expel non-Sunnis from its ranks and instated required prayer, five times a day. The secular vision of the originators of the Mesopotamian Social National Party was dead.
Mesopotamian solder wearing protective chemical warfare gear outside of Baghdad
The Battle of Baghdad is immensely bloody, as the remaining regime fanatics are the ones who remain in the city, along with Hakim himself. The city is bombarded by Commonwealth air strikes and the civilian population that has not fled is used by the regime forces as cover, and the surrounding neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city are in the midst of their own trouble as Sunni and Shiite militias are battling amongst themselves, which presents an obstacle for advancing allied forces. Republican Army troops fight to the bitter end in many cases, even as their supplies and ammunition circle the drain. Canadian Crusader tanks are the first to enter the center of the city, in a battle that has been far more costly than anticipated. Booby traps, improvised bombs, ambushes, and even suicide bombings have been a constant problem, with sniper attacks being even worse. Civilians are distrustful and fearful of the British soldiers, after years of anti-British propaganda. With Baghdad fallen, so does most of the regime and quickly the surrounding regions surrender to Commonwealth and allied occupation. French, British, Hashemite, Iranian and Commonwealth forces control the city but Sameer Hakim is nowhere to be found, likely having fled underground as British intelligence now combs the Middle East looking for him.
While the military administration of Mesopotamia and Syria has begun in earnest, after less than a year of fighting, and mostly great success, the experiences in Baghdad weigh heavily upon the British and their allies. It was a bloody affair, perhaps one of the bloodiest military operations Britain's been involved in since the Great Eastern War. Many of those lost were Commonwealth soldiers as well, from West India and Canada and Australia and South Africa. Occupation seems to get off too a bloody start as the various ethnicies and religions (and religious sects) don't seem to be getting along too well. Iran sees itself as partially responsible for the Shiites in Mesopotamia, who are suffering since Hakim decided they were an Iranian fifth column attempting to undermine his regime, and were now suffering greatly thanks to Sunni militias taking that hate and fear out violently. Tehran decides to arm Shiite militias, for self-defense, and begins aggressively defending their neighborhoods. Assyrian Christians, predominantly living in Baghdad and in southeast Mesopotamia the Hashemite occupation forces are comprised almost entirely of Sunnis, and their lacking in discipline and poor military leadership means that clashes with locals become a daily occurrence. Assyrians, fearing that they've only exchanged one tyrant for another, are fiercely defensive of their newfound sovereignty, which they gained at the hands of right-wing militias. The Assyrians refuse to disband their Resistance Militias, citing poor cohesion between Jeddah and its troops on the ground. The Kurds have already declared their intentions of forming an independent state, putting fear into the hearts of non-Kurds in KGPP held lands in the north. Christians in Lebanon have grown increasingly fearful of Muslim attacks on churches now that the heavy weight of the state will not go on the attackers as the confusion and unrest in Syria is on the rise.
Time will tell if the occupation will succeed.
Summary:
Mesopotamian forces well armed but poorly trained, their lack of access to the global market means that they can't fully resupply their armies and Sameer Haikm, the paranoid and violent ruler of the country, has purged the military several times over.
Southern Mesopotamia and Syria fall quickly, the Independent Arab Syrian Republic is declared out of Aleppo as Damascus is the sight of a bloody battle between SSNP loyalists and anti-regime coupists.
Baghdad and the rest of central Mesopotamia are another story. Bloody urban warfare takes place and produces far higher than expected casualties for the Franco-British, Hasemite and Iranian forces.
Troops from all over the Commonwealth participate in the invasion and occupation.
Chemical warfare rears its ugly head as the Hakim regime utilizes scorched earth tactics, especially in Kurdistan, Assyrian and Shiite regions, causing many civilian casualties and forcing a Commonwealth response.
Sectarian and ethnic divisions threaten to make for a bloody occupation.
Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Declare Independence From Georgia, Accusations of Ethnic Cleansing
What appears to be Georgian irregular militia fleeing the frontlines, accompanied by ethnic Georgian civilians
BBC Tiblisi - Georgia's autonomous region of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast, formally declared its independence today as "The Democratic Republic of Abkhazia". Abkhazia was shortly joined by the region of South Ossetia as "The Democratic Republic of South Ossetia", in a clear attempt to mimic the new Russia and appeal for their aid.
Following the outbreak of violence last year in South Ossetia, fighting has since spread to the nearby region of Abkhazia. The region's population of mostly Abkhazians and Russians has been hostile to the new Georgian government since the fall of the Tsar, and many believe that both Abkhazia and South Ossetia wish to join Russia as autonomous provinces
We have also received credible reports that regular Russian army soldiers have occupied border crossings in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The highly mountainous countries are mostly limited to a small number of routes that can support serious travel, and we are seeing that Russian armored vehicles have crossed the Georgian-claimed border to occupy both sides of the tunnels and passes.
Both Georgia and the separatists have accused the other of widespread ethnic cleansing, and sources in both Tbilisi and Tshkinvali have reported ethnic Georgians, Russians, and others fleeing from the fighting.
To: The United Kingdom
From: The Federation of Benelux
Far be it from us to criticize how you do things but you may have just destroyed the Middle East for decades to come. The mad man had to be curbed, but the power vacuum in the region will result in bloodshed on a whole new scale. We fear that your rush for justice without plan will only cause the deaths and displacement of hundreds of thousands more people. We hope we are wrong.
To: General Statement
From: The Federation of Benelux
We must condemn the blatant gunboat diplomacy of India, it has no place in the modern world. Veiled threats will achieve little. However, we do see an issue with merit and would like to propose that the Congress of Nations hold a referendum and let the people of Goa control there destiny with the power to vote.
To: Congo Coalition; France and Portugal
From: The Federation of Benelux
Secret: This humanitarian disaster in the Middle East has made us question our intention in the Congo, the facts on the ground are we have no idea what the situation is there and fear our rush to aid the refugees of the region may be blinding us to what is actually going on. The simple question is, do these rebels have popular support, and what are there intentions. We must be honest, the party we are considering backing is not exactly a dream come true to human rights and has frequently misappropriated foreign aid in the past. Benelux will maintain it's troops in Angola with the permission of Portugal, but we will be indefinitely postponing all operations in the Congo until we can achieve some sort of intelligence about what the hell is actually happening in the Congo and ask that as responsible nations you do the same.
To: Portugal
From: Benelux
Secret: We are willing to assist with policing refugee camps and rotating duties on the border with the Congo, we are not abandoning our promise, merely improving upon it. We want to be right, and we want to be sure that what we are doing is time well spent.
The Federation of Benelux's Army Reorganization Plan
Benelux marines on patrol in Angola.
"The days of the combat division are over," proclaimed the newly appointed Minister of Defense. His plans were radical in today's society where the division has always been the centerpiece for planning and execution within the military. However, under his guidance he announced a complete overhaul and reformation of the military. Modular combat brigades were the answer to the modern day woes on the battlefield, and he stressed that there versatility would provide greater planning and execution on an operational level in the field. The modular combat brigade would standardize formations across the active and reserve components. Meaning an Armored BCT in Papua New Guinea will be the same as one in Antwerp, or Luxembourg for that matter. Reconnaissance would play a huge role in the new organizational design of the military. The Minister of Defense felt the acquisition of the target was the weak link in the chain of finding, fixing, closing with, and destroying the enemy. Additionally, he felt that it had already sufficient lethal platforms to take out the enemy and thus the number of reconnaissance units in each brigade was increased to meet these goals on the modern battlefield. He finally put the rumors to bed on the Army Air Corps as well, it will still remain a sub-department of the Army. This was surprising given that the Federation was one the last Western countries to still have an active Army Air Corps and not a separate branch for it's aircraft. Given the modern and evolving battlefield, the necessity of organization and command structure has never been more important, the Army Air Corps will remain a department under the Army to further increase this point, each BCT will be given it's own modular air support task force to meet the demands of the modern battlefield. The three types of BCTs are Armored Brigade Combat Teams, Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (includes Light, Mountain, Air Assault and Airborne), and Mechanized Brigade Combat Teams.
Division commands will command and control these combat and support brigades. Divisions will operate as plug-and-play headquarters commands, instead of fixed formations with permanently assigned units. Any combination of brigades may be assigned to divisions for a particular mission up to a maximum of four combat brigades. For instance, the 1st Infantry Division of Holland headquarters could be assigned two armor brigades and two infantry brigades based on the expected requirements of a given mission. On its next deployment, the same division may have one Mechanized brigade and two armor brigades assigned to it. The same modus operandi holds true for support units. The goal of reorganization with regard to logistics is to streamline the logistics command structure so that combat service support can fulfill its support mission more efficiently. When not deployed, the division will have responsibility for the training and readiness of a certain number of modular brigades units. For instance, the 4th Fusiliers Division headquarters module based at VerBrugge, Belgium is responsible for the readiness of its combat brigades and other units of the division, assuming they have not been deployed separately under a different division.
India wants Goa. As you have heard, Goa was stolen from us long ago by the Portuguese and since then no one has challenged their claim to the land... until now. We want it back and are willing to pay for it or provide other means of payment if they wish. They don't want to sell the land and think that since they are Europeans and "democratic" they can do what they want. They think that it's the right of the people to choose where they want to go but they use it as a cover to keep the land and extract its resources.
We have shown nothing but good will towards the Dehli Government. However Lisbon has no desire to continue to engage in talks with a Government who insists upon insults after insults in order for us to cave to there absurd demands. We have stated that we held no opposition towards a vote by the people of Goa to decide there future. Yet India insists on us abandoning democratic rights and outright give them the area. That is out of the question entirely. Therefore until such a time as the Indian Government apologizes to not just us but all European Nations for there insults, Portugal will be retracting his ambassador from Dehli and we will be inviting the Indian Ambassador to leave Portugal.
To: General Statement
From: The Federation of Benelux
We must condemn the blatant gunboat diplomacy of India, it has no place in the modern world. Veiled threats will achieve little. However, we do see an issue with merit and would like to propose that the Congress of Nations hold a referendum and let the people of Goa control there destiny with the power to vote.
To: Congo Coalition; France and Portugal
From: The Federation of Benelux
Secret: This humanitarian disaster in the Middle East has made us question our intention in the Congo, the facts on the ground are we have no idea what the situation is there and fear our rush to aid the refugees of the region may be blinding us to what is actually going on. The simple question is, do these rebels have popular support, and what are there intentions. We must be honest, the party we are considering backing is not exactly a dream come true to human rights and has frequently misappropriated foreign aid in the past. Benelux will maintain it's troops in Angola with the permission of Portugal, but we will be indefinitely postponing all operations in the Congo until we can achieve some sort of intelligence about what the hell is actually happening in the Congo and ask that as responsible nations you do the same.
To: Portugal
From: Benelux
Secret: We are willing to assist with policing refugee camps and rotating duties on the border with the Congo, we are not abandoning our promise, merely improving upon it. We want to be right, and we want to be sure that what we are doing is time well spent.
From: Kingdom of Portugal
To: Federation of Benelux @MasturBacon
We did propose the World Congress to put the issue of Goa unto a vote. We are still waiting on the results.
Secret:
We actually quite agree with you. That is why we will also announce our intentions to not send more intervention into the Congo until we get a better ideia what the hell is going on! The Congo Regime has not told us all clear info on the matter frankly.
Name: Democratic Republic of India
Head of State: Rohit Gupta Head of Government: Rohit Gupta Type of Government: Dictatorship Population: 750 million Capital: Delhi
Internal Events:
Due to recent tensions, the Indian army is displaying its power to the world, having the largest military training exercise in history consisting of nearly 350,000 soldiers, 200 tanks, and numerous trucks and missiles. It is a sign to the world. Don't underestimate India.
Economic Status:
Growing
In recent months, the economy had seen major growth with an influx of new jobs from factories. If we continue on this pace we will surely become an economic super power.
Military
Army:
Active personnel- 600,000
Reserves (demobilized)- 6,500,000
150 main tanks
250 light armored tanks
4,000 artillery ( about half are outdated)
100 troop transport vehicles
130 armored escorts
Armenia Annexes Nakchivan, Heavy Fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, Refugees Inundate Region
Armenian artillery firing on Azerbaijani positions
BBC Yerevan - After a successful invasion, Armenia today officially annexed the former Autonomous Oblast of Nakchivan. The Oblast has a mixed Armenian and Azeri population, although the Armenian government contends that Russification and Christianization policies led to a clear Armenian majority in the Oblast. Although there were no formal armed forces in the Oblast, Azeri militias reportedly continue to fight Armenian soldiers and militias.
In other news from the Caucuses, heavy fighting continues between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Nagorno-Karabakh is an autnomous region under Armenian authority, but with a significant Azeri population. The fighting is confused and often includes sectarian militias from both sides.
Finally, we are receiving reports of tens of thousands of refugees, both Armenian and Azeri, fleeing the region. As the conflict has mostly been initiated by Armenian forces, the majority of refugees seem to be Azeri. The primary destinations for Azeri refugees seem to be Turkey and Iran, where governments are sympathetic to Azerbaijan, though thousands have been forced into the already troubled region of Mesopotamian Kurdistan.
