Quote:Over the last month, we have received a handful of Statrican guerrillas who seek to mount a defense of their homeland.  I will say, too little too late, but not to them.  They have asked us for help and for arms and ammunition, to open up a localized guerrilla front.  As Political officer, my job is to oversee their political education. 

These people are unmitigated poor, mostly illiterate peasants who are more nationalist than anything.  Nine out of ten, there's not a socialist among them.

We've nonetheless assigned a small detail to begin training them though.  Away from the main camp.  We've given them the firearms we are taking off the Lourennaise:  I figure:  if they are a guerrilla unit living off the land, they will be taking weapons from the guys they're shooting, and so what better to train with than those weapons?  They spend a week "snapping in" or dry firing at targets, to practice breath control and getting into position, and then they live fire for another week.  We very strictly limit their ammunition.  Week three is survival and land navigation and week four is squad and platoon tactics.  The best among them, by acclaim by their fellows, is awarded the rank of Corporal, and they are sent out.  We've already sent through one training cycle of 52 Statrican Guerrillas, and the remainder have spent anywhere from two to four weeks watching their comrades, waiting to start the next cycle.

At this rate, we'll train 600 guerrillas a year, to replace us in the field if we ever go home.

Speaking of going home:  A platoon from Filbert's unit passed by our camp headed to the coast.  They were spotted by pickets some ways off in the distance, and did not heed any of our signals, but they were unmistakably ours.  We have had no word from Filbert in three weeks, and a courrier only yesterday arrived from Machado.  The roads have been impassable, but Machado had set up near the Statrican/Lourenne/Sekowo frontier, west of an old provincial capital of Turedobs.  His hope is to set up a conduit for Kalistani assistence through Sekowo, and from there he will send word for Kalistan to replenish his troops.

In a week, we will send a small group to try to raise Filbert and get him to report. 

In base here, it has been nearly a month since we've seen any action.  But we did have to hold a trial last week for a squad of deserters.  I will not utter their name, but their plan was to go into Berozna, and buy supplies.  We got a tip off that they were planning something else, so I got Guerra to assign a group of six men to follow them.  Instead of going to Berozna, they cut West and were headed to the coast.  Our group very quickly apprehended them and returned them to base here.  One of their number, perhaps in an effort to save his own skin, dimed his comrades out, saying their plan was to loot and pillage their way back to the coast.  He said that two men in the group had been responsible for a string of violations of the local population in the nearby villages, sneaking off at night.  They were known to the pickets who let them go and they always returned to base before sunrise so they wouldn't be suspected.  We asked these two men if this was true, and they admitted it.  I ordered their summary execution, (perhaps the first two in centuries and centuries of Kalistani History) for failure to uphold the dignity of the Kalistani Militia, and lectured the company on the importance of military discipline at all times.  Most of the partisans were disheartened by the executions as these two were otherwise well liked, but as we do not have the facilities to imprison them for their anti-social ways, execution was the only way to protect the area from their sort. 

I also put out the word that any other such violations would be met with as harsh a punishment. 

As for the deserters, they were stripped of their weapons, and put on confinement for a week.  It was then ordered that they were to remain without a weapon for another month, and would serve as the mules whenever the unit went on patrol.  Only with faithful service can they possibly expect to rejoin the main body.

As for the snitch, he was demoted.

The fault of the lack of discipline of these men lies in their inactivity.  Boredom and lack of control of one's circumstances frustrates people.  But I made it clear that I will not tolerate anti-social behavior among these Partisans.  That is the behavior of Louis and the NC, not Kalistani Partisans.  I only hope their example serves to illuminate the ethical behavior of the others.

When word from Filbert comes in, I will write more.

Quote:Nearly half a year in country and we still have a month and a half of this accursed rain left.  Guerra is ill all the time, and the mud and landslides in the area prevent even normal muster.  I got Guerra to agree to sending a company on patrol last week.  She reluctantly agreed.  I went out with the company, and talked to the Comrades when we were a few miles out, under the guise of political education.

What I heard from the troops was fairly appalling.  Morale is incredibly low.  Much of it has to do with boredom.  The partisans have picked up a number of vices since we've been in base, and the neglect of the leadership has only amplified the problems.  One partisan said drug withdrawal had been particularly difficult.  Another wanted to know when mail and effects would arrive from home.  At least three of the troop insisted on taking a vote whether or not to return home.

I lectured the Partisans, attempting to appeal to their sense of discipline.  I reminded them that they were all volunteers and they knew what they were getting into when they came here.  Harris responded "Tonya, we chose to come here, and now we are choosing to leave."  I informed her that I would attempt to ascertain from Guerra what the tactical objectives were.

Upon returning to camp, I confronted Guerra with my data. She sympathized, and agreed that when the rainy season ended, we'd move toward Filbert's outpost closer to the capital.  The supply of new Statrican recruits has slowed to virtually none as the rainy season has progressed, and the base itself has more or less become more of a prison than anything.  I prevailed upon Guerra to allow the men regular patrols:  though it is raining and the rivers are flooding, getting out of the camp does wonders for the spirits of the partisans.  Guerra agreed and worked with the XO to develop a regular patrol schedule.  Even though there hasn't been contact with the Louis for months, the men were eager to go on what they quickly began calling nature walks.

Filbert has been set up along to our south west, closer to the capital, and Machado with his 175 man strong force is in the high country near Sekowo.  The courriers are irregular, but they have done their best to provide us news from time to time.  Machado's crypto was drowned in a river crossing, so he ordered his men to smash the radios and throw the pieces in the river.  So his courrier service involves a relay of fireteams in the field 40 miles apart.  During the cycle, one fireteam would move through the bush to the next post, deliver their message, and get any messages coming back the other way.  They make the 80 mile circuit twice a month.  Filbert has had different luck.  His unit of 225 have been under sporadic fire and have lost more than a few Partisans attempting to disrupt Lourenne's forces as they make probes toward the capital.  Filbert is down 35 partisans, and when the rain ends, we will move closer to reinforce him.

That day can't come fast enough.

JackWilfred Wrote:NLA Names New Shadow Cabinet
Party factionalism overshadows NLA proposal
Kaliburg, Ananto
November 14, 4427


Pictured: The National Assembly offices of the NLA

At a press conference at the National Assembly, Leader of the Opposition Zandra Arnold named a new Shadow Cabinet, which the New Liberal Alliance claims is a "robust prospective government" for 4430. Major changes include Óscar de Madrid's promotion from Defence to Internal Affairs, and Helena Garçon's move to the Foreign Affairs brief. As well as being gender balanced, the team includes more spokespeople hailing from outside Vrassa, the party stronghold, and additional members of the party's conservative wing.

Critics have noted the changes coinciding with increasing internal pressure from the conservative wing, seeking stronger stances on immigration and economic policy, and the social liberal wing, calling for official red lines for a coalition with the Socialist Party. However, Zandra Arnold denied the changes were designed to appeal to faction leaders over the electorate. "This is not a team to heal our party's short term disagreements, but fix our country's long term problems," Arnold answered, "This team represents the best the NLA has to offer, and would be ready to provide stable government." Arnold avoided specific questions from the Republic about policy and coalitions, stating that was an issue for an election campaign.

Notably absent from the new Shadow Cabinet was conservative Sunitha Medina-Rue, who unnamed party sources claim is making plans to challenge incumbent Dr. Adrian Maslow for the NLA's presidential nomination. Asked by the Republic if he would fight a nomination battle, the President's office stated "Dr. Maslow is no natural politician, but believes in the democratic process within and without the NLA, and is ready for any obstacle to a second term." Medina-Rue declined to comment.

Quote:Dear Editor of The Kalistani Republic

Recently, the Lourenne Queen called us the most Drug Addicted Nation in Terra.

First, we are happy to read that they have banned the use of all recreational drugs other than Weed.  That's fine.  ODEN informs me that they make a lot of money selling Lourennaise Potheads weed, and I am convinced that Kalistani herb is better than anything the Lourennaise can scratch out of their meager sandy-ass "soil" anyway.

Second of all, to the Queen, I say, "F--k you."  I think all of Kalistan joins me in that position, but I want to state emphatically, that's MY position.  It is always better to live under an elected President than an inbred monarch.  Why not give your people the freedom to select their own leaders?  You call us the most drug addicted nation in Terra, but we assure you this is not true.  Because when drugs are legal, addiction is treated like a medical issue, rather than a moral one.  The most drug-addicted nations in Terra are ones where use is arbitrarily outlawed by a malicious and moralizing Government of elitist do-gooders who think they know better how to govern the choices of people than the people themselves do.  That is the essence of fascism, Comrade, and you're tits deep in it.

So, just remember that, you fascist.  People in Kalistan may use drugs, but they use them freely and legally, while people in Lourenne also use drugs, but your idiotic law makes them criminals, and denies them services to help them when they get into trouble.  I suppose you'd rather thrown people in your dungeons than help them, but hey, that's on you, you imperialist puppet usurper.

What am I saying?  The whole country is an capitalist dungeon...  I guess drug prohibition is the precisely correct policy for your people after all.

Sincerely,
Abdulaziz al-Khali
A Kalistani

JackWilfred Wrote:NLA Conference: Day ThreePresident Maslow wins nomination for second term
Sulari, Suldanor
September 4, 4430


President Adrian Maslow was nominated on the first count

A victory for "independent, principled leadership" was how President Maslow described his nomination by the New Liberal Alliance for the Republic's highest office. The former civil engineer received 61% of the online vote, ahead of Deputy Sunitha Medina-Rue, a leader of the conservative wing who had criticised his "cosy" position between the New Liberals and governing Socialists. Accepting the nomination, the President stated in his speech that he saw his priorities for the next three years as providing assistance to solve diplomatic tensions, as well as being a constitutional counsel to all parties in the succeeding National Assembly. The Socialist Party is expected to endorse Dr. Maslow.

The new platform, named 'A Better Way' by Leader Zandra Arnold, contains nothing in the way of radical changes to the expected NLA planks. Fairer taxes, democratic reform and abolition of national service were all major points. The conservative wing's proposed motions, regarding the immigration system and coalition building, were also accepted via online vote, calling on the party not to accept a coalition agreement with the Socialists unless no party received a majority. Meeting her Presidential bid's supporters, Medina-Rue stated that the NLA was close to fulfilling its potential as a "true alternative to so-called Ethical Socialism."

Zandra Arnold, however, stayed to the same tune as usual. Winning her own leadership ballot unanimously, the NLA Leader celebrated the nomination of President Maslow as "a victory for those who believe in a pair of safe hands". Arnold was light on criticism for the conservatives, however, stating "any NLA platform is 'a better way' for Kalistan, especially this one." The NLA has been quiet on expectations for this election, but internal sources tell the Republic that Arnold is under pressure to show the NLA as a real contender for government.