Badara

[Drax]

OPPOSITION TO DUFAZI PARAMILITARY
 
MANARA  ALBRAYD SRIA AL-MUSAMI
(If it’s in the Monsoon, it’s got to be true)
 
Defense Command Center, January 17, 5734:  The Monsoon has been hearing that there is growing unhappiness with the Dufazi being allowed to have a paramilitary party militia. Since one source of that unhappiness appears to be the military officer corps, the Monsoon asked Defense Minister Nazir al-Sayed if some action against the Dufazui Militia was likely, and he responded:
 

That is complicated by a lot of factors. In the Majlis, no party and for that matter no one has as yet taken that position.  On the other hand, it is fair to say outside the Dufazi, no one actually supports having paramilitary forces.
 
There is of course an exception.  The Metzists of Majatra (MM) really do want to return to governing and would support the Dufazi position if favoring paramilitary forces would help them get there.  Or at least that is the opinion in my party, the Working Institutional Group (WIG).
 
You are asking me about it because it is no secret many military officers would much prefer the Jumhuriat have no paramilitary at all.  No secret. I can assure you however that the officer corps is well aware there is no authority for them to take action against them.
 
A deal was made. Made by the General Intelligence Service (GIS) and the Abadi Cleric Moqtada al-Dufaz, the now deceased leader of the Dufazi. The Al’Salmania Muhafazah would peacefully rejoin the Jumhuriat, the GIS, military and police would not annihilate the Dufazi, and the Dufazi would have their past offenses forgiven while their militia would surrender all weaponry but small arms which they could retain and cease resistance to the government reclaiming Al’Salmania.
 
Seemed like a good deal at the time.  But some in the GIS are now becoming dissatisfied, Bandar Qasabi, the GIS General Director is not going to scuttle the deal and move against the Dufazi, in breach of the agreement, but he will quite soon retire. It is expected the replacement process by the GIS Board of Governors may be the forum for a move to strip the Dufazi Militia of small arms.
 
In the Majlis, and in WIG for that matter, there is speculation this could well backfire. Why?
 The head of the Dufazi Party, Narouz ben Bella, is having a time of it keeping the more
extreme elements under control who want to reinstate a Religious Thought Police and
openly advocate the three religious practices favored by their founder, Moqtada al-Dufaz,
which contravene criminal law in every civilized nation.  So he is not about to let the GIS
strip the Militia of its arms without reacting.
 
Ben Bella would be expected to protect the Militia by joining the MM in a move against the
GIS Board of Governors to make them be selected by the Majlis not self  perpetuating and
be  funded by a budget not secretly funded.  Many in the Majlis really would prefer the GIS
 not be autonomous and omnipotent.
 
So there may well be a move on the Dufazi when Qasabi retires. But the outcome would be
anything but certain.

Defense Minister Nazir al-Sayed