NationStates Jolt Archive


Ignored conflicts

Neo Cannen
25-03-2005, 17:09
I'm thinking about writing a small series of short stories about wars which are happening recently but very few people hear about/care about. Has anyone got any ideas about what sort of regions/wars I could include?
Drunk commies reborn
25-03-2005, 17:10
I haven't heard much about the conflict between Maoist rebells and the Nepalese military on the news.
Kanabia
25-03-2005, 17:40
I read somewhere that Ethiopia has moved more troops onto the Eritrean and Somali borders in the past week or so. Don't know if that's going to turn hostile, though.
Saxnot
25-03-2005, 17:57
What ended up happening in Haiti? It was big news for a few days, then just disappeared.
North Island
25-03-2005, 18:00
Anglo-I.R.A. War
French-Ivory Coast 'War'
Euroslavia
25-03-2005, 18:20
What's actually going on in Sudan, and what the UN isn't saying.

The brewing war between Australia and New Zealand....



((ok ok, that last one was a joke, but hey, it'd be interesting ;) ))
Mystic Mindinao
25-03-2005, 18:22
Since the Australians first arrived, I've heard little about the Soloman Islands. It is a textbook "failed state". It can't provide any services to its people of any kind, including protection. Rival warlords are fighting over the islands. It can't even retain control of Guadacanal. The scariest thing, though, is that this happened so close to a developed nation. Luckily, Australia realized how much a threat a failed state near their borders posed.
Mystic Mindinao
25-03-2005, 18:33
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bp.html
Here't the profile of the Soloman Islands. While the Australians are meeting with some success, more needs to be done. This may be simply because the Australians have not been given enough time, but there is significant damage there. The government can no longer control even Guadacanal, and the economy is collapsing.
The Cat-Tribe
25-03-2005, 19:10
I'm thinking about writing a small series of short stories about wars which are happening recently but very few people hear about/care about. Has anyone got any ideas about what sort of regions/wars I could include?

This is a great idea.

I do find the second sentence a bit ironic, however. :D
Neo Cannen
25-03-2005, 19:20
This is a great idea.

I do find the second sentence a bit ironic, however. :D

Well I have a few ideas (Conflicts in the Caucuses, Central America, the Congo) but of course, more people = more ideas.
The Cat-Tribe
25-03-2005, 19:46
Well I have a few ideas (Conflicts in the Caucuses, Central America, the Congo) but of course, more people = more ideas.

No criticism was intended. It just stuck me as ironic.

I honestly look forward to reading some of the results of this project. It should be very educational.
Lunatic Goofballs
25-03-2005, 19:54
The Southern Connecticut Glue War.

I wont go into details, but it seems that back in the late 1980s, some young local practical joker discovered a powdered adhesive that could be used to glue people socks and other unmentionables on(actually, it wasn't a very good glue, and only occasionally worked well). His mistake was sharing that information with other young people. Mayhem ensued.

P.S. I'm still looking for a better adhesive.
Mystic Mindinao
26-03-2005, 02:58
Here's another little known conflict: the civill war in Uganda, between the government and a man who is convinced he is Jesus.
Neo-Anarchists
26-03-2005, 03:15
Wow, not only were the wars ignored, but it appears this topic was too.
:(

I'm interested in seeing them, but I don't have any suggestions
Patra Caesar
26-03-2005, 03:20
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bp.html
Here't the profile of the Soloman Islands. While the Australians are meeting with some success, more needs to be done. This may be simply because the Australians have not been given enough time, but there is significant damage there. The government can no longer control even Guadacanal, and the economy is collapsing.

Actually I think it may be because we're a little stretched with East Timor, Ache (and the rest of indonesia that was affacted by the Tsunami) and Iraq. Plus I think we still have some police helping people in Fiji after George Spait's inserection was put down by the tribal chiefs...
Mystic Mindinao
26-03-2005, 03:23
Actually I think it may be because we're a little stretched with East Timor, Ache (and the rest of indonesia that was affacted by the Tsunami) and Iraq. Plus I think we still have some police helping people in Fiji after George Spait's inserection was put down by the tribal chiefs...
Lots of troops, however, are not a good idea all the time. Sometimes, a few troops training locals does better than an army.
BaghdadBob
26-03-2005, 04:09
There is a possibility of a war breaking out between Morocco and Algeria over the Westren Sahara and the Saharian border between the two. Note: The US has made Morocco a Non-Nato ally. Which means they are afforded the same tech as Nato and psuedo protection from the US. This could mean a Moroccan/US war vs Algeria. I have heard of some talk of it already kicking off with special forces of both nations. Morocco was also not present at the current Arab summit.
Mystic Mindinao
26-03-2005, 04:23
There is a possibility of a war breaking out between Morocco and Algeria over the Westren Sahara and the Saharian border between the two. Note: The US has made Morocco a Non-Nato ally. Which means they are afforded the same tech as Nato and psuedo protection from the US. This could mean a Moroccan/US war vs Algeria. I have heard of some talk of it already kicking off with special forces of both nations. Morocco was also not present at the current Arab summit.
Pakistan is also a non-NATO ally. In the event of war between India and Pakistan, the US most certainly would not side with any of the two. All non-NATO ally means is that the door is open for defense agreements. Unless one is signed, the US has no obligation.
Mystic Mindinao
26-03-2005, 04:46
Hey, this thread is really interesting. There are over thirty armed conflicts happening, and only one (seeming to be Iraq) gets lots of coverage. Only three or four get any coverage at all.
Anyhow, here's another armed conflict: the Congo. That nation is a mess. Not only is it fighting its own civil war, but the Eastern Congo is a haven for terrorists and militias. Rwanda, for example, has reportedly sent in troops to hunt for Hutu gunmen in the countryside. The threat of genocide hides just below the surface in that country.
Roycelandia
26-03-2005, 09:21
The Maoist/Nepalese Government conflict is an interesting one to me as an amateur military historian and collector of military firearms- both sides are fighting each other with Lee-Enfield rifles provided by the British in the years before WWI!

I've seen pictures of Government troops drilling with SMLE Mk IIIs, and of Maoist Rebels armed with SMLEs, AK-47s, and various other weird and wonderful guns as well. It would be interesting if it wasnt so tragic.

The whole Solomon Islands thing is just getting worse, and East Timor and Papua New Guinea are still 3rd world shitholes being propped up by Australia, with Government forces fighting various Tribesmen, Warlords, and other Troublemakers.

Personally, I think Australia should never have given PNG independence, and we should have annexed East Timor, but apparently I'm in the minority on that one...
Falhaar
26-03-2005, 10:34
Personally, I think Australia should never have given PNG independence, and we should have annexed East Timor, but apparently I'm in the minority on that one... Yes, yes you are.

BTW East Timor is only a shit-hole because we let the Indonesian-backed militia absolutely destroy the infrastructure before we came in and kicked the crap out of them, plus we're currently laying unfair claim to several rich oil and gas fields that should legally be a part of East Timor.
Point de Bute
26-03-2005, 10:59
How calm has Sierra Leone been lately? The Kashmir(spelling) region between Pakistan and India? I also think that conflicts in Central America are very much ignored in media. The Nepal Maoist thing may turn up in the news in April again as that was the leaders own deadline for when elections whould be held.
The State of It
26-03-2005, 12:23
Armenia-Azerbijan War: Being fought like WW1, with trenches and static warfare that has been on and off for the past 10 years, over an area that declared independence but which they both claim they have a right to.

Nepal Civil War: Monarchist Government that has a Tyrannical King is currently under seige from rebels who have blockaded the capital. The monarchy there was weakened when one Prince apparently went berserk, got out an assault rifle, and massacred a large percentage of the royal family there.

Somalia Civil War: It did not end with Black Hawk Down you know. Only last week, at the first attempted meeting of the new parliament, those present immeadiatly began arguing and whacking each other with sticks and chairs.

Ugandan Civil War: The government there is currently waging war on a Christian Militia called 'The Lord's Resistance Army' led by a man who thinks he is a prophet of Christendom. They are brutal, slaying villagers, burning them alive or amputating bodily parts whilst the victim is still alive, raping, pillaging, and then recruiting the orphans they have made into their army, where kids as young as 6 are taught to fire weapons and kill people in horrific ways, making them zombies.

Sudanese Crisis in Darfur Region: Sudanese Arab Militia, called 'Janjaweed' which in Arabic means 'The Evil do-ers' or 'The Evil Ones' are backed by the government to persecute black Sudanese people and place them in concentration camps where if they leave to look for food, they are shot, or raped, then shot. Part of the government's policy of expelling or rather eradicating Sudanese blacks to give the land to the Sudanese Arabs.

Krgystan: Currently on the brink of civil war after the revolution to otherthrow the authoritarian leader, mainly because the new government implemented is already using the security forces to crack down on people still roaming the streets in the midst of revolution.

Possible Russia-Georgia War: South Ossetia sees itself as a independent nation from Georgia, and are pro-Russia.

The Georgian President says there will be no war with South Ossetia, but the BBC has filmed Georgian Tanks being moved to the border with South Ossetia.

Russian soldiers posted on the border between Georgia and South Ossetia with South Ossetia's blessing are officialy there as peacekeepers, but have openly said that the moment the Georgians cross the border into South Ossetia, they will rip off their peacekeeper labels and begin killing Georgians for South Ossetia.

India-Pakistan: Only yesterday, US President George W Bush agreed to sell F-16 Fighter planes to Pakistan, and rung the Indian Pm to inform him. India are not pleased.

China-North Korea or US-North Korea and China: Reportedly, China has 250,000 troops stationed on the border with North Korea. This could be that China may well annex North Korea before the US makes plans to attack it, or that China are sending a message to the US: Invade, and we will be all over you like a rash.

US-Syria and or Iran: The US troops are well placed to invade both, although questions arise whether the troops would be too stretched in Iraq to do so.

UK-Spain: There are still issues over the sovereignty of Gibralter, and it could well explode one day. If Spain moves in to take it like the Argentines with the Falklands, the UK will move to take it back. This will be a major test for The European Union over who to back, although the betting is that if the EU does not stay neutral they will side with Spain. The UK may well temporally boycott the EU if so, and a serious war between the UK and Spain may well result if the UK does not break Spain's will to fight.

The US will probably back the UK.
Roycelandia
26-03-2005, 14:34
The UK-Spain thing has been going on for almost 4 centuries now, and it's exacerbated by the fact that the Gibraltans LIKE being part of the UK.

And unlike China, who could have done some serious damage to the UK if they hadn't handed over Hong Kong, Spain vs the UK would be a relatively even fight (EU intervention notwithstanding).

At the end of the day, I think Spain realises it's really not worth the hassle, and you can bet that if Spain re-took Gibraltar, the UK or Morocco would take Ceuta and that other city whose name I forget in Morocco that Spain owns.

But then, I'm an unashamed Imperialist, which leads to some interesting debates in the pub, I can tell you...
Mystic Mindinao
26-03-2005, 22:00
The Maoist/Nepalese Government conflict is an interesting one to me as an amateur military historian and collector of military firearms- both sides are fighting each other with Lee-Enfield rifles provided by the British in the years before WWI!

I've seen pictures of Government troops drilling with SMLE Mk IIIs, and of Maoist Rebels armed with SMLEs, AK-47s, and various other weird and wonderful guns as well. It would be interesting if it wasnt so tragic.

The whole Solomon Islands thing is just getting worse, and East Timor and Papua New Guinea are still 3rd world shitholes being propped up by Australia, with Government forces fighting various Tribesmen, Warlords, and other Troublemakers.

Personally, I think Australia should never have given PNG independence, and we should have annexed East Timor, but apparently I'm in the minority on that one...
It's not an entirely bad idea. All of those states are failed or failing, and pose dangers to Australia. Of course, annexation of each locale would probably lead to ethnic resentment against Australia.
My pipedream, of course, is some sort of Australian rule over Indonesia. Indonesia has different foreign policy objectives that are a threat to stability. Terrorists and allied guerillas also hide out on Sumatra, Borneo, and Irian Jaya. The Australian army should have no problem clearing them out.
Of course, it is only a piipedream.
Swimmingpool
26-03-2005, 22:03
I'd say almost all conflicts in Africa, the conflict in Aceh, Indonesia (perhaps put on hold since the tsunami?).

What ended up happening in Haiti? It was big news for a few days, then just disappeared.
There is currently a military dictatorship supported by the USA in power there.
Mystic Mindinao
26-03-2005, 22:12
There is currently a military dictatorship supported by the USA in power there.
Wow, you do have a full breadth of knowledge.
Anyhow, US troops have withdrawn from Haiti. Now it is mostly a UN peacekeeping force comprised mostly of Brazilians and Chileans. The government is dealing with a myriad of militias that have been terrorizing the countryside since the fall of Baby Doc Duvalier.
Swimmingpool
26-03-2005, 22:26
Anglo-I.R.A. War
That's not a war or even really a conflict any more. It's not perfect, but NI is generally a success story for peace.