NationStates Jolt Archive

President Arterski had been given his messages and he noticed that there was one from the Cadillac Gage embassy in Nellisland. Intrigued, he gave them a ring.

Bring...bring...bring....

riiing!!!
Sherrie opened her eyes, reached over, and picked up the telephone. "Ambassador Helmer's office, this is Sherrie, what can I do for you today, President Arterski." Up to the point where she said the name, it was the kind of irritating Saccharine used by receptionists world wide.
The last bit was undisguised surprise-and it told Arterski that the other end of the phone had a fairly slow, but effective, caller i.d.

"Well, you've quite stirred the pot with your 'annexation', Mister President. My government signed onto the Democratic Alliance with the belief that this sort of thing would be handled, if at all, peacably. As of 0830 yesterday-when I sent my first message, I was instructed by my government that our proposal to your nation remained open-with some alterations because of the...consolidation... of three nations. To-wit, this embassy is the only one we're going to maintain within the nation of Alaidos, though you are still invited to place an embassy in our country. Naturally that depends on whether you wish to maintain diplomatic contacts. Further, Nellisland made certain commitments to the Alliance, and to my country in particular. Specifically, the JRTC site Charlie, and Delta Jungle Training centres, along with troop commitments to the Alliance Rapid Reaction Forces, and standing a candidate for leadership of the Joint Commands. Effective with the surrender of Nellisland, there will no longer be five seats on the Council, and our discussions with the other member-states indiate that your controlling two seats on that council is unacceptable. So, there are three pieces of unfinished business that must be dealt with..." she sipped a cup of tea whle she outlined the situation, "But that's not all. I'm sure by now, your intelligence departments have informed you that we are taking refugees out of the country, and providing them with Asylum, both on our limited embassy grounds, and within our own borders. This is a Humanitarian effort-we have observed that after a major change such as this, the most vulnerable citizens are often mistreated-if not by their conquerors, then, by the mobs-who always appear in the interim. Further, we have offered safe-haven for several local officials whose families and lives may be in peril-likely WILL be, as a matter of fact. The Customes of International Diplomacy, dictate that a National body may grant Asylum to whom it chooses without interference. Our courts rarely recognize Extradition Requests for Political Prisoners-in the case of Nellislanders, likely we won't recognize it at all-you will need to convince them to return. People back home are very...disappointed. This may impact our relations with your country."

"Okay...okay...thats a lot of information to cover. Okay...I guess that I will start by saying that I would like to maintan relations with the nation of Cadillace-Gage. Assuming that you still want to maintain the with us. There is no reason, at least that I can see, to do anything else."

"Now about your embassy, I would of course like for you to have one in my nation. However I do wish that we could be able to move you all to my capital. I want to try and keep them all there. I will cover all expenses as well. The building, supplies, people relocation, the works. I will however not force you to move, but to make it easier on all of us, I please ask you to move. I would also like to create a embassy in your nation if your government permits. I will pay for those expenses as well. I have a very good ambassador picked out."

"Concerning the Democratic Aliance of Free Peoples. I will of course remain a member of the alliance. I would like to see it grow and become mighty fearful force. Now, as you pointed out, I do have two votes on the Founders table because my nation consists of Nellisland and The Massive Ethiopians. I will not claim both of these votes because it is wrong. However, I do claim one vote at the least. I have two ideas for this, we either make the number founding seats three or we elect a another founder. I am fine with both of these so I will leave it up to the rest of the group. The DAFP will be a mighty force. We will be able to protect nations against those who threaten democracy."

"Now, as I understand you are accepting people from my nation into your for refugee. Might I say that this act is so vile, crude, and disrespectful...I kid...I have no problem with you letting my people into your nation. They have that right and who am I to revoke it. But I do believe that you will find that not too many will be coming. You mentioned that some conquers mistreat the citizens of the nations. I can honestly tell you that my people will have superb civil and political rights. When I say that Aliados will be a paradise, I meant it. You see it is not just some line that I use to suck people in. I mean it.

"Now I also understand that you are letting high-profile figures into your nation as well. Such as President Nellis...well I can not stop him from fleeing and I will not let this sour our relationship. I would however like for to remain your nuetrality in the conflict. I am sure he will try to make a deal out of things. But I have your word that you will not take part in a coup on me...correct...?"

Sherrie relaxed. "I assure you, sir, we remain neutral. It is against our policy to interfere in the internal affairs of others-particularly if the future shows that your assertions are, in fact, accurately made regarding the rights and privelages of citizens in your newly annexed territories. As for the move, I'm going to have to discuss that with Director Randall and President Halvorssen. The proximity of this office to the proposed JRTC sites is one of the primary reasons we elected to locate our embassy here, in this suburb, rather than closer to the Presidential residence." There, nicely noncomittal while being utterly true. she mused, a thought struck her, and she added, "...our people involved in the Joint Readiness Training Command are still our people, there is a certain... need for access to what you might call a 'voice from home' in a foreign land. Your capital city is much too far to make them go if they have a need only a consular office can fulfill."

Playing on her homeland's now almost infamous 'Parochial' attitudes was a little bit disingenuous-then agian, it was also more true than she liked to believe-finding volunteers to man the Embassies was, she recalled from staff-meetings with Dr. Randall, a chronic problem in a country whose people were, more or less, reluctant to deal with strangers, and somewhat isolationist on a cultural level.
(In fact, the main reason the Embassy staff was so small, was this difficulty- finding volunteers to go overseas was a major task for the External Contacts and Affairs department. Most of the staffers that finally went, were incredibly junior as a result. Military personnel, of course, could be sent anywhere, but having thirty people guarded by forty-four is a much easier diplomatic task than sending a full company or more.)

"That sounds fair...I forgot to comment on the training camps. Yes we will keep whatever promised Nellisland made to you. You can keep your embassy where it is. I would like to send my Secretary of Defense to meet with your leader if you permit. She will be going on a world wide tour to establish relations with other nations and I would love to put your nation on the docket...so could you pass that on to whomever makes those decisions..."

Sherrie smiled, "I will be certain to forward your request to Director Randall, who will be meeting with President of the Assembly Halvorssen sometime later tonight. I'm glad to hear that the JRTC facilities will remain in operation-the Alliance needs those centres." She casually made a note for the telex, while helicopters continued lifting outside the office. "I'm sure President Halvorssen, and Director of Defense Lear will be happy to meet your Secretary of Defense as soon as things have stabilized. On that subject-a number of my pilots, both those on temporary loan to support our refugee evacuation, and the duty crew here at the Embassy, have expressed some...issues, about being harassed by your Antiair artillery units on the outskirts of the city. In particular, one of my Lynx crews radioed that targeting radar was interfering in their transponder signals, forcing them to fly dangerously close to buildings on the path to the airport. If you would mind allowing a free-flight corridor for neutrals..?"

"Yes...I did hear about your helicopter flying a little low. One of my men was doing some scouting a top the building. Mainly riot control is what I understand. I will make sure that it doesn't happen. Okay...

Sherrie checked her notes. "I noticed that the Charlie site for JRTC is still incomplete, and our people at the Bravo site have had to deal, since this mess started, with handling roles your predecessors were supposed to have covered. A word or two from your office to the mayors outside the base would be nice, as pro-Alaidos groups have been blocking purchasing missions out of the site, and we've had to fly in basic supplies that were supposed to be purchased on the local economy." Here, she let a touch of 'schoolteacher-scolding' into her tone. "Also, I note here that one of our officers has been complaining that the 'official' Commanding Officer-a Native officer, has not yet arrived. We Never signed on to Garrison someone else's nation, Mister Arterski. The Joint Readiness Training Command was supposed to be multilateral." It wasn't hard to sound annoyed here-the Colonel had been quite put-out when the Nellislander contingent left the site to fight, and having a single Battalion stretched between base-maintenance and Garrison, and carrying out Airport Security for the Refugees was trying on anyone.

"As your government has de-facto rule here, I want to strongly urge you to appoint a Garrison Commander so that my people can do what they came here to do, instead of playing peacekeeper and sole-operator. There needs to be a Base-Staff in place soon-per the Treaty."