NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: This effectively follows on from the French withdrawal from Algeria after the war with UE over Tunisia. I have gone ahead and made some assumptions about Algeria etc given that Elkazor has not really dealt with how this ended, and we can't ignore the issue forever.

IC:

The past few days had been celebratory ones in Tunis as President Ismail Zenaidi’s Popular Unity Party made key electoral gains. With the last of the votes still counted, the PUP had finally achieved a landslide majority in the Majlis al-Nuwaab (Chamber of Deputies) and largely on the back of their leader’s popularity and resolve during the French crisis, they had a legitimate mandate from the people. On the busy streets of the Tunisian capital, jubilant crowds had gathered to celebrate what they hoped would be the dawn of a new age. President Zenaidi had been elevated to the status of national hero, but underlying the fresh tide of nationalistic fervour, there was some genuine concern.

The government had made few attempts to deny that without the intervention of United Elias, Tunisia would have become a nameless addition to the Catholic Empire. Now, with the Holy League weakened, the fear came from the East, namely, Libya. That regime’s unpredictable nature troubled many Tunisians, who, in the wake of the France crisis, rebuild their country with a conscious knowledge of their own defencelessness. None were more of this than those in power, and that now was the time to fix this problem.

One, otherwise regular business day in Tunis, a heavy presence of police was suddenly noticeable as several thoroughfares in the city centre were sealed off. Troops of the National Guard brigade began appearing, many of them in full dress uniform. Hearing a roar, people looked skyward to see a tight formation of Tunisian Air Force F-5Es, trailing red and white display smoke. However, after this first wave had got the attention of the masses, a second formation, eight fighters, which would be identified as EA-160s by the keen observer, were escorting a much larger aircraft, an Il-96. Just a few hundred feet off the ground on its fly-past, even the casual spectator would recognise the huge eagle motif emblazoned across the tail.

It did not take long for the news to spread that the President of United Elias was making publicly unannounced state visit, no doubt as way of endorsing Zenaidi’s premiership. In under an hour the wide tree lined Mohammed V Avenue had been adorned with huge alternating national flags of the two countries, as throngs of people appeared to witness the event. After a brief wait, a stream of black vehicles, mostly embassy cars and Tunisian vehicles borrowed for the occasion, moved down the boulevard at a stately pace. Soldiers lining the routesnapped to attention as the Presidential limousine passed them. A military band started to play the March from Sibelius’s ‘Karelia Suite’ as the motorcade neared the Palace. However the strains of the music were mostly drowned out by the sound of the crowd. Where protesters had once burned Fleurs de Lys, the citizenry proudly hailed flags of not only their native Tunisia but United Elias as well. Media from around the world had been invited to televise this momentous arrival. Here, United Elias was seen as their saviour, the only thing that had stood between freedom and Catholic domination.

The motorcade eventually entered the Palace gates, and the two Presidents greeted each other. After the national anthems, and the customary review of the honour guard, the two statesman disappeared for lunch where they were joined with the rest of the Tunisian cabinet.

Several hours after, in the later afternoon, the two Presidents, having spent several hours in private talks, appeared together on the balcony of the Palace. Both of in their mid forties and dressed in dark western style suits, their personal similarities were as noticeable as their ideological ones. The crowd were ecstatic as the two leaders waved briefly before returning inside for the joint press conference, that would be beamed live to the crowd outside via a hastily setup system of massive screens.

In one of the state rooms, the two men stood in front of a pair of podiums, flanked by their respective national flags. Zenaidi, as the host opened the proceedings. “Together we have already seen dark days, but I feel certain that the sun has risen once more as we knew that it would. Once again history has been proven correct, that all empires and bearers of the coffin of evil, whenever they mobilized their evil against the Arab nation, or against the Muslim world, they were themselves buried in their own coffin, with their sick dreams and their arrogance and greed, under Arab soil; or they returned to die on the land from which they had proceeded to perpetrate aggression. Due to the valiant acts of sacrifice by our people the aggressor was repelled. However, to claim that our victory stemmed only from the blood our of own citizens would be foolish. Standing by our side, ready to annihilate the enemy were many brave Arab warriors and it is for this reason that I invited their Commander-in-Chief here today. It is with great humility that I introduce you to the President of United Elias.”

President Elias nodded politely as his counterpart finished his remarks. After allowing a brief pause, he began his response, which was stylistically somewhat more demure and not as triumphal, “Tunisians, fellow Arabs, thank you for welcoming me to this fine nation of yours. This land has recently been challenged, but I can see that the spirit of this nation has not been tainted and it is indeed an honour for me to behold this city and its people. It is my privilege to say to you, that in your President I have met a true statesman with purpose and integrity. In addition to possessing these noble qualities, I have found President Zenaidi to be a visionary, a man of wisdom, and a person who I know will exercise superb leadership and indeed already has. I speak with the voice of my country when I say that we consider you friends and brethren, and you shall have no better allies in the world. Today I have signed with your President a comprehensive agreement to guarantee the safety and the security of you, the people of Tunisia. Furthermore, will expand opportunities for trade, for economic progress and ultimately for a mutually beneficial relationship that can help you to achieve the same level of affluence that my citizens enjoy. We have also agreed upon a strategy for achieving stability in post-colonial Algeria and both United Elias and Tunisia remain committed to bettering the lives of Arab peoples everywhere. It would seem therefore that our two sovereign Arab nations are destined to maintain a strong alliance, upholding morality, facilitating prosperity and furthering the cause of liberty. Thank you, may peace and God's blessings be upon you.”

Even before the President had returned to Baghdad, Finance Ministry advisors leave for Tunis to bring about the first steps in the rigorous three phase plan that Zenaidi had agreed to. Almost immediately, the Central Bank of Tunisia disbands to be replaced by the newly founded Tunisian Currency Board. By permanently fixing the rate of exchange between Tunisian and Elias Dinars, with every Tunisian Dinar backed up by reserves of Elias Dinars, inflation would be carefully controlled and would also greatly improve the trade relationship between the two countries. To raise the reserves of Elias Dinars necessary to accomplish this, the Tunisian State begins immediately to privatise state owned corporations. In most cases these are sold at fair market prices to Elias corporations although some are sold into the hands of Tunisian entrepreneurs taking advantage of the fresh supply of capital from Elias banks, eager to loan in this new market.

Simultaneously to these extremely rapid economic reforms, a fair amount of Elias military equipment and manpower finds itself in Tunisia, with Zenaidi keen that Tunisia is the staging base for peace operations in Northern Algeria. Tunisia’s own military also finds itself undergoing joint-training missions with Elias forces, as the two command structures attempt to network themselves to an extent where some level of joint operations are sustainable.

Across the border in Algiers, agents of the UE government attempt to lay the ground work for the arrival of stabilisation troops. In the wake of the colonial government’s collapse, a shaky coalition between the National Islamic Front (NIF) and the Arab Freedom Alliance (AFA) is on the verge of breakdown. The feud between the secularists and the Islamists now seems set to continue now that their mutual enemy, the Catholics, have disappeared. With much of the Islamic militant strength having been quashed during the French rule and with little popular support, the fundamentalists are liable to become increasingly desperate, a phenomenon which UE will hope to prevent with its forthcoming deployments.

[OOC: Have we determined exactly how France withdrew from Algeria, and what happened in the aftermath?]

[OOC: Have we determined exactly how France withdrew from Algeria, and what happened in the aftermath?]

OOC: No, but I'm rather taking it upon myself to fill in the blanks with what in my mind is most plausible. I hope nobody has any objections to this, as it doesn't affect things that much, and I didn't want to ignore the issue forever. This has also been oked with Roycelandia who retains control of Southern Algeria.

OOC: Well, while everyone's running scared of the Catholics and the Libyans, we'd better hope that nobody pushes the idea that it might make more sense to be scared of the Roiks and their UE cohorts, eh. Sure, UE's pulling out of Gabon, but half of Gabon is as a result part of Roycelandian Equatorial Africa. Oh well, we certainly won't be talking to anyone about how the HL threat is over, destroyed by its own people and not by some condescending saviours. Certainly. Uhm, that more or less concludes this needlessly wordy tag [runs off to test new UAVs over southern Algeria]

Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic

French occupation of Algeria had been a severe blow to the Saharawi, coming as it did on the eve of their final victory and long-awaited independance. It had transformed what ought to have been a triumphant parade from the Rabouni camps to El Aaiun, into a desperate flight away from Tindouf as French royal forces pushed southward from Algiers.

Algeria, and its Front de Liberation Nationale had supported the Saharawi and their own Frente Polisario through decades of exile and war against their mutual foe Morocco, and the Saharawi had attempted to repay the favour, hiding at-risk Algerians in their fleeing refugee columns as the French secret service began its major crackdown... despite this help, almost three thousand persons... men, women, and children who were associated with the FLN or Polisario... had 'dissapeared' to the prisons of Devil's Island off French Guiana, with many more (including the Hindustani attaches to the former government) forced into hiding in Algeria as the occupiers placed a death sentence on all thoughts of independance or revolution.

Now, with the Catholic regime gone from Algiers, the Saharawi were eager to involve themselves in restoring their ally in the Algerian republic. Rumours of Elian involvement there were of great concern... while Islamic extremism and remnants warlords of the French-equipped Royal Algerian Army might pose some danger, Baghdad had backed the Moroccan monarchy which had been the driving force behind the brutal occupation of the Western Sahara: they could hardly be trusted to have the best interests of the Maghreb at heart. Worse, Roycelandian occupation of the South, including over SADR-Rabouni, had not ended with French departure, leaving Algeria still trapped by overt chains of imperialism.

Algeria wopud become itself again... Shadewater would once again be Tanezrouft, of that the Saharawi were certain.

Shadewater, Roycelandian Algeria

"PULL!"

The orange clay disc launched forth from the battlements of the old French Foreign Legion Fort (now in use by the Roycelandian Imperial Foreign Legion), before exploding in a fluroscent shower as a load of No 7 1/2 shot fired from a Greener GP 12ga shotgun intercepted it.

"Excellent shot, Captain!" congratulated the Arab waiter as he handed iced drinks to the Officers enjoying a spot of entertainment in the early afternoon sun.

"Thank you, Mustafa" said Captain Starlight, as he accepted the proffered drink and propped his shotgun up against the battlements.

He sat down in the deck chair, raised his glass to the other officers, and sipped his drink contentedly.

"I'm going to miss this place" he said, absent-mindedly. "Anyone for a game of poker? Aces wild, $5 Wibble Ante?"

As the other officers threw money into the centre of the table and started to deal cards, Mustafa realised he had become privy to something interesting... the rumours were true. The Roycelandians were leaving. No new settlers had arrived for months now, and the soldiers were doing less and less soldiering and more and more whoring and general recreation.

This was a very interesting development indeed...

When news of the French departure reaches various numbers of the dozen-odd surviving Hindustani attaches, they make arrangements to leave their Bedouin hosts and head back to Algiers.

The foreign service in Algeria took a severe beating during the French invasion, four diplomats having disappeared without a trace and the remainder forced into hiding in the desert regions. First priority is, of course, to make contact with Mumbai and determine just what they are to do, now that the French are gone. However, nobody will arrive in Algiers from the deep desert, at least nobody of Hindustani nationality, for several weeks and who knows what can happen during that span of time.

Meanwhile, Parliament asks the Elians if there's any part for Hindustan to play in the restoration of Algeria as a soveriegn nation, and advocates the establishment of a parliamentary democracy as soon as possible. It would be horribly unfair to the Algerian people, says a Hindustani diplomat, not to offer them the right of self-determination after French hegemony.

[OOC: One last query which comes to mind, as our Holy League seems to be dropping out of AMW like flies... has anyone spoken with Doomingsland about the Roman troops on the Algeria-Tunisian border, or has he left with Elkazor and I just missed it?]

The Foreign Ministry quickly issues a response to the Hindustanis, offering troops to guard their embassy in Algiers should their diplomats decide to return to the capital. As to the question of the future of Algeria, it is simply stated that the wishes of the Algerian people will provide the basis for all decision making and that it is critical that the views of the majority are not overridden by minorities not prepared to abide by the rule of law.

In the same way as the confrontation with France over Tunisia had been seen across United Elias as the obligation of the largest Arab nation to come to the rescue of one of the smallest, Operation ‘Sahara Kismet’ was viewed by most citizens as a moral duty. Following the withdrawal from Gabon, the public were more than willing to accept another large military venture and especially one to help fellow Arabs.

Already countless military assets had flowed via air and sea into Tunisia, which was to be the staging area for the operation, at least until facilities within Algeria had become more secure. Additionally, squadrons of transport, early warning, reconnaissance and some combat aircraft had been positioned in Tunisia and were already providing support for the initial deployments into Algeria itself.

Much of the 2nd Army’s new rapid response V Corps had been issued orders, with the Division Ready Brigades of the 8th Light Mechanised, 2nd and 11th Infantry Divisions already beginning to deploy to Algiers and other major cities in the North. MoD policy focusing on strengthening the presence in the urban centres to prevent any widespread disorder, whilst Elias troops will gradually replace their Roycelandian counterparts in the more peaceful and remote south of the country.

Algiers

The situation in the capital was, to use a phrase from one embassy intelligence report, extremely fluid. Post-colonial Algeria was a power vacuum. Officially, there was a provisional government composed of several of the more moderate political groups, principally the National Islamic Front (NIF) and the Arab Freedom Alliance (AFA), both of which were successors to the now largely defunct FLN. However, these groups had divergent agendas, and the National People’s Assembly’s power was more theoretical than anything else. Government departments had been looted, most of the Algerian civil service had collapsed to leave nothing meaningful. The French policy of staffing these offices with primarily French bureaucrats had led to many of these state institutions simply being left empty. Many of the Algerian officials who had worked for the colonial government, making up a large proportion of the nation’s educated class, had been banned from working and denounced as collaborators. Some had been imprisoned, others had even be killed by vengeful mobs.

Perhaps the greatest threat was the ‘Front Islamique du Salut’, which during the French occupation had become increasingly radical and Islamist. The FIS broadcasted proclamations calling on Muslims in Algeria to join in a national struggle for the “restoration of the Algerian state, sovereign, democratic, and social, within the principles of Islam.” They called for “soldiers of the prophet’ to seize military installations, police posts, warehouses, communications facilities, and public utilities and these threats were not taken lightly given the amount of French military hardware left abandoned throughout the country. As yet, it was difficult to tell how many radicals had joined this cause, but it would be a priority of UE to prevent them from taking power.

At Algiers airport, the 3rd Light Mechanised Brigade had setup an initial base of operations, using it as an airhead to bring in supplies and reinforcements from both Tunisia and their home base in Egypt. With several battalions of Faaris LAVs already deployed, several missions were launched into the center of the city. The Elias troops had clear rules of engagement, only to fire in defence of themselves or others. Rolling down the wide boulevards in heavily armed convoys, they first of all headed to the Elias Embassy to reinforce the small contingent of guards. Gradually, they began to spread out, establishing defensive perimeters around various government Ministries and generally to achieve some form of presence to prevent any breakdown of civil order.

Gradually it became clear who was running Algiers. In the absence of any form of police, a sort of private militia had taken over in trying to enforce the law. Commanded by a man known as Sheikh Ahmed al Abbasi, this small army of several hundred seemed actually to be discharging their duties with remarkable professionalism given the circumstances. Since they relied on popular support, they had yet to challenge in any serious way the looting of government property, but they had prevented any widespread anarchy. The Sheikh himself was a wealthy land owner and industrialist who had been in exile in the Roycelandian controlled south until the French had withdrawn. Then, he had returned to his native city and set himself up as a sort of de facto mayor.

It did not take long for the Sheikh to turn up to the temporary headquarters at Algiers airport and extend an ‘official welcome’ to the Elias peacekeeping contingent. Flamboyant and charismatic he gave assurances to the Brigade commander that his men would co-operate fully and expressed several times his gratitude on behalf of the Algerian people for the support from fellow Arabs.

(Cant seem to log in on with my TBF account, so I can RP the UAE a bit while the forums come back on line. Been meaning to revive it a bit anyway)

As Abu Dhabi television continued to show live reports of UE troops landing in Algeria, Prime Minister Abdullah bin Husayn al-Ahmar saw an opportunity to gain some useful diplomatic points with Baghdad and further prove his foreign policy credentials domestically.

The UE Ambassador was summoned immediately and was asked to inform his government that the Trucial States were officially offering military assistance for Operation Sahara Kismet (good name btw). The Prime Minister assured him that he too was keen to stablise Algeria and prevent the spread of extremism and said that he would be prepared to commit several thousand ground troops and supporting air and sea assets.

Elian radars likely detect a formation of two helicopters headed towards Algiers, one a Dauphin and the other a Cougar. They fly at a leisurely pace, making no effort to hide or evade whatever radars might be active around Algiers. While they are still in a French camoflauge scheme, upon further inspection it becomes apparent that they've had their roundels and national markings scraped off, and in their place had HADF painted.

"Home free, eh?"
"Marvellous work, Ahmed. And we owe you boys some money, if I'm not mistaken."

Inside the Cougar, two former Hindustani diplomats sit with a group of ten Algerian mercenaries, many of them sporting salvaged FAMAS rifles, and share a laugh before the pilot contacts Algiers airport and makes arrangements to land.

The offer of help is accepted quickly and Foreign Minister Zaki Mohammed quickly calls Prime Minister al-Ahmar to thank him personally. The Ministry of Defence also offers Abu Dhabi the use of Elias sealift and heavylift aircraft, should they require logistic support in deploying what is a considerable distance. With the Trucial States and Tunisia involved in the operation as well, Baghdad is now able to increasingly term 'Sahara Kismet' as made up of a multinational and indeed pan-Arab coalition.

The airspace commander in an A-50 AEW aircraft high above northern Algeria, decides to allow the inbound helicopters to land at Algiers and intructs ground forces to be prepared to meet their arrival.

(oh, and I may not be able to get online for while, I'm off to Miami today, and it may take a few days before power is restored following the hurricane)