NationStates Jolt Archive

(OOC: Newspaper extracts from Imperial Alabama depicting the background political, social and economic changes of the country.)

Alabama Star

Congress and Senate Pass Approval For New Agencies

AS: Montgomery: Alabama Senators joined with their Congressional counterparts in approving the creation of several new government agencies put forward by Governor Black earlier this week.

Several of these agencies, including a reorganisation of some existing official groups, are focused on "developing the international status of the Imperial Alabama Republic and promoting the international defence of our nation," according to the Governor's press release.

New agencies include Interservices Secrecy, Analysis And Communication (ISAAC), which will be given the duties of covert operations, espionage and communication outside of the Imperial Republic. Internal security will be given to a sister organisation under the name of National Intelligence and Defence (NID).

One of the more controversial agencies given official status is the Alabama Imperial Party's activist brigade, the Imperial Republicans (IR), who comprise the majority of party membership. This official status, according to the government, will provide the IR with state funding for political activities and involvement. This policy has been slammed by opposition officials, but critics have been ridiculed by government officials, pointing out that legislation passed that allowed this (The "Political Activist Promotion" Bill) allows for other political groups with similar aims and roles to apply to the State Department for this status.

Government Plans Announce Massive Public Works

The State Department, in conjunction with the Governor's Office and the Treasury Department, today announced plans to put forward legislation that would allow the government to begin funding a massive plan for public works across the Imperial Republic, aiming to create thousands of new jobs and revoltionise the state infrastructure.

The plans, proposed last night, would involve the construction of new roadways, highways, an extension of the current railroad system, and new public utilities including waterworks, power stations and other facilities. Furthermore, the government is also slating plans for a massive investment in the military infrastructure of the country.

The plans also propose investment in the private sector by subsidising construction programs deemed "beneficial to public standards of living."

A vote is expected on this tomorrow. Political analysts are expecting an easy win for the government.

Montgomery New Times

Defence Department Announces Training Colleges

Montgomery: In a prelude to what is predicted to be a wide-ranging overhaul of the Alabama National Guard, the Defence Department today announced plans to convert several bases in the Imperial Republic into training colleges for various military purposes.

Chief among these will be Redstone Arsenal, which the Defence Department has claimed "will expand and grow to become a multipurpose, multitask training asset" for both the Army and Air Force.

Whilst concrete plans have not been shown yet, early speculation sees an extension of the complex into the surrounding areas, and the development of training facilities for infantry of all ranks, vehicle personnel and aircraft crews. Governor Black was quoted as saying that he desired to create a "super facility" to serve as the major training base for the military.

Alabama Star

Political Parties Apply For Activist Funding

Montgomery: Several other political parties have taken advantage of recent legislation to register their activist groups for state funding.

The Political Activist Participation Promotion Bill, passed by the Senate earlier this week and initially used to gain funding to the Imperial Republicans (IR), the activist group of the Alabama Imperial Party (AIP). However, legislation was only passed by the Supreme Court if the funding was open to all political groups.

The Democratic Party, the Communist Party of Alabama and the Conservative Party have all applied for political funding for their activist groups, alarming critics who point to the development of a gang mentality. This is further exasperated by AIP spokespeople's comments that IR personnel will fully take account of their rights to bear weapons. Other political groups have indicated they will follow the same.

AIP Announces Links With Other Parties

Montgomery: Spokespeople for the AIP have announced the development of closer political ties with similar political groups in neighbouring states.

Several other states, including Georgia, Tennessee, Kentuck and Louisiana, have declared themselves officially independent from the United States, with new political groups developing in each state.

On the west coast, California has declared its own state, bringing several neighbouring states into a loose economic federation to assist in their own development. Other states in the mid-west have declared themselves nominally independent whilst political crisis grips the United States, although have not declared themselves de jure sovereign. The United States itself still has control of most of the Eastern Seaboard, although political and economic crisis grips those states, with the USA nominally under military control at this time.

The AIP has refused to comment on any further plans to develop any kind of inter-state confederation similar to the Californian project, although it has said that the party hopes to "further links with like-minded groups elsewhere." It has also denied any allegations that funding to these groups subjected them to effective puppet status under the AIP leadership.

Alabama Times

AIP-sympathetic parties win state elections in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi

Government spokespeople for the AIP today issued statements congratulating parties sympathetic to the causes of the AIP for their success in the legislative and executive elections of several newly-independent states.

The Georgia Independence Party took a landslide victory in the first national elections since the state declared its independence. In Louisiana, the National Democratic Party took both houses and the Governorship by storm, whilst the Mississippi National Alliance Party was virtually unopposed in most constituencies.

Governor Black released a brief statement congratulating his counterparts in each state for their victories, and promised that "full and close cooperation with like-minded comrades would be forthcoming."

Riots between Imperial Republicans and counterpart causes alarm, damage

Two seperate rallies staged by activist brigades of opposing political parties led to armed confrontation in Huntsville that caused several thousand dollars worth of damage.

Members of the Imperial Republicans, the AIP activist group, and the Alabama Communist Party "Red Army" activist brigade clashed when staged demonstrations in favour and against the government inadvertantly crossed paths in the city centre.

Abuse and hurled projectiles led to elements in both groups opening fire on their counterparts, causing panic and chaos that required local police units to respond en masse to control the crowds.

Both parties have blamed their opposites for inciting the fighting, and both have cited their own rights to armed self-defence under the Political Activist Promotion Bill and the Alabama Constitution.

News Daily

USA; Conditions Improving, Plan to Democractic Return Promised

US officials have given their strongest indications to date about a planned return to democratic control of the country as conditions in the remaining Union states begin to recover.

Oil prices have begun to fall in recent days, allowing more of the transport infrastructure to begin operating again, with FEMA concentrating on transporting food from warehouses to shops with the greatest expediency before produce decay sets in.

Speaking from New York, where the seat of Federal Government has been transferred following the Washington attack, President Moore has promised to return democratic control at the nearest availiable possibility.

Daniel Moore, who was visiting Wisconsin when the nuclear attack on Washinton hit, took charge of the United States according to consitutional succession, although operation of the country has largely fallen to the US Army as the United States currently maintains Martial Law.

Protests and civil unrest have begun to decline, but incidents are still reported. Food rioters in New Hampshire were met with live ammunition by members of the 1st Infantry Division when they attempted to storm a government storage warehouse following a dispute over short-term rationing.

President Moore has called upon those states that have seceeded from the Union to rejoin, imploring them to "remember their consitutional duty to form a more perfect union."

Many states in the Union have declared de facto self-rule, but have not claimed de jure independence. Last night, several states gave strong indication that they would rejoin the Union following democratic power returning.

However, the Union of West Coast States, an economic and loosely political trading bloc set up by California and its surrounding states made determined noises to maintain their sovereignty. These sentiments were echoed by several southern states who have also declared official independence from the Union, including Imperial Alabama. For now however, many tasks still stand ahead of the United States returning to anything like its former strength, and analysts see new power centres cementing themselves on the North American continent as the days pass.

Brent Spiner, News Daily

Alabama Independent
Government announces massive Economic Treaty

In a massive press conference earlier today, Governor Black signed into effect a treaty of economic aid and cooperation between the Republic of Imperial Alabama and the si'Thaluö Tenuria.

The treaty, labelled the "Agreement on Economic Aid", provides Alabama with a total of $600 bn in monetary aid to be utilised on projects "for the good of the nation as a whole", and to be organised and budgeted by the Treasury Department.

Governor Black thanked Tenurian Inquisitor Antonia Marevna and praised her diplomatic skills and assistance in negotiating this treaty on behalf of her nation. This treaty, according to the Governor, was the beginning of "a great relationship between the Imperial Republic and the Tenurian nation."

The Treasury Department has formally announced that it will release a budget for the use of this monetary aid very shortly, with investment expected in infrastructure and the military to be notable priorities.

So far, no other government on the North American continent has commented on the agreement, although sources in the United States close to the President informed that "they would be watching the use of the money with interest," and condemned the "support of illegal seccessionists by a foreign power." However, official US government spokespeople have so far declined to comment.

Peter Walsh
Economics Correspondent