NationStates Jolt Archive

Cairo-

Following the victory of Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad in the Egyptian presidential elections, the Egyptian New Ba’ath party has begun consolidating its power. As predicted, the President has filled his new cabinet with several high ranking members of the party, such as Generals Ahmed Abulleil and Hamed Al-Masri in the positions of Minister of the Interior and Minister of Defense, respectively. The new President has also demonstrated the party’s pledged commitment to secular society with several high profile arrests of alleged leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and similar Islamist groups. Despite promises of retaliation against the new government, President Muhammad and his party are standing firm

[Al-Ahram]

In Viadiarl, the ancient pre-Arabic city that today serves as his capital, Mushir Omar Qottar greeted the morning's papers with jubilation uncommon in the borderline depressive de facto Al Khali premier. Egypt Ba'athist at last! "Now we have our renaissance!" he cried, raising eyebrows in the corridors beyond his state room.

Qottar swung into such a flurry of activity at his desk that his orange juice ended up soaking his imported copy of Al-Ahram, one of the half dozen papers he perused daily.

Moments later, Foreign Minister Habib Abeid had his orders to press ahead with all haste in forming ties between the Ba'ath Republic of Al'Khals and this new Egyptian government. True, Al Khals knew nothing of this New Ba'ath Party, but hey, Omar was a flexible man when it suited him, and the situation at least bore investigation. Qottar, and his Prime Minister Habib Kilany, had been struggling for years to keep down opposition leader Amal Abeid of the Islamic Progress Party and his alleged associate, wanted Islamist and militant anti-government tribal leader Dhul Fiqar bin-Omar al-Gharndi, and finding someone who may be in the same boat after a long diplomatic isolation was a prospect most appealing.

Accordingly, a note of congratulation to the electoral victors including words of support for their firm line on threats to just secularism is forwarded along with Omar Qottar's personal offer of friendship.

Mangana Palace
Constantinopolis Secundus

The man behind the desk was entering middle age, yet he still looked as energetic and handsome as he had a decade before, when he assumed the throne. Which was no surprise - the Empire of New Chalcedon was a wealthy, advanced nation. Its leader could afford the best in pharmaceuticals and other age-delaying treatments.

He finished reading the briefing on the situation in Gumuhuriyyat Musr (lit: The Republic of Egypt), and looked up at the two women seated opposite him. He motioned for the one on the right to speak first.

The radiantly lovely blond woman complied with the unspoked order. "Majesty, the Fifth Bureau has few assets in this place. The briefing you have in front of you came partly through third parties, partly from our own limited resources and partly from official governmental information channels."

He thought a moment, and then motioned for the other woman to speak. "Majesty, while the Foreign Department is leery about getting involved with a nation that has such troubled internal politics, it would be of significant benefit to the Empire to have this specific nation as a friend. But over the long term, the suppression of human rights is a very troubling issue."

He thought again, and then spoke. "Yevlena, thank you for your time and efforts. Please try to deploy at least a few more assets in this place, as the Empire will probably get involved."

The blonde woman nodded respectfully, got out of her chair, and left the study. The other woman remained, clearly wondering what specifically the Emperor would ask of her.

"Helena, we need to draft a letter that strikes just the right tone."

"Yes, Majesty. First, I would suggest....."

***

From: Helena Draskovic, Acting Secretary to the Crown of New Chalcedon.
To: Effendi Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad, Rais Gumuhuriyyat Misr (His Excellency, Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad, President of the Republic of Egypt).
Re: Recent events.

Your Excellency,

First, please permit me, both personally and as a servant of His Imperial and Serene Majesty, to congratulate you on your recent election victory. The repudiation of Islamists is a necessary first step to advancement, prosperity and peace.

Second, the Empire wishes to petition that you show clemency for those arrested under the new laws in your land, for two reasons. Firstly, arrest does not presuppose guilt, and until and unless such people are convicted, they remain citizens, with all rights and privileges attentant thereon. Secondly, those few who support radical Islamisation will not be scared out of it by threat of heavy punishment - they seem, rather, to delight in martyrdom, and treating them harshly creates more recruits for their cause. However, treating them fairly but sternly may invalidate the words they spread among the populace. Therefore, there are both moral and practical reasons for treating such people fairly.

Third, the Empire is interested in trade agreements with Gumuhuriyyat Misr. Would the Gumuhuriyyat Misr be willing to receive a trade delegation from the Empire?

Please respond at your convenience, and may Peace be upon you.

Helena Draskovic
Acting Secretary to the Crown.

From the Desk of Generalissimo Andrew Filie

To His Excellency, Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad, President of the Republic of Egypt

Your Excellency,

First, congratulations on your election and your strong stance against Islamists. Religion and politics have often been a dangerous mix, and your willingness to stand against those that would combine the two is admirable.

Second, we would like to inquire as to the possibility of trade, or even, if it suits you, an alliance with our nation. We would be willing to either send our Secretary of State over to meet with you, or you would be welcome to come to Vienna to meet with me face-to-face.

Welcome to the world stage, Effendi, best of luck to you.

Sincerely,
Generalissimo Andrew Filie
Head of State, Fanboyist Federation of North Atlantic Territories
Commander-in-Chief, Federal Armed Forces

[OOC: Tag for future interest.]

((ooc: been away for awhile. will respond shortly))

Cairo-

Following a high profile terrorist attack in New Cairo, involving a car bomb which killed close to a dozen people including two foreign tourists, President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad has renewed his crackdown, announcing a virtual declaration of war against the Muslim Brotherhood and instituting a curfew in the capital in face of promises of future attacks. Armed soldiers, elements of the Egyptian Special Forces and special police can be seen throughout the capital, conducting random searches of apartments in several of the poorer districts.

Dozens of further arrests have been made, though President Ibn Muhammad’s government has refused to release the names of the detained suspects.

East Glacia has enacted a full embargo of your nation citing, 'inability to control national seas, thus in able to defend civil lanes necessary for safety of Glacine commercial personnel.'

Location: Office of the Prime Minister, Tripoli, Italia Orientale

Prime Minister Francesco Cesare paced back in forth in his office, pondering his next move. He looked across his desk to the four men assembled on the other side. This was Cesare’s “Special Defense Council” made up of the Minister of War, the Foreign Minister, the Supreme Commander of the Military, and the Chief of Intelligence. “As you all know,” Cesare began, “about 1,700 kilometers to the east a possibly hostile regime has just consolidated power in Cairo. The New Egyptian Ba’ath Party and its recently elected President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad have just rounded up a large but still unknown number of Muslim Brotherhood members in retaliation to a bombing in Cairo.”

The Premier walked over to his wall and pulled down a map of the region. “I believe that this regime may emerge as a threat both ideologically and militarily,” he said pointing to Cairo, “despite the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood is a rival to my own Islamic National Congress, we are both Islamic political parties and these secular Ba’athists pose a threat to the entire way our political system operates. We depend on coalitions between religious and secular parties, we don’t want the internal issues of neighboring countries to destabilize our own political system and, most importantly, I don’t want the radical secularists in our country to get any funny ideas. Furthermore, I am worried that this regime may look to expand New Egypt’s influence and flex its military muscle.”

Cesare looked at his Foreign Minister, Muhammad Rossi, “Muhammad, I want you to contact the New Egyptian foreign minister and have a talk with him, see if you can find out their mood and if you can get any hints from him on what they may be looking to do. Tell him we are not looking for conflict but emphasize that we are not at all happy about their arrests of the Brothers.”
He stopped and thought for a second. “I want to make sure that our intelligence is focused on this issue,” he said, “I want to make sure we have assets in the country. I want you to organize a team to go in and find out whatever they can about this regime.”

“Yessir,” responded the Chief of Intelligence, “but it could take a week or two.”

“That’s fine,” replied the Premier, “this is not an extremely urgent issue and I want the diplomatic channels to have proper time to develop.” Finally, Cesare turned to General Garibaldi and his Minister of War Muhammad Ali Giuliani, “I want you two to keep the military sharp and to be ready for anything but like I said I want no mobilization yet, let’s just make sure we are not caught with our pants down.” The Premier paused and took a deep breath, “Ok that’s all for now, we will meet again in a few days…let’s stay sharp gentlemen.”

Official Communique --- The Republic of Italia Orientale

From: Muhammad Rossi, Foreign Minister
To: President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad of New Egypt

Let me begin by congratulating you and your party on your recent electoral victory. We hope that your administration will signal a new era for the economic and social development of your nation and that you will represent a beacon of freedom and democracy in the world.

That being said, we cannot condone the way you have treated members of the opposition in your country, namely the Muslim Brotherhood. As a nation that accepts and even encourages the existence of religious parties, we are deeply disturbed at what has transpired. Members of the Muslim Brotherhood in our parliament have already called for war against New Egypt. However, they are in the opposition, and our government will not act hastily.

In order to diffuse any possible tension and increase cooperation between our two great nations, we would like to open a formal diplomatic dialogue between us. We would like to begin by inviting a diplomatic delegation to our capitol, Tripoli, to discuss this Muslim Brotherhood issue. Please let us know if you will accept our invitation and when you would like to hold these meetings. We look forward to a future of friendship and cooperation between our two nations and we pray that these feelings are reciprocated by your government. May God shower a thousand blessings on your land.



Regards,
Muhammad Rossi


OOC: if new Egypt accepts the invitation, I would also open up the meetings to other concerned nations on either side of the issue, but that can be dealt with later.

Official Communique- Selassie Del Ethiopia

From: Emperor Haile Selassie II
To: President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad

Let me begin by congratulating you on your fantastic victory over the Islamic people. I feel that you will be a great leader for your amazing nation, and I would very much like to build up relations with your nation. We in Ethiopia are anxious to hear your response.

Sincerely,
Emperor Haile Selassie II of
the Empire of Selassie del Ethiopia

OOC: Interesting note: when you Google search the words ba'ath party and Egypt, the 2nd result is a link to this thread.

IC responses forthcoming.

Official Imperial Communique:

…Begin 2VX Encryption…
…2VX Encryption Complete…

To: Effendi Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad, Rais Gumuhuriyyat Misr
From: Chancellor Licinius

Congratulations on your recent election victory! Your people have smiled on you and blessed you with the power to lead them. However, it seems that – as always – radical Islamists seek to threaten all whose views do not lie in accordance with their own. Again, as always, they resort to violence. This is a tragic and terrible shame, but once more we applaud you, this time for your efforts in combating this vile plague.

Let no one persuade you from the necessary path, these scum know no language other than violence – and that is how you must speak to them. You must continue in your efforts, if not increase them, to ensure the peace and security of your nation and yourself.

Indeed, I have been informed by multiple Imperial Advisors that, in your position, they would expand efforts so as to capture all Islamists - regardless of specific party affiliation. Whether you choose to follow this is your own choice, but may God smile upon you in whichever path you endeavor to walk down.

It reassures us greatly to see that sanity and level heads can still prevail in areas which some have written off as “lost.” Your victory is proof that that is not the case. We extend the warmest greetings to the international community and hope that you can continue to lead your nation down the right path.

The Empire desires to see the growth and progress of your nation, to that extent – we’d like to offer you a hand of friendship. If you so choose, we can send you numerous civil or military machines and technologies to help solidify your God-blessed regime. Further, we’d be interested in discussing the establishment of closer relations between our two nations. Perhaps we can send delegates to your Capitol, or you to ours, so that we could discuss these options.

Best of friendship,
Licinius

…Encryption End…

From the Office of the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

To: Helena Draskovic, Acting Secretary to the Crown of New Chalcedon

The Arab Republic sends its thanks for your congratulatory sentiments, and is pleased that the measures taken by its government against political Islam find favor with the Crown. The New Ba’ath Party has long been committed to a return to secular nationalism as a basis for strong society and good government.

To address the second point made in your communiqué, the Government of the Arab Republic has considered the concerns expressed regarding the psychology of the supporters of the Brotherhood, and other similar groups in our nation. We can assure your government that all care will be taken to ensure each detained individual will be given a fair trial once charged. The rights of all detained suspects are protected under the laws of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad has given special orders to ensure that those detained are treated properly. The identities of the detained have not been released and will not be released until the time of trial, to prevent the development of a view of these men as martyrs for a cause.

As you may know, the Brotherhood as it is defined in our laws, does not constitute a political party, but a radical organization, and as such these arrests are not in the context of a political repression, but are merely representative of our government’s commitment to law and order and the proper maintenance of social and political stability. Furthermore, the fraction of our citizenry that supports the ideology espoused by the Brotherhood is a small one. It is this Government’s belief that breaking the back of the radical organization will cause it to crumble in on itself, and we are committed to that end, despite any and all threats by the Islamists in our country to take further violent measures against the state. We are committed to moving quickly to isolate and engage criminal Islamist organizations, to prevent them from developing any sort of wider following, and all suspects will be treated in a manner sensitive to the well-known fact that certain radicals actively seek out violent government reprisal for political ends.

Again, we thank you again for your congratulations, and we hope that this response, on behalf of President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad and his government does something to assuage your concerns.

To respond to your inquiries regarding trade agreements, the Arab Republic is especially open to new discussions regarding widening foreign trade, and will gladly receive an Imperial trade delegation.

Sincerely,
Muhammad Abulleil, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Arab Republic of Egypt

------

To Foreign Minister Habib Abeid, Al Khals

Your note of congratulations was appreciated, as well as your words of support for our new government’s measures taken against the Islamist factions within the Arab Republic. We are pleased to have the association of the world’s premier Ba’athist state, and hope that agreements can be reached to enhance our friendship and cooperation. We hope that a proposal of trade agreements will meet favorably with your government, and offer to establish diplomatic ties, with the future possibility of alliance. We have learned of your own government’s strong measures taken against militant Islamists, and offer our cooperation in containing these threats. Should for example we gain any information on individuals wanted in your nation, we would be pleased to share such intelligence.

Yours in friendship,
Muhammad Abulleil, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Arab Republic of Egypt

----------

Your Excellency, Generalissimo Andrew File,

We are pleased that our government’s strong stance against Islamist radicalism has met with Your Excellency’s government’s favor. President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad is committed to eradicating elements in the Arab Republic that threaten stable, secular society and government. We are certain that trade and diplomatic agreements would do well for both of our nations, and would welcome your Secretary of State to Cairo for talks on a possible alliance.

Yours in Sincerity,
Muhammad Abulleil, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Arab Republic of Egypt

----------

To Muhammad Rossi, Foreign Minister, the Republic of Italia Orientale,

I thank you for your congratulations, and I share your sentiments regarding the bright future of the Arab Republic. It is truly a sign of the changing times that in this nation’s first truly fair and democratic elections in decades a party that espouses the virtues of secular government, democracy, and national dignity has met with the approval of the citizens of this great nation.

My government has reviewed your communiqué carefully, and of course we will do everything in our power to allay your concerns. However, the Muslim Brotherhood and its associates have several times demonstrated that they are in no way committed to participating in Egyptian civil society, and have made their commitment to violence and revolution known through numerous attacks, past and recent. It is for these reasons that we consider this organization a criminal one, and not a true political party, but a revolutionary and terrorist organization. To preserve stable society in the Arab Republic, it has been proven necessary to take a hard stance against such organizations, and we feel that our measures are justified in that they have met with the approval of the citizenry, who are tired of the violence perpetrated by a group that holds a minority viewpoint and seeks to overthrow a government that preserves their livelihood and protects their prosperity.

We are of course more than willing to meet with representatives of yours and other governments who share your concerns, and will assemble a delegation immediately, if your government’s offer to hold a conference still stands.

We thank you again for your warm sentiments, and likewise hope that the future for our nations will be filled with peace, friendship, and cooperation.

Yours in sincerity,

Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad,
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

---------

His Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie II,

We thank you and your government for your kind congratulations, and share your desire to build relations between our two proud states. We are more than willing to send a trade and diplomatic mission to Ethiopia to begin the process of cementing friendly relations.

Yours in Friendship,
Muhammad Abulleil, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Arab Republic of Egypt

Official Communique --- The Republic of Italia Orientale

From: Muhammad Rossi, Foreign Minister
Topic: Confirmation of the Tripoli Conference

President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad:
We thank you for your reassurances, but we are still not fully satisfied with the situation. Our offer to hold a conference on this issue in Tripoli still stands. Additionally, we would like to extend invitations to the other interested parties including, but not limited to, Al Khals, New Chalcedon, East Glacia, and Selassie del Ethiopia.

We would like to get the conference started as soon as possible in the interests of expediency and the well-being of our imprisoned brothers. In order to make preparations and to ensure security, we will require the following information from members willing to participate:

1.) Name of Country
2.) Head of Delegation
3.) Size of Delegation
4.) Mode of Transportation used to reach Italia Orientale
5.) Any vehicles or special equipment being brought by your delegation

Security for the conference will be undertaken by the Military of Italia Orientale under the command of General Amir Fresconi.

Each delegation will be met at the airport or seaport by a Mercedes-Benz S-Class Armored Limousine for the head of delegation and closest aides, and Armored Chevrolet Suburbans for the remainder of the delegation. Heads of the delegation and their closest aides and/or family are invited to stay in the residence halls in the compound of the Republican Palace, our seat of government. All other aides and members of the delegation will be staying at the Grand Tripolitania Hotel.

All costs of housing, transporting, feeding, and other services used by the delegations will be covered by the government of Italia Orientale. Please let us know of any thoughts, ideas, concerns, and recommendations that you may have.


Regards,
Minister Rossi

Minister Rossi,

My government, as I have said, would be most willing to participate in these discussions, and preparations have been made to assemble a delegation. At my behest, they will depart Cairo tomorrow morning for Tripoli, to allow discussions to commence as soon as possible. The document attached contains the information you requested, from the office of my Foreign Minister, Muhammad Abulleil.

*attached*

Minister Rossi,

I have taken care to assemble a delegation of twenty diplomats and aids under the leadership of Abd El-Majid Allam, one of the Arab Republic’s most experienced diplomats and a senior member of the Egyptian New Ba’ath Party.

Our delegation will depart tomorrow morning and will fly from Cairo to Triploli on a government chartered airplane.

We have the utmost confidence in the Military of Italia Orientale to provide ample security for all delegates, and to ensure that the conference proceeds smoothly and without interruption.

وتفضلوا بقبول فائق التحية والاحترام

New Cairo:

Following a tip-off from an Egyptian Intelligence informant, the government of President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad is reporting the arrest of 7 members of the Muslim Brotherhood and the splinter group Al-Hijra, among them the respective leaders of both organizations: Mohammed Abd El-Azeem and Amr Abduh (a.k.a. Abu Ata). Allegedly, the two men were meeting to discuss reconciliation between the organizations in the face of drastic reprisals from the Egyptian government. Mohammed Abd El-Azeem supposedly fled underground following the election of President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad, and his resurfacing and subsequent capture can be considered a major coup for the Ba'ath party government.

Among the units participating in the raid in the posh suburb of New Cairo were elements of the newly reconstituted Unit 777, the Egyptian elite counter-terrorism unit. This success will mark the unit's first action in the current government campaign against Islamist elements within the nation.

Debate ensues, however, over the true value of the captured Abd El-Azeem. It has been rumored that the supposed head of the Muslim Brotherhood had assumed a figurehead role in the faction even before the rise of the Ba'ath party and its subsequent crackdown. Reported disagreements between the alleged head of the organization and his subordinates, who favored a more violent approach, had even led to speculation that Abd El-Azeem was seeking to turn himself over to authorities.

Regardless, this action marks a major political victory for the new president, even in the face of continuing resistance from Islamist elements. It will no doubt serve as a strong negotiating chip in the coming discussions with Italia Orientale, whose government has expressed concerned over the Arab Republic's harsh stance against religious parties.

The response from Viadiarl was again positivie, Foreign Minister Abeid saying that a trade commission was being established to over-see the beginning of economic relations, and that an exchange of embassies was most welcome.

The KSU, the Al Khali intelligence agency, would also establish contacts with Egyptian intelligence services for the purposes of co-operation against radicalism and threats to the secular republicanism of the two states.

Meanwhile, Italia Orientale was informed that the Ba'ath Republic would be represented at Tripoli by KSU Commandant Amid Sani Amir at the head of a twenty-four member delegation arriving by an An-32 and an An-26 (not that two aircraft were strictly necessary).

Location: Office of the Prime Minister, Tripoli, Italia Oreintale
Time: 14:34

Prime Minister Cesare was reading over a report on the agricultural outlook for the coming year when the doors to his office burst open. Amir Nasrallah, the chairman of Italia Orientale’s chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood stormed in followed by two of the PM’s flustered young secretaries trying to convince him in vain to wait his turn. “Have you heard the news!?” bellowed Nasrallah, “those bastards in Gumuhuriyyat Misr just arrested more Brotherhood members. It was the leadership this time, Mohammed Abd El-Azeem and Amr Abduh that they got along with some of their advisors.”

Cesare gestured to his secretaries to leave the room. “I know,” began the PM, “this upsets me too, but—”

“But Nothing!” shouted Nasrallah, “this is an abomination. You invite these savages to a conference to discuss a peaceful solution and what do they do? They keep up their same behavior without any regard for our wishes, this is an insult. How can you stand by idly and let them do this, they are spitting on our country.”

“Calm down my friend,” responded the Prime Minister, “El-Azeem and Abduh will be out soon enough.” The president got out of his seat and walked to the window. “I have already given you my word that I will do everything in my power to get our brothers out of prison, but you must be patient, allow me to use the diplomatic approach first we always have time to flex our muscle later.”

Nasrallah looked at Cesare for a moment and then reluctantly said, “very well, but as soon as this conference is over, if they haven’t cooperated then we do it my way.”

“Yes Amir I have already thought of this,” replied the PM slightly irritated, “so once again let me reiterate my promise that we will free your brothers. So now if you will excuse me I need to I have some issues to deal with.”

“I hope you know what you are doing negotiating with these animals,” said Nasrallah as he turned to leave, “we will be in contact Francesco.” He began to walk out of the room.

“One more thing Amir,” Cesare said as Nasrallah left the room, “don’t think that just because you are married to my sister you can burst into my office like you just did. If you do that again I will shoot you myself.”
Nasrallah turned around and cracked a smile at Cesare, “now that’s the Francesco Cesare we all know and love, now direct that anger at Gumuhuriyyat Misr. Now I bid you farewell.”

Cesare turned to look out the window. It was starting to look like war was going to be the only resolution to this problem. Cesare was committed to these peace talks but he couldn't help feeling like the government in Cairo was just taunting him. Well the next few days would tell a lot, but it was best to stay prepared. Cesare picked up his phone and called general Garibaldi.

"Yessir," said the voice on the other end, "what can I do for you Mr. Prime Minister?"

"I want you to put all united on alert level 4," said the PM, "keep everyone sharp."

"Yessir, we will switch to Alert Level 4 immediately," replied the general before hanging up the phone.

Cesare wondered whether or not he would have to use his military, and the next few days would certainly provide him with his answer.

Basil II Memorial Airport
Constantinopolis Secundus

Elizabeth Draskovic gave her sister one last hug before ascending the stairs into the luxury airliner that was soon to depart for Gumuhuriyyat Misr carrying the trade delegation of which she was the head. With the civil war (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=590114) currently wracking the Empire upon the deposition of its Emperor, the new government of Empress Eirena needed all the friends it could get....and the Imperial economy would need the help to rebuild from what promised to be an exceptionally nasty war.

Official Communique --- The Republic of Italia Orientale

To: Gumuhuriyyat Misr, Al Khals
From: Muhammad Rossi, Foreign Minister

We have finished making preparations to receive the delegations from Gumuhuriyyat Misr and Al Khals at Tripoli International Airport. Please inform us as to when the delegations will be arriving and your transport convoy will be arranged. Along with the limousine and Suburbans, the convoy will be escorted by military vehicles of Italia Orientale. We plan this conference to last for three days and have set out out itinerary.

Day 1
- Arrive at Tripoli International Airport in early afternoon
- State Dinner at the Republican Palace with heads of state and the cabinet
- Following Dinner there will be free time for delegation members to tour Tripoli and experience the nightlife. Armed escorts will be provided for ranking members of the delegation wishing to tour Tripoli

Day 2
- Breakfast
- Discussion of Issues
- Lunch Break
- Negotiation Period
- Drafting of Agreement/Treaty Resolving Issue
- Dinner

Day 3
- Farewell Breakfast
- Delegations will be escorted to Tripoli International Airport for departure

We hope you find this itinerary to be satisfactory. We strongly encourage the delegations to visit our capitol city and see the sights. We are well known for our nightlife and clubs and we hope you will enjoy them and our country's hospitality.

Regards,
Minister Rossi

Minister Rossi,

I have finalized the selection of delegates to attend the conference and have reviewed the itinerary. The Arab Republic of Egypt’s delegation will consist of twenty senior diplomats of the Egyptian foreign service and their aids. Considering the importance of the issues at hand to our government, the President has asked that I myself head the delegation. We will depart tomorrow morning from Cairo, on a chartered government aircraft, and will land shortly thereafter at Tripoli International Airport.

We are confident in the ability of your nation’s security forces to provide ample protection, and see no need for the attachment of any of our own security forces, though should you desire it, a small detachment from the Egyptian Republican Guard can be assigned to provide personal security to Egyptian diplomats.

I look forward to a productive discussion, and am certain that the issues at hand will be resolved.



وتفضلوا بقبول فائق التحية والاحترام
Muhammad Abulleil

Location: On the tarmac outside Gate 4A, Tripoli International Airport
Time: 0230 hrs

General Amir Fresconi, Italia Orientale's chief of Internal Security, stepped out of his Humvee and observed the activity around him. Security agents were sweeping the area for bombs and all equipment was being double checked. Six M344 APC's drove by in the distance. They would be providing the ground escort to the visiting delegation along loaded with troops inside ready to jump out in case of an emergency.

This was standard protocol for all state visits, but nevertheless, General Fresconi was not happy about this particular visit. Fresconi was a lifelong member of the Muslim Brotherhood and he took great pride in this. He was the highest ranking person in Italia Orientale to be a member of the Brotherhood as the Chief of Internal Security and having achieved the rank of general. This was quite an admirable task for a man who is a member of a party that has almost always been in the opposition. Now, he was being asked to guard Ba'athists, and even worse, Ba'athists who had attacked Brotherhood members and leaders.

"Captain," he shouted to his second in command, "how are we looking?"

"Excellent sir!" he responded, "we're an hour and a half ahead of schedule, we'll be able to actually get some sleep tonight after all."

"Very good Captain, carry on the good work," said the General. Despite how much he hated these Ba'athist scum, Fresconi was a good soldier and never disobeyed orders, it is the way he achieved his high rank despite his political affiliations. If he was told to guard these vermin then that is what he would do, the general took to much pride in his work to allow anything to go even remotely wrong. He ran a tight shift and his men respected him for it, and he had also earned that respect in years of combat in his younger days. He had a sterling reputation and was not going to let anything spoil that. But all that aside, thought the general, he wouldn;t like anything more than to have a chance to fight toe to toe with these Ba'athists and show them who was really the boss.

"General!" Fresconi snapped out of his daydream to the shouts of one of his lieutenants, " we just got a call from Minister Rossi he wants a status report."

"Tell him we're running flawlessly," replied the general, "he shouldn't even need to ask me that question." He snapped back to the task at hand. His war against the Ba'ath Party could wait for another day, for now he had a delegation to take care of.

The decision to travel without armed security personnel had been a political decision. Considering the increasingly tense situation developing between Italia Orientale and the Arab Republic, any slight or slander, intentional or not, could escalate things to a point of no return. Still, Minister Muhammad Abulleil found himself growing nervous as the aircraft prepared to land in Tripoli. The Muslim Brotherhood had a strong presence in this country, and its members permeated many levels of their host’s government and military. Anything could happen, really, thought the minister. If a lone gunman or bomber cared to dispatch the Ba’athist diplomats, sympathetic members of the Oriental Italian government might not be terribly quick to stop them.

He tried to put aside these thoughts, and as the aircraft rolled to a stop, he thought one last time about slipping a pistol into his jacket pocket. He thought better of it, though. It wouldn’t help him anyhow, if someone was really going to kill them.

“Bismillah,” he muttered to himself. “Here goes.”

He was the first off the plane, marching down to meet the waiting members of their escort.

Foreign Minister Muhammad Rossi puffed his cigarette as he stood on the tarmac watching the delegation from Gumuhuriyyat Misr file off of their plane. He stood by the armored Mercedes limousine which he and the head of the delegation would take to the Republican Palace for the welcome dinner. This was going to be an important couple of days he thought to himself.

The Foreign Minister dropped his smoke, stamped it out, and adjusted his collar. He walked right up to Muhammad Abulleil, the head of the delegation. "I am honored to be the first to welcome you to our nation," said Rossi, "I hope your trip has gone well."

Amid (Brigadier) Sani Amir, commandant of the KSU (the Al Khali secret services), arrived for the talks in a heavier state of armament than his Egyptian counterpart. Several of his party carried 9x19mm submachine-guns developed from the Cz.Model-25, and the Brigadier himself had a 9mm derivative of the Tokarev pistol built for Al Khals by the Hungarian People's Republic as the Tokhals.

Despite being armed and dressed in military fatigues and berets, the Al Khalis were not aggressive in their posture or mannerisms, and Amir seemed a cool character. He was slender, average in height, and looked a fairly typical Al Khali Arab, all be it one in uniform and large sunglasses.

Though armed and fairly well trained, it was true that the Al Khalis, two dozen strong in a foreign country and having no vehicles of their own, were truthfully just as vulnerable as the unarmed Egyptians, but it was a brave or stupid man who slighted Sani Amir unless he was absolutely certain that the head of the Ba'ath Republic's infamous internal security unit would not live to take revenge. That the KSU had been behind the vanishings of literally tens of thousands of people over the long years of Omar Qottar's military rule in vast, oil-rich Al Khals was an open secret.

Amir alighted on the tarmac with a restrained smile on his face and eyes largely hidden behind his dark-brown tinted glasses.

After greeting the Egyptian delegation and showing them to their vehicles, Minister Rossi turned to the second group. He had heard a great deal about the head of the Al Khali delegation, Amid Sani Amir, most of it negative. From what Rossi knew, this man was a mass murderer, and now they would be sitting in the same car. Both heads of the delegations and Rossi would be sharing the Mercedes limousine that would take them to the palace.

The Minister had asked General Fresconi to ride in the car with them but he insisted that he would drive in the front in his command vehicle because he said he could not stand the stench that would soon develop in the car from "those Ba'athist sons of pigs." It was probably better that way, General Fresconi was very opinionated and Rossi didn't need any instigation of the already tense situation.

Nevertheless, Rossi was going to make this conference worked. He had spent too much time and effort in planning it, and unlike some, like General Fresconi, who were just going through the motions hoping that eventually there would be a fight anyway, Rossi genuinely wanted to avoid conflict.

Rossi walked towards Amir, put on his best diplomat smile, extended his hand and said, "welcome to Italia Orientale, we are so happy to have you men as visitors.

To: Gumuhuriyyat Misr
From: NFGA

The Nationalist Federation of Greater Americania would like to offer you a chance to join the Nationalist Union, an international organization based off of Nationalistic ideals. If you are interested, reply to this telegram.

Once all of the pleasantries had been exchanged, the delegations piled into their respective vehicles and the convoy began rolling towards downtown Tripoli. As the convoy pulled out of the airport and onto the main roadway protesters lined the streets on both sides holding signs and shouting slogans. They were pro-Muslim Brotherhood protesters upset over the fact that Minister Rossi and Italia Orientale's government had even decided to meet with the Ba'athists.

The crowds looked rowdy but everything seemed under control, especially with General Fresconi riding in front in his "Wolverine" APC. Once the convoy hit the highway the crowds disappeared and for a moment Minister Rossi could just stare out the window and gather his thoughts.

Once the convoy arrived near the Republican Palace they once again had to pass through large crowds of angry protesters. "Damn," Rossi thought to himself, "I had no clue people were so pissed off." Finally, the convoy passed through the gates to the palace and everyone could finally relax.

The vehicles stopped outside the main entrance of the Republican Palace to be greeted by the welcoming party headed by the Prime Minister. Rossi looked around and spotted the PM, Francesco Cesare, calmly looking over the arriving convoy. "Let the fun begin," thought Rossi as he stepped out of the limousine.

Minister Abulleil watched the crowds with interest. He had been briefed by Egyptian Intelligence about the possibility of demonstrations and unrest over his visit, but he had not pictured such a vast public outcry. The Brothers were stronger here than he had initially believed. He wondered now whether any official agreement reached here would mean anything in the long run, if the citizenry were as upset as they were. It wasn’t his place to appease foreign citizens, so long as their governments remained friendly, but the Brothers had a way of influencing people.

He glanced over at ‘Amid Amir, his Ba’athist counterpart. The two hadn’t spoken much, apart from the usual pleasantries since they had embarked. He was an intimidating individual, though Minister Abulleil couldn’t help seeing an odd resemblance to Muammar Al-Qadhaffi.

The Egyptian found himself relieved as the cars pulled up in front of the palace. He adjusted his tie, and stepped out.

Prime Minister Francesco Cesare looked around the dining hall as he walked in. The hall had been impeccably decorated, and the finest chefs in Italia Orientale were busy in the kitchen. Cesare picked up a menu and looked it over.
_____________________________________________________________

Menu for State Dinner
Welcome Gumuhuriyyat Misr & Al Khals

Appetizers
Mediterranean Crab Cakes
Smoked Salmon

Soup
Lobster Bisque

First Course
Gnochi with Spicy Shrimp Sauce
Spaghetti "allo scogli" (with Mussels, Clams, & Scallops)

Second Course
Grilled Fish Plate

Dessert
Chocolate Cake
Wild Berry Fruit Cake
Assorted Pastries
Coffee/Tea

_________________________________________________________

"So what do you think of the menu?" he turned to ask his wife who stood next to him near the dining table as the guests assembled around it.

"It sounds exquisite," she replied, "and if I know our chefs well enough, it will be." Ms. Fatima Cesare was an attractive woman in her mid-30's and a former Miss Italia Orientale. Her long dark hair, almond-shaped brown eyes, and tanned skin immediately revealed her Arab background. However, it was not her looks that had first attracted Francesco to her those many years ago, but her ability to keep her cool in any situation.

Over the years this proved to be a very important skill as she helped her husband's career grow through the years to the point where he was today. He tried to bring her with him to as many places and functions as he could because her calm demeanor always helped him stay focused and keep his cool. Prime Minister Cesare had a notoriously bad temper and she was the only one that seemed to keep him happy.

Fatima smiled at him, "just remember to keep your cool, don't get mad or make any sudden outbursts."

"Don't worry about me," he said in a gruff tone, "just nudge me int he ribs if I get too rude."

"Will do," she replied, "now let's eat I'm starving."

Muhammad Abulleil allowed himself to be seated, and took a look at the menu. He smiled approvingly. It would probably be one of the few pleasant moments for him over a three day period that would undoubtedly be filled with mind-numbing negotiation and harsh rhetoric. He spotted the Prime Minister entering the hall, and stood once again, along with the other elements of the Egyptian delegation. He also found his eyes falling over the man’s ravishing wife, at whom he offered a courteous smile.

“Mr. Prime Minister,” he said, extending a hand. “And Madame Cesare. It’s a true pleasure.”

---------------------------------------------

Egyptian Military Operations Authority Headquarters: Cairo

The other officers stood and saluted as General Hamed Al-Masri, Minister of Defense, closed the heavy door behind him, and quickly took his seat at the head of the table in the briefing room.

“Well,” he said, looking around him at the dozen or so familiar faces of the Arab Republic’s military establishment, “the situation seems to be more severe than we thought.”

He leaned back and placed the chewed butt of a cigar in an ashtray in front of him, looking as he did so in the direction of a young, mustachioed Egyptian officer. The man, Asad Badi, was the recently promoted head of State Security Intelligence, Egypt’s highest national intelligence agency. He stood as he was indicated, and addressed the group.

“I’ve been in touch with the various members of our intelligence community, and our agents are corroborating what we already suspected: that the Muslim Brotherhood and several of its splinter groups are firmly entrenched in the territories and institutions of our neighbor, Italia Orientale. Now, Minister Abulleil as you all know is currently in Tripoli attending a summit designed to avert any future conflict with our neighbor, but it is our business, as the sword and shield of the state, to prepare for the failure of diplomacy.”

General Al-Masri nodded at this, as Badi continued.

“Furthermore, several things have called the attention of State Security. Particularly, events surrounding this man: Abd El-Ghafur Adli.”

A picture of the individual was projected onto a screen before them. He was an unassuming young man, bespectacled, with dark facial hair.

“This man is, from what we have gathered, the current acting head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. We suspect that he assumed leadership from Muhammad Abd El-Azeem less than a year ago, following disputes within the organization over the use of violence. He fled Egypt a month ago, into Libya, where he has been conducting operations since. We are unsure, but suspect, that the government of Italia Orientale is protecting him, though he is firmly underground.”

A map of Libya flashed across the screen.

“We believe that Adli personally planned several bombings last year, and ordered two others since the election. It is imperative that this terrorist is brought to justice.”

General Al-Masri nodded and spoke:

“It is for this reason that I have authorized Operation: Bright Star. Our foreign intelligence assets have received information that Adli is hiding near Kufra. It is our plan to insert several special-forces teams into Libya with the primary goal of capturing or eliminating him. This will be the first stage in our new plan to destabilize the Muslim Brotherhood in the territories of Italia Orientale, and prevent any cooperation with the Egyptian Brotherhood in the near future. Agents from the Arab Republic have been busy tracking several prominent members of the Brotherhood in that country, and have pinpointed several additional targets. However, our first goal is the elimination of Adli.”

The room was quiet, but the generals nodded their understanding.

Cairo International Airport
Cairo, Gumuhuriyyat Misr

The airliner Imperial Grace began to make its approach to the airport. In the control cabin, the pilot activated the radio.

"Cairo International Airport, this is the diplomatic airliner Imperial Grace, scheduled to arrive this evening, carrying Trade Envoy Elizabeth Draskovic. Our ETA is twenty-five minutes; may we please have an approach pattern? Over."

The dinner was going quite smoothly thought the Prime Minister as he took another piece of grilled tuna steak onto his plate. So far there had not been much talk of anything related to the upcoming discussions, the subject seemed to be off the table at least for tonight. He tunred to look at his wife Fatima and saw that she was contentedly chatting with the wife of General Fresconi. The general, in turn, sat quietly eating his meal with a brooding look on his face.

"What's troubling you general?" asked the Prime Minister.

"You know what is troubling me," he replied, his eyes fixed on the Ba'athists sitting along the table.

The Prime Minister couldn't help but chuckle at the old man's bitterness towards these men. The two had been friends since Cesare was in the military. They served together on several deployments and had earned each other's respect through the years. Fresconi was in his 60's while Cesare was only in his early 40's. The Prime Minister respected Fresconi because of his many years of dedicated service and, in turn, the general respected Cesare for his work ethic, courage he had displaye din combat, and the political skills that had made him the youngest Prime Minister in the country's history. However, when it came to political opinions, the two were on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Cesare's Islamic National Congress was a Muslim party but represented a left-leaning vision of political Islam. The INC was quite moderate in its application of Islam into the daily life of the nation. There was no required veiling, alcohol was legal, though frowned upon, and the Koran was not the country's constitution. Furthermore, the INC's vision of political Islam was one that championed social justice and focused more on the practical daily needs of the people than on stubbornly holding the line on certain tenets that did not help or even harmed the people.

The Muslim Brotherhood was instead much more focused on the creation of a truly Islamic state in which the Koran was the rule of law. They were certainly conservative and Cesare disagreed with them on many an issue. However, he appreciated what they brought to the table in the political environment of Italia Orientale. During his time int he military, Cesare noticed that, many of the brightest and most effective field commanders were Brotherhood members because they brought a sense of discipline to their men along with the idea that they were fighting for a greater cause, which kept moral high. They were also often well-versed in the Koran and so they had an easier time connecting with soldiers that were highly religious and came from poor rural backgrounds. Needless to say, without the Muslim brotherhood Italia Orientale's army would certainly suffer as well.

As a pious and observant man himself, Cesare greatly respected the discipline and order that the Muslim Brotherhood sought to bring to society. Cesare already tried to live with the same disipline in his personal life as best he could. However, the Prime Minister could never imagine trying to force others to live as he did and he personally despised proselytizing from any faith.

Regardless of their shortcomings, the Muslim Brotherhood certainly brought more negative than positive to the table, especially since they were not a realistic challenge in the polls, at least not yet. Cesare had fought alongside countless Brotherhood members and had trusted them with his life. There was no doubt in the Prime Minister's mind that he would do everything in his power to help them be free of the shackles imposed on them by the Ba'athists. Now that was a political party that really was a threat, but he would deal with them tomorrow. For now he decided it best to keep his mind of politics.

"Just enjoy your dinner general," he said, "we'll have plenty of time to think about them later."

((OOC: You do control Libya, correct? I assumed based on your name and your capital at Tripoli, but it occurred to me that I should check.))

The Berber stood, scratching his sandals on the ground. A few feet away, his animals pecked at the dark patches of grass in the dusk. The air was quiet and growing cooler. He pulled the cloth from around his nose and looked up at the sky. He’d been waiting in that position for close to an hour, as far as he could gather.

As the darkness gathered around him, he continued to wait. Then, he was able to pick out a silhouette in the sky above. He heard a soft sound a few yards to his right, then another in front of him. He walked forward, and waited as the Egyptian in front of him detached and refolded his parachute. He stood up and looked at the man.

“Welcome,” said the Berber in the Egyptian dialect, revealing through his language that he wasn’t a Berber at all, in fact.

The soldier stood, gathering his parachute and adjusting his packs. He looked around, and watched as three others gathered around them.

“All here?” asked the disguised man.

“Everyone,” replied the Egyptian soldier.

“Where’s the other two?” asked one of the other soldiers who had materialized out of the night.

“They had to abort. They waited too long.”

One of the men cursed. “You’re from intelligence?” he asked the guide.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

The group gathered their things and followed him off into the dark.

At the conclusion of the dinner all of the parties exchanged pleasantries and salutations once again and then went their separate ways. The delegation heads were escorted to their lodgings in the Republican Palace guest house, a group of luxurious cottages on the western side of the palace compound. The rest of the delegations were transported to the Grand Hotel Tripolitania a few kilometers to the east.

As palace staff began to clean up the dining room, Francesco and Fatima Cesare prepared to retire for the night, prepared for another long day tomorrow. As they were leaving the dining room along with General Fresconi and his wife, a young palace employee came running up behind them holding a phone.

“Excuse me sir,” he said while trying to catch his breath, “there is a call for you from General Garibaldi, he says it is important.”

“Damnit!” said the PM with in an exasperated tone, “never a dull moment.” He picked up the phone, “Hello?”

“God evening sir,” said General Garibaldi, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, “we have learned some interesting information about your guests but I do not want to discuss it over the phone. We should meet in one of the palace’s secure conference rooms, I will be there in fifteen minutes along with some of my officers.”

“Very well,” replied Cesare, “try to get here as fast as possible.”

“Will do sir,” said the voice on the other end before the PM hung up.

He turned and looked at his wife and Mrs. Fresconi, “you two can go ahead without us, Amir and I need to hear what this is about.”

“Well let me know if you’re going to be up late,” said Fatima with a concerned look on her face, “don’t keep me worried.”

“Don’t worry,” replied Francesco, “it shouldn’t be long.”

“Let’s hope so,” she replied.

About twenty minutes later a group of twelve men sat in the Republican Palace’s war room. Prime Minister Cesare was there along with General Fresconi, General Garibaldi, Minister of War Muhammad Ali Giuliani, director of the Foreign Service Corps Omar Ali Assad, and several other officers of the military and intelligence corps.

“Well I had been planning to go and make love to my wife,” began the Prime Minister as laughter broke out around the room, “but obviously you men were jealous and sabotaged me.” A serious look came across his face, “so, what exactly is the reason we called this meeting?”

“Quite simply sir,” began Director Assad, “we have reason to believe that Gumuhuriyyat Misr may be planning an incursion across into Italia Orientale.”

“What!?” exclaimed the PM with a shocked face, “what information are you basing this off of?”

“Sources inside Gumuhuriyyat Misr,” said one of the intelligence officers present.

“Well thank you sir for being so informative,” the Prime Minister snapped, “now would someone other than this idiot like to explain how we got this information!?”

“Sir we do not want to reveal any names of sources in this meeting room but if you like I can give you the names personally following the meeting.”

“Yes please do that Director,” replied Cesare. He then turned to the officer that had spoken earlier, “so who the hell are you?”

“I am Captain Bashir, sir” he replied, “I am the Foreign Service Corps expert on Gumuhuriyyat Misr, sir.”

“Well Captain Bashir, please inform us of the situation, with details please,” said the PM.

“Ok sir,” Bashir began, “so according to our sources Gumuhuriyyat Misr is planning an incursion into Italia Orientale. Now our contacts in their country our not in very high places so we do not know who, what, where, or when they are looking to strike. We also do not know who they are trying to strike against, but we have reason to believe that Muslim Brotherhood members in our country may be targeted.”

Cesare turned and looked at General Fresconi with a smile, “look Amir, you got your wish, now the Ba’athists want to kill you.”

“Very funny,” replied the general with a serious look, “so what else do we know Captain Bashir?”

Captain Bashir continued his report, “we know that their military capabilities are limited and that we are almost assured of victory if they were to mount any conventional assault. Also, we doubt that they would mount any attack while their delegations were here and behind enemy lines. However, there is a chance that they could send a covert operation run by their State Security Intelligence into the country to take out their selected Muslim Brotherhood targets. There is also the possibility that they could directly attack some of our government assets but we believe this to be less likely. I expect that any attack will be carried out so that the government of Gumuhuriyyat Misr is able to at least deny involvement. I do not think they have the courage to provoke us into outright war, but they are certainly capable of thinking they could get away with a covert attack, especially one against non-governmental targets.”

What kind of idiots were these Egyptians, thought Cesare, how could they be planning an attack? He turned to the assembled members, “General Garibaldi, what do you suggest we do?”

“I would put all of the Muslim Brotherhood members in Italia Orientale under surveillance by FSC agents,” said General Garibaldi. “Then, I would put military on full alert in preparation for a counter-attack in case we get any show of force from their part.”

“We should avoid telling the Muslim Brotherhood members that there is a threat against them,” said Director Assad, “that way they won’t go stirring up even more trouble than they already are.”

“How dare you!” yelled General Fresconi as he got out of his chair, “I should kill you right now! You already know I don’t like you!”

“Come on then,” said Assad standing up as well.

“Both of you assholes shut up immediately!” yelled Cesare as he stood up as well. “This is what we will do: I want FSC agents to place high level and influential Brotherhood members under surveillance. General Fresconi, I understand you have a loyalty to your brothers that you will not easily break. However, given our circumstances I believe it is in the best interest of your party and of the country. Do you agree with this?”

Fresconi took a deep breath, “I will not tell any Muslim Brotherhood members of the surveillance placed on them. However, and this is not negotiable, no arrests of any kind for any crime can be carried out against any of the Muslim Brotherhood members under surveillance. If any of my brothers are arrested, may God forgive me, I will raise all kinds of hell against all of the people in this room.”

“Don’t worry my friend,” responded Cesare, “I agree to this condition, it is only for their safety.”

“Then it sounds like we have a plan,” said Fresconi a smile coming over his face, “I guess this means we should go man our posts.”

“That’s correct General,” said Cesare, “place first response counter-strike units on full alert, but keep it quiet. I want all officers at their posts, and keep in contact.”

“Yessir,” they replied in unison.

Cesare looked around, “well we all know what we have to do, meeting adjourned.”

ooc: yeah pretty much

The chill wind whistled and howled as it streaked through the streets of the capital city. A bitter cold front had rolled over from the Generian Alberian province, denying the sun’s right to bask the citizens in his glow. Instead, people shut the windows and locked themselves inside.

Emperor Bhalk leaned uneasily upon an ornate cane, given to him by the current governor of Shoobooshaaba as a gift of friendship. While he didn’t need a cane, yet, he liked the elegance it lent to his appearance, and so, usually carried it.

To his right stood Jack Thomas Smith, the highest admiral in the Borman navy – commander of all naval forces. The vast sea of medals coating his uniform - which he still wore, Bhalk having pulled him from an official meeting – jangled noisily as his chest contrasted with his breathing.

Bhalk looked out the window to the spire of a nearby church. It was an odd scene, the sun shining down and brilliantly lighting the roof – sending golden rods off of all metal surface. Yet, one could see the wind whipping its way across the church, sending chimes, bells, and more swinging in its harsh tones.

Bhalk leaned back a bit and turned to Mr. Smith, a long-time friend of his, “Jack, have you heard about the situation with Gumuhuriyyat Misr?”

“I’m sorry to say I don’t know what you’re talking about, Bhalk.”

“It’s an Arabic nation whose secular ba’ath party recently came to prominence, securing their hold on the government.”

“Have they threatened us?”

“No, no, nothing of the sort. We extended a hand of friendship, offering our help, guidance, and possible allegiance. They never responded.”

“Intentionally?”

“Well, it seems that may have been the case. Borman soldiers have not scorched earth in a long time, perhaps our name has receded and nations have seen fit to dismiss us. Gumuhuriyyat Misr has seen fit to ignore us. We need to reassert ourselves, we need to show that we’re still a name to fear. The diplomatic corps is readying private communications to attain this end. If they fail, I'm going to need your help."

“Understood, Sir. But as of now -"

"We wait. We'll leave them time."

OOC: I've already cleared this with Gumuhuriyyat Misr, I'm following the story line.
Clarify details before trying to reprimand me.

OOC: well thats all you need to say, i was just trying to clarify. i wasn't trying to "reprimand" you, don't get too sensitive now

Location: Grand Conference Room of the Republican Palace, Tripoli, Italia Orientale
Time: 0930, Day 2 of Gumuhuriyyat Misr-Al Khals-Italia Oientale Talks

There was not a cloud in the sky and the sun shone brightly on Tripoli the morning of the second day of the conference. All of the delegations arrived at the Republican Palace with no incident. Prime Minister Francesco Cesare arrived bright and early after only being able to catch a few hours of sleep. The night before, the PM had been told by his intelligence service that Egypt was planning an incursion into his country. What made matters it worse, was the fact the FSC didn’t know when or where the attack or incursion would occur. All around the country, FSC agents were beginning to monitor Muslim Brotherhood members within Italia Orientale’s borders expecting them to be the targets of the attacks. Cesare didn’t even know if he fully believed the story that Director Assad and his men were telling him.

Regardless, thought Cesare, all of this trouble was started by Gumuhuriyyat Misr in the first place and now it was his job to negotiate with them nicely. “I hate all this diplomatic shit,” said the Prime Minister turning to his Minister of War Muhammad Ali Giuliani.

“Tell me about it,” replied Giuliani, “diplomacy is not supposed to be in my job description.”

Cesare laughed, all of these old guys in the defense apparatus like Giuliani, Assad, Fresconi, and the others were all itching for combat. How was he going to negotiate a peaceful settlement when not only his rival, but also his own men, wanted the same thing. The PM rubbed his eyes and grabbed a cup of coffee. He watched as the delegations from Gumuhuriyyat Misr and Al Khals entered the room. He finished off his coffee quickly and walked over to his seat.

Within a few minutes, the meeting came to order and everyone took their seats. Cesare stood up and began to speak: “Good morning to everyone. I hope you all managed to get a restful night’s sleep and some relaxation time. We are here today to resolve the issue of the illegalization of the Muslim Brotherhood as a political party in Gumuhuriyyat Misr and the subsequent arrests of Brotherhood members carried out by the government. It is the opinion of Italia Orientale that these actions were carried out in an irresponsible manner that is not consistent with democratic values. However, as the delegation from Gumuhuriyyat Misr are our guest of honor, I will cede the floor to them so that they may present their position on the issue and possible ideas for resolution. Thank you.”

Prime Minister Cesare sat down to await Abd El-Majid Allam’s response as head of Gumuhuriyyat Misr’s delegation.

((OOC: Responses coming soon. Borman did remind me to reply to his post, but I wasn't aware he was going to deploy a fleet. I'm trying to clear all of this up via TG. Borman, if you could delete your deployment post, I'd appreciate it. We can proceed with diplomatic relations from your original.

New Chalcedon: I haven't forgotten you. I'll reply to you as well in my next big post.

Thanks everyone.))

OOC: Edited according to what we discussed

Muhammad Abulleil stood as he was recognized. A terse smile was written upon his lips. Every tense nerve in his body relaxed and every evil thought vanished. This was his element.

“I would like to begin by once again thanking Italia Orientale for their hospitality, and for the professionalism with which the proceedings have so far been conducted.”

The die-hard ba’athist looked first at the Prime Minister, nodding thanks, then around the room.

“I would also like to make a point of clarification regarding the status of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and all religious groups for that matter. The Brothers are not an illegal organization in my country, through any definition of the phrase. As a political party, the Brothers are granted the same rights as any party, even the Ba’ath party of which I am a member, and to which several individuals present have demonstrated considerable ire towards.

I will remind you that the Arab Republic has been a free and democratic state for some time, and that the Ba’ath party rose to power in the legislative branch and attained the executive through fair, internationally monitored elections. As such, any actions our government has since taken are with the consent of the Egyptian citizenry. The Muslim Brotherhood participated in these elections, and was defeated. Its supporters had the opportunity to express themselves at the polls, though many chose not to. As you can see, the democratic process was therefore carried out, and the Brothers were not chosen to lead the country. There was no discrimination against them in these elections, though they did not prevail. In a few years, they will have the opportunity to again contest the incumbent Ba’ath government in a similar fashion.

To address the crackdown on extreme religious elements, I will say that any arrests made have not been political in nature, but have been directed at either wanted terrorists, or those who we, the Government of the Arab Republic, have sufficient evidence to believe have planned, financed, or orchestrated terrorist activities. This is not directed strictly at the Brotherhood as an organization, but at certain elements within the organization whom we have reason to believe have been responsible for recent acts of terror in Cairo and other cities in the Arab Republic. Furthermore, the crackdown has focused on splinter groups associated with the Brotherhood who are not political parties, and do not participate in the democratic process, but who have stated openly that they are committed to violence against Egypt’s citizens and the violent overthrow of the government.

I want these points to be understood clearly, and to erase any idea that the government crackdown on terrorism is a political tactic or is directed solely against the Muslim Brotherhood as an organization. I will repeat that the Arab Republic is a democratic state, and that the police and armed forces who have participated in counter-terrorist operations recently are doing so at the behest of the people for their protection and to maintain the democratic process in the face of revolutionary elements who would see it destroyed.”

Prime Minister Cesare joined in the applause given to Mr. Abulleil upon the completion of his speech. Then, Cesare took a drink of water, got up, and began to address the crowd, “Thank you Mr. Abulleil for the compliments, and I would like you to know that you and your delegation are most welcomed to return to Italia Orientale at any time. We would never want to see any dispute interfere with anyone’s ability to enjoy our beautiful country. It would be my pleasure, under more pleasant circumstances, to give you a proper introduction and experience of our splendid country. However, matters of business are pressing and we have much to get done.”

“I would like to begin by clarifying a few things. First, Italia Orientale has never claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood should be the rulers of Egypt, nor have we ever claimed that they won the election. We are simply criticizing the unfair treatment of this party since the new president took power. As far as we are concerned, the government of Gumuhuriyyat Misr did nothing wrong at any time prior to the beginning of the rule of President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad. We acknowledge that the elections in Gumuhuriyyat Misr were free and fair and that no fraud was reported. However, while the Muslim Brotherhood is not illegal on paper, they have since been made into de facto outlaws and clear targets by this government.”

“To support this point, I will read several excerpts from Gumuhuriyyat Misr’s own national newspaper, Al Ahram. The first excerpt says, ‘The new President has also demonstrated the party’s pledged commitment to secular society with several high profile arrests of alleged leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and similar Islamist groups.’”

“President Ibn Muhammad arrested these men despite them having done nothing wrong. We know that several days following the election of President Ibn Muhammad, a ‘terrorist’ attack took place in Cairo, but that was after this article came out. As far as this article states, this is nothing more than a newly elected president catering to his base constituency. As far as we are concerned, these arrests were carried out unjustly and against the spirit of democracy and due process. We do not consider democracy to be synonomous with a tyranny of the majority. In a democracy the rights of minorities of any kind should be respected. This is not to say that your president should take advice from the Muslim Brotherhood on how to run the country, God knows I certainly do not, but they should at least be able to live without fear of random government crackdowns. Prior to the arrest of these men, there had been no violent action carried out by the Brotherhood against President Ibn Muhammad, the Ba’ath Party, or the people of Gumuhuriyyat Misr.”

Prime Minister Cesare flipped to the next page and began reading again. “This second excerpt was written shortly after the Cairo terrorist attack which, according to all reports, has not been conclusively linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. This excerpt too is from Al Ahram, ‘President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad has renewed his crackdown, announcing a virtual declaration of war against the Muslim Brotherhood and instituting a curfew in the capital in face of promises of future attacks… Dozens of further arrests have been made, though President Ibn Muhammad’s government has refused to release the names of the detained suspects.’”

“How could you call this the practice of a democratic nation? By arresting these people, keeping their identities hidden, and forbidding any kind of oversight your government violates countless principles of legal ethics that your country claims to stand by. By now, all shreds of due process and legal integrity have been thrown out the window in favor of expediency and the interests of the Ba’ath Party. In our country we believe in the principle that a suspect is ‘innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.’ However, these men were not tried in a court of law, or at least not one that is acceptable by any international legal standards. The courts of Gumuhuriyyat Misr are an excellent example of impartial and independent judiciaries that make rulings after proper analysis of the evidence presented and with an objective point of view. We suggest they be used to properly try these ‘terror’ suspects instead of some secret kangaroo court or not trying them at all.”

“If these men truly were all responsible for these unspeakable acts of ‘terror,’ wouldn’t the government be proud of having caught them? Wouldn’t they want to show their people that they would now bring to justice the men that perpetrated these evil acts against them? It would even be politically advantageous to show that it was, in fact, members of the Muslim Brotherhood, a rival political party, that perpetrated these attacks. At the same time your government gains popularity for their ability to combat terror and the Brotherhood is devastated by the popular backlash that would result from this exposure. This is especially true if Egypt is as free and democratic as you say, and we believe, that it is.”

The Prime Minister paused and took a sip of water. “Unfortunately, the actions of President Ibn Muhammad and the Egyptian Ba’ath Party have led us to believe that the only logical reason why the government would keep secret the identities of these men is because they do not have the evidence to incriminate them, nor do they have a good reason to arrest them. Following this line of thinking, it is clear that these men need to be released and that their names never be revealed, unless they choose to do so, so that they can maintain their honor and do not have to be stained with the mark of this terrible ordeal. Those men that the government can prove are culpable, should have their identities revealed and brought to justice through the honorable courts of Gumuhuriyyat Misr. By not trusting the courts to handle this situation, the Ba’ath Party demonstrates contempt for its own legal system, which it swears to uphold. As a lawyer myself, I find it quite disturbing when a country’s own government will not defer to, or even trust, the courts which clearly have jurisdiction in this case.”

“It is important to Italia Orientale that the other nations in the region that claim to support democracy and freedom truly do so. Up until this recent spat, Gumuhurriyat Misr appeared fully on the path towards the development of a sustainable and healthy democratic system. However, this recent incident causes us to question whether or not this new Ba’athist government is committed to continuing on this path. If the Ba’athists want to prove to the international community that they are truly committed to democracy, then they should respect the laws of their own land and the jurisdiction of other government entities in matters that are best left out of the hands of the executive.”

“We have not heard from our other attendees as of yet, so I would like to invite Al Khals and our late arrival, New Chalcedon to respond to either of the statements made by Italia Orientale and Gumuhuriyyat Misr. Thank you.” Cesare took his seat.

OOC: my bad, i hope im not rambling too much, i enjoy my negotiations

(OOC: Nope, it's good, I like long speeches too, as you can see from mine, haha.)

OOC: *Taps foot*

OOC: Been out of town. Will reply shortly

OOC: Post coming soon?

OOC: Ah, phew! I thought it would just be me, and was kinda embarrassed to be catching up so late, but everyone's dawdling. I will post something shortly.

((OOC: I've had exams but they're over now, so posting will resume shortly. Al-Khals, post at your leisure.))

The Al Khali Brigadier had been exceedingly quiet during his visit, and had given three soft claps of his hands on the conclusion of Muhammad Abulleil's speech. His conviction in the matters addressed was not strong, in fact Sani Amir was slightly irritated by the idea that Ba'athists should have to justify themselves and their actions within their own lands before these upstart Italians. In Al Khals, the Ba'ath Party was constitutionally assured of 51% of seats in government and contested the other 49% with other parties such as Islamic Progress, and parties that sometimes were considered allied to the Ba'athists in being declared pro-Qottarists, such as the Workers' Party.

After Cesare had said his part, the Brigadier said only, without rising or bothering to first draw anybody's attention, "In Al Khals, when terrorists have been captured, and especially when they are motivated by religious fanaticism, we do not publish their identities, that is policy. To do so would only make martyrs of them and encourage others to follow in their murderous wake. I do not think it is for foreign governments to pass judgement on the legal proceedings of other democratic states, and in truly evolved societies matters of 'pride' do not enter into decision making... the support of the people is honour enough, and boastfulness no virtue."

After hearing what the Brigadier had said, Cesare stood up again. He said:

"I fully understand what the Brigadier is saying, and the next time he wishes to say something I invite him to stand and present it to the whole assembly. We are, after all, in a negotiation where we all want to hear each other's ideas and points so that we may come up with a constructive resolution to the issue at hand. The logic behind keeping the identities of captured terrorists secret can be justified in certain situations.

However, in this situation, these actions are not justified. As is made clear by Gumuhuriyyat Misr's own media and government statements, no "terrorist attacks" had taken place prior to the arrest of the first wave of Muslim Brotherhood members. I would like to ask the Egyptian representatives how they could possibly justify said arrests when they seem to have been made solely on the gorunds that the Brotherhood was a legitimate political opposition."

Minister Abulleil applauded the Al-Khali general’s comments. The man had a point, made more potent by his previous silence. Perhaps there had been a good reason to send this man to Tripoli. He wasn’t a diplomat, and everything about him seemed to echo the party line; a quiet reminder that even though these were negotiations, the Ba’ath party did not negotiate when it came to the renaissance of the Arab world. It was inspiring. Abulleil nodded at his co-Ba’athist as he stood to respond to Cesare’s statement.

“As I’ve said before, Egypt understands Tripoli’s concerns, and appreciates them. Still, I am puzzled as to why the point of contention seems to be the fact that no terrorist attacks had occurred prior to the arrest of; how did you put it? The arrest of the ‘first wave’ of Muslim Brotherhood members. As far as the Egyptian government is concerned, the fact that no attacks were carried out earlier is a resounding testament to the efficiency of our state security arm. As it stands, the Egyptian government had excellent evidence pointing the arrested individuals out as the financiers and mechanics of terror, who were planning a very high profile attack set to take place a few weeks after their arrest. To say that the only justifiable arrest is one made after a murder or a bombing has been carried out is to justify the deaths of the victims for the protection of the murderer. This is a fallacy, and one that the Egyptian government does not condone.”

He paused a minute, and ran his fingers through his beard.

“Therefore, yes, we did arrest this so called ‘first wave’ before it managed to carry out its plans, but we won’t apologize for it. Neither do we apologize for keeping their identities a secret, as this is standard policy with terror suspects, as much for their own safety as anyone else’s. The attacks that took place after the fact would of course seem to be a response of provocation to anyone who reads Al-Ahram as avidly as you do, but there are of course things that the press is not privy too, thankfully. All media is subjective, and all journalists are human. Misinterpretations happen, which could explain the rhetorical assertion that President Abd El-Aziz Ibn Muhammad had declared war on the Muslim Brotherhood. As I have taken pains to explain, the declaration of war was not against the Muslim Brotherhood, but on violent extremists who are willing to take innocent lives.”

He glanced over at Cesare, before continuing.

“The Egyptian government is very willing to make its case to its neighbors, and to take every possible pain to ensure that our actions against extremism are understood in the proper context. We are not, however, willing to apologize for any action taken that protected the lives of our citizens.”

Prime Minister Cesare nodded to Abulleil following his statement. “Well then,” he began, “if the government in Cairo has so much evidence to incriminate these men and is so sure of their guilt, then I am sure they would not object to us sending legal counsel to the prisoners.” He looked around the room to survey the reaction. “If you are truly sincere about making your case to your neighbors,” he continued, “then allowing us to provide lawyers for the accused would be an excellent way to do so.”

Cesare paused for a moment, and then said:

“If you allow us to send said legal counsel, then we may suspend these negotiations until the trials of the accused take place. If, at the conclusion of the trials, everything is conducted in a free and fair manner according to the laws of the constitution of Gumuhuriyyat Misr, then we will accept the verdict and consider this matter closed. If, however, the government cannot produce the proper evidence to convict them, then we also expect the accused to be released.

Second, since the Cairo government is ‘very willing to make its case to its neighbors’ that it is a truly free and democratic nation, we ask they re-affirm the right of religious political parties to exist within their country so long as they do not resort to violence. We are very worried that these anti-Brotherhood operations will also be used to crack down on other religious parties. We want to ensure that the government on our border is really free and democratic, especially since they have offered to prove this to us themselves.

I would like to remind our esteemed Ba’athist colleagues of a quote from the noble founder of their party, Michel Aflaq. He said, ‘The means should not be separated from the end. Revolutions and revivals help create a new man, independent in personality, free in thought, capable of production and creativeness as well as able to shoulder responsibility. Machiavellism, which resorts to lying and gives no regard for ethics, should never be applied.’ We hope that the Egyptian Ba’athist government will heed the words of its forefather and allow the freedoms that Aflaq believed were necessary for the success of the Arab Revolution. Unfortunately, many of the Ba’athist governments in the past have fallen from this noble idea and into the Machiavellian mind state. We hope that this government will not do the same, and instead fulfill its great founder’s vision for a strong, free, and noble Arab state.”

Amir's shoulders jigged a little as he contained a cynical chuckle. He couldn't very well say so just now, but the KSU, backed by the Republic's petrodollars, was poised to respond to meddling in Egypt's domestic legal affairs by doing likewise in Italia Orientale. If that meant channeling funds to enable the bailing-out high-profile villains, bribing of juries, or assemblage of crack legal teams, then so be it. The KSU would put its efforts into setting guilty men free in Italia Oreintale and simply to clogging-up the whole judicial system by giving every wreckless driver or dead-beat father the means to contest every assertion made against him and appeal every judgement.