Elethar war

[Drogue]

One says it's in international waters, one says in Marijuanian Maybe they took over it in international waters, and then it is being taken into Marijuania?

Probably to surrender? That is pure speculation, and wishful speculation at that.

While it would have been polite to have asked, and would be the correct custom, especially as Marijuania had asked. However, as Marijuania has declared that "Elethan... seized control of the vessel", it must be treated as an Elethan controlled ship, and as there was conflict there, Noosland took what it thought was responsible action, and there was no legal reason not to take the ship, although it should be returned to Marijuania.

Basically, while it was rude, it was not illegal, and would not be illegal in the future. It was an enemy vessel, the fact that it was previously property of Marijuania means they should have some say, although being an enemy, it is able for the coalition forces to attack and take it. Noosland should have done what Marijuania asked, but they are not *forced* too IMO.

[Whaleboy]

IIRC, they are obligated to comply as it was in Marijuanian waters, although some readings may have been off being so close to international waters, frequent GPS checks would have shown it to be in Marijuanian waters, thus we should have had juristiction. Not to mention of course that our option was the most tactically sound at the time.

While we accept that if it was in international waters, Drogues argument would hold, that is not the case.

Like we said earlier, we do not hold anything against Noosland, we do not wish an incident, and still regard that nation as one of Marijuanians friends.

Initiating diplomatic protocal "Kiss and make up".

[Drogue]

Originally posted by elijah
IIRC, they are obligated to comply as it was in Marijuanian waters.

They claimed that it was not, and that has not been resolved yet.

If it was not in your waters, then they did nothing wrong. If it was, it falls under your law and we have not been told what that says with regards to foreign military inside Marijuania.

There is also the issue that you invited their military into your nation, and an invitation to use it as a base for military operations would generally given them leave to attack an enemy ship inside Marijuanian waters. In some senses, you gave them permission

Originally posted by elijah
While we accept that if it was in international waters, Drogues argument would hold, that is not the case.

That has not been resolved yet. They claim it was, you claim it was not.

[Jack_www]

Marijuania we think you offense to this action is total uncalled for. If it were not for Noosland we would have sunk the ship with our attack subs and very close to doing so. Once Elethar took that ship over it was a eniemy ship of war to be destroyed.

[Urban Ranger]

Let me bring your attention to the following message and the attached map.

Originally posted by elijah
The Navy has sighted three frigate-type ships escaping at high speed from Elethars East. The superbattleship MSS Hood, and heavy cruiser MSS Judas are giving chase. The ships will be destroyed if they do not surrender.

Please note kindly that Elethars is east of Marijuna, the small Elethan force was fleeing east, and the MSS Judas was chasing after them.

This is what happened next:

Originally posted by elijah
Meantime, the escaping frigates have been joined by two additional destroyers that escaped from a small Elethan port this morning, overwhelming the Marijuanian gunboat that engaged them. That boat was lost with all hands.

The MSS Hood and MSS Judas are chasing these five ships. The Hood has temporarily pulled back with minor engine trouble, and the Judas has accelerated to engage the five vessels from behind.

After that, the small Elethan force was destroyed by battlegroup Clayton in a brief engagement. At that point, MSS Judas was between battlegroup Clayton and MSS Hood, all are east of Elethar. That was when the MSS Judas was hijacked.

Therefore, it is not possible for the MSS Judas to be hijacked in Marijuanian waters. If that was the case, we would have been nowhere close to it.

[GeneralTacticus]

Owing to recent sttements of support for the former Eletharian apartheid regime by the New Griffith state media, we suggest that a close watch be kept on all military activity by that nation and it's allies until the conflict has been resolved.

In other news, three civilians were killed today near the outskirts of Unitaville by apartheid troops when their truck was ambushed carrying produce to market. Local NCLE troops are currently searching for those responsible through the surrounding jungle.

[Mr. President]

Originally posted by GeneralTacticus
Owing to recent sttements of support for the former Eletharian apartheid regime by the New Griffith state media, we suggest that a close watch be kept on all military activity by that nation and it's allies until the conflict has been resolved.

In the face of criticism in the Assembly, Karakas' Homeland Security Bureau ordered the major highway connecting Karakas and New Griffith closed. The President defended the decision, but some members of the Assembly warned against "provoking" the Treaty of Mount Gravatt.

Chief of Staff Brian Adams said that "Karakas must be ready for any contingency. I would not like to fight a land war in our homeland, but I may not have a choice."

[Whaleboy]

small Elethan force was fleeing east

ooc: sorry I knew a post had failed somewhere, I posted that they were heading back towards Marijuania, to launch an attack on the same coastline as the other two fleets, seeing as how you didnt know, I'll let this one slip

"There is also the issue that you invited their military into your nation"

As a base of operations. We did not invite any navies, only armies and air forces. Even in these cases, they would not have been permitted to use forceful action within our territory without our authorisation, and only to use Marijuania as a base, from which to launch attacks on Elethar. Thus any enemy vessel or entity within Marijuanian waters, airspace or land would only be attacked by our forces, unless permission was granted for others. We assume this is the procedure for all forces stationed in other nations. If not, well, its the way its done here .

"Marijuania we think you offense to this action is total uncalled for"

ooc: Noosland didnt know about my failed post which stated the change in course

Assuming that Noosland knew what we did, it would not have been called for, again, our rules of entry that state that all foreign militaries within Marijuania are not to engage unless we know about it and give permission apply here.

If it were not for Noosland we would have sunk the ship with our attack subs

Unlikely, all our large ships, from the heavy cruiser class upwards (the MSS Judas is a heavy cruiser) have an advanced anti-submarine warfare weapons systems, consisting of guided torpedoes, shells that can fire into the water to shoot subs and torps, depth charges, "hedgehog" anti torpedo and anti sub defensive systems, as well as the usual radar/sonar/EM guided machine gun placements. Assuming they knew how to use them, the hijackers could effectively defend against up to six attack subs, three at close range.

Elethar took that ship over it was a eniemy ship of war to be destroyed

There was no declaration of the ships change in ownership, as far as the law is concerned, it was a case of hijacking, as the Elethans were not wearing their nations uniforms. They were actually wearing Marijuanian uniform, so technically, it was a mutiny, so a matter for our navy.

[Drogue]

Originally posted by elijah
Even in these cases, they would not have been permitted to use forceful action within our territory without our authorisation, and only to use Marijuania as a base, from which to launch attacks on Elethar. Thus any enemy vessel or entity within Marijuanian waters, airspace or land would only be attacked by our forces, unless permission was granted for others.

None of which was public knowledge.

Originally posted by elijah
our rules of entry that state that all foreign militaries within Marijuania are not to engage unless we know about it and give permission apply here.

If you do not state your rules, you cannot expect others to abide by them.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by elijah
ooc: sorry I knew a post had failed somewhere, I posted that they were heading back towards Marijuania, to launch an attack on the same coastline as the other two fleets, seeing as how you didnt know, I'll let this one slip

[ooc]

[/ooc]

[GeneralTacticus]

Further News from Elethar

Our sources indicate that troops from the former apartheid regime are regrouping and reogranizing in the northern area of the country, and moving south. Their umbers are estimated at approximately 380 000. There have also been reports of more attacks throughout the country, with the death toll currently standing 18, 16 of them civilians. A total of 11 civilians and 9 soldiers have also been wounded. No casualties have been reported among the attackers.

- From the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Free Republic of Elethar

[Mr. President]

Netflash!

Authorities in the Incorporated States of Greater Silvera report that a company known to be a front for Elethar's apartheid faction made a major arms purchase from a local office of Mysidia Defense Solutions, a Dakmoristani arms manufacturer.

A Silveran court confiscated the details of the transaction. The company purchased 25 anti-ship missiles and a rocket artillery unit, as well as large numbers of modified Karakasian small arms.

The location of these weapons is not known. The Provisional Revolutionary Government and the coalition forces in Elethar should be aware that the apartheid faction may already have possession of these weapons.

[Urban Ranger]

Nooslandian patrols intercepted an unflagged freighter roughly 250km east of Noosport. The freighter opened fire on our patrol boats, then attempted to flee. A nearby missile hydrofoil responding to the call for reinforcements disabled the engine section of the freighter, allowing our patrol boats to close and board the freighter. Our police force managed to arrest 7 crew members before the engine room fire raged out of control, forcing us to retreat.

Several huge explosions on the freighter led us believe that it was smuggling ammunitions when we intercepted it. The crew is under interrogation now.

[GeneralTacticus]

News from Elethar

Officials working at the Elethar Command of the Centralis miltiary today blasted the provisional government of Elethar for it's lack of progress in democratisation. One top official was quoted as saying, "They've restored some private enterprise, expelled the LIB, downsized the military, and given back some civil rights to the population. But political freedoms are still outlawed, and the country is still rated as a Corrupt Dictatorship by the UN; the only pledge we've been able to extract from them on politics is that they'll stop executing political prisoners."

"Of course," he hastily added, "that doesn't seem we have any intention of withdrawing our support while there are still apartheid troops operating here. However, if any territory in Elethar falls under our direct administration from here on, it's going to stay that way until we see tangible improvements."

Meanwhile, the apartheid forces have now officially regrouped and proclaimed a "war of national liberation" from the "puppet regime installed by Centralis and it's allies to crush the nation of Elethar." These words were spoken by Commander Gunther Botha of the Armed Forces of Democratic Coalition Government of Elethar, as the apartheid forces are now known. He went on to state that "The counter-revolutionary imperialist lackeys who formerly controlled our officer corps have now been liquidated. Most of the higher ranks have been disposed of and replaced by men elected from the ranks, along with those officers who joined the liberation struggle whole-heartedly." He finished his speech by calling upon "All governments with an interest in justice and liberation" to "take action against Centralis and it's other allies, the occupiers of Elethar."

While he was making this speech - broadcast by radio across the nation and a tape of which was sent toe very television entwork in the region - a group of men believed to be AFDCGE irregulars ambushed a truck convoy taking food and medicines into the jungle and shot dead thirteen people. Five people were wounded but survived, and two more were kidnapped and dragged off. Units of the Centralis and NLCE militaries are searching the area, but hopes of finding the perpetrators are not high.

[Whaleboy]

Four small fishing vessels have been intercepted by the newly repaired and re-crewed heavy cruiser, MSS Judas, on a routine patrol 43 miles off our South coast. They appeared to attempt to deploy a rocket launcher system and a series of mounted machine guns, but a few warning shots produced the white flag.

The boats were carrying a large amount of explosives, cash in Marijuanian Bongs (our currency), and a large amount of drugs. Naturally, we impounded the drugs... and the other stuff, as well as disarmed the weapons and explosives, and apprehended the crew.

The boats are being towed back by the cruiser for further examination, but it is possible that these attacks using small Q-ships could continue, being funded by drugs money. Needless to say, we shall cut the price of our drugs to attempt to price the terrorists out of business.

Whilst the major naval threat has been reduced, Marijuania recommonds that all major commercial sea traffic is escorted by the military, the coastguards of all nations remains on high alert, and small military vessels move in groups of 2-4, to increase their potency should they conflict with a larger number of Q-ships.