Chaos in Centralis

[Urban Ranger]

In other news, after one year of field testing, Noosland formally concludes that our particle beam weapons can be put into production. We will first field particle beam tactical missile defenses.

[Mr. President]

In news related to the war, 17 Karakasian paratroopers were killed earlier today when their squad were ambushed in the foothills of the Iron Mountains.

The soldiers were part of an Air Force Commando task force despatched to an area that the rebels had just forsaken.

The Air Force has confirmed that most of the casualties died as a result of enemy fire and landmines.

The setback comes just as the Sandline militia that rules the disputed zone of Shanodin ratcheted up the tension by defiantly proclaiming that it would resist forceful integration "to the last man". It is likely to decrease public confidence, coming hard on the heels of a stock exchange plunge triggered by the Centralis civil war and a court case that rocked the foundations of the Karakasian constitution and sparked debate on the system of government.

[GeneralTacticus]

As the recent Karakasian deaths highlight, little furthe rprogres shas been made to eradicating the rebels from the Iron Mountains. Something must be done soon, as the economy suffers badly for every day the mines remain closed. Our special forces and air force are continuing to fight, but the onyl results so far have been an ever-increasing body count for both sides.

[Archaic]

How would the government of Centralis feel about us using Chemical Weapons, specifically Napalm and it's kin, in an attempt to flush them out of those mountains? We could also jury-rig some bunker busters into mountain killers.

[GeneralTacticus]

We would have no problems with the use of Napalm, if that is what it will require, but we would prefer it if we avoided tearing the entire mountain range down in the process of rooting them out. However, we have had some promising results using thermobaric weapons to destroy their fortifications, so this may be a promising avenue to pursue.

[Archaic]

Thermobaric weapons? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the term. obviously something to do with heat, but how exactly?

[GeneralTacticus]

The alternative name is fuel-air explosive. It's basically a cluster-bomb which releases fuel vapours into the air rather than explosives, spreading them across a wide area, and then ignites it, causing an explosion several kilometres across. The effect is comparable to that of a tactical nuclear weapon (minus the radiation).

[Urban Ranger]

Fuel air explosives can't detroy fortifications, their main use is to kill soft targets.

[GeneralTacticus]

That right? I'm not entirely familiar with them, I've just read a bit about them. Why can't they destroy fortifications? Is it because they mainly use heat to kill, or something?

[Guardian]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Fuel air explosives can't detroy fortifications, their main use is to kill soft targets.

I believe this information is incorrect. They are actually quite well-suited for medium to hard targets like bunkers and cave-like fortifications. Reason: The extreme heat causes the air to expand, and the sudden and dramatic pressure change produces a blast wave comparable to that of a small nuclear weapon.

Of course, the FAE is most effective if the air can actually flow freely into the target fortification, in which case the fuel vapours will flow in with the air and - when ignited - blow the thing apart from the inside out. Modern military installations that are completely sealed off from the outside environment will of course be less vulnerable to this type of attack, especially if they're buried in the ground or at least fixed in low-lying, windowless bunker-type buildings.

But against guerilla-style opposition hiding in caves or behind a few layers of sandbags with a little concrete thrown in here and there? You've got yourself a nasty trump card...

[GeneralTacticus]

Sounds like we're in luck, then. The rebels aren't like the Taliban, but their fortifcations certainly aren't very sophisticated...

[Guardian]

/me realizes that there's still a naval blockade in effect here... (It was actually never lifted.)


GNN Headline News

Once again, there have been reports of a shooting incident involving Guardinian naval forces off the coast of Centralis, where Guardinia is still enforcing a strict naval blockade in an effort to deny weapons and supplies to the various rebel factions involved in the Centralisian civil war.

Government officials refused to comment these latest reports, except by stating that the matter was being investigated.

In a related story, sources have indicated that an official report on a previous incident involving a nuclear submarine from Ceroo is due to be released early next week.

On the morning of April 4, an unidentified vessel was intercepted by Guardinian aircraft while apparently attempting to evade inspection. The aircraft reported taking fire during their flyby, and the vessel was immediately destroyed by a nearby nuclear submarine from Ceroo, which was under Guardinian command at the time. The submarine in question supposedly just... disappeared... immediately afterwards, and there have been various conflicting reports on what really happened in the area that day and the following 72 hours after the incident, during which the Guardinian Navy enforced a Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) in a 200 nautical mile area surrounding the last known position of the Ceroo submarine and its target.

While some seem to think that the military authorities of Ceroo and Guardinia are sharing some sort of secret and conducting joint cover operations in this matter, other sources have indicated that the Guardinian Naval Command is supposedly "pissed off" at their Ceroo counterparts for allegedly "withholding information, tampering with evidence and endangering allied operations". A third version suggests that it is in fact Guardinian authorities that are withholding information, and that the Ceroo sub was actually in Guardinian custody during the time it was "missing".

At the moment, no one seems to know which story - if any - is true, and it remains to be seen whether next week's report brings us any closer to understanding what really happened.

Susan McGeary, GNN Headline News

[GeneralTacticus]

Press Release from the Centralis Defence Forces

The CDF General Staff announced today that 'Operation Wicket', a mass attack on a number of rebel strongholds in the southern Iron Mountains, has been a spectacular success. Rebel troops wer ethrown into confusion by sabotage and assassination on the part of Alecrast Yokuza units, and were compeltely overwhlemed when the assault began with support from carpet bombing, attack helicopter and cruise missile strikes. More than a quarter of the remaining rebel troops have been killed or captured, and several important mines in the occupied area have now been reopened.

[ceroomaster]

CDA Communiqué to Guardianian News Network

Reference to your news item, the CDA (Cerooan Defence Agency) will be holding a press conference at Parliament Hall in 48 hours time. In an attempt to end potential damaging accustations against Ceroo, or Guardiania, information regarding the submarine and recent disturbance in Ceroo will be made public.
*News organisations from Ceroo and the larger networks from the Apolyton region are invited to attend.

End Communiqué

[Jack_www]

Centrails, our B-52 bombers are in range of the rebel postions and can start carpet bombing of their postions if needed. Our troops are ready to fight. We will place them under your command, since you know were the rebels are and such. We now have two aircraft carriers in the area as well.