Quote:Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press.  The situation in Aldegar is rapidly escalating.  National intelligence reports clear describe a deteriorating situation between Aldegar and its southern neighbor, Saridan.  What is worse than an apparent border conflict is the vast list of great nations which are arraying themselves on one side or another of the conflict.  The hegemonic order which has held peace in the world and has contained several bush fires seems to have fallen apart.  The permissive environment is particularly explosive, and therefore represents the most serious threat to Kalistan's security in decades.

Working with the Premier, Socialist Party Leader Borris Donner, I have ordered the departure of the Kalistani Auxiliary Navy to the international waters off Aldegar.  They will patrol the Aldegarian Gulf, to monitor the situation as it develops and to keep an eye out for any potentially hostile activity in the region.  Furthermore, we have asked the Socialist Party to make the Fifth Brigade of the Revolutionary Socialist Militia of Kalistan available for national service overseas, in the event that intervention becomes necessary.  This force consists of 2 fast assault battalions, an fortified artillery Regiment, a Motor transport battalion and a logistics battalion.  The Socialist Party of Kalistan has officially activated the rest of its militia, who will serve in support of the Regular Kalistani National Force, which I have ordered onto High Alert.

I want to make clear here:  Kalistan is a neutral nation, and therefore will do nothing to exacerbate the already volatile situation in Aldegar-  No regular units will see combat in Aldegar, under any circumstances.  But neither will we shy away from our duties to defend our own national interests, should the need arise.  A secure Northern Selaya is obviously in our national interests.  A republican Aldegar free of great power influence is also in our National Interest, because great power advancement into Selaya brings it one step closer to our own shores.  Our fate lies with Aldegar and its friends.  I will now take questions, and I thank you for your attentiveness to National Matters at this crucial time in our Republic's History.

Quote:"As Kalistan is the only country, to our knowledge, that actually deployed any units directly to the crisis, it is not too great a stretch to proclaim that our efforts pushed the two rivals toward the peace table to end the crisis.  I would go so far as to say that the arrival of our Auxiliary Fleet provided the necessary impetus to get the two sides to begin looking for a way to resolve their issues.  The bravery and dedication of the women and men with the Kalistani Auxiliary Navy is beyond reproach and are in keeping with the highest moral standards of our Republic.  The Auxiliary Navy was crucial to the peace process, and we are happy to have played our role to such a satisfying ending.  Our commanders deserve the thanks and appreciation of our entire nation-  It is a true mark of distinction to be able to bring force to resolve a conflict, rather than inflame and exacerbate it."

Quote:"The Kalistani Auxiliary Navy was established by an act of the Assembly to allow Kalistan to participate in world affairs without involving threats to our homeland or our regular naval services.  They are entirely self supporting and self-governing.  They allow our nation a degree of flexibility that others do not possess-  a way to be both active on the world stage, and at the same time, not threaten other nations or our neighbors.  We resolve the security dilemma.  This is their job, and this job, the sort of job which would deploy them to the Aldegarian Gulf, is never finished.  But they will not become regular military."

Quote:"I decided that public life was not the way for me to achieve a full understanding and a practice of the will of God.  Being a Friend these days is something that is fairly popular, and if popularity brings people to the Brethren, well, I am for that.  But I hope the Society resists the temptation to become a civic religion.  We have had great success with the faith and practices of the Brethren here in Kalistan, but if it becomes something that people do out of some sense of duty, then it will lose its power to offer people a channel to hear the voice of God in their daily lives.  I don't know if a person can balance the two worlds.  I know I couldn't, so I opted for the life of a Friend, and put the public life down.  I realized that I was called to the work I eventually spent my life doing-  politics is for someone else."

President Olaf Delgado Wrote:Comrades, thank you, and please be seated.

Beginning Last week, we received reports of a blatant attempt to hinder and neutralize Kalistani shipping on the high seas.  We have very few details at the moment, but we do have several facts which we can release to Kalistanis today:

First, A KALNAPECO ship, Kalistani Tanker Eastern Republic, openly bearing Kalistani Colors and enroute to Aldegar as per the terms of our friendship treaty with Aldegar neared the Aldegarian Gulf less than a week ago.  The tanker was in a normal shipping lane around the north coast of Selaya, through the South Ocean, and was approaching Aldegar from the North West.

At some point, the ship was illegally boarded by unknown assailants who attempted to commandeer the ship.  The Ship's pilot, and several members of the ship's crew attempted to barricade themselves in the Pilot house of the tanker, and promptly called Kalistan for assistance.  Republican Security reports that details were sketchy, possibly the result of electromagnetic radio jamming.  Kalistan security reports that it attempted to warn the Tanker about known Trigunian presence in the area, but received no response.  After that point the radio went dead.  The Trigunians have taken responsibility for the destruction of the ship, but also suggested that others, possibly members of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Hutori, were also involved in the incident.

Once the Trigunians opened fire on our neutral commercial ship, events transpired which led to both the destruction of the tanker and a Trigunian Cruiser.  It is assumed, from the Trigunian statement, that Hutori naval units in the area destroyed the Cruiser, but it is unclear why.

This incident is nothing less than high seas international piracy!  Kalistan lost a total of 42 Kalistani citizens and a tanker carrying more than a billion rubles worth of Kalistani National Petroleum on board.  Besides causing a severe ecological crisis off the coast of a major nation, this disaster has caused a fundamental rift in the relations of Kalistan and her neighbors.  We will not rest until these pirates are brought to justice!  These thugs must be dealt with.  Kalistan must not standby while our peaceful commercial vessels are attacked with impunity in international waters!

I have ordered the Kalistani Republican Security Bureau to launch an immediate investigation.  At this moment, RSB agents are headed to the area to begin inspection.  We have also dispatched teams to Petrovgrad and Bekenial to seek answers from the Trigunian and Hutori Governments.  Kalistan will accept nothing less than a public admission of both government's roles in the incident and full compensation, including compensatory damages for the lives of 42 Kalistani merchant Marines as well as the tanker and the loss of petroleum revenue.  We will back up our demands with our Naval Power, if we need to.  Kalistan does not accept other nations using our shipping for target practice.  We will strike back if we do not receive satisfaction- we call the entire world to the side of the Just, to the side of the Unjustly aggrieved, to the side of Kalistan.

Additionally, I have ordered the Defense Department to provide me with an audit of our Naval assets and the elevation of Naval preparedness in the Anantanese Ocean to High alert.  We will also suspend oil sales through the Mad Dog and South Oceans for the foreseeable future.  This is all.

Quote:"The KRSB interim director, who has led the investigation into the destruction of our shipping capacity, has advised me that the Trigunian account, which assumes full responsibility for the destruction of our ship, appears to conform closely to the facts.  Naturally, we have some disagreements with their report, but those details fall within the range of minor disagreements of intention, rather than disagreements about the facts of the event.  However," the President continued. "Let me stress, emphatically, that we disagree with many of the assertions of the Hutorian Government stated in the Bekenial Dispatch.  The submarine the Hutorians were tracking was a Kalistani submarine, monitoring scientific phenomena under the ice sheet.  It is a coincidence that we were north of Hutori when they began tracking us.  And our submarine's presence there was unrelated to events occurring in Hutori at the time.  To deal with our research submarine, Hutori dispatched multiple Sentinel-class Nuclear Submarines, which chased our submarine south and into the Mad Dog Ocean.  Our Submarine, due to prolonged operation under extreme circumstances while trying to evade submarines whose intentions with our vessel were unknown, suffered catastrophic equipment failure which would lead ultimately to the destruction of the Kalistani submarine, contacted the KALNAPECO tanker for assistance.  Eastern Republic responded, and saved the lives of 16 Submariners just moments before the hull of the ship collapsed, and the submarine was obliterated. 

"Once the Kalistani submariners were aboard the tanker, Hutori, whose submarines had chased Kalistan's ship into a trap, launched a commando team from some other assets they had, not coincidentally standing by in the immediate vicinity, who proceeded to hijack the Tanker.  The pilot of the tanker, who had not yet met the hijackers, continued to sail the ship toward Aldegar, hoping that once docked, they would be able to deal with who he believed to be pirates, and contacted Kalistan to inform them of the hijacking of the tanker by unknown elements.  It was at that time that not one, but four shots were fired by the Trigunian cruiser, and the tanker was subsequently destroyed by these and additional surface fire and secondary explosions.  The Hutorians admit that they still hold a Kalistani National in their possession, and we are entirely unsure of that person's whereabouts, but we have certainly not been able to reacquire this Comrade.  Nor have KRSB made any contact with, or ascertained the wellbeing of this co-national, and we doubt that this will be resolved as long as Hutori continues to misrepresent their part in the destruction of our Tanker."

Quote:I have decided that, after a long directorship at the Republican Security Bureau, it is time for me to move on. I have been in this position for over 40 years and my tenure in office has seen many ups and downs.  Kalistan faces many international crises at the moment-  We are looking at downsizing our naval and ground forces, and Republican Security has never been more important than now.  Kalistan needs a steady hand at the helm, and regrettably I am no longer confident that I can provide the Security Bureau the leadership that it needs.  I have recommended to the Provisional Foreign Minister that my replacement be Captain Twilla Carrangus, still in Hutori, and that she be installed as soon as she returns to Kalistan.  Carrangus represents the finest in National Service, and when she returns, she will have represented Kalistan honorably abroad for several years.  I look forward to staying involved with the intelligence and diplomatic community, and finally playing golf.  Since moving to Kaliburg all they seem to have around here is Demolition Derby...  I wish the President well and wish my successor luck in her new post, and thank you all for your patience and good will during this transition time.

Quote:"The Imperial Republic of Kalistan and the Federal Republic of Hutori have resolved all major outstanding differences between our two nations relating to the sinking of KALNAPECO Tanker Eastern Republic.  We traded admissions with regard to the military nature of an experimental submarine belonging to Kalistan which the Hutorians were tracking, and their illegal boarding of the Tanker.  We also acknowledge that Hutorian commandos, once aboard the Tanker did in fact act with the aim of rescuing stranded Kalistani Nationals, to the best of their ability, and we express our appreciation for their efforts on our Merchant Marines' parts.  In exchange for these admissions, Hutori has agreed to purchase a significant amount of Kalistani National Petroleum, a deal which was authorized in lieu of direct compensation for the loss of our vessel and which we deem to offer a complete resolution of the conflict between our two Nations. 

"Hutori and Kalistan still disagree on minor details, but in all, Kalistan considers the matter closed.  Additionally, this amicable and mutual settlement forms the foundation for possible discussion of closer relations between Kalistan and Hutori.  Finally, we stress that we view this settlement as exhaustive, and it should bear no weight on ongoing discussions between Kalistan and Trigunia, nor does it have any relation whatsoever to any settlements between Hutori and Trigunia.  In all, the direction of the President of the Republic has been fulfilled with this settlement."