Peace for Our Time

[MostGloriousLeader]

The following letter would be sent to the governments of the invited nations:

 

 

To Whom It May Concern,

 

Over the last few days tension has been growing over the mass deployment of troops of the PSSA and the Confederation of Mid-America on the Confederation-PSSA border along the Mississippi River.  It is the American Commonwealth's desire to maintain the peace and stability that our continent has just recently come to enjoy and we offer our services to mediate a diplomatic solution to the current military buildup on either side.  We invite representatives of the governments of the PSSA, Hudson Bay Federation and Confederation of Mid-America to meet at a summit to discuss and defuse the situation at Camp David.

 

 

Christopher McNutt,

American Commonwealth Secretary of State

 

 

Edited May 19, 2013 by MostGloriousLeader

[PresidentDavid]

From The Secretary of State of The Confederation of MidAmerica

To Secretary of State Christopher McNutt

 

Secretary McNutt,

 

Thank you for your invitation to Camp David to resolve the issue at hand. I am not aware what provoked the PSSA to deploy their military forces to the MidAmerican border however I hope we can resolve everything diplomatically. I will be making my way there tomorrow morning and my flight will request to enter your airspace around seven in the morning EST. 

 

Looking forward to the meeting,

 

Mark Collins

Secretary of State of The Confederation of MidAmerica

 

Mark and some of his staff along with a few of his aides would make their way to Camp David and enter American Commonwealth airspace only after identifying themselves and being approved to enter.

[Tanis777]

I'll be attending this meeting to observe the proceedings of this meeting. Thank you for extending this invitation.  I will be taking the next flight out of Winnipeg as soon as possible.

 

 

Jordan Brady

Minister of Foreign Affairs

[Zoot Zoot]

I shall be in attendance

 

-President Hughes

[PresidentDavid]

Secretary of State Collins would wait for the proceedings to begin.

[MostGloriousLeader]

The delegations were routed to Andrews Air Force Base, which was now under much heavier security than usual.  After they had all arrived they would be transported by helicopter to Camp David under the escort of fighters and helicopter gunships.  Security at Camp David had also been enhanced for the meeting, the usual reinforced marine company bolstered by special forces and Ranger units.  Upon arrival all of the delegates would undergo security screening for weapons and any recording devices, with the latter being the main concern. 

 

The conference room itself was secured against unauthorized transmissions, being basically a giant Faraday cage.  The only line of communications in and out of the room was the secured hardline phone.  In the middle of the room was a nice round table with comfortable chairs for the primary representatives.  There were other chairs available for the rest of the delegations.  Two marine guards in full dress uniforms were present at the door and several servers were available to provide snacks and refreshments if asked. 

 

Arrangements had been made for possible overnight stays but it was decided that the meeting should begin as quickly as possible due to the urgency of the matters at hand.  The delegates were seated and everything was in place so Secretary McNutt started the meeting. 

 

"Esteemed delegates, thank you coming.  We are here today to defuse tensions between the countries present in the hopes of maintaining the peace and stability our continent has recently come to know and enjoy.  I know we have different views on the issues presented but I'd like to first have each nation present a summary of their grievances before we move into debate on the matter".

 

OOC:  Basically make a summary of the issues you have at hand.  No responses to each other until everyone's laid out their issues.

[Zoot Zoot]

"The Peoples Socialist States of America have but only one wish for the outcome of this meeting, and that is the return of normality to the Gulf region. Our exercises have turned into something quite different in the face of a return deployment, whilst expected, have resulted in something of a stalemate. Instead of the Confederation contacting us and asking what was going on, we got a message from the Hudson Bay Federation with what can only be called as a thinly veiled threat attached to the end of the exchange. That is why we have not stood down our forces. I do not want my country to be seen as weak and for nations to believe that we can be cowed with simply words." started Mark as he looked around to address the delegates.

 

"We will reduce the forces on the border from 250,000, to 125,000 men and have them moved into permanent military facilities along the border in line with standard operating procedures for peacetime military facilities. We shall also send notifications to the Confederation in regards to any large scale exercise that are planned to take place in the Gulf or along the Mississippi River. However, in exchange we also ask for concessions on the other side of the table." he said calmly whilst he lit up a cigarette.

 

"We request that after this is resolved, we take a recess and invite delegates from Faraway and Quebec to the meeting to discuss a Pan-American Council for situations such as these to be hammered out and resolved amicably. We also request that the Hudson Bay Federation draw down the number of forces in Louisiana from what my intelligence departments tell me is roughly 50,000 men, to 30,000 men. I am sure with the Confederation arming every adult in the nation, the Federation doesn't need to have such a presence in a border region with our own nation.

 

Which brings me to my next request. The Confederation and the PSSA need to deliberate and finalize a set of strict border controls to prevent the proliferation of small arms and gun crime between the borders. Private gun ownership is illegal in the PSSA and we are concerned that firearms may be smuggled by criminals over the border from the Confederation due to wide availability of firearms." he finished, taking a sip of coffee and lighting another cigarette before sitting back in his chair and listening intently for what everybody else had to say.

[Tanis777]

OOC: Your intelligence has not determined a number, just an fyi.

 

"We understand that normal military exercises are a regular and needed training procedure for a nation's soldiers.  However, we also recognize when official responses are a lie and the Hudson Bay Federation does not tolerate liars well.  For example, the former Republic of American States and their efforts to covertly overpower regions not destined for their control.  I won't explain their ending, but it wasn't well. 

 

Having back-to-back military exercises of that size composition on short notice is usually tantamount to a declaration of war, President Hughes, you sir are not acting in good faith.  Our response is appropriate to the situation and as we informed the Confederation of MidAmerica of this second exercise.  Their forces have responded appropriately to this second exercise since this one was out of the norm and we have loosely advised them on a course of action.  Our forces in Louisiana act outside of Confederation command, you do not know our numbers, nor our status of readiness sir.  Have your intelligence seen Federation forces preparing for war along your border?  The answer is no, because Federation forces in Louisiana are not being dragged to the Mississippi River to defend against an exercise, if that is what it was in the first place, for this second time around.  However, we are watching your nation, with ever greater interest, that was our response, instead of the Confederation and the Federation will response to anything different than what was officially stated and will prepare for those different threats quietly and assertively.

 

You forget your place in this stage of North America, President Hughes.  Your country's existence was given with a mutual blessing of the existing power of North America, including our nation.  The collapse of Mexico and the overall state of affairs of North America is the business of the Hudson Bay Federation and it's allies.  Disrupting and disturbing our business, interests and security of North America and the Western Hemisphere at large will bring to bear a response from us.  You may take this a threat, but this is the bedrock principle in which the Welks administration holds for North America and as well as the other powers, in which we cooperate with.  Also, the idea of a Pan-America Council has been toyed by various parties in the past, unfortunately, it has never bore any fruit and I don't see why it will change now.

 

Recent provocative actions on Federation allies strongly warrants our response to a denial of your requests of our reduction force deployment in Louisiana, one that was being planned down to 40,000 eventually.  Also, the internal business of the Confederation of MidAmerica is outside the scope and consideration of what we deploy in Louisiana.  While they maybe arming everyone, that is not our concern, nor a reason at all to influence our deployments.  The Faraway base at Isla de la Juventud will not be inhibited by your demands, and you will accept whatever they deploy there.  Cuba remains a Federation administrated area as a neutral technology and space facility center for all of the Western Hemispheric nations to use, although our presence at Cienfuegos, Cuba is our only non-neutral position in the Caribbean.  You will sign a NAP with all North American nations and recognize a mutual military notification of upcoming deployments and exercises. Restrictions from military naval exercises in the Western Gulf of Mexico past the mouth of the Mississippi River.

 

You are not in the position of making demands President Hughes and stomped on our trust by lying and making demands saying we were aggressive first," replied Minister Brady tersely.

[Zoot Zoot]

"Call it what you will, we came here in good faith to resolve this situation amicably. We made no demands here, simply requests and we accept your decision not to reduce the garrison. You seem to have it in your head that the second deployment, or even the first, were provisions for war, to this I must once against deny. Apart from the movement of forces and strategic disposition along the border, no other preparations have taken place that would come with an invasion or aggressive, or even defensive action. No forward bases, no supply depots, ammo or fuel dumps or even a heavier air presence in the region than standard, I am sure your observations have also taken note of the fact that nothing has moved an inch since the second deployment.

 

I also do not see your words as a threat simply because they are words. I am sad to think that you believe we would attempt to expand our borders forcefully and bring a war so terrible to North America its like won't have been seen since Tahoe was destroyed. We owe your states our Independence, the American Commonwealth in particular, not to mention our efforts to support the continents efforts to maintain security and stability in Mexico.

 

But I will be damned if I allow a nation to put six aircraft carriers within strike distance of my nation, I will also not be dictated where the ships of our Navy can sail in international waters. Six aircraft carriers can topple a nation as history has proven and I will not have that risk placed on my doorstep. I doubt the Federation would react too well if we placed six aircraft carriers and their battle groups in a location near your own coastline with the ability to wreck havoc along the entire coastline, even before this "crisis". But I will not agree to restricting the movement of PSSA warships to west of the river, international waters are exactly that, international. The CVBG currently deployed to the Gulf, along with the First Destroyer Flotilla are operating in support of operations in central Mexico/ At its closest point to Texas, it is 367 miles off the coast of Corpus Christi. Roughly the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Park a CVBG off the coast of a country occupied by peacekeepers, it wouldn't surprise me if it scared them, it also means it can be redeployed elsewhere if required.

 

I will happily sign a NAP with the states of North America as well as a mutual military notification. Not to mention my earlier concessions in regards to our own deployment being toned down to regular levels in permanent military facilities in the border region as standard with peacetime. I came here as I said, to find a solution to normalize the situation.

 

A Pan American council gives all states a voice on this continent, a voice to be heard, even if nobody takes notice. We sit here as equals and I don't see why that shouldn't be the case with a PAC. The Confederation of Arctic Nations existed for decades before its last member succumbed to collapse and it kept the peace through deliberation and presenting a unified front when need be. I am not suggesting a military alliance encompassing the continent, but an organization with representatives from all nations in North America to have a place to voice concerns, or a place to find peace or prevent a war and diffuse tensions between nations."

[Zoot Zoot]

President Hughes stood up and left the meeting without any further words and returned to the PSSA. His diplomatic team was left still seated, one of them received a text message from the president explaining that he had forgotten his wedding anniversary and had to leave, but they had permission to continue representing the PSSA.

[PresidentDavid]

OOC: Thank y'all for waiting for me to return home.... I'm in California right now but Im at the airport in San Diego. I told Sarah to tell Zoot and Cent but I guess she forgot.

Regardless, I assume Mark would have said something invetween y'all's words. Zoot will you respond if I make a response in a few hours when I get home? It was generous of MGL to let us come to Camp Davif. It would be a bit of a slap in the face to him if both parties couldn't even respond.

When I get home Ill get on IRC and if The Englishman is up we can talk. See y'all then! I am Texas bound.... (San Diego is my favorite city)