[War] World Report Volume 8

[Patrick B]

WAR: World Report

- For all actions since Volume 6, advancing the timeline to 16 July to 1
August 2014

United Nations Security Council (Permanent Members): United States,
United Kingdom, France, China, Russia

United Nations Security Council (Non-Permanent Members as of 1 June 2014):
Until January 2015:  Germany, Thailand, Poland, South Africa, Panama
Until January 2016:  Canada, Japan, Hungary, Algeria, Venezuela

Pending UN Security Council Actions:
Pending UN General Assembly Actions: None
United Nations Secretariat: No news.
==============
Welcome to Lee who is playing Nigeria, our first African player WOO HOO...

Also, I will be trying something new this week the blogosphere will 
react to things as they happen....so basically I'm going to try semi 
instant feedback.

World news: Iran completely misjudged the world's response to their 
invasion, and their strikes.  Iranian forces have been to put it bluntly 
steamrolled by the massive world response and several regiments have 
been surrendering en masse to advancing forces. Forces have begun a fast 
retreat back in to Iran there has been harrying fire, and several 
Improvised Explosive devices.



===============================================

ACTION RESPONSES
=============================

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
===========================
Population Approval: 55%
Government Approval: 55%
International Favor: 50%
Economic Growth: 3.9%
Inflation: 4.1%
Unemployment: 4.2%
----------------------------

Prime Minister Decker's quixotic attempts to hold back the Chinese are
watched with some amusement in diplomatic circles, but the broader
Australian public applauds the efforts.

The ADF waits calmly for further orders, and senior officers are
privately eager to join "their generation's big war".


CHINA (PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF)
Population Approval: 65%
Government Approval: 60%
International Favor: 45%
Economic Growth: 9.7%, high
Inflation: 3.0%
Unemployment: 10.1%
===
The chinese Military Special operations units in Azerbaijan contines to 
perform unconventional combat, however the fact they are outnumberd 
against the Revolutnary guard, means they will tread carefully, however 
it has not been without casualties.

At home Chinese citizens are unahppy that the government is letting the 
Western powers do the heavy lifting in warfare, and are calling it a 
'loss of face' and protests against the Hong government have begun 
because of this.
CANADA
=======
Population Approval:55%
Government Approval:50%
International Favor: 55%
Economic Growth: 2.2%
Inflation: 5.0%
Unemployment: 6.3%
--------------------------------
The PM's visits to and from (respectively) the US and Australia are 
given brief nods of approval. That said, bewever, much of the newsies' 
focus is on Azerbaijan - something driving the Government's press team 
nuts.

Like in Australia, there's not much enthusiasm for changes to the 
Commonwealth - it's seen as not necessarily being broken, and not 
something to be (perhaps dubiously) fixed. Meanwhile, the Government's 
plan to replace imported oil faces a steep uphill climb - Alberta's tar 
sands are a "heavier", more "sour" type of oil than those from, say, the 
Middle East - converting Canadian refineries to take it would take 
massive retooling, something not looking very attractive to the oil 
companies without (what else?) government support. Oh, and gasoline to 
replace that taken off the market during the weeks it would take to retool.


JAPAN
======

Population Approval: 53%
Government Approval: 55%
International Favor: 65%
Economic Growth: 2.8%
Inflation: 0.6%
Unemployment: 4%
-------

As the war progresses past its initial stages, the government has
started taking hits to its popularity as body bags come home.  The
divide between those who support the mission and those who want Japan
to stay as it has for the last 70 years continues to increase as time
goes on.

That being said, most Japanese are supporting of the mission's morals
to liberate Azerbaijan from the Iranian grip.

The active use of the Self Defense Forces in active combat has resulted 
in pride in service, as the defense forces feel like soldiers, not just 
an afterthough.  In addition there has been an uptick in interest in the 
old code of Bushido.

FRANCE
====
Population Approval: 57%
Government Approval: 65%
International Favor: 43%
Economic Growth: 2.5%
Inflation: 5.6%
Unemployment: 6.2%

No activity--LOA--

NIGERIA
============================
Popular Approval: 57%
Governmental Approval: 57%
International Favor: 50%
Economic Growth: 9.3%, high
Inflation:5%
Unemployment:4.7%
=============================

The new quota-sharing agreement has jaws dropping, OPEC in what may
faintly be called an uproar, and lawyers running for their books to
see if it's legal.

OPEC, in the end, shouts against it, angry at the manipulation of its
manipulations of the oil market. Compared to more-common quota
busting, it at least follows the rules, but you couldn't tell by the
reaction the Arab states are giving to it. Other African nations are
just stunned. There are rumblings of setting up an African alternative
to OPEC, an OAPEC for lack of a better name.

As if that weren't enough, the newest Nigerian plan, to generate
massive amounts of solar power in the Sahara, has everybody watching
catching their breath. Private equity firms are bidding fiercely for a
piece of the action, salivating at just the prestige potential of a
Big Engineering project like that proposed. Construction, even using
first-world nationals as engineering staff only, is expected to take
until January 2015 - but cover possibly as much as 65% of Nigeria's
power needs upon completion.


Meanwhile, the state visit of Nigeria's President receives much coverage 
at home - the news of new industrial and research opportunities is 
greeted joyously, and roads are already being planned out by Nigerian 
army engineers - the only group with the expertise for such massive 
public works projects.


Romania

Popular Approval: 60%
Government Approval 60%
International Favor: 55%
Inflation: 7.0%
Economic growth: 4.4%
Unemployment: 4.9%
================
In Romania, people are happy that their government has taken steps to
contribute to the NATO war in Azerbaijan, and thus increase its
influence on the world stage.  Nevertheless, as body bags come home
from the Caucasus, families are torn apart as loved ones are buried.

Because of the military deployment, stocks of goods normally used by
civilians have been appropriated and prices have risen, leading some
people to grumble.  It also appears that some of the provisions being
shipped to the forces overseas have gone missing and parliament has
called for an investigation as part of a wider crackdown on
corruption.

However a convoy ambushed in a surprise action against the Iranians 
resulted in the discovery of barrels of Mustard Gas, Several nerve 
agents and most surprising Weapons Grade Anthrax.  Officials of the 
World Health Organization have taken the WMD's in to their custody, and 
the Romanian soldiers who discovered the stash are being treated for 
exposure.

Several zoos report Hedgehogs have been dissapearing, Rumor is some of 
it went to making Hodgepodge, a traditional Gypsy dish.


UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
====
Population Approval: 60%
Government Approval: 58%
International Favor: 50%
Economic Growth: 2.5%
Inflation: 3.0%
Unemployment: 5.3%

No activity--LOA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
====
Population Approval: 56%
Government Approval: 54%
International Favor: 66%
Economic Growth: 2.9%
Inflation: 3.1%
Unemployment: 4.2%

The whirlwind diplomacy has been well recieved, when the President goes 
for diplomacy, life is good.  Support for what is being dubbed Gulf War 
3 by some pundits is still high, as video of Azerbaijanis greeting the 
US forces with waving flags and cheering like something out of a world 
war 2 newsreel are very popular at home, though there are protests 
including Code Pink who call this Williams' war for oil, and the 
International Socialist front who are calling for Williams to be sent to 
the Hague for war crimes, what they are they won't say.  Though former 
Attorney General Ramsey Clark has given an interview in which he fully 
backs the US action.

The open enrollment to the Service Academies has been met with surprise, 
Congressional delegations however step to the forefront and begin to vet 
candidates. Among Service Academy alumnai it is met with mixed opinions, 
Several acamedy graduates call it a way to democratise what has been 
seen as the Military's ruling class, while others call it a slap in the 
face of tradition which will cause substandard officers and get soldiers 
killed.

THe Superentdant position has been looked at as an honorable sunset, 
however DOD regulations are being investigated as to if it can be more 
then a sunset especially since it is only held by Lieutenant General, so 
there is room for advancement.

In domestic news the delayed funeral of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has 
been rescheduled to this thursday.

The Wesboro Baptist church buried Fred Phelps and filed a civil rights 
suit against the State of California, Los Angeles City and County, the 
Mongol Nation, the arrested bikers personally, and have called for the 
FBI to investigate it as a civil rights issue. An FBI spokesman 
remarked, "We'll get on that after we find DB Cooper, and Hoffa."

=============================================

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

NOTE: Initial indicators were gleaned from as recent sources as
possible, for the most recent term possible (annualized). In some
cases, the numbers used are published estimates, but the English-
speaking nations' data is more or less right from the source.

Depression: Economic forces retracting uncontrollably and at a
dangerous pace with little end in sight.

Recession: Economic forces retracting, but more shallow than
Depression and more controlably. Sometimes necessary and part of
regular economic trends, although prelonged.

Revision: Economic forces retracting slightly and short term,
associated with economic systems refitting to accomodate new
industries, concentrations, etc.

Zero: No movement one way or the other.
Low: Comparatively low Economic growth/activity. (miniscule to about
2%, depending)
Good: Average economic activity (ranging from 2%-5% normally)
High: Above average performance (Greater than 5%) Sometimes
dangerous if in excess of 8% continuously.

SITES OF INTEREST

WAR Website: http://war.dagarcia.net/
United Nations: http://www.un.org/
Central Intelligence Agency: http://www.cia.gov/
CIA World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Federation of American Scientists: http://www.fas.org/
GlobalSecurity.org: http://www.globalsecurity.org/
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/
BBC: http://www.bbc.com/
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/