[War] World Report, Volume 4

[pentaj2 at Scranton.edu]

WAR: World Report, Volume 4

- For all actions since Volume 3, advancing the timeline to Mar 17 - 
Mar 31, 2013

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

United Nations Security Council (Non-Permanent Members):
Until September, 2013:  India, Egypt, Norway, Mexico, Venezuela
Until October, 2013:  Canada, Chile, Italy, South Africa, Japan

Pending UN Security Council Actions: None
Pending UN General Assembly Actions: None
United Nations Secretariat: No news.
==============
GM Babble:
 
Alright this took a while to get out but here it is, thanks to all of 
those who had hand in putting it together.

Anyhow everyone, post and recruit. 

-Ian

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

WORLD NEWS (Please review the following topics for potential posting 
fodder):

Final counts of survivors and dead released in Air China-JAL crash 
over Midway
 
Honolulu, March 11 (AP) - After a delay of 3 days caused by 
difficulties notifying next of kin, the United States Coast Guard has 
released the final accounting of the numbers of those rescued and lost 
in the collision of JAL Flight 346 and Air China flight 453 over 
Midway Island in the Pacific.
 
At a Honolulu news conference today, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Sally 
Brice-O'Hara, Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District, 
spelled out the toll of the accident:
 
"On JAL 346, of 418 aboard, 236 were rescued; Of those, 10 later died 
of wounds sustained in the crash.
 
"On Air China 453, of 418 aboard, 210 were rescued; of those, 8 later 
died of wounds sustained in the crash.
 
"The Cockpit Voice Recorders and Flight Data Recortders of both 
aircraft have been recovered and sent to the National Transportation 
Safety Board in Washington for analysis.
 
"Due to the location of the crash, Coast Guard, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, and other responders were fortunate to recover all remains; 
unidentifiable remains have been sent to the United States Army 
Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii for initial classification 
and a first attempt at identification. DNA samples have been collected 
from all remains and have been sent to the Armed Forces Institute of 
Pathology; Samples have been collected from family members to ensure 
the positive identification of remains before they are released."
 
An NTSB spokesman confirmed that the joint FAA and NTSB investigation 
into the crash remains ongoing, and has yet to reach preliminary 
conclusions as to the cause.


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

CANADA

Population Approval: 57%
Government Approval: 55%
International Favor: 55%
Economic Growth: 2.3% Average
Inflation: 1.8%
Unemployment: 7%
----------------------------------

The Canadian people are pleased with the performance of the MacIntyre 
Liberals since giving them their first majority in thirteen years. The 
governments early actions to make the Federal government more 
efficient is well received if not totally understood by the general 
population. However the results of the Prime Minister’s trip to 
Washington are. Albertans in general are very happy at the news their 
beef will be back on US shelves next year and the rest of the country 
is pleased to see that relations are improving with their neighbour to 
the south.

However, they aren’t so sure about the scale of the military build up. 
While the government has done its best to show that the build up will 
be in manageable chunks, the people are a little taken a-back by the 
overall costs, and observers both inside and outside the defence 
industry wonder if the country really needs nuclear subs. The 
Conservatives, though traditionally for increases to military spending 
are making a big deal of the price tag, and are calling the ‘trials’ 
between the Virginia class nuclear subs and the German built U212-class
a sham, as the conclusion is more or less a forgone conclusion. Former 
defence staff have agreed.

The other trouble facing Prime Minister MacIntyre is the Triple-E 
Senate. While provinces who are going to receive more seats as a 
result of the changes are generally happy about the proposal, as are 
the people, though mostly it’s a knee jerk, democratic equals good 
approval. Meanwhile Quebec and Ontario are both promising to vote down 
the proposal which in turn has given the Senators cover to vote it 
down themselves. 

However there have been some back channel indications from the Ontario 
provincial government that if they dropped the changes to the number 
of seats each province would get, they might be more receptive. While 
both the Senate and Quebec stand firm in their opposition.

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

CHINA (PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF)

Population Approval: 57%
Government Approval: 59%
International Favour: 51%
Economic Growth: 9.6%, high
Inflation: 2.7%
Unemployment: 10.3%
----------------------------------

It has been a busy if not particularly pleasant couple of weeks for 
the 
Chinese government. Thanks to a massive outpouring of international 
aid and the swift action of the Chinese government the Mt. Baekdu 
clean up is going a pace. The quick assistance the Chinese gave the 
North Koreans has worked to soften international opinion about the 
occupation. While it isn’t exactly support, the world does concede 
that the North Koreans would not have saved as many lives trying to 
deal with the disaster on their own. The clean up is slated to be 
completed in a month.
 
The rest of the news from North Korea is a mixed bag. The Ministry of 
State has assembled a provisional government and selected with 
consultation from the people governors for North Korea's provinces. 
The majority of those chosen are either figures from the now defunct 
Korean Workers Party or officers from the Korean People's Army. In 
short: meet the new boss same as the old boss and while the new 
government is getting the job done corruption is rampant. The majority 
of the 10 billion in business grants offered by the Chinese going to 
members of the government or officials in the bureaucracy causing 
concerns that this is the start of a political and financial elite.
 
Militarily, the Ministry of Defence is reporting that the recruitment 
of the new North Korean Army is proceeding very well; the paint had 
barely dried on the new training camps before they were at maximum 
capacity. Most of this is credited to the lack of other employment 
opportunities in North Korea and the massive size of Korean People's 
Army before Chinese control. Predictably almost all of the former 
soldiers recruited do not meet Chinese requirements but they have 
taken to re-training with enthusiasm, and they expect the first units 
of the new North Korean Army will be in the field as early as three 
months from now. However the majority of these soldiers come from the 
North Korean political class and do not suffer from a life time of 
malnourishment. The next groups the Defence Ministry reports will be a 
mix of peasant and political classes and expect their performance will 
be poorer than the current units in training. Another concern is that 
of the state of North Korean 
equipment. It is outdated and in bad condition, the replacement 
program will have to be sweeping and thus expensive a cost North Korea 
is likely unable to bare easily. There have been some suggestion from 
within the Ministry of Defence of reducing the target size of the 
North Korean armed forces and thus the amount of new equipment 
required to make it function.
 
On the Military's other front, keeping the country under control, 
things have been good, patrols and convoys in high risk areas have 
been better protected and attempts to them have been only occasionally 
effective. The Ministry of Security's efforts to round up the missing 
weapons have also been credited as part of this success though few 
weapons have been found; those in possession of them have been forced 
to spend more time looking over their shoulder than using them to 
attack Chinese forces. The Ministry of Security also reports that the 
prison torture equipment has been removed and while the facilities are 
hardly humane by western standards they share the same problems as 
most of the country, little heat, little power, little food, and are 
by the standards of the Chinese security services at least, good 
enough.
 
And finally on the Korean front, the Chinese efforts at containing the 
diseases have so far kept them from crossing the borders into China 
(though South Korea's border is another matter) however the Ministry 
of Health has called for even stricter controls on the people coming 
in and out of the country and a thirty day quarantine for all troops 
returning to China, stating that an outbreak of a number of these 
diseases would be a disaster for China, both in loss of lives and 
economically. At present 2000 Chinese soldiers are reported to be 
infected by local diseases.
 
Back home the President still enjoys strong support in the People's 
Congress, her centrist base and the war hawks have formed a strange 
coalition of support for the government's efforts in Korea and the 
clear goals of the mission have at least placated those who have 
wondered aloud, how long? And of course: how much? Though there is 
some division as to the future of North Korea, in general the 
centrists back the President's plan to allow the North Koreans to 
choose their destiny after the withdrawal of Chinese support, however 
the hardliners argue that since China bears the costs, they should 
bear the benefit, and push for the President to change her mind and 
push for more Chinese influence in the future of the broken state. 
Additionally the remaining true Marxists in the government quietly 
protest intervention in Korea as a break from their ideology. However 
it is not the first and certainly not the last time modern China has 
stepped away from its communist roots.
 
The people though are generally pleased with how things are going, 
they were shocked to see the state of things in Korea during the Kim 
Regime, and feel a swell of pride at the notion of China going in to 
change that for the better. As well the outpouring of international 
support in the wake of Mt. Baekdu has given them a sense President 
Hong is greatly improving China's standing internationally.
 
And lastly, the Ministry of Commerce's plan for the putting breaks on 
the Chinese economy has been put into effect they have used some of 
China’s vast store of US currency to buy back some of the Yuan on the 
market thus raising it’s value lowering the demand for Chinese goods 
overseas which has slowly begun to reign in China’s export based 
economy.

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

FRANCE

Population Approval: 59%
Government Approval: 55%
International Favor: 53%
Economic Growth: 2%
Inflation: 2.6%
Unemployment: 8%
--------------------------------------------------------------------
No news to report.

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

GERMANY
 
Population Approval: 55%
Government Approval: 55%
International Favor: 55%
Economic Growth: 2.5%
Inflation: 1.8%
Unemployment: 7%
----------------------------------------------------------
No news to report.

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

JAPAN
 
Population Approval: 61%
Government Approval: 56%
International Favor: 59%
Economic Growth: 3%
Inflation: 0.6%
Unemployment: 3.9%
----------------------------------------------------------

Newly installed as Prime Minister of Japan, Shunichi Sato has had a
true baptism by fire with the rapid storm of events that have struck
the island nation.
 
The PM's actions over the Akita tsunami disaster are widely applauded.
Quick and timely economic intervention by the Diet is expected to help
cushion the economic fallout and jumpstart reconstruction. With such
good PR coming out of Sato's public visit to the affected areas, the
top six Japanese construction firm have donated close to $300 million
USD in material and manpower to the effort. US and Canadian lumber
companies are trickling in resources slowly, but every bit helps.
 
Likewise people are complementing the cooperative tone of Tokyo in
regards to the recent airline disaster and how smoothly things (seem)
to be working with the United States and China over the crash.
 
To no one's surprise the Kuril Islands Treaty is defeated 430 to 50 in
the Lower House of the Diet. Moscow has simply shrugged and retained
control of the entire island chain. However people are generally
nodding their heads at the trade treaty which will bring in a modest
amount of capital and jobs. The acquisition of Russian missile
technology continues to make some people nervous, but with China's
recent military activity it is becoming, along with the joint rifle
development program with the US and UK, a necessity of national
defence in the eyes of many.
 
Lastly, the anti-piracy project is finally getting of the ground with
Singapore's inclusion. If all goes well, the crackdown in piracy could
save all of the Asia-Pacific region up to a billion dollars a year in
goods lost to pirate activities.
 

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

UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

Population Approval: 58%
Government Approval: 59%
International Favor: 56%
Economic Growth: 3.45%, Average.
Inflation: 2.5%
Unemployment: 5.3%
----------------------------------------------------------

No news to report.

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

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Population Approval: 60%
Government Approval: 57%
International Favour: 63%
Economic Growth: 2.9%
Inflation: 3.3%
Unemployment: 4.6%
----------------------
Things are more or less rosy if not very exciting in Washington right 
now. The American public and the international community were pleased 
to see the US’s swift and competent response to the Mt. Bakedu 
disaster. An opinion improved by the fact the US worked together with 
the Chinese to do so; which see as evidence that future cooperation is 
possible. This has not however stemmed the tide of calls for action on 
North Korea from Congress. The suggestions range from holding a summit 
with China other leaders in the region to dropping bombs on Beijing. 
However both camps and everyone in between agree a list of objectives 
sent to the local powers is not enough; especially when none of those 
powers seem to be listening.
 
Nemerenko’s informal visit is seen as a positive in the Russo-American 
relationship and a sign that the Cold War might be well and truly 
over. The free trade agreement that was signed is looked at as a good 
move on the administration’s part as the Russian and American markets 
are very 
compatible for trading. Or they are except where lumber and cattle 
states are concerned. The idea of tariff free lumber and beef coming 
in from Russia has threatened these industries domestic market share 
and caused an uproar. Especially in the beef industry who was sent 
reeling a short time later from the FDA’s announcement that Canadian 
beef would be allowed across the border. Protests and boycotts have 
been planned by both industries and the congressmen and senators from 
the cattle and lumber states have been getting an earful but it looks 
like the treaty will pass smoothly through the house.
 
The visit of Prime Minister MacIntyre and his address to Congress was 
well received domestically. The DoD in particular is thrilled that 
Canada is *finally* pulling its weight in defence and the contractors 
who will profit directly from the build up are very happy as well. 
They are less happy with the review of the ADS. The reviews of the 
medical professional associations were fairly objective in saying yes 
it’s an unnerving concept, but the facts are it’s less lethal than 
existing crowd control measures. Amnesty International and Human 
Rights Watch however posed a difficult question for the DoD reps: will 
this weapon be used on Americans and if not why then propose to use it 
on citizens of other countries? This has caused some discomfort in the 
defence establishment and a lot of buck passing as nobody wants to be 
the one to say, yes we’ll use our new pain ray on Americans or no but 
we will use it on foreign nationals. As it is an otherwise a slow news 
week domestically this
 question has been getting considerable play in the media and with it 
the demand *someone* answer something more than ‘it’s 
under review’.
 
 
In economic news China's efforts to curb its runaway economy is being 
felt in America through rising prices on both Chinese and American 
made goods; the last due to the fact Chinese made products are part of 
almost everyone’s supply chain. This has caused American manufacturers 
and importers to shift away from Chinese suppliers in favour of India. 
This in turn has caused State to suggest to the Administration that 
this might be a good time for furthering trade talks with India. 
Additionally the Federal Reserve is watching the dollar carefully as 
result of the Chinese sale, and will take measures to counter any 
steeper drop in value if China should continue to buy back the Yuan 
with US dollars. In the meantime the slight dip in value of the dollar 
has increased exports and should it continue will be a boon for the 
summer tourist season.
 
Finally, the swift and efficient action is generally praised by the 
FAA and USCG but members of the State department are a little 
concerned by the blunt instrument of the President's influence being 
used here and the possible fallout it may cause with the Japanese and 
Chinese governments.
 


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

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 uncontrolably 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/
Nova Horizon Simulations: http://www.novahorizon.com
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/