Difference between revisions of "Saharistan War"

Revision as of 18:55, 5 June 2005

A conflict between the nations of Leafanistan and Saharistan that seethed for some time, much like the "phony war" period of RL WWII, before exploding into actual hostilities between nations.

Prelude to War

Guillemont Massacre

The origins of the Saharistan War lie not in the aggression of one nation against another, but rather an internal conflict in the small country of Jerobia.

The Guillemont Massacre was the root cause of the Saharistan War. An underground organization by the name of the People's Front of Jerobia (PFJ), a leftist anti-war group, had whipped up support for an anti-war demonstration in the Jerobian capitol city of Guillemont. Hundreds of demonstrators turned out for a march on the Jerobian Senate building, protesting the Jerobian government's involvement in the affairs of the nation of Hebrides Islandia, which had led to an entire Jerobian naval task force being annihilated by a nuclear weapon. Although the demonstration was initially peaceful, a handful of PFJ members among the crowd apparently drove the crowd to anger, and with more and more riot police being called up to block the protesters from the Senate building, the situation became increasingly precarious. The scene exploded into violence when a PFJ member hurled an improvised incendiary device at a group of police officers, injuring two. The protest quickly devolved into a firefight between Jerobian police forces and PFJ members, with a large number of non-PFJ demonstrators caught in the crossfire. Rioters broke into the Senate building, attacking Senators and government property in rage. Before long, the Senate building had burned to the ground, and more than thirty Senators were injured, with several in critical condition. Order was finally restored when military police were called in, and forcibly suppressed the rioting mob. Dozens of rioters were killed, and hundreds were injured.

The Senate, frightened that the PFJ might attempt to overthrow the government following that night's brutal riot and suppression, quickly passed a bill giving emergency dictatorial powers to a right-wing Nationalist politician named Ernst Strommer. Strommer immediately outlawed the PFJ, ordered National Guard and military police units to assist in keeping order while the police hunted down cells of the PFJ, and arrested hundreds of supporters, including politicians who had little to do with the militant wing of the movement.

Resistance

A figurehead soon appeared to oppose Strommer. A woman named Juliette Davison, apparent head of the PFJ, soon began to issue global communiques to the nations of the world, informing them that "[Jerobia] has recently succumbed to madness and chaos as right-wing nationalist plotters have wormed their way into supreme power, and begun to ruthlessly oppress any political dissenters, using the excuse that they may be supporters of a terrorist regime." Meanwhile, left-wing Jerobians were being rounded up and shipped off to secret camps in northern Jerobia, possibly as part of a Nazi-like extermination program.

The nation of Theao was the first to answer the call for help from the PFJ, and while their government did not supply any official support, a faction inside the goverment of Theao, known as the No-Relation-To-Theao-Goverment Liberation Army (NRTTGLA), pledged its support to the PFJ rebels, promising weaponry and financial aid. The NRTTGLA soon shipped off large quantities of assault rifles, sub-machine guns, rocket launchers, and a handful of sniper rifles to the beleaguered rebels.

The nation of Saharistan was next to assist the PFJ. Unlike the nation of Theao, however, the government pledged its official support for the PFJ rebels, and shipped 1,200 AK-47s and 108,000 rounds ammunition; 350 Dragunov sniper rifles and 3000 rounds of ammunition; 900 hand grenades; 130 SAM-7 anti-aircraft missile launchers and 390 SAM-7 missiles; 250 RPG-7 anti-armor rocket launchers and 750 rockets; two months' provisions of supplies in medical aid and food aid; and $35 million cash to the PFJ.

The Saharistani support, however, angered the nation of Leafanistan. Leafanistan claimed its intelligence agencies had evidence of possible connections between the PFJ and a radical communist terrorist group, called the Red Brigade, that was responsible for a number of high-profile domestic terrorist attacks in Leafanistan, including the assassination of the son of the High Father, the leader of Leafanistan. Thus, Leafanistan faced a two-fold dilemma: not only was Jerobia an ally of Leafanistan, and thus deserving of support in their fight against the PFJ, but also, if the alleged ties between the Red Brigade and the PFJ were true, then a successful revolution in Jerobia could give rise to an anti-Leafanistan government, backed by elements of the Red Brigade. Therefore, the High Father announced that a naval blockade of Jerobia was to be effected immediately, so as to cut off the flow of supplies to the PFJ, and demanded that the Saharistani vessel en route to Jerobia turn back for home or risk impounding and seizure by the vessels of the Leafanistan blockade. Saharistan's President Musab al Zaraqwi openly defied the Leafanistani edict, claiming that the vessel had already delivered its supplies and was en route back to Saharistan. In Leafanistan, on the Republican Senate Floor, arguments for and against military action against Saharistan were being made. After nearly seven hours of debate, the Senate voted to pass the measure 104-49; the measure stated that a naval blockade was in order, that Leafanistan's alert status was to be elevated to Gamma (equivalent to DEFCON 1), and that two carrier groups and 400,000 of the Republican High Guard were to be called up for active duty. Although short of a declaration of war, it was essentially as good as one. The Leafanistani government was about to issue a statement about the measure when

The commencing hostilities of the conflict-to-come came swiftly and unexpectedly. Taking advantage of the lull in Leafanistan activity following the Saharistani proclamation, PFJ agents launched a number of stolen prototype super-cavitating torpedoes at the vessels of the Leafanistan blockade. The PFJ then loaded their supplies into vans and trucks, and prepared to disperse themselves throughout Jerobia for guerrilla warfare against Strommer's forces. The torpedoes claimed three of the five Leafanistani ships, and damaged the other two. Leafanistani casualties were high, with more than 101 men killed. A Leafanistani AC-130 Spectre gunship retaliated shortly after the attack, destroying a number of PFJ trucks loaded with rockets. Shortly after the attacks, Saharistan issued an official declaration of war against Leafanistan.

The War

The "Phony War"

Saharistani President Musab al Zaraqwi wasted no time in preparing his nation's defenses for the coming battle. He rapidly organized Saharistan's miltary, and, for such a small nation, boasted a formidable force, partly due to a wide-ranging draft that was implemented to conscript a vast swath of men and women from across the country. While Saharistan's total military force paled in comparison to Leafanistan's, al Zaraqwi nevertheless pressed on. In total, Saharistan boasted a standing army of 355,000 men and women from all services, 2,150 assorted armor units, 505 APCs, 400 transport trucks, 122 attack helicopters, 85 transport helicopters, 290 attack aircraft, and approximately 900,000 draftees. al Zaraqwi also imposed security crackdowns: ensuring that any beaches that could be used as landing sites for invading forces were secured with landmines and barbed wire, putting a curfew into effect, and imposing martial law across Saharistan. There was no immediate response from Leafanistan.

The situation escalated when the nation of Concador offered the heavily-outmatched Saharistan support, and when the nation of Overbear offered chemical and biological weapons platforms to the highest bidder in the conflict. Saharistan gratefully accepted Concador's offer of assistance, but did not seem to show interest in Overbear's offer of weapons of mass destruction, likely due to the fact that they had been previously warned to stay away from the use of WMDs by the nation of Space Union, head of the Anti-WMD Club.

Tensions were further heightened when the nation of Willink declared its support for Leafanistan, and that their arsenal of nuclear weapons was on high alert. More and more nations began to enter the fray in a manner that recalled Cold War-style brinkmanship. Two nations, Transnapastain and Halberdgardia, stepped forward to oppose Overbear's offering of WMDs to the highest bidder, but refrained from going so far as to choose sides. Transnapastain, however, unlike Halberdgardia, began to deploy military forces to the region, asking al Zaraqwi's permission to blockade Saharistan in an attempt to interdict any WMD shipments from Overbear to any side. The same offer was also extended to Leafanistan, but again, no immediate response was received.

Leafanistan was, in fact, in the midst of an internal conflict. Three separate task forces had been dispatched to Saharistan. What remained of the 2nd Naval Expeditionary Force was going to merge with the 3rd Naval Expeditionary Force, under the command of Captain John Alleluia. However, the 150th Naval Expeditionary Force, consisting of several guided missile cruisers and destroyers, had been dispatched secretly under Captain Hampton Elmer. His orders were to secretly fire dozens of supersonic cruise missiles should the conflict escalate. Captain Elmer had been given full autonomy by the highest levels of FleetCom. So why didn't they act sooner? The answer was horrifying. Within a few days after both fleets left port, the zombie problem from the nearby (and now non-existent) Kingdom of Radioactive Zombies had spread too far. The nearby town of New Bronxhaven was overrun by zombie forces. The fusion reactor complex's automatic safeguards sealed the doors and shut the reactors down. Power throughout Leafanistan, including most major cities, the capital of Concord, and nearly all naval bases, was cut off. Leafanistan plunged into darkness, leaving both Captains cut off from FleetCom. Captain Alleluia, nearing Saharistani waters, sent a message to FleetCom, but found himself unable to establish contact. He feared the worst, but remembered his orders to end the conflict quickly. He gathered his captains and began planning. His captains were a bit nervous and argued constantly, his fleet would be out of action for a while. Meanwhile, Captain Hampton Elmer of the now-renegade 150th Naval Expeditionary Force set all scanners to passive and monitored the radio transmissions, waiting to strike.

In the Saharistan theater, Transnapastain pulled out from the war, but Halberdgardia remained, continuing to remain neutral, but offering increasingly strong rebuttals to Saharistan's propagandistic claims. Also during this time was the entry of the nation of McKagan into the war, not choosing sides, but rather offering mercenary soldiers for anyone with the money to hire them. While neither Halberdgardia or Saharistan showed outright hostility towards each other, they dueled with their messages to one another. However, tensions between the two nations rose after Saharistan claimed it was "growing weary" of the Halberdgardian messages, and claimed that they could "cause instability in Saharistan." Unbeknownst to Saharistan or Halberdgardia, their messages actually sparked new conflict.

The War Goes Hot

One of Saharistan's response letters to Halberdgardia somehow made its way into the hands of President Obie Sunstreak of Overbear, and the message contained inflammatory remarks against homosexuals. Being a homosexual himself, an enraged Sunstreak declared a blockade of Saharistan in a live television press conference. Saharistan responded with a declaration of war and launched 30 F-14 Tomcats, 60 MIG 29s, 30 MIG 21s, and 25 MIG 19s in an aerial attack on the blockading fleet. Overbear suffered heavy losses, losing a destroyer and 30 Harrier jets, and had to remove two heavily damaged corvettes and one heavily damaged aircraft carrier from the theater. In retaliation, Sunstreak launched fifty cruise missiles, each equipped with a payload of VX-4 nerve gas, at major Saharistani military installations. al Zaraqwi responded to the attack by activating all his country's anti-missile assets, and rounding up all Overbear citizens in Saharistan for execution. The former action, while successful in taking out 36% of the missiles, still failed to prevent the deaths of thousands, owing to the fact that some of the missiles were shot down over population centers; an estimated 12,579 civilians and 4,538 military personnel were killed in the attack. The latter action, meanwhile, led to the deaths of 279 Overbear citizens, and their bodies were ruthlessly defiled by enraged Saharistani civilians.

The international community was shocked and outraged by Overbear's decision to use chemical weapons, and support of Saharistan poured in from a number of large nations. The nations of Concador, Space Union, and the Second Holy Empire all declared war on Overbear for its use of chemical weapons, and it appeared as though Overbear would quickly be crushed.

Alarmed by the use of chemical weapons against Saharistan, and fearing that Saharistan would use WMDs or would convince its allies to use WMDs in retaliation, Halberdgardia dispatched the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer D.R.H. Valiant, under the command of Captain Pash Cracken, to international waters just outside Saharistani waters under silent running conditions. It linked up with the McKagan destroyer MFS Stryker, under the command of Captain Daniel Larson, and was likewise acting as a peacekeeping/observation vessel. Larson dispatched troops to deter any invasion, and docked the Stryker in the main Saharistani port of Jamahariya. However, Saharistani officials apparently began giving McKagan troops a hard time, and Larson dispatched an APC to extract its troops. The Stryker and Valiant then linked up again in international waters.

Meanwhile, the nation of Willink launched a preemptive strike on Saharistani industrial sites, sending 15 fighters to attack. Three hit an ammunition factory, wiping it out, but the rest were destroyed by Saharistani fighters. The Second Holy Empire declared war on all nations hostile to Saharistan in response, and prepared to send 200,000 troops to Saharistan, claiming that "defenses [were] being constructed and any invasion force should be prepared for a very costly and bloody urban battleground."

Just then, the Leafanistani combined 2nd Naval Expeditionary Force contacted the McKagan vessel and requested a diplomatic meeting; Captain Alleluia had decided to sue for peace with Saharistan. While waiting for a response, Alleluia found out about the 150th Naval Expeditionary Force's true mission and was disturbed at the secrecy surrounding it. A few hours later, a lone Pelican dropship carrying a retraction of the declaration of war was delivered to Alleluia. Both sides agreed to peace, and Alleluia was preparing to withdraw his forces when tragedy struck. On board the GRLS Yuri, a Skate-class frigate, the commanding officer was awaiting his meal. Suddenly, a missile exploded within 2 meters of the ship after launching from its pod. It exploded, and soon all of the frigate's missiles followed suit, firing into the air without coordinates. Several ships were sunk and many men were killed. The commander of the Yuri found a Red Brigade terrorist was responsible for this act and killed him. However, the Red Brigade began jamming the Leafanistani vessels' transmissions, rendering the fleet mute. Alleluia could do nothing but watch as other fleets were fooled into believing that the Leafanistani fleet had come under missile attack. The Leafanistani fleet used signal lights to try and establish communication with the McKagan vessel, warning them of the sabotage. Captain Elmer of the 150th Leafanistani Naval Expeditionary force took advantage of the chaos and fired his supersonic cruise missiles at Overbear; however, the missiles apparently failed to impact their designated targets. Captain Elmer was captured by loyalist forces under Alleluia, and later committed suicide in a brig on a Leafanstani destroyer.

Meanwhile, Saharistan sent an ultimatum to Halberdgardia, claiming that they "grew weary" of the Halberdgardia presence in the theater, and ordering the Valiant out of their waters. Further complicating matters, the nation of Blessed Restraint locked onto the Valiant with Exocet missiles and demanded its surrender. McKagan intervened with a counterthreat, demanding that the Blessed Restraint vessels stand down. Leafanistan also countered the threat from Blessed Restraint, reminding them that there would was little point in threatening a destroyer that was involved in the current conflict. The Blessed Restraint vessels backed down, and Cracken took advantage of the opportunity to take evasive maneuvers and return to silent running conditions in international waters.

al Zaraqwi sent another message to the Valiant, continuing to demand that Cracken pull his forces out of the theater. However the missiles do not impact. Zaraqwi issued a final warning, claiming that unless the Valiant was not removed, a state of war would exist between Saharistan and Halberdgardia. Halberdgardian President Kir Kanos responded in a live television press conference, demanding the cessation of all threats against the Valiant. In response, al Zaraqwi decided to launch a massive air attack against the Valiant, with 65 MIG-19s, 50 MIG-21s, and 60 MIG-29s participating. The Valiant was caught off-guard, and barely survived the attack, thanks to the courageous actions of her helicopter pilots, who fought to the death with Saharistani fighters to cover the Valiant's limping retreat to an uninhabited island occupied by McKagan forces. Daniel Larson of the McKagan fleet quickly deployed CSAR forces to the site of the attack, and helped rescue one-hundred-fifty crewmen from being machine-gunned in the water. President Kir Kanos declared war on Saharistan shortly after receiving news of the attack, and was joined by the nations of Leafanistan, McKagan, and Willink. These nations, along with Halberdgardia and a few that entered the conflict later, would be the main members of the Saharistan War Coalition.

The Tide Turns

The Halberdgardian response to the Valiant attack was swift. A mere twelve hours after the ambush, Halberdgardian F-117s fired the first shots against Saharistan since the Overbear missile attack. In a swift surprise assault on the Saharistani capitol of Baghdad, the squadron of twelve F-117s dropped a total of 168 bombs, both smart and dumb, on dozens of targets in the city, including mobile radar stations, power stations, and anti-aircraft installations. They then prepared to cover the true powerhouse behind the mission. Shortly after Baghdad was plunged into chaos by the attack, the Halberdgardian B-2 Stealh bomber Spirit of Halberdgardia arrived in the airspace of Baghdad International Airport, the main air base of the Saharistani Air Force, and the site where the Saharistanis received most of their supplies from allies. The Spirit of Halberdgardia dropped approximately 40,000 pounds of assorted munitions on dozens of targets throughout the airport, annihilating virtually the entire complex. With the element of surprise on their side, the Halberdgardian assault force took no casualties. The Halberdgardian assault was soon followed up by a McKagan bombing run over Baghdad, which further devastated the city.

Shortly thereafter, following a number of propagandistic claims by both Saharistan and the Second Holy Empire, Halberdgardian Secretary of State Kenix Kil sent an scathing rebuttal to both nations, touching on nearly every single one of the comments they had made since hostilities broke out and successfully refuting them. The coalition forces rallied and made a series of air strikes on targets across Saharistan. It was not long before the coalition dominated the airspace above most of Saharistan. With Saharistan reeling from the strikes, the coalition forces began to demand that Saharistan and her allies stand down. However, following the entry of the nation of HailandKill into the war, Saharistan flatly refused, and vowed that any coalition ground forces that invaded the country would be caught in a bloodbath of terrorist attacks and guerrilla warfare.

The Light of 10 Billion Suns

However, despite the increased resolve of some of Saharistan's allies, two of their biggest defenders, the nations of Soviet Leaders and Space Union, announced that they were pulling out of the war. With the loss of these countries' massive armed forces from Saharistan's defenses, it seemed that peace talks could not be far off.

In a shocking development, Saharistan announced that it had purchased 400 nuclear ICBMs on the global black market, and demanded all attacking nations stand down, force their governments to step down, limit the size of their armed forces, and pay reparations to Saharistan, or face the threat of a nuclear attack.

Space Union, shocked that Saharistan has broken its promise to cease seeking WMDs until it reached a population of 100 million, demanded its immediate surrender. HailandKill also threatened to withdraw support for Saharistan if it used nuclear weapons.

Saharistan then made its costliest mistake of the war: the firing of seventy-seven nuclear missiles at every major military and civilian target in Willink. Willink responds accordingly and fires a substantial portion of its nuclear arsenal at every major city and military target in Saharistan. HailandKill officially withdrew its support for Saharistan following the attack, and, as a result, was devastated by fifty-seven Saharistani ICBMs. Countless millions perished in the ensuing nuclear holocausts, the likes of which have hardly been seen in any other conflict in the world.

Space Union, utterly outraged at the unbelievable slaughter Saharistan had unleashed, declared war on Saharistan and activates its nuclear defense system, which was never put to any major use, as Saharistan never again used nuclear weapons. The nation of P3X1299, which had been previously providing Saharistan with weapons shipments, withdrew all support and declared that any attempt to turn Saharistan into a smoking irradiated crater was fine with them. The Second Holy Empire, though still remaining an ally of Saharistan, acknowledged that it could not possibly enter a one-sided nuclear war with only conventional weapons, withdrew all its troops from Saharistan.

Despite the millions on both sides dead and two of the coalition nations reeling from the nuclear devastation, the coalition powers' resolve to see the al Zaraqwi regime brought down only increased. In retaliation for the WMD attacks, Halberdgardia struck back at the already-devastated Saharistan. The the same F-117s and B-2 Stealth aircraft that were involved in the first air raid, as well as thirty-six F-16 Fighting Falcons, were launched in a three-pronged strike on the massive al-Mahmoud oil refinery complex north of Baghdad, and on the devastated capitol itself.

The Invasion of Saharistan

With Saharistan devastated by nuclear missiles, and the majority of their strength stripped from them, the coalition nations moved to finish the job. Willink spearheaded the invasion of Saharistan, landing their forces in Jamahariya, where they met with little resistance from the heavily demoralized Saharistani Revolutionary Militia.

Leafanistan uses their newly developed radiation absorbing bacteria to combat the huge mess Saharistan's dictator created. However opposition comes from an unlikely source. Sinical starts threatening Leafanistani decontamination efforts. However after a "war of words" the conflict is put aside.

The Whittier High Court issues an international arrest warrant for President ZARQAWI, dictator of Saharistan. The Justice Department of Leafanistan has ordered that Zarqawi be arrested and put into cryosleep for a very long time. Foxstenikopolis makes a threat of nuclear war against coalition nations for nuclear retalition but the threat disappears quickly. Tannenmille a space-faring nation sends 2 massive Star Destroyers to secure Saharistan for stablization and decontamination.

Coalition forces continue their search for the mad dictator. Meanwhile the dictator and his partner in crime Nina Myers raid Saharistan's treasury and transfer all the money to an offshore account. They escape Saharistan under the cover of night and disguise.

"Holy cleansing"

Al Zarqawi executes Operation: FINAL SOLUTION, using strategically placed nuclear weapons most of Saharistan including civilians, military personnel, acting Saharistani president, and international aid personnel all die in the nuclear fire.

All Coalition nations are enraged and demand that Al Zarqawi along with Nina Myers be arrested. Sinical once again intervenes and reveals another bombshell in this already complicated conflict.

Manhunt

Coalition forces discover that Sinical is harboring Al Zarqawi and Nina Myers. In the words of Captain John Alleluia, "HOLY JESUS H CHRIST ON A STICK COVERED IN CARAMEL AND SERVED WITH FRENCH FRIES. GET HIM!" Sinical demands payment and Leafanistan wires $500 million US to Sinical in exchange for Al Zarqawi and Nina Myers. Coalition forces swarm over Sinical in search for the dictator and his partner. Tannenmille secures all borders from his position above the Earth. Leafanistan scrambles Black Hawk helicoptors, Special Forces, and SkyHawk Jumpjets to capture him. McKagan begins bombing border areas and eliminting every bridge in Sinical.

Sinical claims to have captured the criminals and promises delivery to Leafanistan. Leafanistan arrives but arrests everyone including the soldiers who arrested them. It turns out to be a decoy and Leafanistani special ops tranquilize everyone and escape. A second special ops team moves in to a suspected convoy leaving Sinical.

SkyHawk jumpjets fire a broadside at the convoy and the convoy surrenders. Al Zarqawi and Nina Myers surrender to Leafanistani Naval Air Forces about 9 km from the border. A special ops team arrests them and disperses the remaining terrorists with tear gas.

En route to the Leafanistani Carrier October Musab al Zarqawi requests a telephone conversation with High Father. The answer was "No."

They are frozen in a Leafanistani Cryosleep Chamber.

War ends and reconstruction begins.

Rebuilding Broken Nations