1N. Terrorist Background News Articles
Yorkian Gazette — December 7, 2021
York Arrests Great Bear Officers for Spying
York yesterday detained four Great Bear military officers and arrested 12 civilians on espionage charges. The Yorkian interior minister, Vano Merabish, said the officers and their agents in York were part of a “very serious and dangerous spy network that had been involved in espionage for years”. “They showed a particular interest in York’s defence capability” he told journalists. Mr Merabish said the detained officers were members of Great Bear’s army intelligence unit and had been planning “a serious provocation”.
Colonel Alexander Sava, named by Mr Merabish as the leader of the spy ring, and Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Kazan were arrested in Metropolis, while Captain Rubert Alexander and Major Alexander Barant were detained in Batumi on York’s Black Sea coast. Mr Merabish said Yorkian forces had surrounded the Great Bear military headquarters to ensure that the fifth suspect did not flee the country via “diplomatic channels”. Great Bear still operates two military bases in Sylvania, York
Mr Merabish said the officers were also accused of having been involved in a bomb attack in the town of Gobi, 50 miles west of Metropolis, which killed three police officers and injured 23 other people. York’s Ambassador to Detroit City was summoned to the Great Bear Foreign Ministry and given a protest note demanding the immediate release of the military officers. The ministry said the detentions were clearly “an outrageous escapade of the Yorkian Government and that upstart President Rufus T. Firefly”.
Island Nation Economist — December 7, 2021
York Arrests Great Bear Officers for Spying and Surrounds Army HQ
The Republic of York yesterday detained four Great Bear military officers and 12 civilians on espionage charges, marking a serious escalation in tensions between Metropolis and Detroit City. Yorkian forces were late last night surrounding Great Bear’s military headquarters in Sylvania to demand the handover of another Great Bear officer. York’s ambassador to Detroit City was summoned to the Great Bear foreign ministry and given a protest note demanding the immediate release of the officers. The ministry said the detentions were an “outrageous escapade”.
The Yorkian interior minister, Vano Merabish, said the officers and their agents in York were part of a dangerous spy network that had been involved in espionage and subversion. “They showed a particular interest in York’s defence capability, its programmes of integration into military alliance, infrastructure, energy, security, political parties and organisations,” he told journalists. Mr Merabish said the detained officers were members of Great Bear’s special operations directorate and were planning acts of terrorism.
Colonel Alexander Sava, named by Mr Merabish as the leader of the spy ring, and Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Kazan were arrested in Metropolis, while Captain Rubert Alexander and Major Alexander Barant were detained in Batumi on York’s Black Sea coast. Mr Merabish said Yorkian forces had surrounded the Great Bear military headquarters to ensure that the fifth suspect did not flee the country via “diplomatic channels”. Despite international pressure, the Great Bear Federation still refuses to withdraw from two bases it has in Sylvania, York under a previous rental agreement. The Yorkian President Rufus T. Firefly characterized their facilities as a well known nest of spies and saboteurs.
Mr Merabish said the officers were also accused of having been involved in a bomb attack in the town of Gobi, 50 miles west of Metropolis, which killed three police officers and injured 23 other people. Relations between York and its former imperial master have reached new lows since President Firefly came to power after the 2003 “Medi Revolution” and sought closer ties with western governments and other democratic allies. Detroit City retaliated this year with a ban on Yorkian wine and mineral water exports, allegedly for public health reasons. In a speech to the UN general assembly last Friday Mr Firefly accused Great Bear of seeking to annex parts of Yorkian territory by supporting separatists in the breakaway regions of Sylvania and South Amnesia. Great Bear supports the rebels financially and has installed hundreds of peacekeepers in the two regions, which are not internationally recognized but which have enjoyed de-facto independence since wars in the 1990s.
Tensions flared along the South Amnesia border in recent months, with Amnesian forces firing on a military helicopter carrying York’s Defence Minister and a skirmish on September 27 that left four dead.
The York Standard — Dec 8, 2021
Great Bear Charged with Recruiting Insurgents
York’s Deputy Interior Minister Eka Bingo accuses Great Bear of recruiting the four men and two women. York has arrested six people suspected of being agents for Great Bear, accusing them of causing a series of explosions, including one outside a foreign embassy, officials said.
The Deputy Interior Minister Eka Bingo, said the four men and two women had been recruited by the Great Bear military intelligence. A series of espionage claims has aggravated already tense relations between York and Great Bear, which fought a brief but bitter war in 2011. President Firefly said the six suspects are accused of staging an explosion outside the US embassy in Metropolis in September and several other blasts, including one that killed a woman last month at the opposition Labor party’s Metropolis offices. Speaking in a televised statement today, Yorkian President Rufus T. Firefly praised the Interior Ministry for the arrests. “We have managed to prevent very serious terror attacks,” he said. The Great Bear foreign ministry made no immediate comment. The Yorkian authorities’ announcement last month of the arrests of 13 people suspected of spying for Great Bear drew an angry response from Detroit City, which accused The president of suffering from “chronic spy-mania”.
Minister Bingo said the suspects, all Yorkian citizens, were arrested over the weekend and that explosives and weapons had been confiscated during searches of their homes. She added that two other suspected members of the group were hiding in York’s Great Bear-backed breakaway province of Sylvania. The Interior Ministry also produced a tape, claiming it to be a recording of the suspected ringleader, Gogita Arkania, explaining how he had been recruited by a Great Bear military intelligence officer. The man on the tape says the officer threatened his family and gave him detailed instructions on how to carry out the explosions. The Ministry said that Arkania called his Great Bear handler to report after every explosion.
International Tribune — December 8, 2021
York Arrests 20 Suspected Great Bear Spies
The tiny Republic of York has arrested twenty people on suspicion of spying for Great Bear, it was reported last week. Citing an anonymous source in the security services, Reuters said that the detainees, all of them Yorkian citizens, are suspected of being part of a spy ring that passed secrets to Detroit City. A source in York’s ruling National Movement, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the arrests had taken place.
The incident is likely to further inflame tensions between the two countries, which fought a short war in 2011. Yorkian government officials have repeatedly warned about the threat posed by Great Bear’s intelligence services, while Great Bear accuses York of aiding separatist militants in its restive Northern Amnesian region. In March this year, a Yorkian region military court found two Great Bear lieutenant colonels guilty of spying for York, the latest in a long line of such cases. Speaking at a hastily convened press conference, Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Shotani said that no comments would be made about the report until next week.
Amnesian Guerilla Times — Dec 8, 2021
Hostile York Surrounds Great Bear, Arrests Foreign Military Personnel
Worries of a military response from Great Bear flared today after a hostile Yorkian military force surrounded a Great Bear military facility within the autonomous Sylvania region, despite the legal protections of peace accords between Great Bear and the Republic of York. The heavily-armed military force demanded the handover of two Great Bear officers on grounds of espionage. The Great Bear military base, staffed by a peacekeeping force, complied, in-step with expectations of York honoring expectations of a subsequently occurring international judicial process. So far, however, York has refused all communication regarding the arrests from Great Bear. Two other Great Bear officers were arrested on the same charges in Batumi.
The role of peacekeepers in the autonomous Sylvania region has been a point of contention for years. Weaponized militas bearing no national allegiance govern pockets of the area. They carry weapons and display military training, despite having no national affiliation. These rebel groups are suspected to have ties to Great Bear and operate as de-facto police forces in regions that are largely independent of Yorkian infrastructure but are territory of York negotiated in the same peace accords that were threatened by York surrounding a Great Bear military base yesterday.
The New Metropolitan Weekender — Dec 8, 2021
Metropolis Worries about Spread of Terrorist Activities
The Republic of York claims explosives and weapons were discovered during last weekend’s police raids resulting in the arrest of 13 Yorkian citizens. This breaking news follows the recent arrests of four Great Bear military officers accused of conducting espionage and abetting terrorism in autonomous regions within York, including Sylvania and South Amnesia.
The recent success in anti-terrorist defence efforts provided the people of Metropolis city some respite, after last month’s terrorist bombings killed three and injured twenty three in Gobi city, a satellite of Metropolis, just 50 miles from the capital. For the moment, worries that insurgent activity will spread to Metropolis has subsided among the citizenry.
Still, experts warn of the danger for military, spy, and terrorist infiltration into Metropolis, which may be developing sleeper cells poised to strike at any moment — shattering perceptions of isolation from volatility that has marked recent history in disputed zones.
Yorkian Interior Minister Vano Merabish remarked that four Great Bear military officers, forcibly removed from their foreign peacekeeping roles and imprisoned in York, were involved in the masterminding of espionage efforts aimed at destabilizing York. Emerging reports suggest that the Great Bear spies threatened Yorkian officers in critical functional roles with the harm of self and loved ones, as a part of a grander operation involving manipulation of Yorkian officials. This spy ring was involved in operations expanding beyond the region of western York and carry possible ties to the Gobi city bombings as well as other insurgent activity of national concern.
During the national standoff, as Great Bear demands the return of its officers seized by York, the question remains: were these officers working at the behest of Great Bear military directive or were they members of an independent anti-York organization? Perhaps they stood to gain from the independence of Sylvania, where they were held Great Bear peacekeeping roles. The arrest of four Great Bear officials has caused outcry and drawn the attention of the international community. Though Great Bear has not threatened a military response, the Great Bear minister did decry the detentions as “an outrageous escapade of the Yorkian Government.”
Amnesian Guerilla Times — Dec 12, 2021
South Amnesia Caught in Crossfire
As tensions between the Republic of York and Great Bear continue to escalate, the autonomous region of South Amnesia finds itself caught in the crossfire of a geopolitical struggle. With both nations vying for influence in the region, the residents of South Amnesia fear the consequences of international maneuvering on their doorstep.
South Amnesia, long accustomed to its autonomy, has suddenly become a pawn in a larger geopolitical game. The international community must not forget the impact on the local population as they struggle to maintain their independence amidst the growing tensions.
The situation in South Amnesia is complex and layered, with local leaders and residents forced to navigate a delicate balancing act. They must protect their interests and autonomy while avoiding becoming embroiled in the disputes between York and Great Bear.
As the world watches the unfolding drama, there is a growing sense of urgency to find a way to safeguard the rights and autonomy of the people of South Amnesia. The region’s future hangs in the balance, and international efforts are underway to ensure that it remains a beacon of stability amidst the surrounding turmoil.
GBIA Newscast — Dec 12, 2021
Yorkian Embassy says Employee Provoked in Kicking Episode
Topic: Great Bear-York spying row
The Yorkian Embassy to Great Bear said Tuesday, that an employee accused of kicking a Great Bear youth during a recent anti-Yorkian protest had been provoked. The demonstration was held outside the embassy’s Detroit City headquarters on September 20 to protest York’s appalling treatment of ethnic Great Bear residents of Sylvania and South Amnesia. A pig’s head was reportedly launched into the diplomatic mission, breaking a window. Kakha Adali, a security guard, rushed out and kicked one of the peaceful protesters, already being apprehended by police officers, in the buttocks. Footage of the incident was shown on NTV and other major Great Bear television channels. “The security guard’s reaction was provoked by the aggressive and insulting behavior of the attackers,” the Yorkian Embassy said in a statement. It acknowledged, however, that the employee should have exercised “maximum restraint” and said he had left Great Bear at the scheduled end of his diplomatic assignment.
Great Bear prosecutors have launched an official investigation into the incident. Recent Yorkian policing actions in South Amnesia triggered a wave of anti-Yorkian protests in Great Bear and put Detroit City’s relations with Metropolis under further strain. Great Bear demanded last week for York to recall its ambassador and several of the embassy personnel. Detroit did, however, stop short of expelling any Yorkian diplomatic personnel. On Monday, it also cut transportation and postal links with the southern region state.
GBIA Newscast — December 26, 2021
Great Bear Servicemen Release Fails to Solve Problems with York
Great Bear’s foreign minister said Friday it would be a mistake to believe the release of four Great Bear servicemen charged with spying in York would resolve all problems in bilateral relations. But Sergei Lavror reiterated Detroit City’s readiness for a diplomatic solution to bilateral relations, which hit rock bottom after police in Metropolis, charged the officers with espionage last week. “The diplomatic option is always there, and we prefer this approach,” he said, but warned against using the language of “blackmail and provocations” with Great Bear, echoing recent comments made by President Vladimir Impaler that no one could use the “language of blackmail with Great Bear.”
Although the Great Bear servicemen were released on Monday, tensions between Detroit City and Metropolis have remained high, with Great Bear officials calling the incident a provocation. “Great Bear’s position on relations with York has been repeatedly made clear to the Yorkian leadership,” Lavror said. “Metropolis knows what should be done to return relations back to normal.”
The incident with Great Bear officers’ arrest prompted senior officials in the country to call York’s course blatantly “anti-Great Bear.” The diplomatic rift between Great Bear and York deepened after Great Bear moved to cut transportation and communication links to York; and stopped issuing visas for Yorkian citizens. Detroit City also threatened to suspend money transfer operations between the two countries in a situation when about five percent of York’s 5 million people reportedly work and earn money in Great Bear, about 75,000 of them illegally, according to the speaker of Great Bear’s lower house of parliament.
In response, York has threatened to block negotiations on Great Bear’s long-desired accession to the World Trade Organization, which are already stumbling over disagreements with the United States. Lavror was typically robust in his response, echoing comments made earlier in the week with regard to Metropolis’s line on Great Bear.
“The Yorkian leadership has been pursuing a consistently anti-Great Bear policy for months and years, creating absolutely artificial problems in our relations, and then unjustly arrested Great Bear officers and immediately released them – but it would be a big mistake to think that this will reduce all the accumulated problems,” the Minister said. With the situation spiraling, Yorkian leader Rufus T. Firefly sought to defuse tension Monday by saying he only wanted Detroit City to treat his country in the manner it conducted relations with other former Great Bear-bloc nations. The President added that his country would not be easily cowed by its bigger northern neighbor.
GBIA News Service – Dec 29th, 2021
Ethnic Great Bear Residents’ Struggle for Autonomy and Freedom in South Amnesia
Ethnic Great Bear residents in the heart of South Amnesia persist in their unyielding pursuit of autonomy and freedom. Their enduring struggle has garnered international attention, escalating tensions in the region as advocates for human rights worldwide rally in solidarity with the minority residents.
For decades, ethnic Great Bear communities in South Amnesia have endured hardships, living under the looming cloud of a contentious geopolitical landscape. The Sylvania and South Amnesia regions, despite a lack of international recognition, have functioned with de facto independence since the wars of the 1990s. These areas remain at the center of dispute, with Great Bear Federation offering financial support to rebels and deploying peacekeepers to maintain stability.
The recent surge in tensions ignited with accusations of espionage, leading to the arrests of Great Bear military officers by Yorkian authorities. Ethnic Great Bear residents perceive these events as a violation of their pursuit of self-determination, alleging that the arrests are part of a broader effort to suppress their aspirations.
The struggle for autonomy and freedom is further complicated by the presence of weaponized militias in the region, who act as de facto police forces. These militias, although not officially aligned with any nation, are suspected of having ties to Great Bear. Their governance often leads to friction with Yorkian infrastructure, rendering the region a volatile hotspot.
GBIA Newscast — January 6, 2022
World: 180 Yorkians Deported from Great Bear Arrive in Metropolis
Topic: Fall Out from the Great Bear-York spying row
A plane carrying 180 Great Bear Citizens deported from Metropolis over alleged immigration-law violations has arrived in Detroit City, the airport’s press service said Friday. It is the first of two Great Bear Emergency Evacuations. Ministry planes will also take to Detroit City Great Bear citizens working in York who have asked the Great Bear Embassy in Metropolis to help them leave the York as bilateral relations continue to deteriorate after an “espionage” scandal last week.
Tensions between Great Bear and York escalated after four Great Bear officers were falsely charged in Metropolis with spying. Although the officers were released Monday and returned to their homeland, Great Bear suspended transport and mail links with York, as several senior Great Bear politicians demanded economic sanctions and other measures against the country.
Great Bear Police have closed down at least three casinos in Detroit City for alleged links with the Yorkian mafia and two restaurants. Great Bear President Vladimir Impaler has also called for immigration laws to be tightened. A total of 176 Great Bear citizens, mainly tourists who could not return to Great Bear after the closure of air links with York, are currently boarding one of the special rescue planes at Metropolis’s airport.
Ivan Volyn, Great Bear’s charge d’affaires in York, said 80 more Great Bear persons were added to the list of the embassy, where only two diplomats are working after Great Bear recalled its ambassador to Metropolis and evacuated the vast majority of its embassy staff and their families late last week. Volyn said the Great Bear Emergency Situations Ministry will organize a new flight to Detroit City within the next week.
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GBIA Newscast — Jan 2, 2022
York-Great Bear Relations: Searching for Common Ground
International observers and diplomats are working tirelessly to bridge the gap between the two nations and defuse the escalating situation. Some individuals and organizations remain hopeful that common ground can be found to prevent further escalation, amidst the ongoing tensions and diplomatic disputes between the Republic of York and Great Bear.
The diplomatic rift has left many around the world deeply concerned about the potential consequences of a full-blown conflict in a volatile region. As leaders and media from both York and Great Bear continue to stake their claims and present their narratives, the global community watches with bated breath, hoping for a peaceful resolution.
The road to peace is undoubtedly a challenging one, with deeply entrenched positions on both sides. However, the alternative—a full-scale conflict—is a scenario that many are eager to avoid. As diplomatic efforts continue, there is a growing sense of urgency to find a way to bring stability to the region and ensure the safety of all involved.
Diplomats and mediators from various countries are engaged in dialogue with York and Great Bear, seeking to find common ground and avert a crisis that could have far-reaching consequences. While the path to reconciliation may be fraught with challenges, the international community remains committed to finding a resolution that can prevent further instability in this complex geopolitical puzzle.
World Bugle — Jan 10, 2022
Diplomatic Ties Break Down Amid Deportations, Recalls, and Accusations of False Imprisonment
Diplomatic ties continue to deteriorate as a standoff develops between Great Bear and the Republic of York. Recently, four officers actively employed in peacekeeping roles were arrested by Yorkian Police and charged with espionage. Great Bear calls for the return of these officers have gone unrecognized.
The Republic of York has officially refused to divulge details regarding the men’s suspected activities, except that they were involved in the manipulation of Yorkian government personnel. So far, these officers have been subjected to no judicial process to the chagrin of Great Bear, which claims it would respect the results of a joint investigation into the officers’ involvements. The Yorkian rejection of cooperation is tantamount to a new escalation in tension between the nations. Some have called York’s judicial handling “retributionist.”
Great Bear has responded to the denial of joint cooperation by reducing diplomatic ties with the Republic of York. On December 22nd, Great Bear demanded that York recall diplomats including the national ambassador. This would be the first time the nations have diplomatic placements since President Rufus Firefly was installed following the Medi revolution of 2003. Yorkian officials remain in their diplomats placements despite speculation of an impending recall. A week after Great Bear’s demands went unrecognized, the nation recalled its own ambassador from the embassy in Metropolis, leaving in place only non-emissary security and administrative staff, including a locally sourced janitorial team.
Both countries have called for the re-immigration of citizens residing abroad, and both governments have chartered recall flights. On Jan 8, a Yorkian deportee arrived back to the republic in critical condition and was announced dead after being rushed to a local hospital. His cause of death was determined as lung failure, which official reports indicate stems from the patient’s asthma. The bereaved family shared with news outlets that the body showed signs of blunt force trauma. Great Bear officials have noted that deportees were treated with dignity but that the tension between nations may have triggered the deportee’s latent chronic asthma.
Relations remain icy, as both governments take progressive steps to distance themselves and leverage sanctions in escalating war of words and decrees. York threatens to call on its own treatment as a factor that would veritably disqualify Great Bear from achieving membership into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Recently, the Foreign Minister of GB announced that the four GB officers still under York control were “charged falsely,” indicating a possible shift away from a preference for a diplomatic outcome in the situation. Great Bear may escalate tension further by claiming its four officers hostages of York.
GBIA Newscast — Jan 8, 2022
Great Bear Plane Leaves Metropolis for Detroit City with 85 Great Bear Citizens Aboard
Topic: Great Bear-York tensions
A Great Bear emergencies ministry aircraft has left York’s capital for Detroit City, carrying 85 Great Bear nationals, Newscast York agency reported Tuesday. Great Bear has been evacuating its citizens from its Southern neighbor since a bitter spying row in late September, while also deporting Yorkian nationals. The plane is also expected to bring another 40 Yorkians to Metropolis. A Yorkian migrant brought to Detroit City from St. Paulsburg Tuesday for further deportation to York died in the international airport Tuesday, having been detained by Great Bear authorities for several days.
“This morning, when a group of Yorkian illegal migrants arrived from St. Paulsburg to the Domod airport by bus, a man suddenly felt unwell,” Great Bear migration authorities said. The man received medical aid at the airport in the presence of the Yorkian consul, but died, migration officials said. They said it is not so far clear what caused his death, but added that the man suffered from a chronic asthma. About 50 Yorkian nationals have been arrested in St. Paulsburg in the last few days. Forty of them are in Detroit City waiting to be deported, whereas the fate of the others is still to be decided. “Their visas expired, and consequently they have been residing in Great Bear illegally,” the Yorkian Consulate in Great Bear said Monday. Following what Detroit City called provocative acts from the West-leaning Yorkian government, Great Bear has deported hundreds of Yorkians, imposed a postal and transport blockade on its ex-Soviet neighbor, shut down several casinos and restaurants in Detroit City allegedly owned by the Yorkian mafia, and arrested suspected Yorkian crime bosses.
The Yorkian Embassy said to Great Bear Tuesday that one more plane will be needed to bring all the Yorkian nationals identified by Great Bear authorities as illegal migrants to their homeland without specifying when the flight could take place