Untitled Document

A digest of recent official government press releases, by reporting period.

T124

Ministry of War, New Mars
Due to continuing severe economic issues in Q6, the MAFC is no longer able to support a complete Strategic Fleet in the quadrant. The MAFC is therefore forced reluctantly to withdraw the 3rd Strategic Fleet from JAC. In its place, STF 3.1 (1BBI, 2CAI, 2CVI, 1 LSSI) is provided to the cover the quadrant. The SHC may as a result decide to redeploy forces to cover.
LIVE FREE OR DIE

T123

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, New Mars
MAFC response to SSR public statement;
The MAFC notes and is grateful for the ongoing cooperation of the SSR with the anti-AI actions on Sirius. However, we must set the record straight about a number of allegations made in the SSR's most recent public statement. With respect to Dr Ghandi, the MAFC affirms that after a brief interrogation aboard a Martian naval vessel he was passed into the custody of AIMS investigators several weeks ago, and they must take up the matter with them. He was alive and physically very well at that time, although his mental state was hard to determine because of the aforementioned conditioning. We refute the notion that the SSR (or indeed anyone else) has not been informed of this brainwashing - we reported this in our statement about the action to the previous international summit on Old Mars, at which President Kapushinsky herself was present. As a gesture of goodwill, we are however prepared to release the tapes of our interrogation privately to the SSR in order to substantiate these allegations and reassure the SSR government.
MAFC Foreign Ministry Secretariat.

(c) Martian Press Syndicate - Furious Senate Debate About Sirian AI
In a stormy Senate debate about the Sirius AI incident, Senator Banderas, Chair of the Senate Interstellar Coordination Committee, which effectively functions as a Martian executive body, was forced to defend the MCGP-led coalition government's position following the publication of a Xyonist intelligence report which appeared to show that no AI was present on Sirius, and that the entire affair had been concoted via a long-term intelligence operation by "parties unknown".
"We are aware of the MOSSAD report and have been working closely with the Xyonists as well as Earther and Sirian authorities and the AI Monitoring Service to get to the bottom of the Sirian AI Incident," she said. "The Martian Government's position remains that there was an AI at Marx City, probably the result of work conducted by Dr Ghandi, who we have proved to our satisfaction had been brainwashed by earlier contact with an AI, possibly related to the Cerebro AI on Over. We are not surprised that the UoX has uncovered elements of a conspiracy, since that by its nature is what has led to the development of this device, but we disagree with them as to its nature. It is worth bearing in mind that Martian forces and investigators were on the ground during the operation and Xyonists were not. Nevertheless, we welcome this report as a step forward in helping to clarify events. We are submitting all evidence that we come across to AIMS and assume that the Union of Xyon will do likewise. Owing to the confused nature of such events we may never reach a watertight conclusion about every aspect of the case, but we will continue to investigate to make sure that no stone remains unturned. Obviously reasons of national security mean that I cannot discuss every aspect of this incident openly, but while this has been a difficult incident it has been dealt with switfly and decisively and has not distracted us from wider concerns about the Roaches. It has also had some positive effects in prompting a thorough review of the Stickney Treaty which has allowed this government to take the lead in drafting a new treaty, now internationally agreed, which addresses the areas left vague in the original document, including interventions such as this one. I share the Senator's concern that - in a different circumstance - we could be, in his words, "hoodwinked into doing someone else's dirty work", but I can assure him that we have no evidence that that is the case here."

T119

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, New Mars - Senator Banderas welcomes new Earther Foreign Minister
On behalf of the Mars Association of Free Colonies, may I take this opportunity to welcome back Senator Ozkok as the Solar Republic's Foreign Secretary. I look forward to working with him.
I also note with interest the return of Lee Zhang to ministerial office, and I hope that this is an indication that both sides can draw a line under the difficult period that Earth-Mars relations entered into following his dismissal and the accession of First Minister Ashanti. There has been encouraging progress since on many areas, including a restoration of full diplomatic relations under the Rathbone government, and fruitful cooperation on a number of issues, especially Old Mars, but also Forerunner and other research, and preventing the proliferation of artificial intelligence. Although I think both sides would admit that issues in some of the outer quadrants still remain to be grappled with, I am sure that progress can be made over the coming octants and years.

T118

Ministry of War, New Mars
The MAFC confirms that the 1st Internal Security Brigade, stationed on NEW MARS, has been disbanded. This unit, a hold-over from the Anton Dec administration, has been deemed incompatible with Martian social mores. A spokesman for the MSN Ground Forces said "Strewth, if the guys want to party hard I for one want to be partying with them, not suppressing the fun. G'day" (the spokesman then returned to the barbie area for a fresh cold one).

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Travel Advisory
The following travel advisory has been issued by MAFC Regional High Council 7, Xynam:
The MAFC is in receipt of a warning from the Sirian Socialist Republic that all foreign flagged vessels remain subject to boarding and seizure in Sirian space. The MAFC Quadrant 7 regional government accordingly advises all MAFC-flagged vessels to avoid entering the M25 of Sirian colonies in Quadrant 7 until further notice.
The MAFC Regional High Council further advises all MAFC citizens against any non-essential travel to the SSR in Quadrant 7 for the duration of the present emergency.
Authorised:
Raymond Bradbury, Supreme Councillor

MSN report on Action at Sirius
From: Thai Sho Lang, MSN, Officer commanding combined Earth-Mars forces, Task Force Jormungandr, Sirius
Sirius, T118
It is my duty to report that, acting upon reliable information obtained via the Martian AI Detection Service (MAIDS), and with the backing of the Venerian, Esteeler, Xyonist and Centauri governments, a combined Earth/Mars taskforce entered the Sirius system as part of an accusation of the construction of a Sentient Artificial Intelligent Device (SAID) contrary to the Stickney treaty.
The government of the SSR agreed to Wolfer representatives - as a 'non-concerned power' under the treaty definition, forming an investigative body under the AI Monitoring Service (AIMS) and withdrew all military forces from suspect areas to allow access for Earth/Mars forces acting under AIMS direction to secure sites.
Concern focused upon five locations: a research/intelligence hub in orbit, the Asimov Institute for cybernetics research at the town of Conway, east of the capital, and three locations in Marx City, the capital - Socialist Party Headquarters, Republican Military Headquarters, and the Ministry of Agriculture. These locations were entered and key personnel and documents handed to the investigation.
During this period two incidents occurred. The first was the detonation of a nuclear charge at the orbital research/intelligence facility, with 500 associated fatalities. This occurred while Earth/Mars forces were 2 days away from Sirius, and appears to have been a command detonated charge fixed to the exterior bulkhead of the facility. All parties deny any knowledge of how this could have happened and investigations are continuing.
The second was armed resistance during the storming of the Ministry of Agriculture building. Reports are confused and we are still piecing together what happened. However, it appears that Earth forces found a working SAID and subsequently destroyed it using a nuclear demolition charge. Investigations are also continuing into this incident.
While I am satisfied that the immediate threat posed by this SAID is now over, Sirius, Earth and Mars are all cooperating with the AIMS investigation into how this came to happen and who was responsible.
Authorised:
Thai-Sho Lang
LFoD