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2011 Aquitaynian embassy attack

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2011 Aquitaynian embassy attack
Part of the Blackhelm Confederate Revolution
Aqembattack.JPG
Triumphant Confederate militiaman stands outside burning vehicle in the embassy car port
LocationParadise City, Blackhelm Confederacy
DateJanuary 23, 2011
00:55 – 07:30 (Confederate)
TargetAquitaynian embassy
Attack type
Coordinated attack, armed assault, rioting, arson
WeaponsRocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades, assault rifles, anti-aircraft machine guns, truck mounted artillery, diesel canisters, mortars
Deaths12 Aquitaynians, Dozens of Confederate civilians and militiamen
Non-fatal injuries
Unreported number of Confederate civilians and militiamen; Several Aquitaynians injured and reported smoke inhalation
PerpetratorsCustodies Populii

The 2011 Aquitaynian embassy attack refers to a coordinated attack against the Aquitaynian embassy in Paradise City. The attack represented the beginning of the final phase of the Blackhelm Confederate Revolution, and initiated a process of de-militiaization that helped to solidify the government of Octavius Eaglebrand as the ruling party of the Blackhelm Confederacy.

Background

Confederate Revolution

Beginning in November, 2010, forces loyal to the Blackhelm Confederate Senate as well as various militias began systematically rooting out citizens of the Islamic faith from all parts of the country aside from Egypttiansstan. The continuing attacks against unarmed civilians distanced the Confederacy from the rest of the region, and the then Chancellor and namesake of the nation, Lucius Blackhelm, moved to stop it, struggling in vain on the Senate to halt the violence. On December 29th, violence escalated when a group of soldiers attempted to remove Muslim workers on a Griffincrest oil field.

Griffincrest guards opened fire on the Senate forces, causing them to withdraw from the area as Griffincrest facilities across the country were declared enemy assets. Subsequent fighting began to flare nationwide as mercenary guards clashed with the Blackhelm Confederate Army, while Chancellor Blackhelm debated on what to do. On January 2nd, he finally gave the order for the Imperial Guard to place the Senate on lockdown and arrest those responsible for the bloodletting. Unfortunately, however, word reached the Senate before the Guardsmen could mobilize, and they launched their own attack, effectively besieging the Chancellor and a number of his loyal Honor Guard and Imperial Guard troops within the Chancellery, while other members of the Imperial Guard came under attack in other parts of the country.

Genocide against Muslims within the Confederacy

Attacks against unnarmed Islamic civilians, the central component to the conflict in the Blackhelm Confederacy, reached a high point in late December. The vast majority of Islamic citizens had been forced to "salvation centers" around the country, where many were forced to convert or face execution or hard labor. Seeing this gross violation of human rights, a number of foreign states opened their embassy doors to any Muslim citizens who could reach them. The nation of Aquitayne had been one of the most vocal in calling for a defense of Muslim citizens, and its embassy was a primary destination for large numbers of refugees, who would then be shipped out, on the King of Aquitayne's dime, from the Paradise City harbor to the port of Telora.

By mid-January, the huge majority of Paradise City's Muslim population had either fled, been murdered, or sent to a salvation center. Those that were still left were in hiding, trying to make their way to one of the various embassies open to them in hopes of getting out of the country.

Attack

Riot

At roughly midday on January 22nd, a Muslim woman, Amira al-Bahiri, and her three sons made their way to the Aquitaynian embassy at 66 Via Titus V, pursued by a large crowd as well as members of the Custodies Populii, who began shouting and agitating for the family to be turned over. Lance Sergeant Timothy McNaughlty was then confronted at the gate by an officer of the militia, and staunchly refused to hand over Amira and her children on the grounds that they were on Aquitaynian soil and therefore out of the jurisdiction of the laws of the Blackhelm Confederacy. A brief verbal exchange followed, during which time the crowd of Confederate civilians began to grow and many began shouting, some even throwing trash over the embassies walls in an attempt to intimidate the Aquitaynians within. This, however, did not work and after roughly a half hour the crowd began to diesperse. Even so, however, the Aquitaynians went on alert for the rest of the day, and a convoy was called upon to come escort Amira, her family, and several other Muslims who were seeking shelter on embassy grounds to the port, where they could be then transported back to Aquitayne proper.

The rest of the day seemed to go without incident, but at just after midnight a crowd began to form outside the embassy gates once again. As the crowd swelled, several men began to light garbage fires around the embassy while members of the local militia took steps to block off the district from the rest of the city, setting up checkpoints and manning barricades on all bridges to the area. By just before 0100 on January 23, the neighborhood was effectively isolated from the rest of the city, and the crowd began to grow violent. Many members began throwing glass bottles and bags full of trash into the embassy grounds, and this was soon followed by improvised explosives and firebombs. Seeing the danger outside, the Aquitaynian Marine guards took up defensive positions and prepared to engage the rioters if needed.

At roughly 0125, the first members of the crowd began to rush the embassy, scrambling over the walls in an attempt to enter the compound. Upon seeing this, the guards inside were given the order by Captain Peter Albright to use force, and opened fire on anyone entering the property. Several Confederate civilians were gunned down, causing the others to withdraw, leaving behind five dead and eight more wounded and groaning on the embassy lawn. Within seconds, members of the Custodies Populii responded once again, demanding that the Aquitaynian marines and the people they harbored exit the embassy and stand trial for a list of crimes.

Armed assault

After refusing to hand over their weapons, the Aquataynian security personnel were deemed a threat by members of the militia and lethal force was authorized to extract them from the embassy. At approximately 0134, the first round was fired from the militia positions. A rocket-propelled grenade slammed into the compound, causing relatively little damage, but signaling the second phase of the assault. Dozens of men on the street began blindly opening fire on the embassy, spraying bullets at any perceived movement behind the fortified concrete walls.

Around roughly the same time a group of Aquitaynian security personnel began moving into the area, responding from a black site located within Paradise City to calls for help from embassy staff. They first made contact with Confederate militiamen at around 0137, and moved to occupy a nearby building to provide covering fire for the overwhelmed guards and marines at the embassy. Despite their best efforts, however, the crowd of people on the street was able to swarm over the walls. Oce within the courtyard, however, the Confederate mob was subjected to a killing field, as Aquitaynian personnel rained fire in from several angles.

To alleviate the conditions in the courtyard, a militia commander once again authorized RPG fire against both the embassy as well as nearby buildings. Molotov cocktails were also dispersed, many of which were lobbed into the embassy building where they sparked a raging fire. Members of the mob and militia burst into the building amidst the flames, moving room to room and engaging security personnel and staff members as they were found. Within minutes of entering the compound, however, members of the Blackhelm Confederate Army arrived on scene and began to disperse the crowds.

Aquitaynian reaction

A group of V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft from the 31st Quick Reaction Force out of Symphonia scrambles when news of the attack breaks.

Once the embassy's alert system was activated, military and embassy officials were alerted that there was an ongoing crises in the Confederacy. When attempts to contact the embassy went unanswered, action plans were initiated by the Aquitaynian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which by extension meant the scrambling of a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) out of the southern provinces of Symphonia. Their flight plan would entail a roughly twelve to thirteen hour flight, and it is unclear whether prior airspace approval was requested by the Aquitaynian government prior to launching their rescue mission. A Seraphic Republic naval vessel operating in the South Mare Ferum region was re-routed and also launched a Quick Reaction Force of special forces stationed on the vessel to assist in the extraction of the embassy officials and Royal Marines. One anonymous military official stated that Axalon contractors, operating in secret at a black site in Paradise City moved to assist in protecting the embassy during the fighting, though that claim has never been confirmed.

The Aquitaynian government quickly condemned the attacks and demanded that its perpetrators be brought to justice. News outlets were widely reporting on the carnage ensuing in and around the embassy, with home-shot video footage showing a war-like scene. Immediate pressure was put on the Confederate government to activate its own government military forces to put an end to the fighting, as assistance was too far away for the embassy to hold out indefinitely. The Prime Minister, James Zaeir, stated to the press that "this is an extension of the Confederate's civil war in the most outrageous manner." Public opinion towards the attacks brought overwhelmingly negative sentiments towards the Blackhelm Confederacy in their allowance of the attacks and failure to act once the attack began.

Arrival of Confederate armed forces

The Blackhelm Confederate Army forces loyal to the Senate arrived shortly after the first call for help from the embassy was sent out, but soon found themselves struggling to deal with the highly agitated mob that had assembled in the area. Confederate forces were able to forcibly push through the crowd, injuring multiple individuals, before finally arriving at the embassy compound to disperse those who had gotten inside and begin firefighting duties.

The army's primary task during the incident was to disperse the crowd and relieve the embassy. As a result, many of the ringleaders were able to escape from the scene, although dozens of individuals were reportedly injured during melee combat with the soldiers.

Aftermath

Polls conducted after the attacks asked roughly 1,000 Aquitaynians if they believed the Royal Marines engaged with proper restraint and whether or not they believed the number of Confederate citizens killed was justified. Over 70% agreed with both statements, placing the blame squarely on the Blackhelm Confederacy for providing the circumstances to allow an attack of such magnitude to occur.

Later arrangements provided for enhanced security protocols for Aquitaynian embassy staff as well as extended agreements between both governments to provide rapid response in the event of another incident.

Roughly a week after the attacks, the bodies of the twelve Aquitaynian citizens killed in the attacks were brought home to wide press coverage and public support. The King himself attended the funeral for many of the attack's victims.

Fatalities and injuries

Aquitaynian Losses

Confederate response

The newly installed Confederate Chancellor Octavius Eaglebrand's office swiftly condemned the attack and extended condolences, and stated that it hopes for stronger relations with the nation of Aquitayne in the future. Cornelius Pureheart, the Head of the Confederate Senate, said: "We apologize to the nation of Aquitayne, her people and to the whole world for what happened in Paradise City. We confirm that no-one will escape from punishment and questioning."

There were demonstrations in Paradise City and Alexandia in the days following the attack, with crowds condemning the violence and holding signs such as "The Confederacy is against terrorism", and other signs apologizing to Aquitayne for the actions in their name and in the name of Confederate Christians. Two days after the attack the Confederate ambassador to Symphonia told the media that the Custodies Populae were behind the attack, and urged the king of Aquitayne to continue supporting the Blackhelm confederacy as it went "through a very difficult time" and that the young Confederate government needed help so that it could "maintain security and stability in our country".

Crackdown on militias

Taking advantage of the growing momentum and rising anger against the militias evinced in the earlier anti-militia demonstrations, on February 2nd the Confederate Senate declared that all unauthorized militias had 48 hours to either disband or come under government control. The government also mandated that bearing arms in public was now illegal, as were non-military armed checkpoints. With that declaration, various militias in Paradise City held meetings, ultimately deciding to submit to the government's authority, and handed over various public facilities they had been holding, including the city's three main jails, which were handed over to the authority of the Ministry of Justice. Hours later, in Divinity, the two main militias active in the city both withdrew, leaving their combined five military bases behind.On the night of the 5th, the government commenced with the first raid against reluctant groups, targeting a former military base held by a rogue infantry militia and clearing them out with minimal casualties.

Seeing that the government was willing to actively move against them with force, militias began surrendering to the government across the country. The government formed a specialized force of Town Guard personnel for the explicit purpose of evicting illegal militias that decided to continue resistance. Hundreds of militiamen, and many former rebel fighters, gathered in the city centers across the country to hand over their weapons to the government on February 9th.

Prior to these events, the Senate was having trouble finding ways to deal with the armed militias, and many officials had actually been forced to rely on some of them for protection and security. According to a Confederate interviewed in Redemption, the government gained the ability to push back against the militias because of a "will of the people". Utilizing the means they did, however, the Eaglebrand administration effectively brought a definitive close to the civil war.

Some rebel groups, such as the CWP, simply returned to the Backlands, continuing their decades long struggle against the government that had existed since the days of the Empire. The majority of groups, however, had surrendered, and the country began instituting plans to recover.

Aquitaynian response

File:Pm2011.jpg
Prime Minister Nathan Wilde gives a speech condemning the attacks in Paradise City.

Aquitaynian response came in the form of three distinct atmospheres. Public outcry, military response, and diplomatic repercussion. The immediate response of not only the Aquitaynian government, but of the United Kingdom military forces in the region, was to extract embassy personnel as quickly as possible and to ensure the loss of life was mitigated. Aquitaynian diplomatic missions across the world were placed on high alert, and remained closely watched and heavily guarded for the week following these attacks. Parliament also approved an emergency funding bill to increase the allocation of manpower and funds to the Diplomatic Security Corps to ensure another attack would not take place. In an act not seen since the Second Great Astyrian War, the King ordered multiple Aquitaynian civilian aircraft into military service to finish the extraction of diplomatic personnel from Paradise City International Airport. The aircraft, belonging to Aquitayne's flag carrier, Royal Air, were commandeered to bring the embassy personnel home to Aquitayne after being extracted by Confederate military forces. The flights departed at roughly 1100 hours Confederate time and were given military escort by Confederate Air Force fighters until they reached international waters, where Royal Air Force jets from Symphonia escorted them the rest of the way to Cape Town.

Public outcry regarding the attacks came mostly in the beginning hours of the morning, when millions of Aquitaynians woke to see pictures of a burning embassy on the television. Members of Parliament quickly condemned the attacks on social media and through short televised stump speeches. Small protests were lead across the nation to demand action by the Confederate government and accountability over those who had perpetrated the attacks. The largest protest was observed outside the Confederate Embassy in Telora, where an estimated 5,000 people surrounded the complex. Aquitaynian police and the embassy security personnel were keen to ensure no violence was observed, and only two arrests were made.

Diplomatically, the Aquitaynian government was wary to re-establish diplomatic presence in the region in the wake of the attacks. For a period of almost six months, consular affairs were administered through the Nikolian Embassy in Paradise City via a bilateral agreement that secured physical representation of the Aquitaynian government in the Confederacy in lieu of an independent building. The major hurdle over the re-establishment of a physical Aquitaynian embassy in Paradise City was the necessity by the Aquitaynian government for increased security allowances in addition to an overhaul of the Confederate military's response plan for attacks on embassies within the city. Until military response time could be lowered to within thirty minutes of an attack, the Aquitaynian government refused to re-open the embassy, even though reconstruction had been completed within four months after the attacks.

The Aquitaynian diplomatic mission at 66 Via Titus V was re-established on July 25th, 2011, with increased security personnel and physical measures to ensure the compound's safety. A memorial for the Royal Marines and embassy staff who were killed in the attack was erected in the courtyard where a memorial garden surrounds their names.

Confederate Honor Guard

In total, 12 Aquitaynian citizens were killed in the attack. In an effort to move on from the event, the Confederate government hastily prepared the bodies of those killed and prepared them for their transfer home. In a show of unity and respect, the Confederate Army held a small ceremony for the departing dead, and had an honor guard accompany each casket into the awaiting military transport plane which would take them back to Aquitayne. In total, roughly 100 Confederate soldiers participated in the ceremony, where the Aquitaynian national anthem and taps were played. The event was not televised, but a photo captured by a BCNN reporter made headlines and the front page of almost every newspaper across the region the next day. The photo, depicting a Confederate officer, later identified as Centurion Octavius Brightwall, was captured saluting the casket of one of the Royal Marines solemnly, with tears streaming down his face. This image captivated the world and brought the human toll of the civil war to the forefront of the public's eye.

While there were Aquitaynian military personnel on board the aircraft that took the deceased back to Aquitayne, they did not participate in the ceremony. This was, as the Prime Minister later commented, done as a show of respect to the Confederacy and acknowledgement from both sides that neither party had orchestrated the attack and were deeply remorseful for the situation. The dignified transfer was seen by the Confederate government as a way to apologize and bring the ordeal to a close, and was likewise seen by the Aquitaynians as a sign of respect and reverence for the sacrifice their countrymen made to defend the innocent.

Reactions

 Nikolia - As the reports of the attack arrived from the Nikolian Ambassador to Blackhelm Confederacy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Aleksandra Krstich issued orders for immediate security measures to be established within the Nikolian embassy in Paradise City. Not long after, emergency meeting of the Crown Council was held and King of Nikolia was briefly informed on the information. After the meeting, press conference was held on which His Majesty commended that "such barbaric and cowardly act on the diplomatic mission of the Constitutional Monarchy of Aquitayne must not be tolerated" and that he was in "shock that Confederate authorities' response was so slow and inadequate in the first moments of the attack." Nikolian Chancellor, Tomislav Petrovich said that he was in contact with Aquitaynian Prime Minister and that he offered whatever help necessary to the Aquitaynian state, or its people.

A day after the attack, following a special bilateral agreement, the Embassy of Nikolia in Paradise City took over consular affairs for Aquitaynian citizens in Blackhelm Confederacy until reestablishment of Aquitaynian diplomatic mission. During this period, Aquitaynian flag was symbolically flown alongside Nikolian from the building.

 Aswick - A day after the attack on the Aquitaynian embassy, the King of Aswick released a statement in support of Aswick's close friend. In this, he stated he was appalled by the barbarity of the Confederate citizens that attacked the embassy. He went on to express his condolences to the Aquitaynian victims of the attack, while leaving out any further mention of the Confederate casualties.

Fearing a similar situation occurring to the Aswickan embassy in the Confederacy, the staff of the Royal Diplomatic Protection Service (RDPS) requested an increase of armed personnel. Their request was granted, and they were reinforced by a half-Company detached from the highly trained Jamestown Rangers (Commonly referred to as "Boudica's Boys), and a section of sappers who immediately got to work to shore up the compound's defences.

 Kyashi - The First Representative was quick to condemn the embassy attack. In a press statement, he noted that if proper diplomatic channels were hindered by nations fearing attacks on their sovereign diplomatic missions, then only conflict could follow. He also further affirmed Kyashian support for the EATA and the Confederacy, offering any support the nation could give in preventing future attacks. The Kyashian embassy in Paradise City also announced that it would increase its armed security personnel and install additional electronic security measures to prevent a similar event from occurring.

 Valle Crucis - Upon learning of the civil unrest in the Confederacy, Valle Crucian authorities instituted an immediate travel advisory to and from the country, placing its embassy on the highest state of alert. As the details of the attack began to filter out of Paradise City, incoming Chancellor Rehder LeVaugh and his adjutant, former Masarahi refugee Hamza Rejkowski issued a joint statement with opposition leader Pearce Timko and outgoing Chancellor Stephen McCormack, condemning the violence and vowing to bolster the security inside Valle Crucis’s Confederate mission.

Mir-Masah Saleh, the President of the Council of Masarahi Union and Assistant Secretary to PLC party chair Dan Jenerette initiated a formal petition to the National Council of the City-State to open its doors to Moslem refugees seeking asylum in the wake of the violence. In response, LeVaugh announced that his government would work in concert with the Confederate government to facilitate the immigration of up to 50,000 refugees seeking asylum in Valle Crucis.

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