For almost seven decades, 'Hama-Latu' and the 'Tohira', have struggled for supremacy over a strip of desert measuring eight hundred [earth] miles long by six hundred and fifty wide. In this harsh country, known as, 'Hama', there are high mountains to the east and a land locked sea to the west.
The Hama-Latu, who have occupied this land for more than three thousand [earth] years, are being slowly displaced by the Tohira. The newcomers have a vastly superior military capability - courtesy of substantial foreign aid - while the Hama-Latu, less well equipped, but no less convinced of their just claim, have opted to fight a guerilla war against what they perceive as nothing short of 'illegal colonization'. The Tohira argue that they have an historic claim to the land, despite the fact that they left it more than a millennium ago on an economic migration to lands far to the north.
A global conflict eighty years ago, which involved the Tohira being singled out for a program of genocide, gave rise to a movement to re-settle them in their ancient homeland. Problem is, no one thought to ask or involve the Hama-Latu. The Tohira are bankrolled principally by Farmira - the most powerful nation on Kado - though many other nations have provided considerable help over the years since the war. Since the re-settlement program first began, they have pushed further into Hama-Latu occupied land, tearing down villages and replacing them with communal farms or acres of fruit trees, irrigated by the inland Sea of Cush (see image below).
Even the irrigation process, itself, has caused considerable anger on the part of Hama's neighbors, the 'Aviatoar', 'Eeria' and 'Kancha', all of whom claim that the Tohira are draining the Sea of Cush faster than the unreliable annual rainfall can replenish it. The level is already at an all time low.
These three races are old and well established in the region, as are the Hama-Latu. At various times during the distant past, they have all come into conflict with the Tohira. This is also true of the Sarchu, Tohira's neighbor to the south-west, however, a peace treaty was signed between the two former enemies two years ago, so for the moment the Sarchu have not become involved. These four also share a common religion with the Hama-Latu, known as "Harat". Approximately one third of the global population belongs to this religious grouping. Governments in the region have long accepted the capitalist doctrines and practices of the economies to which they export their fuel ore. However, none of these Haratan states is a political democracy, and their economies seem to be run for the benefit of the ruling elite. Their youth, disenfranchised and unemployed, has turned to the growing number of schools dedicated to the study of Harat.
Fundamentalism is a growing problem in most of the nations in the region, including Sarchu, as widespread dissatisfaction with the westernization of their society and its dependency on the powerhouse, but self-interested, economy of Farmira has given rise to a dangerous new faction: multi-national, intelligent, well educated, and committed to the destruction of the capitalist edifice, and all who support it, through their own martyrdom.
Recently, Farmira has come into open conflict with Aviatoar, claiming it has been involved in 'state sponsored terrorism', and has provided funds and training camps within its borders for anti-Farmira groups. For clarity, we should point out that Farmira, in common with several of the lands to the north of Aviatoar, is home to the most popular religion on the planet, Sedantarianism.
Farmira has always supported the Tohira, and their occupation of Hama - indeed, they were one of the three co-signatories to the international agreement covering the re-settlement program. The last three Farmiran administrations have offered considerable, and more importantly uncritical support for the Tohira, who are Cumo-Sedantarian by religion, despite their having on several occasions committed atrocities against the Hama-Latu during an act of 'retaliation' or 'retribution'. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the accusation has been leveled against Farmira of being 'anti-Harat'. This is a potentially disastrous development for the stability of the entire region, together with the Farmiran economy, which relies heavily on fuel ore exports from the region. With Tohira's recent military incursions into Hama-Latu occupied territory on the pretext of arresting terrorists, we have seen the conflict escalate to a new level. International fuel ore prices are now at an all time high and much of the so-called 'West's' economy is in recession.
According to Cant Defore, Tohira's ambassador to the Kado International Forum for Peace and Prosperity, "It is now time to chose up sides." His speech, yesterday, at the I.F.P.P.'s headquarters building in Kerat, on Farmira's eastern coast, was accompanied by a great deal of desk thumping. The ambassadors from Aviatoar and Eeria, together with their advisors, were instructed by their governments to boycott the proceedings.
Farmira's president, Tor Javis, has waited for more than a week after Tohira's incursions into Hama-Latu occupied land began, before sending Special Presidential Representative, Ten Gupa, to the region, ostensibly to broker a peace between the two protagonists. Cynics have suggested the 'casual' timing of Gupa's itinerary was designed to allow Tohiran forces to complete their current missions and leave the occupied territory in good time. 
Unfortunately, during Gupa's visit, the Hama-Latu unleashed a ferocious terrorist attack on the Tohira's capital city, Tohirashar, killing more than eighty civilians, and wounding over two hundred. Similar action, in Rasar, has claimed the lives of six Tohirans, with more than thirty injured. In both attacks, the Hama-Latu suicide bombers died.
For his part, President Javis gave vent to a withering attack on the leader of the Hamu-Latu, Hamusha Feruk, demanding that he, "roundly condemn these atrocities, and come to the table in pursuit of peace". President Javis, however, noticeably failed to similarly condemn the Tohira for the hundreds of Hama-Latu believed killed in their capital, Hamasee, as Tohira heavy armor assaulted the city. Tohira armed forces are still denying aid agencies, as well as reporters, access to Hamasee. Suspicion is growing that a massacre of Hama-Latu civilians (and of course fighters who might well have been in hiding among them) was perpetrated by the Tohira armed forces and they need a little time to 'sanitize' the region before allowing in outsiders. Unconfirmed reports suggest 'hundreds, maybe a thousand, have been killed'. A Tohiran army representative was heard today to admit the figure 'may easily have been that high', but this 'statement' has since been retracted by other Tohiran sources.
Farmira is now in real danger of isolating itself from its allies with its unconditional support for Tohira. It has already suffered from fundamentalist terrorism, recently, when a group of Isharatu 'martyrs' orchestrated a suicide attack on several buildings in the financial heart of Kerat, as well as three failed attempts on military targets. Fears are growing among the population at large that more of these, 'softer' civilian, targets will be attacked soon. Already, several global transport carriers have started laying off workers as demand for international travel has reduced dramatically. Other governments across the globe, who sided with Farmira immediately after these attacks, are viewing the increased possibility of Harat fundamentalist terrorism within their own borders with alarm.
Unsurprisingly, Farmira is now engaging in an 'international' quest to rid the planet of terrorism, 'once and for all'. This initiative desperately needs support from the 'Haratan' nations if it is to be remotely successful. Many commentators believe this initiative is now in jeopardy, though almost as many doubt that it could ever succeed, based as it is on the 'western' premise that 'Harat' is a fundamentalist religion by nature. This attitude, of course, conveniently overlooks the equally dreadful carnage that has been perpetrated in the name of Sedantarianism during Kado's long and bloody history. All, however, are beginning to question Farmira's clearly one-sided policy in the region, and have begun to openly condemn Tohira's president, Roul Doza, as a warmonger and (dare we say it in these politically correct times) a terrorist.
Editorial Comment:
It's important for any organization involved in the dissemination of news to try as hard as possible to maintain a neutral stance. We accept that this report, filed by Byro Hyteleafe, might be considered by some to show more sympathy towards the plight of the Hama-Latu, and to caste the Tohira in a less than favorable light.
The appalling treatment handed out to the Tohira, eighty years previously, which very nearly caused their total eradication, was clearly an evil crime, for which some, though by no means most, of the perpetrators were held accountable. On that occasion, the Tohira were the victims, and deserving of our support. Their return to their ancient homeland, modern day Hama, was hardly a popular one. One can hardly blame them, therefore, for taking the view that the security of their borders is their highest priority, right now.
There are, however, those who believe the Tohira are working to a different agenda altogther - that they are seeking to drive the Hama-Latu out of their homes, so they can occupy all of Hama themselves. What we say, is they, the Tohira, are demonstrably now the aggressor. They have the power. They have the might. It is not clear that they have the right. If anything is clear from these events, though, it is that being the victim one moment does not give us the right to be bullies the next. That is the message, perhaps, we should be taking to heart.
