Distribution - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Statement on Invasion of Stargate

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[SIZE=6][U]Statement on Invasion of Stargate[/U][/SIZE][/CENTER]

Earlier this morning, the Brotherhood of Malice, seemingly not learning from the mistakes of other raiding organisations, invaded the region of [region]Stargate[/region], a long standing treaty ally of The North Pacific. As should be evident already, [URL='https://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/9195430/']this is an action which [/URL]will always carry consequences. This senseless action by The Brotherhood of Malice has been motivated by the denial of a forum embassy, blinding them to the consequences of attacking The North Pacific or its allies

Not content with a half-hearted attempt to intimidate our region and our allies into establishing relations with them, the Brotherhood of Malice has sought to provoke The North Pacific by the nature of this operation. Their operation included childish activities, designed to heighten tension and draw further attention to their operation. Casl has since been restored to the Delegacy, and I thank the members of the North Pacific who took part in this operation. I also thank the regions - both allied and not - who have reached out to offer support The North Pacific and Stargate in the face of this unwarranted aggression.

In response, I have invoked our newly passed foreign policy law to prohibit diplomatic relations with The Brotherhood of Malice. This, pending a vote of the Regional Assembly, prevents any establishment of embassies or official collaboration of any kind between The North Pacific and the target region. Importantly, this action will bind all future governments of The North Pacific to hold to this, unless they seek the revocation of this status from the Regional Assembly. The Brotherhood of Malice has also been added to our retaliatory recruitment list as per our standard operating procedures.

I am also exempting The Brotherhood of Malice from the prohibitions put upon the North Pacific Army from damaging and destroying regions under Section 7.6 of the Legal Code. This exemption will be extended to all Brotherhood of Malice trophies, refoundings by Brotherhood of Malice leadership under other banners and a number of Brotherhood of Malice embassy regions. The region of Osiris, with whom The North Pacific has a non-aggression pact and who have not participated nor supported this hostile act, will not be part of this list.

Casl has been restored to the Delegacy, and I thank the members of the North Pacific who took part in this operation. I also thank the regions - both allied and not - who have reached out to offer support The North Pacific and Stargate in the face of this unwarranted aggression.

The Brotherhood of Malice have, with their actions, clearly indicated that they are not only an enemy of The North Pacific, but also of any region that values the freedom and sovereignty to decide who to maintain relations with without intimidation or attack. We will oppose them, and we will outlast them, and when their leading players slink off back to retirement, we will finish them.

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[nation]MadJack[/nation]
Delegate of The North Pacific