For Want of A Pretzel (DH MDS AAR)

[gdac]

For Want of A Pretzel: US DH MDS AAR

Welcome to For Want of A Pretzel, a Darkest Hour Modern Day Scenario AAR. This AAR begins in 2002 and will probably go until 2022. It is my first AAR so thanks for your feedback and comments. Thanks to all the AAR writers who inspired me to do this AAR.

Contents:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three
​

 

[gdac]

Chapter One ​

9/11
​

It is January 13th, 2002. Little over four months ago, almost 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington DC, the most heinous act of political terrorism in history and the worst attack on the United States since Pearl Harbor. The American people have rallied behind President George W. Bush, who currently enjoys an 84% approval rating. Though he never won the popular vote, the contentious circumstances of the 2000 Presidential Election are forgotten as Democrats and Republicans alike endorse Bush’s Global War on Terror, determined to hunt down the perpetrators of 9/11 and all who harbor them.

The Bush Administration
​

The might of American hyperpower has already rained down on Afghanistan, where the Taliban were overthrown, and a Western-backed government installed in December 2001 with the support of America’s NATO allies. America enjoys an unprecedent level of goodwill from all of the civilized people of the world and even rivals Russia and China stood aside in the UN Security Council to allow America’s invasion. American and Coalition forces continue to mop up the last militants in what will surely be a short operation.

American and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan
​

At around 5:35pm EST President Bush sits down in the living room of the White House Residence to watch the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens. His wife, First Lady Laura Bush, is using the telephone in another room. When the First Lady finishes her call around 5:50pm she enters the living room to discover the President unconscious on the floor bleeding from a head wound. Later investigation indicates the President choked on a snack food - a pretzel - which put pressure on the vagus nerve in his throat causing him to faint. This fainting called vasovagal syncope is common in people with habitual low blood pressure such as the President and is usually not harmful, but the President struck his head on a coffee table when he fell and is unresponsive. The First Lady immediately summons the Secret Service and medical assistance, and the President is rushed to George Washington University Hospital.

President Bush Is Taken To Hospital
​

At George Washington, surgeons determine the President is suffering from an acute subdural hematoma and must undergo immediate brain surgery. Meanwhile Vice President Cheney is informed and rushed to the White House to take command of America’s security during this crisis of leadership. With news networks beginning to pick up the story, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer makes a brief statement at 7:15 PM EST reporting that President Bush is undergoing surgery after a medical emergency and that Vice President Cheney is in full command of the government. While President Bush is undergoing surgery Vice President Cheney chairs an emergency meeting of the National Security Council in case any American adversaries try to take advantage of the situation. He also speaks to several world leaders by telephone to reassure them including Prime Minister Tony Blair of UK, French President Jacques Chirac, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. America faces an anxious night of uncertainty while the President continues to be operated on.

People Hold Vigils for President Bush
​

At 11:43 PM EST the first surgery on the President is successfully completed although he remains unconscious. Informed at his residence, Number One Observatory Circle, Vice President Cheney and his staff begin work on a speech to reassure the American people that the President is stable which will be broadcast for breakfast television on the East Coast. However, at 3:41 AM EST on January 14th 2002, renewed bleeding is detected in President Bush’s brain and he is taken back to surgery. At 5:31 AM EST Vice President Cheney is woken and told that George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, has died. In the Dining Room at Number One Observatory Circle, Richard Bruce Cheney of Wyoming is sworn-in as 44th President of the United States.

=========================
​

Welcome to my first AAR. After a long time lurking and reading some of the great AARs here I have decided to do one of my own. I hope you like it so far and please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I will be playing the AAR on a slightly modified version of novapaddy’s Modern Day mod.

- GDAC

 

[MacGowan]

Oh wow. For two seconds i was like "pretzel? what kinda weird plot point is that?" then I realised it actually happened. Loving the start can't wait for more

 

[gdac]

Oh wow. For two seconds i was like "pretzel? what kinda weird plot point is that?" then I realised it actually happened. Loving the start can't wait for more

Thanks! Yes this is from a real incident: http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jan/14/news/mn-22490

 

[annsan]

President Cheney. Ruh roh.

Looks great so far! Subbed

 

[stnylan]

Will follow with interest.

 

[gdac]

Chapter Two

The state funeral of President George W. Bush (1946-2002)
​

The state funeral of President George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, took place on January 20th, 2002. Hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans flocked to Washington DC to bear witness to the funeral of a man who would always be remembered for rallying the nation in the aftermath of 9/11 and for leading the successful invasion of Afghanistan.

President Cheney and First Lady Lynne Cheney with former presidents and first ladies
​

World leaders, political figures, and former presidents attended the funeral with former President Bush lying in state at the Capitol. President Cheney delivered a eulogy in which he said: “And it was the vision and will of George W. Bush that gave hope to the oppressed, shamed the oppressors, and ended evil. George W. Bush was more than an historic figure. He was a providential man, who came along just when our nation and the world most needed him. And believing as he did that there is a plan at work in each life, he accepted not only the great duties that came to him, but also the great trials.” President Bush was then laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.

President Cheney delivers the eulogy for President Bush
​

Meanwhile the new Cheney Administration had to set itself up despite the tragic circumstances of its beginning. The immediate priority was choosing a new Vice President to show the American people there was stability and security after three presidents in an as many years. Many felt President Cheney may be inclined to choose his long-term colleague Donald Rumsfeld, Defense Secretary under George W. Bush, as Vice President. Others suggested that the respected and well-known Secretary of State Colin Powell may be a popular choice.

​

Cheney ultimately chose Powell, who becomes the 47th Vice President and the first African-American VP, with Rumsfeld moving into the position of Secretary of State and Condoleezza Rice replacing Rumsfeld as the Secretary of Defense, the first woman and first African-American in this position. John Bolton became National Security Advisor while Lewis "Scooter" Libby became White House Chief of Staff. Otherwise Cheney chose to keep the Bush cabinet largely the same to avoid too much confusion and change for the American people. With Cheney enjoying a high approval rating after President Bush’s death all of his nominations for the Cabinet were easily approved.

The Cheney Cabinet (2002):

First row (L-R): Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld: Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill; Secretary of Defense Condoleezza Rice; Attorney General John Ashcroft

Second row (L-R): Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton; Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman; Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans; Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao

Third row (L-R): Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson; Secretary of Education Rod Paige; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez; Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta

Fourth row (L-R): Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham; Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi; Chief of Staff Lewis 'Scooter' Libby; National Security Advisor John Bolton
​

On February 10th, President Cheney delivered the State of the Union address which was delayed due to President Bush’s death. In front of members of the 107th United States Congress, along with special civilian and military guests, Cheney addressed the American people. The speech began by paying tribute to President Bush and promising to continue his legacy. Cheney covers the effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year and what Bush had planned to prevent future terrorist attacks upon the United States. Cheney gave a progress report on Bush’s Global War on Terrorism and detailed his own plans to end terrorism and bring all terrorists to justice, either by legal prosecution or death. In the speech President Cheney warns that Iran, North Korea and Iraq are an ‘Axis of Evil’ threatening world security.

President Dick Cheney delivers an emotional 2002 State of the Union address

​

Meanwhile many of America’s adversaries were celebrating the death of President George W. Bush. In Afghanistan the Taliban said the President’s death was a gift from Allah and launched a renewed insurgency in many parts of the country.

​

President Cheney was determined not to lose any ground to the insurgents. The President ordered the USS Enterprise carrier strike group to the Middle East to back up American power and also ordered the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan. Meanwhile U.S. and Coalition forces had to engage in heavy fighting in Helmand and Kandahar. Battling with the Taliban in mountainous hostile terrain was grueling and difficult. Even with overwhelming Coalition air power it was easy for the Taliban to hide in caves and among the local population who were hostile to the foreign forces. January 2002 was the worst month for U.S. casualties in Afghanistan with 17 American troops killed. This took the total number of U.S. troops killed since the start of the war to 24. President Cheney plans to have 7,200 U.S. troops in Afghanistan by March 2002. The deployments from the Coalition are smaller with only the UK doing any real fighting. The insurgency situation is made more difficult by the ability of the Taliban to move across the border into Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas and the Pakistani government’s inability and unwillingness to deal with the Islamists and threaten the fragile stability of their own state. Even to neoconservative President Cheney it is becoming clear that the occupation of Afghanistan will be be a long and costly engagement.

 

[stnylan]

So is Cheney the man America and the World needs?

Some may doubt it.

 

[Tommy Vercetti]

Good luck, will be following.

 

[pakotorino]

Subbed

 

[Yoshino]

Will Cheney's America invade Iraq too?
We will see soon! (hopely)

 

[Thegreatgeneral]

Subbed

 

[gdac]

Chapter Three

US forces battling to stabilize Afghanistan in 2002
​

Even as the situation in Afghanistan continues President Cheney and members of his cabinet are concerned with the next threat which they see as coming from Iraq. In the 2000 election the Republican Party’s platform called for the implementation of the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 and the removal of Saddam Hussein by any means necessary. President Cheney was a longstanding advocate of invading Iraq, which he saw as a destabilizing influence in the whole region, and he was supported by Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld and other cabinet members and advisors. In September 2000, Cheney and Rumsfeld had contributed to a report from the Project for the New American Century, a conservative think tank, in which they advocated for an invasion of Iraq to ensure a permanent role for the US in the Persian Gulf region.

Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was a thorn in the side of the US for decades
​

Immediately after 9/11 the Bush Administration actively considered an invasion of Iraq but decided to limit its military response to Afghanistan. President Cheney saw this as a mistake believing that Saddam gave support and assistance to Al Qaeda, and that he was intent on developing weapons of mass destruction with which he could foment instability and blackmail the West. In his first State of the Union address Cheney began to lay the rhetorical groundwork for an intervention in Iraq, calling Iraq a member of the ‘Axis of Evil’ and saying, “The United States of America will not permit the world’s most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world’s most destructive weapons.”

Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomes President Cheney to 10 Downing Street
​

Opinion polls showed the American people would be more likely to support an invasion as part of a broad, international consensus as had occurred in the First Iraq War. Throughout 2002 the Cheney administration works hard to convince America’s international allies of the necessity of invading Iraq and deposing Saddam’s dictatorship. In February, President Cheney chooses the UK for his first international trip, participating in the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and using the opportunity to lobby British Prime Minister Tony Blair to support an Iraq invasion. Blair enjoyed a strong personal relationship with President George W. Bush and the UK had committed the most support to America’s intervention in Afghanistan. However, there was less of a natural dynamic between the cosmopolitan socialist Blair and the neoconservative Cheney. Cheney’s neoconservative credentials and grim public persona are grist to the mill for European satirists and European allies demur on committing to future military action until the Cheney administration made its case to the United Nations.

​

Meanwhile the administration also tried to reach out Russia. In May 2002 President Cheney travels to Russia to sign the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty with President Vladimir Putin. The treaty is designed to replace the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972 and the START II Treaty of 1993. In October President Cheney continues to court Russia when he offers strong support to President Putin when Chechen rebels take control of the Nord-Ost theatre in Moscow and hold the audience hostage. At least 170 people are killed in a controversial Russian attempt to subdue the militants, but President Cheney calls Putin to offer support at "a time of solidarity between the United States and Russia as we confront the insidious threat of global terrorism.” Cheney’s diplomatic efforts pay off when in November the UN Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 1441, forcing Iraq to either disarm or face "serious consequences". Iraq agrees to the terms of the resolution on November 13.

Russian Spetsnaz rescue people from the Nord-Ost theatre after the terrorist siege.
​

Meanwhile the Cheney administration continues to enjoy strong opinion at home. The 2002 United States elections are held on November 5 and unusually the incumbent Republicans gain seats in both chambers of the United States Congress. The Republicans gain 2 Senate seats and 8 House seats as they continue to ride a wave of public support following the September 11 attacks and the death of President George W. Bush. Democrats largely support or stay quiet on Bush/Cheney national security and foreign policy and instead focus on criticizing the ongoing Early 2000s recession. The elections are only the third time since the Civil War that the president's party has gained seats in a midterm election (the first two being 1934 and 1998) and the first time that this happened under a Republican president. However, the American people’s views on Iraq may represent a political threat to the Republicans’ standing in the future.​

Americans protest the possible war in Iraq in 2002​

​

 

[annsan]

Chapter Three

US forces battling to stabilize Afghanistan in 2002
​

Even as the situation in Afghanistan continues President Cheney and members of his cabinet are concerned with the next threat which they see as coming from Iraq. In the 2000 election the Republican Party’s platform called for the implementation of the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 and the removal of Saddam Hussein by any means necessary. President Cheney was a longstanding advocate of invading Iraq, which he saw as a destabilizing influence in the whole region, and he was supported by Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld and other cabinet members and advisors. In September 2000, Cheney and Rumsfeld had contributed to a report from the Project for the New American Century, a conservative think tank, in which they advocated for an invasion of Iraq to ensure a permanent role for the US in the Persian Gulf region.

Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was a thorn in the side of the US for decades
​

Immediately after 9/11 the Bush Administration actively considered an invasion of Iraq but decided to limit its military response to Afghanistan. President Cheney saw this as a mistake believing that Saddam gave support and assistance to Al Qaeda, and that he was intent on developing weapons of mass destruction with which he could foment instability and blackmail the West. In his first State of the Union address Cheney began to lay the rhetorical groundwork for an intervention in Iraq, calling Iraq a member of the ‘Axis of Evil’ and saying, “The United States of America will not permit the world’s most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world’s most destructive weapons.”

Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomes President Cheney to 10 Downing Street
​

Opinion polls showed the American people would be more likely to support an invasion as part of a broad, international consensus as had occurred in the First Iraq War. Throughout 2002 the Cheney administration works hard to convince America’s international allies of the necessity of invading Iraq and deposing Saddam’s dictatorship. In February, President Cheney chooses the UK for his first international trip, participating in the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and using the opportunity to lobby British Prime Minister Tony Blair to support an Iraq invasion. Blair enjoyed a strong personal relationship with President George W. Bush and the UK had committed the most support to America’s intervention in Afghanistan. However, there was less of a natural dynamic between the cosmopolitan socialist Blair and the neoconservative Cheney. Cheney’s neoconservative credentials and grim public persona are grist to the mill for European satirists and European allies demur on committing to future military action until the Cheney administration made its case to the United Nations.

​

Meanwhile the administration also tried to reach out Russia. In May 2002 President Cheney travels to Russia to sign the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty with President Vladimir Putin. The treaty is designed to replace the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972 and the START II Treaty of 1993. In October President Cheney continues to court Russia when he offers strong support to President Putin when Chechen rebels take control of the Nord-Ost theatre in Moscow and hold the audience hostage. At least 170 people are killed in a controversial Russian attempt to subdue the militants, but President Cheney calls Putin to offer support at "a time of solidarity between the United States and Russia as we confront the insidious threat of global terrorism.” Cheney’s diplomatic efforts pay off when in November the UN Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 1441, forcing Iraq to either disarm or face "serious consequences". Iraq agrees to the terms of the resolution on November 13.

Russian Spetsnaz rescue people from the Nord-Ost theatre after the terrorist siege.
​

Meanwhile the Cheney administration continues to enjoy strong opinion at home. The 2002 United States elections are held on November 5 and unusually the incumbent Republicans gain seats in both chambers of the United States Congress. The Republicans gain 2 Senate seats and 8 House seats as they continue to ride a wave of public support following the September 11 attacks and the death of President George W. Bush. Democrats largely support or stay quiet on Bush/Cheney national security and foreign policy and instead focus on criticizing the ongoing Early 2000s recession. The elections are only the third time since the Civil War that the president's party has gained seats in a midterm election (the first two being 1934 and 1998) and the first time that this happened under a Republican president. However, the American people’s views on Iraq may represent a political threat to the Republicans’ standing in the future.​

Americans protest the possible war in Iraq in 2002​

​

So our first big divergence is Cheney is not charming enough to bring the Brits along. Will America go alone (or with Poland or Samoa whoever)

 

[stnylan]

One may have to go it alone

 

[OtakuStrategy]

An Alternate timeline when Bush chokes on a pretzel and dies! An Intriguing timeline

 

[ThaHoward]

The pretzel effect? Will follow with interest, especially considering it deals with wars quite close at heart.

 

[Eonex]

Well, the "Pretzel Effect" is an interesting name. Subbed.

 

[DKM]

Lincoln is shot through the head while enjoying the theatre, Garfield is gunned down and dies from infection...and then we have Dixie-man Bush here dying from a freaking pretzel! This is hilarious! You get a subscription just from that alone.

 

[El Pip]

This is an interesting premise so I will be following it. I did wonder if Cheney would ignore Iraq and instead look at Pakistan and the close links between them and the Taliban, the hints of the problems there have already been discussed. But instead he goes off chasing Iraq, I suppose the big question is will the US actually make a plan for post-war this time?

If Cheney is keen on the US having a permanent role in the region and regime change in Iraq, then hopefully he has an idea of what the new Iraqi regime should be and will actually put some plans in place to make that happen.