Opening Statement
(BEGIN TRANSMISSION)
Thank you for coming. I understand that given today's events, this may not be the top story on people's minds. However I thank you for your attention and hope this will not get buried amid the fallout of the ERA bombing.
The ERA and the Lion captured headlines and spread terror through our streets. Lives were lost, including those of a great public servant, my friend Elijah Hamilton. We all pray that the Lion is apprehended soon and brought to justice. However the threat posed by the Lion is not the only one that has been threatening the people of Eutopia, it is only the most publicized.
In recent months there have been some unexplained actions by the government. Some of these have drawn criticism from the general public. Given the limited amount of information that was provided at the time this was perfectly understandable and no one should be faulted for questioning these actions. However, at the time we explained that there were perfectly good reasons for some of the government secrecy, and that they would be revealed in due time.
That time is now.
Ladies and gentlemen, about 6 weeks ago the government received an anonymous tip that a coup was being planned to topple the government. This was discovered while I was serving as interim MILE before the current MILE Jacob Lundgren assumed office.
Routine investigation pointed to one or two high-ranking members of the government. How far along they were in their plans and who actually belonged to this conspiracy was unknown. It seemed unbelievable that trusted public servants could be planning so treasonous an act, but if that was possible then there was no telling who could and who could not be trusted. That being the cast, these matters could not be discussed publicly.
A secret investigation, utilizing Eutopia's Security and Analysis Wing of our law enforcement authority, was initiated.
Soon, suspicious events within the military triggered the involvement of the MIDA. The President was notified of this threat as well. Also, ENDTech was seen as a potential target for conspirators seeking weapons and its president was also alerted.
More information came to light and it became clear that a real armed insurrection was being planned. Perhaps not the coup originally feared, but a clear and immediate attempt at armed revolution. The target of this revolution? The WET.
A mercenary invasion of Eutopia had been launched, aimed at the WET. Immediately a challenge arose, how could Eutopia prepare to meet this threat head-on without revealing our knowledge of the conspiracy and allowing those involved time to flee or cover their tracks?
We had a difficult decision to make: to reveal what was known or to try to capture the conspirators in the act.
Fearing hostile surveillance (We all know there are few real secrets in Eutopia, even in "private" meetings) these matters could not be talked about openly, yet the government had to be alerted. More members of the government where informed, and all were given a specific code in which they could speak. A secret meeting was held, allegedly to talk about a smuggling crisis. Even though this was secret, ahem, knowledge of the meeting and what was discussed was soon public. Luckily, by speaking in code key elements of the discussion remained secret.
Up to this point, our investigation had revealed several bits of information that had seemed to implicate MILE Lundgren as a co-conspirator. However, it is at this time that, through extensive questioning we were able to dismiss this evidence as false clues planted by conspirators to throw us off their trail.
MILE Lundgren authorized security measures within the WET and through the nation's coast guard to help foil the armed insurrection and to hopefully disrupt the schemes of Eutopian revolutionaries already in the WET.
Once it was clear that Lundgren's involvement in this treason had been manufactured, he was made aware of the investigation and the threats posed. He was been an invaluable leader in not only helping to foil this treachery but to preserve and maintain order in the WET.
The coast guard was not needed however, as our back-up plan, the involvement of the United States Navy, succeeded in intercepting armed mercenaries heading for our shores.
These mercenaries have been detained and interrogated as prisoners of war. At the end of this press conference they shall be turned over to federal authorities for whatever charges might be drawn against them, and for questioning by international authorities.
Did your government successfully disrupt an attempt at armed revolution? Yes.
Has the danger to Eutopia passed? No. There are still those who would seek to overthrow the authority of our government by force of arms.
Why is this information being released now? With recent security leaks in the WET and the difficulty of maintaining secrecy, it was finally decided that the conspirators were likely aware of our counter-revolutionary efforts. As such, there was no longer any pressing security reason to keep things from the public. Also, public confidence in the government, which had been working to protect the people, was at an all-time low. Even though it may be more efficient to continue to work in secrecy, it was decided that for the good of the Republic, these issues should be aired.
What are the next steps to be taken by the government? That depends upon the will of the people and the decisions made by the President and his cabinet. As Deputy MILE I have completed my investigation and leave the decision on how to proceed to my superiors. I am happy to cooperate with further investigations, but it is for those who were elected by the people, our president and members of parliament, to decide how to proceed.
CAUTION: Several Eutopians will be mentioned by name and private conversations (made in public places or recorded on audio or video tape) will be submitted in this report.
It is my purpose to publicly report the evidence uncovered by the investigation. This is not a trial. This is not even a call to arrest anyone. Those decisions will have to be made by someone else, not me. And anyone the government does arrest should be given a proper opportunity to defend themselves before any judgment is made.
I will now present my report.
This should add to the mix. Are we ready?)
