WEAPON SHIPMENTS FOUND DIVERTED TO NEUSTRIANS; RESIDENCE DENIES INVOLVEMENT
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DISARRAY APPARENT
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Was Not 'Fully Informed' About Weapons Shipments, Empeurer Asserts
by ORVYN VERANISETH
Special for the IVORHEART POST
Pelagis, Sep. 24 -- His Majesty Peté Tar-Ilium said today that he had not been in full control of his regime's Neustria policy, and the Residence has said that as a result up to 3,000 arms intended for use on military bases near the border had been diverted to Neustrian rebels in the Empire of Letonna.
At the same time, the Empeurer announced that one of the men he held responsible - Maj. Gen. Fendel Sadiroth, the director of the Myrorian Intelligence Agency, and several members of the general's staff, had resigned their positions.
With the Residence already in upheaval over the earlier disclosure of a military buildup near the Letonnan border, and with speculation rampant that His Majesty is planning a massive overhaul of his staff membership, the Empeurer's statement only seems to confirm earlier suspicions that the Residence is in disarray. All signs indicate that the Empeurer faces the most serious crisis of his almost fifteen-year long reign.
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Investigation Imminent
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His Majesty shocked assembled Councillors, ranking regime officials, and members of the press by announcing in a televised press conference that he had not been "fully informed" of some of the details of the MIA's operations near the border with Letonna and that General Sadiroth would be leaving after a "serious breach of protocol". He continued by saying that General Sadiroth was not being fired, but had "asked to be relieved of his post at the head of the Myrorian Intelligence Agency".
After the Empeurer's announcement, the Council of Great Houses' Imperial Oversight Committee said it was still investigating how Neustrian rebel forces recieved "between 1,800 and 3,000 arms, including at least one hundred rocket-propelled grenade launchers and 40 portable mortars".
Myrorian and Letonnan sources told the Ivorheart Post that agents of the Myrorian Intelligence Agency played a "central role" in coordinating and organizing weapon shipments to Neustrian rebels. The details of the "Neustrian weapons affair", as the scandal is quickly becoming known as, were revealed to the Post by an anonymous source.
In Mets, Austrasia, and Traval, Myroria, spokesmen for the Neustrian rebel coalition said they knew nothing of weapons shipments organized by Gen. Sadiroth.
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'Lone Actor'
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"The only person in the Myrorian government that knew what was occuring near the Letonnese border was Major General Sadiroth," said Minalcar Ilium, the Imperial Representative to the Council of Great Houses. "IOI Director Helerith, Minister of Foreign Affairs Novroth, Minister of Defense Andulorovth - none of us knew. Major General Sadiroth was truly a lone actor."
"The Empeurer knew nothing of this affair until I reported it to him yesterday afternoon," Sera Ilium said before the assembled reporters in the Residence's Press Room. "I alerted him as soon as I confirmed the reports."
Later the Imperial Representative said that Gothren Quarrith, former Imperial Chamberlain and currently serving as an aide for Her Majesty the Empeuress Consort, likely knew of the plan. Sera Ilium said that Sera Quarrith was likely aware of the plan "from its beginning".
Asked why Sera Quarrith failed to say anything to the Empeurer, Sera Ilium said "I don't know". Neither General Sadiroth, nor Gothren Quarrith could be reached for comment.
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Unanswered Questions
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The Residence's account, though admittedly incomplete pending the ending of an official probe, left several questions unanswered, such as:
Whose idea was it to help the Neustrian rebels and why did the Minister of Defense, who oversees the Myrorian Intelligence Agency, not notice up to 3,000 arms missing from its inventory?
What did the Letonnese government know about these arms shipments?
Why would Great House Quarrovth publicly oppose the Neustrian rebels while being involved in weapons shipments to those rebels? What does Gothren Quarrith know?
Did other Myrorian officials know of this plan to help the Neustrian rebels?
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The Empeurer's Brief Appearance
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His Majesty devoted less than five minutes to address this surprise disclosure and left Sera Ilium to field press questions. His Majesty seemed tense and almost angry. Asked if anyone else in the government would be let go, he shortly replied: "No one was let go. They chose to go."
His Majesty then walked quickly out of the press room.
Gothren folded up his copy of the Ivorheart Post and placed it on the table next to him. Standing up, and walking to his hotel room's only phone, he dialed his contact in Letonna, grabbing a manila envelope off the bedside table as the other end rang.
"It's Gothren," he said, taking pictures of an old manor outside Khenstein out of the envelope.
"I'm in Letonnasburg with some very interesting documents. When can we meet, sera?"