Embargo Woes
Economic Brinkmanship in a New Era

While El-Hussaqi troops settled into Natharctica, the Natharctican head of state secretly contacted the Prime Chancellor of Marcusburg via a cellular phone, asking for assistance in the situation on March 7. In response, the Prime Chancellor and the Supreme Viceroy of Lindsholm imposed an economic embargo on Rattanjeetland so as to pressure the Ethnarch to stop the El-Hussaqi action.

The embargo infuriated the Confederacy, which issued a press release containing an ultimatum of 48 hours to lift the embargoes or face similar economic action against the entire Platinum Nexus.

In an instance of compromise, the Natharctica situation was defused on the 9th as President Aladdin of El-Hussaq agreed to return political, economic, and military sovereignty to Natharctica. He would only retain control of Natharctican elite forces. The Natharctican head of state approved of the development but members of the Nexus still protested against the extraterritorial control of Natharctican elite forces.

A day before, a deadly terrorist attack severed the Steel Glider system from Rattanjeetland, triggering Marcusburg to lift its embargo on the Ethnarch's nation. The embargo from Lindsholm remained and the ultimatum deadline continued to near.

The ultimatum deadline was to run out at noon on the 9th. Right before this deadline the Supreme Viceroy of Lindsholm lifted the embargo on Rattanjeetland and imposed an embargo on the rest of the Confederacy. A dazed and confused Ethnarch then extended the deadline and at the same time offered to provide Marcusburg and Lindsholm with personnel in order to repair the Steel Glider system. The Prime Chancellor declined the offer but stated he would be willing to accept Confederate funds which would be put to use on the bullet train system.

Later that day, the President of Kamograd successfully passed a motion through the Volkshem (parliament) to ban left-wing parties in his country. The Supreme Viceroy of Lindsholm dropped his embargo on the Confederacy and imposed one on Kamograd. Likewise, the Prime Chancellor and the Prime Minister of Gorditas followed suit immediately afterwards.

An El-Hussaqi press release issued on the same day demanded an Congressional inquiry into the terrorist attack in Marcusburg and Lindsholm. The Secretary-General accepted the request. Meanwhile, the stated intent of El-Hussaq to send a Confederate investigation team into Marcusburg and Lindsholm was flatly rejected by the Prime Chancellor. However, passive Rattanjeetland observers would be permitted to partake in the investigation.

When asked by reporters in the Yachtfew about the El-Hussaqi claim that a Lindsholm scheme sparked the War of 2K1, the Prime Chancellor called the claim "ludicrous, laughable, and insulting". He then went on to compare the claim to one in which a witless bank robber blames a bank for a botched robbery since the bank had money in it.