In reply to Combat Cycle Ref (msg # 74):
GM says: Sorry for the delay...
Status going into combat cycle #3
Iraq
Iraq is in civil war along sectarian lines, following Syria down the meatgrinder.
http://images.nationmaster.com...iraq_ethnic_1978.jpg
The green (shia), orange (kurd) areas are stable while yellow (sunni) and mixed areas are experiencing ethnic cleansing and brigade level military action between factions. The Kurd – Sunni border is quiet. The government is fractioned with orders and contra orders going out, the central govt still control areas around Bagdad. The factions are Shia militia in south, Kurdish peshmerga in the north, government (sunni) forces centered on Bagdad and ISIS fanatic sunni islam controlling major parts of the country west of Fallujah, up to Mosul and down to the Saudi border. Large groups of refugees are coming into neighboring countries, mainly Saudi and Jordan.
Iran is going into civil war
The nationalist government is challenged by the IRGC and the moderates. In Teheran the factions are bickering in the parliament during the day and assassinating each other during the night. The nationalists point the finger to IRGC as behind the WMDs. The IRGC is accusing the nationalists for the war, and the moderates for selling out Iranian Kurdistan. The moderates accuse both of them of being war mongers. The armed forces have stayed out of it so far but that is probably about to change. The nationalists just announced: ”We intend to join PROTO and hand over the IRGC generals responsible for the previous Tuberculosis outbreak in Russia”. The IRGC denies responsibility. The moderates want to get closer to the west but not wanting to appear as in their pocket, so are urging the western (and Russian) powers to stay their hand and not advance further into Iran.
Meanwhile in Turkey
Western Turkey is stabilising and the armed forces have mobilised. Some fear they are about to initiate an offensive to take back eastern Turkey/Kurdistan. Turkey is reapplying for EU membership and has more or less agreed to the German peace proposal except that they will not accept a referendum for a separate Kurdistan, saying: ”We are willing to negotiate extensive selfgovernance for the kurdish region but we cannot accept a loss of turkish land. The Kurds are readying their defences and refuse anything less than full independance. The French peacekeepers are nervously walking the line between them. Feeling a bit lonely after the rest of the NATO forces were invited to leave.
Russian and NATO troops to Kurdistan via Caucasus
Russian and NATO troops have started to move through the caucasus countries of Georgia, Azerbajan and Armenia. The Russian pressure have made the country of Georgia to ask that NATO put its application for membership on the fast track, fearing being eaten by Russia after Russia has pressured it to accept Russian troops and advisors.
Libya divided
Western Libya is full civil war, while eastern Libya is fairly stable under Italian/ENI control.
Egypt
No change from previous combat cycles...
Anything else? Questions?