George Bush’S Great America [EN]: Chapter 198

George Bush’s Great America – Episode 197 (198/377)

< Episode 197 >

Back in the Oval Office, Bush was having his usual lunch: instant coffee with two sugar cubes to kickstart his brain, and a rye bread sandwich filled with fresh lettuce, brie, and savory prosciutto. It was his go-to meal because he could wolf it down in under five minutes, no matter how much he procrastinated.

But today, that five-minute record was about to be shattered.

“…Could you repeat that?”

Bush rubbed his hand over his face, convinced he’d misheard. But no matter how much he tried to wish it away, the information remained stubbornly the same. The only thing that changed was the temperature of the coffee in his hand.

‘Why are Russian troops fighting the Kurds?’

More importantly, the Kurds didn’t have a recognized nation-state. That meant Russia was embroiled in a war or border conflict somewhere! This wasn’t just some minor skirmish.

Bush steeled himself to intervene if necessary. Up until now, he’d mostly resolved international issues with financial aid and diplomacy, but this felt different. His previous military engagements had been more like one-sided displays of force, but this time, intervention could mean a real war.

The weight of responsibility settled heavily on Bush’s shoulders. He desperately wanted to avoid a full-blown conflict, but if he had to act, he would. That was his firm resolve. When the coffee had gone completely cold, Bush finally spoke, his voice grave.

“Syria, Turkey, western Iraq, Iran… Where exactly is Russia engaging in combat right now?”

However, the Chief of Staff’s response completely undermined Bush’s carefully constructed resolve.

“It’s not a war between countries, sir.”

“What? But there aren’t any Kurds in Russia, are there?”

“I believe this report, which just arrived, will clarify the situation for you, sir.”

The report contained a wealth of information: intelligence independently gathered by the CIA operatives infiltrated in Riga [the capital city of Latvia]; information secretly leaked before the official announcement in France in a few hours; and reports coming directly from Russia. It was, without exaggeration, a comprehensive overview of the unfolding situation.

“This is giving me a headache.”

Boiling down the jumbled and complex information, it appeared that various warlords had risen to power among the Kurds, claiming that Latvia had abandoned Riga. The Kurds had effectively been governing Riga for several months and were now attempting to establish a new nation based there.

So, from their perspective, this was the ‘Kurdish War of Independence.’

“Why are they causing such a ruckus in someone else’s country?”

Intervening was problematic, but so was inaction. A hasty intervention would lack any justifiable basis, but if he did nothing, the situation could spiral out of control, potentially engulfing the world in chaos. He felt deeply uneasy about simply standing by.

If the fighting remained confined to the suburbs of Riga, Russia would likely hold back, resulting in a sluggish and drawn-out conflict. However, as time wore on, the Kurds would inevitably struggle with dwindling supplies. The problem was that the longer the battle dragged on, the more attention it would attract, whether people wanted it or not.

The more time passed, the more people would realize how unfavorable the situation was becoming. In fact, most already knew it, but they’d been ignoring it because the reality was so grim.

“This is ominous,” Bush muttered.

France, meanwhile, seemed uninterested in the situation in Riga, choosing instead to focus all its efforts on cracking down on Al-Qaeda. They hadn’t been entirely passive before, but their new Al-Qaeda eradication operation was approaching total war. The main difference was a shift in how they were deploying manpower, based on their accumulated experiences.

Specifically, they had concluded that their primary weakness wasn’t firepower or tactical flaws, but a lack of strategic intelligence. EU forces had repeatedly launched unsuccessful strikes or fallen into traps due to faulty information.

In one instance, a seemingly superhuman soldier single-handedly defeated a company-sized force, yet the EU forces suffered even greater losses. Initially, the damage was limited to vehicles or small groups of soldiers, but early on, they couldn’t even distinguish between friend and foe, resulting in tens of millions of euros worth of damaged equipment.

The distinction between friend and foe, in this context, referred to ‘civilian cooperation.’ In truth, no army could perfectly navigate such a complex environment, but the EU forces, perceived by the locals as ‘hypocritical incarnations,’ felt obligated to repair the damage they’d caused and create jobs to foster local stability.

If their intentions were truly altruistic, they would have simply driven Al-Qaeda into the shadows and withdrawn, but the EU member states were eager to recoup their losses and had a strong appetite for Middle Eastern oil, so they remained. In the process, Al-Qaeda had undoubtedly gained access to the internal structure and vulnerabilities of the EU forces’ bases.

They could subtly tamper with the food supply to induce food poisoning and weaken combat effectiveness, or, in more severe cases, even steal operational information. In one instance, an entire platoon was lost in the Middle East due to such breaches. Over time, they had accumulated sufficient know-how, and after considerable local outcry, the higher-ups changed their policy, claiming that such incidents had become rare.

Regardless, if the Kurds in the Middle East were to respond to the events in Riga and launch their own uprisings, the entire landscape of the Middle East would be irrevocably altered. The EU forces would then be forced to choose between supporting the Kurds or siding with the existing governments.

‘Or they could choose to withdraw from the Middle East altogether, but I highly doubt they’ll ever do that.’

As long as they ruled out leaving the Middle East, they could always justify their presence by claiming they were ‘maintaining security and stability,’ regardless of which side they supported. The EU’s access to Middle Eastern oil would remain secure for at least 5 years, and possibly as long as 20.

‘Do I really have to get involved in this mess?’

Returning to the bizarre battle unfolding in the suburbs of Riga, the key factor was how long it took Russia to completely secure the area and hand control back to the Latvian government.

If it took too long, the Middle East would become destabilized. Perhaps Russia was deliberately prolonging the conflict to achieve that very outcome. Russia had little to lose. The only potential downside was eastern Iraq, where they were still engaging in activities that were more trouble than they were worth. Moreover, they had actually begun construction on that super-tall, no, super-massive structure they had been discussing.

‘And if the Kurds succeed in creating a nation based on a single ethnic group, whether large or small, it will embolden minority groups all over the world.’

Numerous minority groups were already agitating for independence. The moment those groups resorted to armed struggle, it would be a disastrous situation for both them and the governments that ruled them.

Regardless of how a war is fought, unless it’s an extremely unusual case like the US military in the Afghan War, it inevitably results in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people. In the modern era, that number could easily reach tens or even hundreds of millions. Bush was determined to prevent such an outcome at all costs.

Even if these groups were to achieve independence, they should do so peacefully, like South Sudan and West Sudan. Surely, achieving independence through force was a loss for everyone involved. They would target each other’s critical infrastructure, crippling their ability to wage war and completely destroying essential services, ultimately requiring massive investments in reconstruction.

This represented a minor economic and geopolitical shift, but a major setback for humanity. Regression is nothing extraordinary; it stems from the cumulative losses caused by wars, both large and small.

Some argue that war and conflict drive human progress, but that’s only true in limited and specific contexts. In the modern age, with the proliferation of nuclear weapons capable of obliterating the Earth’s surface with the push of a button, such an idea is incredibly dangerous and should never be entertained.

“It looks like I’m going to end up playing the role of Earth Defense Force, which is definitely not in my job description.”

Bush’s throat tightened as he contemplated the potential future. He gulped down the cold coffee in one go.

‘The easiest solution would be for Russia to simply commit more troops. But I doubt Latvia would willingly cooperate…’

Moreover, they couldn’t simply undo the damage that had already been done. Latvia’s primeval forest couldn’t be easily converted into monetary value. In fact, the Latvian government was currently in a state of panic because the fighting was encroaching on the habitat of wild animals, and even worse, animals that shouldn’t be seen were appearing in other cities. The primeval forest was being destroyed in real time.

In reality, few people prioritize nature when they’re struggling to make a living and times are tough. So, under normal circumstances, civilians would simply shrug and say, ‘It can’t be helped.’ But the situation becomes much more serious when wolves and bears are rummaging through trash cans in the alleys of the city center. If it’s just one or two incidents, it might spark curiosity, but it’s a different story when people are attacked and killed.

Exactly 10 minutes had passed since he received the report. During that time, Bush had remained silent, lost in thought.

“There’s no end to just thinking about it.”

Unlike other issues, this situation was unique in that it didn’t offer any clear solutions, only a growing list of problems.

“This is the first time I’ve encountered a problem with no obvious solution or clever workaround.”

Usually, even if there were some lingering consequences, at least a ‘method’ would come to mind. Or something resembling a solution. But this time, he was truly stumped. It was the first time he had felt such a profound sense of helplessness since taking office.

“Is there a problem, sir?”

“Yes, there’s a problem. Eventually, the wave of independence movements will cross the Atlantic and reach the New World. That much is obvious. No one can predict how the world will look when that happens. I doubt the United States will be divided, but the situation is different further south. Unlike the relatively peaceful Canada and the United States, Central and South America are still mired in chaos.”

“In fact, there are still indigenous communities living outside of mainstream civilization. Even if they reject modern society, they maintain their traditions and don’t live in cities, but they’re not completely ignorant of the outside world. There’s a possibility they’ll demand independence as soon as a triggering event occurs.”

“And, of course, if South America descends into chaos, the United States will suffer. Supply chains will be disrupted, and prices will skyrocket, making raw materials and food imported from South America prohibitively expensive.”

‘Overseas… Overseas… Wait a minute.’

Was there really any need to worry about whether to intervene in Latvia or not? Since when had he been thinking so small?

“Chief of Staff, I’m going to create a problem from now on.”

“Sir?”