The Outcast Presidents
Page 22
Abzal exclaims, “No! We must act!”
I agree with this war hawk, “Exactly, Abzal! I have a personal moral obligation to serve those who cannot defend themselves. To be a voice of the oppressed and the iron fist of the helpless! I will be standing against these killers of these people, of these workers and children. I will stand for the Left Wing, of the Right Wing, and of the Central Wing of Dalabistan! I will collapse the world around those who try to kill us, regardless of what it may cost me!”
The other ministers have no other arguments.
Sabit asks me, “Do you think there is any other way we can solve this issue without starting another eternal military conflict? A civil war is the last thing Dalabistan needs right now.”
I laugh it off. “To make peace and agree to negotiate with these tribal supremacists? I will leave this task to the martyrs in Heaven. The only job I have to do is to arrange this peace conference. Regarding the distribution of roles—Abzal, you and I will go to the Oval Room to conduct this Operation Iron Fist. Sabit and Almat, create a specific plan regarding the aftermath of our actions.” Then I look at my Minister of Justice, “Dmitriy, do not portray this plan as a human right atrocity to these Western tabloids searching for clickbait!” After that, I stare at the Director of my Anti-Corruption Bureau, “Alexandr, find the leaders of similar chapters of this organization. We cannot afford to have our own version of Ku Klux Klan wandering around the steppes!”
Alexandr remarks, “I understood. The data will be ready by tomorrow!”
I get up and start to walk away, “That’s good to hear! Thank you for this meeting. I have to go with the Minister of Defense.”
Abzal stands up and goes for the door, “Let’s get to work, Mr. President! Time to kick some Elite Tribes’ asses!”
I chuckle, “Love to hear their howls for mercy at night after our bullets and swords. Always calms me so much before I go to sleep.”
We head to the Oval Room. Abzal grabs his radio and turns on the TV to video call his military commanders. We sit and wait for the people to connect. In the meantime, Abzal tells me, “I also ordered the Governor-General of the Left Wing Kenes Nurbekov to mobilize local troops and to get the situation under control.”
I shake his firm hand and say, “Good. At least you are doing your fucking job. Proud to have you in my administration.”
One by one, the military commanders join in the video conference. I guess it is time for me to start this briefing, “Good evening, gentlemen. This video conference concerns the latest hate crime developments in Askertau. Based on the information I received from the Rebuilding Council, I order all of you to deploy units of the Armed Forces and the Hovlyk Asker from the capital Volkan and from the nearby cities of Mal Jailau, Munai, and Talgyndala to Askertau. I assign these units to eliminate all of the combatants that are committing unlawful violence against the civilians of Askertau.”
“Roger that,” salute the commanders of various units on the screen. Then, the Governor-General of the Left Wing, Kenes Nurbekov, gives his report, “According to the latest data from the Left Wing’s Governorate-General, forty-seven people died during these attacks, and more than two hundred were injured.”
“Mr. Nurbekov, I have received enough information from the Rebuilding Council. I ordered the Armed Forces and the Hovlyk Asker to deploy special commando units to Askertau to neutralize these tribal supremacists. I want to know what is conducted on your part.”
Abzal blasts with his loud voice, “Alright, gentlemen, we are sure going to have a busy night beating the shit out of these tribal supremacist combatants with our Iron Fist. Major General Kairat Aminov, Head of the Hovlyk Asker, I also assign you to provide local Askergoz civilian tribesmen with armored vests, rifles, and swords,” Abzal says in an authoritative voice.
I ask, “But why? I thought the Army and the Hovlyk Asker units would be fully able to do it on their own. We do not want too many corpses after the Revolution.”
Major General Kairat Aminov is also puzzled, “How are we going to organize that? We need some centralized distribution and management of the battle; we do not have time for that!”
Abzal makes his case, “Never forget about the Askergoz tribesmen’s soldiers known for their valor, skilled labor, and readiness to bear arms. Since the dawn of the Dalab Khanate, they easily grabbed their swords and guns, got on their horses, and attacked their aggressors to purge the invaders from the lands of the Askergoz. They are the fittest civilians out of almost all Dalabistani tribes for me to trust to recruit and carry out their military missions within a few hours.”
In the end, I call for the attack and raise my fist, “We shouldn’t be slow to prosecute people involved with these heinous attacks! Let’s get this show started!”
Aminov updates, “First five units of the Hovlyk Asker have arrived in Askergoz.”
The monitors in the Oval Room depict the troops jumping from the helicopters, rushing into combat with their assault rifles. They are giving armored vests, swords, and even Makarov pistols to the grieving Askergoz citizens. Then the commander of that Hovlyk Asker unit asks me through his radio, “We have distributed the weapons to the citizens, now what should we do?”
I tell him in a low-pitched voice, “Tell the citizens to guard their homes and be ready to launch an attack on our command. I will inform you when to strike against these combatants.”
“Roger that, Commander-in-Chief!” He signs off. A few minutes later, he says, “Supreme Commander-in-Chief, I see some tribal supremacists nearby, with their weapons ready to attack!”
I order, “Launch the attack against tribal supremacists before these bastards would kill any of you.”
“Yes, sir!”
Chapter 29: The Raid
A hundred Hovlyk Asker troops surround the houses of the combatants. Instantly, the first bullets are fired. The men in white gowns fall like pieces of dominoes. It is time to stop the hate the murder of innocent lives. Military vehicles of the Armed Forces drive around to support the Hovlyk Asker soldiers. Some men in white gowns attempt to fight back, throwing grenades and shooting back. Nevertheless, a never-ending series of gunfire finishes. Black smoke comes from the barracks. Soldiers inspect the bodies of the tribal supremacists, checking for a pulse on their bloody necks.
After the Hovlyk Asker troops have killed the vast majority of the tribal supremacists, I start to think that the job is done. But through the speakers in the video conference, I hear one Hovlyk Asker commander shouting, “To arms, citizens! Form your battalions! March to kill the remaining impure tribal supremacists who slaughtered your children and comrades!”
The local Askergoz tribesmen get up on their horses and rush with their iron swords surrounding their fists, bleeding with fury and desire for vengeance. The remaining tribal supremacists in white robes barely stand on their legs, crawling to find peace. It is there the Askergoz warriors swing their swords to slit the enemies’ throats and use Askergoz horses to trample the other wannabee Klansmen. Live footage from the body camera of one of the civilian cavalry warriors shows how this warrior’s sword cuts through three bodies within ten seconds, all while riding on his horse. Moments later, the enemies are completely crushed. The Askergoz fighters showed that they preserve their ancient glory as skilled warriors. They have defeated their own former masters.
Justice has prevailed in the end.
Chapter 30: Double Standards
In the Oval Room, as the commanders continue updating, I send a text to Sabit saying, “The operation is almost over. The combatants are mostly killed or captured. Start the rebuilding plan.” Then I sip a cup of warm tea. Now is the time to indulge in cookies, chocolates, and possibly a nap. From my seat in the Oval Room, I stare at the TV footage of our soldiers standing in front of kneeling surrendering combatants.
Abzal tells me, “We still need to preserve the order in this city, and in all cities. We need to make life return to a better normal.”
Abzal continues, “We need to deploy and station an armed police presence in the cities. These units of the armed police need to make patrols as well as to install surveillance cameras around the cities to ensure security in key public places. That way, we can act quicker.”
There could be something wrong with his plan, yet I do not know for sure. I ask, “But how is it going to suppress new such cases?”
Abzal smiles and says, “Don’t worry, my ministry is working on it. The job is almost done, so it’s time to relax.” He goes out of the Oval Room and retreats to his living quarters.
Then I turn on the TV for the latest news. Suddenly a TV channel named D+ turns on. It seems to be reporting the other side of the television’s political aisle. The news story illustrates images of violence by my soldiers, shooting “defenseless” men in white hoods. The news anchor reports,
“We have breaking news from Askertau. The situation there continues to be hostile. After a small domestic dispute between local Atasty and Askergoz tribesmen grew into a fight and a series of sabotage attacks, President Alisher Karabars deployed Hovlyk Asker troops, armed to the teeth, against unarmed civilians of the Three Elite Tribes. At least one hundred deaths have been reported, more than five hundred are wounded. International humanitarian organizations have already condemned the rash decision of the new president.
“Amnesty International stated, ‘We condemn the excess use of force against the civilian population and extrajudicial killings of political oppositionists in Askergoz, Dalabistan. Residents of that city are currently enduring a wide range of human rights violations, mostly at the hands of the military and paramilitary SWAT units that are obeying the government of Dalabistan and its President Alisher Karabars. These violations include arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial executions, and destruction of property.’ Human Rights Guardian also made a report in which it states, ‘Dalabistani forces have inhumanely treated numerous tribal supremacists captured in a conflict between local Dalabistani tribes. They subjected these prisoners to physical abuse, humiliation, and extrajudicial killings. There can be no justification for the violent and humiliating treatment of prisoners, no matter the crimes. Humanitarian law is absolutely clear on the obligation to protect the captured protesters.’
“Before moving to other news, I, as a citizen of the free, democratic Republic of Dalabistan who fought during the Revolution to defend the values of freedom, equality, and justice against tyranny, would like to personally address President Karabars. As the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, stop these mass murders of the Dalabistani citizens. You gave the order to shoot and to kill the citizens of Dalabistan, and you have sponsored installing chaos in Askertau tonight. Do not become a mortal enemy of your own people before these people may overthrow you just like you overthrew Babayev and end up like Anar Babayev or Muammar Gaddafi.
“In other news, Aibek Ospanov returns to Dalabistan after spending ten years of exile in the United Kingdom. Upon arrival, he announced plans to reestablish his oppositionist Liberty Party aimed to remove President Karabars from power in the first free parliamentary and presidential elections four years from now. He hopes to win the support of foreign organizations, donors, and the Dalabistani electorate who share his liberal ideas.”
Whenever I hear from Amnesty International, Human Rights Guardian, and other NGOs powered by lobbyists, I burst out laughing! The West follows these same human rights only on paper. When they say that I am eliminating the opposition, they are saying that they support any political opposition that either supports the West or directly works for the West. I get why they are defending Babayev’s deplorable regime servants because they have worked with the West.
Essentially, human rights are a hoax used by powers as an instrument of sanctions against political opponents. So if I will become a friend of the West, I could absolutely not give a shit about human rights and be able to completely get away with it! Because human rights matter only if the country is the belligerent of the West. Saudi Arabia is killing oppositionists, homosexuals, and apostates without proper trial, but they have zero sanctions from the “liberal, free, and democratic” West that “protects” human rights against “homophobia and intolerance.” And then there’s Russia that only bans LGBT propaganda yet gets all of the West’s hate for “intolerating the diverse LGBT minorities.” Finally, decide and make up your mind, for God’s sake! But why the fuck would I dismantle that good relationship with a world superpower that made an ordinary Chamyr boy the powerful Alisher fucking Karabars?
The West is highly hypocritical in terms of dealing with terrorism. If they are destroying terrorists, they call it “fighting for security.” If we are destroying terrorists, they call it “violating human rights.” For many, it is easier to teach other countries how to get shit together with human rights than to deal with improving human rights at home! If it was the victims of the Hutu tribal supremacists being killed on the sidewalk instead of these Atasty, Janbek, and Shyngys tribal supremacists, the West would walk right over them. They walked over them in 1994 during the Rwandan genocide. But these Dalab tribal supremacists, why did the West care so much about them? Because these Dalab violent Klansmen have made a deal with the Western leaders about Dalab oil? Do they believe that men like Volkan Babayev and these Klansmen ever think about human rights? Treating anybody with dignity and respect but themselves? They don’t. They think that Dalabistanis would just accept it and not do anything, just like it has always been.
But these days are over, and this attack must have solidified that belief. You made that bed for yourselves, bastards.
Part III: The Test
“The ability to preserve human dignity even at the time of great trials ennobles man.” Abai Qunanbayuli
Chapter 31: The Curtain Opens
It is December 31, 2017. I enter the Oval Room to record the New Year’s Eve address to the nation. The reporters enter my room with their cameras. The director of photography tells me, “Mr. President. Everything is ready for your speech. In a minute, all republican channels will start broadcasting. You may start your New Year’s address to the nation, President Karabars.”
“Alright. I am ready.”
The cameras turn on, showing me at my desk to all of the TVs in Dalabistan. I proudly start to speak, “Dear compatriots, as you have known, these past three years have been full of work. This year was no exception. The Rebuilding Council was expanded to accommodate the new Ministries of Healthcare and Foreign Affairs. We have launched fifteen nuclear power plants in the formerly barren steppes of Dalabistan. We have built and started to operate four oil refinery factories. Most importantly, though, this has launched a record growth in our GDP and an unprecedented increase in your incomes.
“The formerly forgotten men, women, and children from the past are no longer forgotten in the present. These people have built the Dalabistan we see today: a progressive secular state with massive infrastructure projects, a strategic logistical powerhouse at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. The Moscow-Volkan-Alakala-Beijing highway already bought off its building costs. The pan-Central Asian railway connecting Dalabistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, generates profits that are spent on inviting foreign companies, employees, doctors, professors, and others to help our proud people achieve higher living standards.
“And while most are welcoming Dalabistan’s prosperity after decades of chaos and poverty, many do not want to see the rise of another powerful state under their borders. China, for instance, threatened to impose an embargo on our country a few days ago. They protest our decision to become independent from their oil refinery factories. They want to continue to exploit you and your hard labor. In response, I will state my firm position, and we will end their manipulative game together! Our operations will continue at our full pace, with double the intensity. We are starting to create our own goods by investing in highly efficient mac
hinery from friendly nations. For those who offer us friendship, Dalabistan is always open. The brotherly nations of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, the European Union, and the United States have long helped Dalabistan on its rebuilding path.
“My friends, I want you to know that I will not give up on Dalabistan, whatever it may cost me. I did not give up amidst the Revolution. I did not give up during the trials of the corrupt oligarchs. I did not surrender to the constraining demands of other countries for subordination, and I will not give up now. The best is yet to come!
“The only certain plans for the next year so far are hosting the first truly free elections in the history of Dalabistan. The elections would be conducted for the Parliament and the Presidency of our country. With my responsibility and the legacy of our great fighters for freedom, these elections are freely open for anyone to join. Anyone would be able to express their opinion on our governance, without any political games to disrupt the fair voice of the people. I, Alisher Kaisaruly Karabars, will continue to be the herald and a companion of the oppressed while rewarding those who help Dalabistan become a better place.
“My fellow citizens, may the next year continue to bring prosperity and health to you and to your kins! Happy New Year of 2018, dear compatriots!”
As soon as my speech ends, the fireworks launch into the air from the Presidential Headquarters and from all across the city. What a celebration! Now, as I enter 2018, the election year, re-election would seem an easy task compared to my previous tasks—time to finally have a rest after a few rough days with China.