Editing 1/2/20 Terror Attacks (section)

===International Reactions===
====Heads of State and Government Officials====
The attacks were condemned across the [[International Democratic Union]], as dozens of nations were impacted. Following the attacks, a preliminary casualty toll was staggering. Thousands had been injured, and 1,485 people had been confirmed killed. Legionas and Gardavasque suffered two of the single deadliest attacks in their nation’s history, making over half of the day’s total casualties with a combined 751 confirmed dead. World leaders banded together in solidarity and condolences, while promising to act against the terror and some calling out the M.L.F. directly in condemnation.

President [[Biff Snollygoster]] of Gardavasque made a statement following the attacks in his manner of aggressiveness, saying “Today we were confronted with the fact that we have suspected for a long time. Many other nations in the IDU hate us because of our prosperous economy, abundant freedoms, and our beautiful beautiful people. That is why they tried to drown the Gardavascan Dream into our hardly polluted waters and scare us off the world stage. Well, I’m not going to let that happen to this great country of ours. Today I’m announcing suspensions of certain civil rights protections for foreigners. Until we can figure out who is behind these terrible acts, I have no choice but to protect the people through temporary internment of all Vulkarians in the country. They will try to say this is unconstitutional. But that has never stopped us before. Until we can figure out who did this, there will be a 500% tariff on all Vulkarian imports and I’m ordering Gardavascan banks to freeze the accounts of any criminals we find from Vulkaria. To borrow a phrase from another fine strong country that knows how to deal with terrorists, ‘ Gardavasque stands strong.’ God bless me, and God bless the Social Democracy of Gardavasque.”

DeBeeland President [[Aaron DeBee]] made a statement saying that "an investigation has been launched at this time to determine the details of the attack. Once all the available information has been gathered and processed, the government of the Free Land of DeBeeland will agree on the best course of action. Until then, all personnel assigned to remote locations have been recalled, and national security protocols have been activated for the main island. A national address will follow as the situation unfolds. For now, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of those lost and injured."

Shuellian Director of International Affairs Hoffman said “This attack was a tragedy, and proves that the MLF must be destroyed in order to assure world security. Once again, leftist terror groups strike at Shuell, for they know that we are righteous.”

Eirian Chancellor [[William Lancaster]] spoke on the attacks from his residence, saying, "We are Horrified about the attack at the Merēta Convention Center. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of victims, and we wish those injured a steady recovery. In addition, we are going to ramp up our efforts against terrorism. The M.L.F. and T.A.L.F.L. have taken too many lives. That changes now!"

[[Empress Yauhmi]] spoke following the attack, saying "If the M.L.F. was seeking the attention of the Xiomeran Empire through this cowardly act of terrorism, they have indeed gained our attention. But they will soon learn - painfully and decisively - why they were so much better off not being on our radar as a threat."

Prime Minister [[Eileen Estrada]] of Byzconia said, “Today, our teaching mission in Vulkaria was ruthlessly attacked by the terrorist group known as the Malvarian Liberation Front. Two Byzconian teachers were killed in the attack, along with three Vulkarian students. Seven more are being treated for injuries. Our hearts go out to all of those who lost loved ones. This attack was brazen, cruel, and cowardly and cannot be allowed to go unanswered. We will be working with the Vulkarian government in whatever capacity we can to aid in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice. These schools exist solely to aid the poor and downtrodden, the very people the M.L.F. claims to fight for. They have no weapons, no means of defense. This attack was nothing more than cold-blooded murder."

=====President Liu=====
[[President of Laeral]] [[Liu Mei-han]], speaking to the nation of [[Laeral]] via a live video message on social media, called the attacks "a heartless and senseless crime."

"This is a dark hour for the entire IDU, and our hearts mourn for the multitudes whose lives were taken from them in this brutal and evil attack," said Liu. "Children, and people of all ages and from many nations, were murdered tonight, and in the midst of this suffering, it is essential that we come together as one to exact justice on the behalf of those killed." The President called for the National Assembly to return early from the Christmas break to approve a declaration of war against the Malvarian Liberation Front.

=====PM Moretti=====
[[File:Moretti_Speech.jpg|350px|thumb|left|Prime Minister Moretti adresses the nation following the January 2nd, 2020 attacks]]

Prime Minister [[Nicholas Moretti]] of Legionas addressed the nation soon following the January 2nd, 2020 attack in Verdesia, which was the deadliest ever terrorist incident to occur on Legionas soil.

“My fellow Legionites. First of all, I would like to directly address those of you who have lost a loved one. Today is a dark day in our history. A day of shock. Of sadness. Of grief. Of anger. But amidst all of this unfathomable pain, I understand that you also carry happy memories. Of a conversation, a smile, a look, a hug. All of the things that formed your love, and that now make you miss that person so much. But that also, in all of the darkness, can help us to celebrate life, because it has given us such wonderful people to love. As former Prime Minister Gregory Morrison once said, 'There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.'

I hope that those of you who are grieving, those who were injured, those who bear the wounds of today day, feel the love, support and solidarity from an entire nation, and not least from all of us gathered here today. We are here for you. You are not alone.

We are also here to pay tribute to all of those who responded when the disaster called for you to act. All of you who gave up your free time, worked an extra shift and demonstrated love for your society. You, the rescue workers, who put yourselves in harm's way to help as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. You, the police officers, who worked tirelessly to protect people and catch the perpetrators, but who also took the time to comfort people and explain what was going on. You, the medical staff, who worked long shifts, side by side, to provide the best care a modern society can offer. You, the volunteers, who revealed the hero in you. You have shown us the meaning of duty, sacrifice and courage. I see you as fantastic role models for our young people, and as a reason to be proud of our nation.

And one thing I will remember clearly from today is this: Faced with this horrific, meaningless, fanatical hatred, there were so many people who chose to show such great empathy for each other. Who held in their arms a despairing stranger. Who offered to collect their neighbour's children. Who said: We may not know each other, but I'm here if you need me. Let us never forget this, when the history of our time is written. When our society was at its most fragile, that's when our sense of community was at its strongest.

Today, I believe we have grown more resilient as a nation. Faced with this attack on our own soil, we have felt it firsthand the animosity of the Malvarian Liberation Front. They have sparked our full and unrelenting fury as a nation today. Our Patriotism and Revanchism is in full force. We will make them pay for the blood of our comrades, our friends, family, colleagues, neighbors. Today will be a day that will live in infamy in our history and our hearts. But remember this, my fellow citizens. We will endure.

No one has and ever will be able to extinguish the fire of a Legionite: the fire that has led our souls for centuries. The M.L.F. may have won the battle, but they have lost the war. We stand together in solidarity with the other nations of the IDU which have had to deal with this atrocity in their own soil.

Together we will prevail. In spite of today's events, our spirit will always shine a light on our paths. And today, let us remember those who died and let us celebrate those who helped, safe in the knowledge that the terrorists will never win – and our values, our country and our way of life will always prevail.”

=====President Brooks=====

Vulkarian President [[Farhen Brooks]], who was safe following the attack on Vulkar’s Presidential Mansion, made a statement from a safehouse in [[Amstelveen]], saying “The terror and horror of the Malvarian evil-doers is despicable. Horrendous. I want to first express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and I wish a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. I reaffirm that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

There is a dire need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice, and I urge all nations affected by today’s events, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of Vulkaria and all other relevant authorities in this regard.

Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. Today, however, will be forever remembered in history. This is reprehensible. We will have justice for our fallen countrymen. We will destroy this threat once and for all.”

=====President Sakzi=====
[[File:Thune-5018.jpg|thumbnail|right|President Sakzi speaks following the January 2nd, 2020 attacks]]
President [[Foley Sakzi]] of Zamastan stood defiant and resolute in front of [[Congressional Hall (Zamastan)|Congressional Hall]] with [[Speaker of the Chamber (Zamastan)|Speaker]] Larious Maxwell and [[Secretary of Defense (Zamastan)|Secretary]] [[Curtis Fondaden]] at his side.

“My fellow Zamastanians, today we have witnessed the depravity and horror of cowardice. Not just us, but our allies, the entire world, has witnessed what we’ve witnessed time and time again. Terrorists struck at our hearts and minds, but among the blood and destruction and despair, we saw the best of humanity and bravery. First responders rushed into collapsed subway tunnels and through broken glass and metal shards to save lives of the maimed. Bystanders shook by explosions still rejected their own safety in order to bring others to theirs.

As for those who are lost, you are not forgotten. That goes for every Zamastanian, Vulkarian, Maximusian, Laeralian, Legionite, Gardavasqian and Eirian, and for every country that lost a life because of terror, we are with you. As for your families, we are with you and pray for you. We will forever support you. We will never, ever forget you.

Terror has no place in our world. Terror should not be allowed to continue, here or abroad. We will hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice.”

President Sakzi also announced his and Congress’s decision to assist Vulkaria.

“We are going to be shifting our focus from just aiding to a more direct combat role in Vulkaria. At the request of President Brooks and the Vulkarian Parliament, we will be sending additional forces within the week. To determine how many to send will be at the digression of the Senate and our armed forces. Soldiers stationed in Vulkaria currently will be taking on combat roles whenever our commanders of our forces deem it necessary.”

Amidst concerns of possibly being bogged down into another “endless” war, Sakzi reiterated his resolve.

“This isn’t just to push them (M.L.A. and V.N.A.) back and contain them. This is to destroy them completely. Our new mission is to kill or capture every member of the terrorist groups in Vulkaria, to destroy their ability to wage conflict, and to protect and defend the people of Vulkaria who have been living in fear for almost 4 decades. We will have a relentless coalition. We will have complete victory that we were not able to achieve before. We will win this fight for Vulkaria, for Zamastan, and for the rest of the International Democratic Union.”