Presidential briefing - Op HYDRA

[Director Roland J. Carlson]

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From: Director Roland J. Carlson, Liberty Security Force.

To: Liberty government.

Topic: Operation HYDRA - preliminary findings.

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Madam President I am writing to provide an update on Operation HYDRA. Our preliminary findings are appended below. I do not need to stress the gravity of this situation. Findings are to be disseminated to relevant secretaries at your discretion. Faithfully Director Roland J. Carlson Kusari Bureau Liberty Security Force Attached files (1) PRESIDENTIAL BRIEFING The following briefing has been produced as to the findings of Operation HYDRA. This multi-pronged investigation has probed terrorist activities that adversely affect Liberty’s interests in Kusari. This investigation was first triggered in the aftermath of the bombing of Roppongi Station in 832 AS. Background: Roppongi Station was destroyed through the use of a low yield nuclear device - a “dirty bomb” - detonated by the Farmers’ Alliance. This terrorist attack resulted in the death of thousands of visitors and staff, with a plurality of victims being Liberty citizens. These included Liberty’s ambassador Luisa Mason and her consular staff. In the aftermath of the attack, political pressure was exerted on Kusari’s government to take decisive action against the Farmer’s Alliance, and other isolationist terror movements. Kusari opened an inquest into the matter, which concluded that the Farmer’s Alliance were indeed responsible for the attack they had already claimed. Despite public commitments, this notably did not result in any additional law enforcement resources being diverted to tackling the Alliance threat. The inquest also excluded avenues of enquiry regarding the provision of materials and funding for the attack. As a result, the LSF undertook independent measures to safeguard Liberty’s citizens and interests. This included cooperation with Interspace Commerce to acquire Alliance captives and extradite them from Kusari territory for interrogation. Revised security protocols were also issued to facilities such as Deshima Station, that were identified as “at risk” of further attack. In 835 AS, just such an attack was thwarted at Deshima Station. Alliance operatives were incapacitated before a bomb could be detonated in the base’s primary hangar. This resulted in the captives, their ship, and the device falling into the LSF’s custody. Findings: The LSF first obtained samples from the Roppongi wreckage through cooperation with Interspace Commerce, who had been legally entitled to retrieve elements of surviving property in the aftermath. These samples allowed for the identification of the isotopes used by the bomb, establishing a “radioactive fingerprint.” Examination of the bomb retrieved from Deshima Station provided direct access to the radiological materials, and matched the fingerprint retrieved from Roppongi Station. This indicates that the fissile materials were sourced from the same environment, accounting for the other industrial contaminants present. Initial efforts to trace the source of these materials resulted in partial matches with the Uranium-Plutonium blend ratios used for MOX production at LD-14 in Leeds. Efforts to follow this trail further were stymied until earlier this week, when a breakthrough was made by agents embedded in the LD-14 operation. Random spot checks on imported Toxic Waste scored an almost direct match with both radiological profiles. The shipment of radioactive industrial effluent had been imported by Border World Exports from Yokohoma Shipyard in New Tokyo. Multiple separate samples of exported Toxic Waste have now been acquired to demonstrate a consistent match. Based on these findings, the LSF is now certain beyond reasonable doubt that both the Roppongi and Deshima bombs were created using fissile materials sourced from industrial by-products and radioactive waste produced Yokohoma Shipyard. Circumstance evidence: The Farmers Alliance is a Kusari terrorist movement that opposes foreign influence, and the commercial success of Synth Foods in particular. Deshima Station has historically been one of the movement’s primary targets, being one of the most prominent and visible examples of Synth operations in Kusari space. Upon gaining the capability to attack and severely damage a Zeus class station, it does not fit the Alliance’s known priorities or modus operandi to target Roppongi first. The Alliance’s publicly stated motives for the attack cite cultural corruption and the sale of Cardamine aboard. While issues of concern to the movement, it is the LSF’s analysis that they are secondary ones. Following enhanced interrogation, Alliance captives have provided additional insight on this matter. Many have confirmed that it had long been expected that a large attack would be launched against Deshima, with training and preparation having been completed towards this end. The attack on Roppongi took many members by surprise, with the targeting decision apparently being made by Alliance leaders unilaterally and on short notice. Similarly, the Alliance’s leadership appear to have been caught flatfooted by the scale of the blast and the level of devastation, scrapping an initial statement and issuing a revised manifesto the following day. It is speculated that they were not aware of the weapon’s actual yield, and blindly assumed the attack was intended intimidate. Debriefing of Kusari’s surviving Interspace executives has revealed a potential motive for targeting Roppongi. Shortly before the attack, a forensic audit team re-opened its case files into the destruction of Osaka Storage Facility in 822 AS. They were re-examining the potential of a fraudulent self-destruction by Samura Industries in order to claim an over-valued insurance premium. Due to the sensitivity and secrecy of the investigation, gathered evidence and witness statements were being held off-network in a secured facility at the heart of Interspace’s Roppongi offices. This evidence was destroyed in its totality by the attack, which also killed most of the forensic investigators. As a result, we can rely only on second hand testimony from surviving executives who had been briefed on the situation and preliminary findings. Further, there are distinct irregularities in the contract award process for Roppongi Station’s cleanup. Tenders were initially awarded to ALG Waste Disposal in 834 AS, owing to their noted expertise in the field. Shortly before the final contracts were awarded, Kusari's Minister of Trade and Development directly intervened to void the award. Samura Industries received a no-bid contract award. It is our belief that this occurred to perpetuate a broader coverup, and assist Samura Industries in destroying evidence of malfeasance. Conclusions: There is a reasonable basis to suspect that Samura Industries provided the Farmers Alliance with fissile materials for the purpose of obfuscating criminal conduct and engaging in terrorist attacks on commercial rivals. This resulted in: the destruction of Roppongi Station, more than 3,000 deaths - 1,781 Liberty citizens, including Ambassador Luisa Mason, an attempted attack on Deshima Station. Additionally, there is a reasonable basis to suspect that at least elements of the Kusari Government colluded in a probable coverup in the aftermath, with the intention of destroying evidence. Additional investigation will be needed to prove these allegations to a criminal standard. Kusari is unlikely to cooperate in any such investigation, or in the prosecution of those found to be culpable. Significant pressure will need to be brought to bear to effect action in this direction. This could take the form of further general and individual sanctions, or support from other House peers who likewise suffered casualties during the attack.