Basit Ibn Karim

Affiliation: Iraqi Government, Islamic Dawa Party (Shiite Plurality Political Party)

Position: Prime Minister, mujtahid

Background

All the tumult and corruption of the past decades can be explained by Iraq turning from the one true way. You aim to return your country to the straight path by ruling the country with a caring hand and a strong grip under Shariah (Islamic law).

You were raised in Karbalah, the fifth holiest city in the world, and some of the impact of that rubbed off on you early. Your family did fairly well growing dates and other fruit to sell to pilgrims. Your father was able to support you in your studies. Throughout your youth, you both attended secular schools and studied Quran and Islamic law. You hoped to become a mujtahid, an interpreter of Shariah. Towards this end, you began studying under Alim al-Afzal, a great scholar of Shariah and a truly holy and courageous man.

You were well on your way toward your goal, when Saddam Hussein arrested your mentor and had him executed. You wanted to storm the palace, or simply wail in the streets for days, but your mother convinced you to flee. If they killed him, they would be coming after his best student next.

You knew she was right. Already, they had rounded up a few of his associates. You had a cousin in Saudi Arabia, and called him. He greased the right palms and helped you get out of the country and into Saudi Arabia. There you found a new mentor and continued your studies. In Saudi Arabia, you began to realize what could be done if a country was run properly, under Shariah. The Western culture was a poison that ate away at Islamic government from both inside and out. The companies and armies tried to knock down any successful government from the outside. Meanwhile, so many Muslim youth swallowed the poisonous fruits of Western culture whole, and corrupted a country from within.

You became obsessed with the goal of trying to get Iraq back to its great heritage. When Saddam Hussein was overthrown, you returned immediately. You joined the Islamic Dawa Party, and were elected to parliament in 2005 in the first Iraqi elections. In 2012, Nouri al-Maliki suffered a heart attack and resigned for health reasons. You were elected successor, and became interim Prime Minister. You were confirmed in the 2013 elections.

The Islamic Dawa party has made some real improvements in this country: you have brought important reforms, helped to provide for the people, and reached across the county to make peace with even your Sunni brethren. However, there are many people in this country who have been beguiled by the sly snake of Westernization. With the power held in your country by the US, American companies, and their allies, even you can't hold power without bending your principles to their whim sometimes. While Saddam Hussein certainly needed to be removed, in this last war, the U.S. has demonstrated that they are all too ready to step in and take out any leader that they do not like.

All the same, you can make some important changes, but you need more power. Right now, your party has a plurality, and your coalition has a strong plurality, nearly a majority, but it is still not enough. The Americans and their lapdogs have far too much power, and some of the Sunnis are still fighting you needlessly. You need more power to really make a difference.

However, in order to keep your power and help your people, you need to reduce the violence in this country. These recent attacks by Al Araf are just another example of the sort of misguided rebellion that helps no one. These attacks will spark retaliations by the Americans and their companies, causing an escalating spiral, especially considering that these attacks used some sort of particularly nasty chemical or biological weapon. In addition, these attacks, like many, have actually killed more Iraqis than Americans. This must stop.

You have brought your right-hand-man, Imad Ibn Junayd. He wants to bring Shariah to Iraq just as much as you do, but you also think he wants your job a little too much. He will work hard for the cause, but he may take advantage of weakness if you let him. Keep him busy to keep him out of your hair.

Contacts

Joseph Prince: The head of Blackwater. While Prince is a Christian, he is a good and religious man. However, like many religious Christians, he thinks too much about the end of days and not enough about keeping himself and his country on the right path. You would love to get Blackwater out of your country.

Erik Schmitz: Prince's second in command. Schmitz cares about nothing but money and power. This makes him unwise, but it does not make him stupid. He is very cunning and a great tactician.

Field Marshall Lord Lockwood: The head of Aegis. Lockwood also cares primarily about money, but he knows how to get things done. You have worked with him at times, and made deals with him. For all his greed, he would never betray a deal. He knows that will hurt him in the long term. You would rather not have to deal with people and companies like this, but at least Aegis is predictable.

Emma Day: Aegis's liaison to the Iraqi army. You aren't happy having a woman in a military position like this, but you have to admit that this male-impersonator is good at her job. Her Arabic is nearly flawless, and she is a hard worker and has worked well with your men.

Tariq Ibn Faruq: The leader of Al Araf, the terrorist organization that called this meeting. You're not even completely sure what side Al Araf is on, they are newcomers. What side they are on doesn't really matter to you. These insurgents only delay the day that you can get the Western corrupters out of your country and get it back on the straight path. They fight for glory only, benefiting no one.

Sabriya Nejem: The leader of a Sunni insurgent group. You and some other peace-seekers helped Wafi Nagi get his position in parliament to shut this group up. It's worked pretty well so far, but Nejem's presence here worries you. If they start causing trouble it will not be good for Nagi. He needs to take care of them before they cause any more violence.

Nathan Kennedy: A CIA agent who has been here before, trying to influence people with some combination of threats and bribes. What does he want now, and how can you make him leave as quickly as possible?

Rodney Greiner: A US politician here for photo-ops and to fuel his passion for buying important archaeological finds away from the countries that have rightful ownership. On the up-side, his company, iDroid, is negotiating a contract to provide military robots to Iraq. Perhaps you should follow that up with him?

David Kinder: The UN "moderator." This godless heretic causes far more trouble than he ever resolves, with his blatant favoritism of Western interests.

Imad Ibn Junayd: Your assistant here. Imad is competent, and basically a good man, but he wants your job. Make sure to keep him busy enough that he can't constantly watch you for mistakes.

Wafi Nagi: A Sunni member of parliament. Wafi Nagi got himself into parliament as a compromise with a Sabriya Nejem's Sunni insurgent group. He got in to defend their interests, and they stopped fighting. However, you don't think he has been satisfying them. Since he got in, he has seemed to care most about parties, high living and bribes. If the insurgents start fighting again, he will be out quickly.

Munir Faiz: Western slime. Faiz is the head of the "Classical Liberal Party," also known as the "Bought and Paid for by the USA Party." This is exactly the type of corruption from within that you worry about the most.

Emel Faiz: Munir's wife. Emel is probably the cause of a great deal of Munir's horrible ideas. She is a strange woman from Turkey. What can you expect of a secular woman from Turkey?

Abilities and Resources

Stats

• Combat: 2
• Hitpoints: 4
• Sanity: 6

Inspire Troops

You can inspire your forces by turning in this card to the Map GM. This military action enables your attacking forces to destroy one extra unit in combat.

• Uses: 1

Goals

• Get more political control in Iraq. If you can get this by reducing Western interests, that's even better.
• Get as much money back in the hands of the Iraqi government as possible.
• Prevent terrorist attacks. Do what you can to stop Al Araf without giving up any political control.
• Increase the power of Shariah in Iraq. If other people will agree to help you with this, you may need less political power in the future.
• Keep Imad busy so he can't take advantage of any mistakes you make.