Global Liberation Army

The Global Liberation Army (abbreviated GLA) was a violent non-state actor established at some point in the 20th century in opposition to the hegemony of the United States of America and the China. The highly decentralized organization incorporated various groups of insurgents, terrorists, self-styled freedom fighters, members of the criminal underground and other people supportive of their cause under the common banner.
The GLA's rapid expansion and aggression triggered a global conflict with the nations it opposed. GLA leaders did not abide by rules of military conduct and routinely targeted civilian populations, up to and including terror attacks utilizing weapons of mass destruction.
== History ==
== Base of Operations ==
The GLA has bases scattered across the globe. Over a period of several years, the GLA steadily built up their strength and support in the Third World, mainly within the Middle East and Central Asia. While the group possessed a number of 'main' bases, their destruction did little to halt the GLA's spread of influence. For this reason, it is debatable whether or not the organization possessed a 'nerve center' at all. In the First GLA War, the GLA's main base of operations is in Akmola of Kazakhstan and was destroyed by a Sino-American force during Last Call.
In the war of 2013, The GLA empire has stretched to:
* Iran
* Kazakhstan
* Germany
* Iraq
* China
* Aldastan
* Egypt
* Russia
* Turkey
* Libya
* Yemen
* Crete
* Somalia
== Resources ==
The GLA began with a financial injection from a number of shadowy, wealthy backers (many of whom, such as Prince Kassad who would go on to become GLA generals), and gained much of its funding hence from raiding resources, such as the United Nations' foreign aid supplies. They also had ties with the Black Market which brought them a steady cash flow as well as access to relatively advanced weapons.
The GLA was highly resourceful, raiding old Soviet weapon dumps and employing ex-Soviet scientists and even scavenging spare parts from the battlefield. While GLA vehicles could not match their more modern counterparts on the battlefield, GLA commanders were highly devious and unscrupulous, but many American and Chinese generals underestimated them at their peril.
== Political structure ==
The GLA is known to be highly decentralized. This is one of the reasons UN attempts at negotiation have failed so miserably. Their leaders are scattered across many countries and divided themselves into different factions. At times, with a skilled and strong leader at the helm, the GLA is capable of operating as a somewhat cohesive entity. With the absence of an effective leader, however, infighting is not uncommon.
Relations between GLA factions is thus a complex web of alliances, deals, betrayals and power struggles. When prominent GLA researcher and leader Dr. Thrax was killed, a power struggle ensued between General Mohmar "Deathstrike" and Prince Kassad. Defections by GLA splinter cells to either the Americans or the Chinese even occurred.
=== Ideology ===
The goals and motives of the GLA are, even now, unclear, such is the secretive nature of the organization. Their ideology can be summarized as aggressive pseudo-religious populist anti-imperialism.
The GLA is seemingly opposed to anything they deem exploitative, imperialist or immoral, whatever they are. The GLA is opposed to the superpowers having any involvement in the affairs of lesser nations, as they perceive their involvement (including humanitarian support) as neo-colonialist acts. GLA leaders have referred to the Americans and Chinese as the 'scourge of humanity', characterizing China as 'The Dragon', USA as 'The Killer Falcon' and even referring to their enemies as 'infidels'. For example, General Mohmar referring to the rogue Prince Kassad and his forces as 'infidels'.
The aspiring freedom fighters and desperate fanatics who made up its ranks often truly believed they are standing up for the downtrodden peoples of the world, in spite of the fact that they often killed civilians who got in their way. During its existence, the GLA succeeded in inspiring a great fanaticism among its considerable number of followers, to the point where many were willing to kill themselves for the cause.
=== Political influence ===
The GLA managed to gain the support of many of the world's disenfranchised peoples. Its splinter cells are scattered around the world. In certain areas, the GLA acted as the de facto government (as was the situation in Mogadishu, Somalia). The GLA also used the media to spread their propaganda - ARC News is allegedly funded by the GLA or one of their backers, and it is through this channel that the GLA leadership issues official statements.
=== Notable/known leaders in the First GLA War ===
* Dr. Thrax
* General Mohmar (Commander-in-chief of the GLA/Also known as "Deathstrike")
* Prince Kassad †
* General Juhziz (unknown)
* Jarmen Kell (presumably survived)
* Anonymous GLA General (GLA Field Commander/Second-in-command of the GLA, outranked only by Deathstrike) (unknown)
* Kanwar Khan (unknown)
== Military Doctrine ==
The GLA military doctrine involved using stealth and speed as their main war tactics, as well as surprise attacks and suicide bombers. They were also known to implement biological and chemical weaponry, notably anthrax, in their fight against the United States and China.
The GLA recruited their troops mainly from the angry, desperate, disenfranchised and disillusioned people of the Third World. They can be easily indoctrinated into the GLA cause. There were no shortage of these recruits, and the GLA is able to build up their forces quickly to challenge their militarily-superior foes on the battlefield. The typical GLA infantry is armed with cheap weapons and often have little training, although the GLA employed overwhelming numbers and the element of surprise to challenge and defeat their foes. Some were so fanatical as to strap bombs to their own bodies and sacrifice themselves in an attack on any enemy.
A visitor to a typical GLA base - if he or she managed to evade an untimely bloody death at the hands of the defenders - will find a lot of tunnels. The GLA tunnel networks are one of the wonders of modern warfare. It allows GLA units to travel quickly and in comparative safety anywhere where there is a tunnel entrance, and also serve as arms depots and field hospitals. If a GLA structure is leveled, it will soon be rebuilt provided the tunnel entrance ("GLA Hole") beneath it is not destroyed. GLA military structures also require no outside power to operate - unlike many American and Chinese military structures, meaning the only thing limiting GLA bases are terrain and funds, but, when a GLA general was able to capture a Cold Fusion Reactor or a Nuclear Reactor (or capture a Dozer and build them themselves), their build times are reduced by 50%. The GLA recruited civilians to build structures and base defenses and carry supplies for their armies. They are cheap and quickly replaceable if they fall in battle.
In general, GLA units are cheap and quick to build. Their vehicles are assembled with whatever spare parts the Arms Dealer happened to have at hand. This however means GLA vehicles often lack the firepower or armor of American and Chinese counterparts. The GLA partly made up for this by scavenging parts from wrecks on the battlefield to upgrade some of their own vehicles (namely the Technical truck, Quad Cannon, Marauder Tank and the Scorpion rocket for the Scorpion Tanks). GLA commanders can also purchase extra upgrades off the Black Market. When fully upgraded, a GLA force can be quite powerful on the battlefield. Whatever weakness the GLA cannot compensate by upgrades, they do so with tactics. The GLA excels at guerrilla warfare, especially hit-and-run tactics, as its forces are highly mobile. They also employed ambushes, disguises and traps. Camouflaged rebels may attack out of nowhere, skilled vehicle hijackers may suddenly appear, a hidden roadside Demo Trap may suddenly detonate, and a friendly Crusader Tank may turn out to be a GLA Bomb Truck. GLA workers may even tunnel deep inside an enemy's base and conduct a surprise attack. If given the opportunity, GLA Generals will steal and pillage any useful hardware from their superpower rivals and use it against them. The GLA will do anything and everything that is necessary to win.
The GLA claim to be liberating oppressed peoples from imperialists. In reality, civilians were often the victims of GLA aggression. In fact, collateral damage was of little concern to GLA commanders as they believed in the absolute righteousness of their cause. Civilians receiving UN foreign aid were dismissed as 'sheep' to be killed if necessary. When the GLA attacked or took control of an area, civilians would almost certainly be caught up in the fighting. The GLA also committed atrocities such as testing their biological weapons on civilian populations deemed sympathetic to their enemies. In short, civilian casualties are considered necessary to sacrifice for the noble cause.
Traitors to the GLA are not taken kindly either, a splinter cell that defected to the Chinese were wiped out using their very own weapons their new allies (stolen by the original GLA) had provided them with. In general, the GLA will go to the extremes, perhaps even the impossible to eliminate their enemies they claim as "infidels".
=== Technological Level ===
The GLA is technologically inferior to the USA and China. For instance, unlike the superpowers, the GLA lacked any air power beyond transport planes to provide support to their forces. However, it is known that the GLA employed ex-Soviet scientists, as well as their own scientists, who conducted (sometimes unethical) research to improve their arsenal. Technologies known to be used by the GLA included chemical and biological weapons, missiles (the ex-Soviet Scud is a prime example of this) and GPS scrambler technology (allowing GLA forces to stay out of enemy sight).