CONCORD Aria Investigation Postponed

A CONCORD assembly meeting was convened earlier today in which it was announced that the internal investigation into the circumstances behind the recently leaked Code Aria report is to be temporarily suspended.

None of the CONCORD Inner Circle were present at the meeting and in their place Malus Trondheim, a representative from the organisation's Internal Affairs Division, stated that: "With the agreement of the Aria Investigation Oversight Committee, all ongoing inquiries regarding the case will cease for the time being while CONCORD resources are dedicated to higher-priority matters."

Objections were raised by outspoken Amarr delegation leader Lord Qumar, but Thierry Lowe, a fellow Assembly member and Gallente who holds a seat on the Oversight Committee, stepped forward to assure Qumar and his peers that the investigation had already made some progress, and that it would definitely be resumed "after the current crises afflicting our sovereign nations have passed."

There was little dissent from the remaining Assembly members, the attendance of which was at its lowest recorded level for the last two decades. Many were perturbed by the complete absence of Minmatar Assembly members, some of whom had been expected to attend despite the recent dissolution of the Republic Parliament and the forced resignation of the infamous Ambassador Yun.

Many commentators have been quick to speculate that in today's current climate of hostility between the four empires, CONCORD may be preparing themselves for the worst. Sona Paquil, current affairs editor of Galaxy Today magazine, said today in response to the news that: "If I was on the Inner Circle then I certainly wouldn't want to be distracted or have my hands tied right now by stupid political red tape. CONCORD have a job to do and we would do well to let them get on with it before things get any worse."