Well, he's certainly going for the dark stuff straight away, isn't he? She'll give it to him, though, the same as she had for Edward when he asked.

"Ishaval is a region of Amestris. They were annexed a long time ago. There has always been some unrest between the Ishavalans and Amestris." Differences in religious beliefs, among other things, didn't help. And then there was Father's plan...

"Amestris had always been at war with someone, from the first day the country was created. We only recently discovered why, but...the last one was with our own people. With Ishval."