Questionable Ethics Why

[marshbags]

Two headlines / articles hit me this morning in the Nation.

1)

Quote:-

NATIONAL SECURITY

ShinSat sale 'tragic blow for defence'

Expert says takeover should be blocked or Thailand would have to spend billions to ensure signals are not intercepted.

Singapore's takeover of the Thaicom satellite and AIS mobile phone company is a "tragedy" for Thailand's defence communications network and should be blocked if possible, a top Australian defence analyst said yesterday.

Professor Des Ball said the sale of the ShinSat satellite and AIS to Temasek would end up costing Thailand billions of baht - which would be the price of having to launch a new satellite to ensure the Thai military's signals could not be intercepted.

"It's not in Thailand's interests to allow Singapore control of such a critically important communications system, through the satellite and mobile phone company," Prof Ball said in an interview in Bangkok yesterday.

"That's why they [the Thai Army] are now talking about their own satellite and using [two-way] radios - their system has been compromised."

Professor Ball, from the Australian National University in Canberra, is a world authority on signals intelligence. A regular visitor to Thailand and Southeast Asia, he has strong links with the Thai military.

Unquote.

Please go to the following url for the complete article.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/23...es_30024843.php

2)

Quote:-

AOT plays down runway cracks

Airports of Thailand (AOT) Plc insists runway and taxiway cracks at Suvarnabhumi Airport - which could cost Bt1 billion to fix - are not serious enough to prompt airlines to shift back to Don Muang.

However, officials said they would shut the airport down if the damage constituted a threat to aircraft and passengers.

"There are cracks at 25 locations and the areas have been closed for reconstruction," AOT senior executive vice president Somchai Sawasdeepon said.

"This problem has affected our capacity slightly. Now, we can accommodate 60 flights an hour down from 72."

But Defence Ministry deputy permanent secretary Admiral Bannavit Kengrien threatened to shut down Suvarnabhumi if an investigation proved cracks could lead to damage. A team of Army engineers was assessing them.

"If the investigation finds runways are dangerous we will immediately recommend the closing of Suvarnabhumi to prevent harm to passengers," Bannavit said.

The investigation would be completed by the end of the month.

Bannavit lashed out at the previous government, blaming it for the current construction concerns.

He claimed the Thaksin-Shinawatra administration had abandoned a "defective child" for others to raise.

Unquote.

Please go to the following url for the complete article.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/23...es_30024846.php

So all you Thaksin supporters please explain to me how someone who alledgedly has Thailands future interests at heart could be a party to the above ?

Security and Safety seem to be pretty serious from my take on the CEO,s integrity and HONEST / DISHONEST intentions.

Perhaps i am mis guided and you who still think he was a good P.M. for the country can put me right.

You can just imagine what he was doing in Singapore and also what he has been a party to communication wise since the coup. ?????????

He was always getting first had information on all that was being discussed and planned courtesy /via his Shin / Ais deals which seem even more controversial now and how damaging and costly it will all be due to his greed and selfish interests.

He could just as well have been sat at the table with the present administration.

More importantly think what Thailands enemies could gleen from this alarming observation.

Incidently it also makes you wonder what he was able to listen in on over the last few years on private conversations, especially at government levels

The premature opening of the airport and all the corruption / graft ect. ect. puts not only Thailand at risk, but more importantly the millions of visitors who fly in.

SAFETY sacrificed and compromised and no other way to look at it.

But then again with so many in denial i could be wrong again.

marshbags

Edited January 23, 2007 by marshbags

[The Skipper]

Poor craftmanship is the standard.

Everything gets done and redone untill it is close to the engineers specs.

I walked by the new Bumrungrad expansion the other day. They were ripping out the newly laid concrete at the front door for some reason.....

[jumnien]

"Professor Ball, from the Australian National University in Canberra, is a world authority on signals intelligence. A regular visitor to Thailand and Southeast Asia, he has strong links with the Thai military.Unquote."

Sometimes the truth of the story is in the details...

[pete_r]

Bannavit lashed out at the previous government, blaming it for the current construction concerns.

He claimed the Thaksin-Shinawatra administration had abandoned a "defective child" for others to raise.

Finally we get the real reason why he left the government: He resigned over the new airport.

[marshbags]

"Professor Ball, from the Australian National University in Canberra, is a world authority on signals intelligence. A regular visitor to Thailand and Southeast Asia, he has strong links with the Thai military.Unquote."

Sometimes the truth of the story is in the details...

You are as usual plucking and highlighting certain parts of quotes to take them out of context.

Maybe i could politely suggest you go to the url and read the full article and what he goes on to qualify re his links which incidently go back long before the 19th of September. :whistling

Just for once defend the O.P.s submissions in your own eloquent way and expand on your 10 word statement so we can understand what you mean in more detail.

Here,s your chance to do so.

marshbags

Edited January 23, 2007 by marshbags

[jumnien]

"Professor Ball, from the Australian National University in Canberra, is a world authority on signals intelligence. A regular visitor to Thailand and Southeast Asia, he has strong links with the Thai military."

I realize it is a very complex point I'm trying to make and well deserves several volumes to explain fully, but try to follow me here:

Perhaps, this gentleman with STRONG LINKS TO THE THAI MILITARY, is financially motivated to be an apologist for a military regime he has a history of getting "backhanders" from.

Edited January 23, 2007 by mdeland

[GuestHouse]

Or perhaps the Military are making a big deal over this because their real agenda is they want their own Military Satelite, having lost control of the private company satelite they were using to Singapore.

The reality is, while passing sensitive data over a Private Company Satelite controlled outside Thailand is a security risk, is it less so than when the Satelite was controlled by Thaksin.

And measure those risks against the Military control of the Public Broadcasting Networks, which has always been the case.

To be honest. What is anyone who evesdrops on the Thai military likely to hear? Some general calling up his Mia Noi, some other ranks running private businesses.

The whole mess is a joke.

Satelite, they haven't taken their Aircraft carrier out of the docks yet!!!

Spoiled children playing with expensive toys.

[kmart]

Giving the military something like that is akin to giving a diamond to a monkey. The sheer wastage of these people; one General per one tank?!?!? An Aircraft carrier moored in Sattahip that is just collecting barnacles, they can't even afford to launch it? Anybody remember what happened to Banharn's submarines?

With Thaksin out of the way, the military seem to be ramping up their demands, chest-beating on about "security" and the like.....? Wonder what the next manufactured crisis will be?

[Robski]

Bannavit lashed out at the previous government, blaming it for the current construction concerns.

He claimed the Thaksin-Shinawatra administration had abandoned a "defective child" for others to raise.

Finally we get the real reason why he left the government: He resigned over the new airport.

Abandoned? Resigned?