Well Thank You, Thank You Uncle Sam

[sriracha john]

Maj. Gen. David Fridovich said on Wednesday that US troops could help to train Thai forces to quell the insurgency, if Thai authorities asked for assistance.

- AP

=============

Thanks Dave, but no thanks.

Edited April 21, 2007 by sriracha john

[pumpuiman]

Just a note.

I am an American.

Myself, and more than 75% of Americans disagree with The current governments policies in Iraq.

I for one, hate George Bush, and feel he should have been impeached long ago (and have protested publicly against this administration)

Please bash away at Government.....But do NOT bunch all Americans in one basket.

We are all waiting for a change in this country.

We have our hands tied. Impeachment would take longer than his term, he vetoes any effort to stop the war.

It is not the fault of all Americans........Please remember that the majority of Americans do Not support the current administration.

[britmaveric]

Just a note.

I am an American.

Myself, and more than 75% of Americans disagree with The current governments policies in Iraq.

I for one, hate George Bush, and feel he should have been impeached long ago (and have protested publicly against this administration)

Please bash away at Government.....But do NOT bunch all Americans in one basket.

We are all waiting for a change in this country.

We have our hands tied. Impeachment would take longer than his term, he vetoes any effort to stop the war.

It is not the fault of all Americans........Please remember that the majority of Americans do Not support the current administration.

50/50 I'm afraid - any ways you yanks will be in Iraq for years to come - don't delude yourself to think just because you change presidents that anything will change.

[pumpuiman]

Not 50/50.

And if it were.....half of us don't deserve to be bashed.

And remember, I could bash all people from England as well....but I realize it was a Governments decision, not the will of the people.

Don't bash a nation for it's governments folly. Some of us work hard to oppose them.

And change will come.

Edited April 21, 2007 by pumpuiman

[Johpa]

Maj. Gen. David Fridovich said on Wednesday that US troops could help to train Thai forces to quell the insurgency, if Thai authorities asked for assistance.

- AP

=============

Thanks Dave, but no thanks.

There has been a long history of American specialists training Thais in counter-insurgency. Perhaps the best known is the legendary (in some circles) Bill Lair back in the 1960s with his PARU units. Roger Warner's book Back Fire provides a fascinating account of Lair. And for many years I use to share drinks with guys from the 1st SFG out of Okinawa who were annual visitors to Chiang Mai to train the Thai 5th SF north of the city.

There are some very good tactical people in the US military who could indeed provide training for Thai troops to handle the military and counter-insurgency facets of the problems down south. But I fear addressing those facets alone will not put a dent into the "southern problem" and the US has shown itself singularly inept at addressing such multi-faceted complex issues at a strategic level. As the current US administration seems to be incapable of even understanding the difference between the tactical level and the strategic level, I think the Thais would be well advised to temporarily defer US assistance on these matters.

[sriracha john]

Maj. Gen. David Fridovich said on Wednesday that US troops could help to train Thai forces to quell the insurgency, if Thai authorities asked for assistance.

- AP

=============

Thanks Dave, but no thanks.

There are some very good tactical people in the US military who could indeed provide training for Thai troops to handle the military and counter-insurgency facets of the problems down south. But I fear addressing those facets alone will not put a dent into the "southern problem" and the US has shown itself singularly inept at addressing such multi-faceted complex issues at a strategic level. As the current US administration seems to be incapable of even understanding the difference between the tactical level and the strategic level, I think the Thais would be well advised to temporarily defer US assistance on these matters.

Indeed, it's certainly not the ability of the troops themselves that's in question...

but the mere presence of American Marines/Army on Thai soil in the Deep South.... well, they might as well just pour the kerosene on the fire now.....

[Pattaya_Fox]

WARNING

If this thread turns into an Anti-American rant then it will be closed with possible suspensions.

Please keep it on topic.

[Johpa]

WARNING

If this thread turns into an Anti-American rant then it will be closed with possible suspensions.

Please keep it on topic.

Hey man, don't shoot, I'm an American!

[skipvice]

WARNING

If this thread turns into an Anti-American rant then it will be closed with possible suspensions.

Please keep it on topic.

Hey man, don't shoot, I'm an American!

Now thats funny I am one of them 50/50 Americans

[Flysiam]

Aww.... still defending Chimpy McFlightsuit and the rest of his absurd foreign policy? It has to be tough being you right now and realising that almost everything the shrub admin told you was complete BS. Stay home and enroll in VA tech, I suggest a course in foreign affairs

/It was true about the morons insisting on ketchup with Thai food as standard, do you want to defend those <deleted> too?

<deleted>? so... who are the <deleted> that put ketchup on pizza?

Rants are so immature........

[usatrader]

I applaud the Thai Military decision to reject the American’s military offer of assistance and help and surely to follow, fashionable blame.

I mean what would be the point anyway, they are handling the situation on their own, help, and assistance would be in effect an oxymoron, as those two are apparently not needed. What only 2,311 killed in the South since January 2004 (40 mos). Why that is only, what, on average, 57+ Killed a month?

For my money, if they should decide they need help, though not likely. They should go to world’s current experts, the Russians of Cheyna fame. Who are at least recently a success story though not always proven successful in quelling Insurgency. Yet, in Chenya, they seemed to "have found" the “real solution to this type of problem.” ( Just an Opine)

If human will and persistence is but the measure of right and wrong, good and evil and or peace or peril, we in this emerging 21st Century paradigm of Schadenfreude Relativism, are all but lost to the unnoticed perils of our time, the blinded self indulgence of omnipotent narcissism. —TRADER

[qualtrough]

Just a note.

I am an American.

Myself, and more than 75% of Americans disagree with The current governments policies in Iraq.

I for one, hate George Bush, and feel he should have been impeached long ago (and have protested publicly against this administration)

Please bash away at Government.....But do NOT bunch all Americans in one basket.

We are all waiting for a change in this country.

We have our hands tied. Impeachment would take longer than his term, he vetoes any effort to stop the war.

It is not the fault of all Americans........Please remember that the majority of Americans do Not support the current administration.

Seconded!

[cm-happy]

What insurgencies?

Also, if you read the article, you'll notice no soldiers or manpower were offered, just advice and training. U.S. soldiers train with Thai soldiers here once a year in the Cobra exercises so it was probably just something along the same line. It's nothing sinister and nothing to do with Iraq. Give it a rest ya'll.

Yeag right!! Thats how the Vietnam debacle stated under Eisenhower and Kennedy, just training and advisors

[onzestan]

Could we all please sit back, and reflect on what Europe would be without the yanks, what Asia would be without the yanks. I for one am grateful that they came to rescue us Belgians from the Germans.

And also please consider that it is highly possible that many of the terrorist they are looking for are hiding in the south of Thailand, protected by their brethern. And could we also remember that the first ones to help after the Tsunami were the yanks.

My 2 cents

onzestan

[cm-happy]

Could we all please sit back, and reflect on what Europe would be without the yanks, what Asia would be without the yanks. I for one am grateful that they came to rescue us Belgians from the Germans.

And also please consider that it is highly possible that many of the terrorist they are looking for are hiding in the south of Thailand, protected by their brethern. And could we also remember that the first ones to help after the Tsunami were the yanks.

My 2 cents

onzestan

Well said!! or consider what post war Europe would be like without the Marshall Plan that was responsible for feeding most of Europe, both the victors and conquered after the war.

"RIGHT OR WRONG--MY COUNTRY" GOD BLESS AMERICA

ALSO MY 2 CENTS

[dumspero]

The US military does an excellent job of counterinsurgency warfare, especially given that they appropriately take great care not to kill civilians. From what I can tell about the Thai army in the South, they don't do as well at that. (The difficulties in the Mid East, including Iraq, are not caused by poor counterinsurgency tactics, although I suppose if one were willing to be as brutal as the terrorists that might be more effective.)

The Thai military has sent soldiers for training at US posts for decades that I know of, and it's my understanding this extends at least back to the Vietnam war. And it goes on you read this.

I understand that many love to bash the US, but you're kidding yourselves if you think the Thai military is as well trained as the US military. Sure, superior equipment is a big factor, but so too is training, due mostly, I would guess, to comparatively more money for training.

What many of you just can't stand is that the US military is the best trained and equipped in the world. That's a fact. Whether the elected leaders in the US use their military wisely is opinion. But the quality of the US military is extraordinary.

[dumspero]

Oh, and it does seem sad to me that so many of the countries the US has assisted in the last hundred years now have so many mindless US bashers (as opposed to those engaging in thoughtul critiques of this or that US policy). Maybe the bashers could at least wait until all the world war vets from the US are dead so they wouldn't have to put up with your nonsense.

[wolf359]

The US military does an excellent job of counterinsurgency warfare, especially given that they appropriately take great care not to kill civilians.

Do you watch the same news I do ?? open your eyes and have a good look !!

What many of you just can't stand is that the US military is the best trained and equipped in the world. That's a fact. Whether the elected leaders in the US use their military wisely is opinion. But the quality of the US military is extraordinary.

Tell that to the British and Canadian soldiers who have been killed by so 'called friendly fire' !!

[wolf359]

Could we all please sit back, and reflect on what Europe would be without the yanks, what Asia would be without the yanks. I for one am grateful that they came to rescue us Belgians from the Germans.

onzestan

Contrary to popular belief (or what Hollywood would like to portray) the Americans did not win WWII on their own !! I take it you are also greatfull for all the British and commonwealth soliders who lost there lives freeing Belgium !!

[sbk]

What does any of this have to do with the original post?

I, for one, haven't seen the word Thailand in a good few posts. Get it back to something relatively Thailand related or it will go the way of all the other America bashing threads.

[Jimjim]

One vote for close it. It's useless.

[wolf359]

One vote for close it. It's useless.

If you don't like it, don't bother to read the thread anymore.

personally I have found it very insightful.

[Jimjim]

Yes, it's very insightful how people have misconceptions, get details wrong, stereotype, over-generalize, and they think they have all the answers just because one President started a stupid war.

[Khun ?]

Silly one thinks its religion gives it special rights.

Who was it that done the cartoon a while ago ( Norway or Sweden). How many muslim went on a rampage and killed each other because of a cartoon. Is there any cartoonist available.

Your only going to get 69 virgins so stop it not that many in Thailand

Edited April 22, 2007 by Khun ?

[wolf359]

Yes, it's very insightful how people have misconceptions, get details wrong, stereotype, over-generalize, and they think they have all the answers just because one President started a stupid war.

Still here !! I thought you had had enough, its very interesting to see how this thread has played out, like all threads you have to see past all the usual 'sterotyping' etc but peoples views are fascinating and you do not close a thread just because you do not like what other people have to say.

[Pattaya_Fox]

Two warnings were given to get this thread back on topic i.e. Thailand related and I don`t see any evidence of that so it is now