Missing Cadn. Soldier Turns Up At Bangkok Embassy

[george]

Missing Cdn. soldier turns up at Bangkok embassy

OTTAWA: — Two years ago, Special Forces Sgt. Montgomery Paisley cleaned out his bank account, sorted out his affairs, and vanished after taking a commercial flight to Thailand.

A 16-year veteran of the military, the explosives expert had an exemplary record and no signs of personal problems when he disappeared after landing in the southeast Asian country on Aug. 1, 2003.

During an extensive probe, Canadian and Thai investigators found no trace of Paisley. Last week, he turned up at the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok after 21 months.

Where he'd been in the interim remained a mystery Thursday.

"He turned himself in at the embassy to make inquiries about going back to Canada,'' said Capt. Mark Giles, a spokesman for the Canadian military's National Investigation Service (NIS).

"He did want to come home.

"Embassy officials contacted Thai authorities. They also contacted the National Investigation Service, and arrangements were made to bring him back into Canadian custody.''

Thai police detained Paisley. Although he was officially discharged from the service in December 2004, he returned to Canada on Wednesday escorted by NIS officers, who travelled to Thailand to fetch him.

He remained in custody Thursday, under investigation for being "absent without authority.'' However, a military statement said "his well-being and the welfare of his family are the (military's) main concerns at this time.''

In a brief interview, Paisley's mother Barbara said she and husband George had no idea what their son had been up to before they were contacted by authorities Wednesday.

"We don't know anything at this stage,'' she said from her home in Brown's Flat, near Saint John, N.B.

A cousin said the family didn't know Paisley was gone until they were notified by the military after he'd overstayed his leave.

"His sister had tried to contact him online a couple of times through his e-mail and he wasn't even answering his e-mail,'' said the cousin, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Paisley looked well, said Giles, adding the ex-soldier was examined by a military doctor. Legal counsel was being made available. He was being questioned and would remain in custody at least a few more days.

Paisley apparently had a girlfriend when he left Canada.

Investigators executed search warrants and interviewed family and friends after Paisley did not return from what was supposed to have been a two-week vacation. They acknowledged at the time they had found "red flags.''

Paisley had been a member of the commando unit Joint Task Force 2 for six years. He had spent a 2002 tour in Afghanistan with a Canadian battle group fighting Taliban and al-Qaida holdouts, based in Kandahar.

The Canadian Forces became particularly concerned about Paisley because his expertise was in explosives and defusing mines and booby traps.

Ottawa informed Thai police about his disappearance before the high-security Asia-Pacific economic summit in Bangkok in the fall of 2003.

While not believed to be a threat, he was thought to be carrying a laptop computer or notebook with bomb-making information. Interpol, the FBI and other international agencies were later alerted to his disappearance.

His trail went cold until April 7 when he approached Canadian officials in Thailand, apparently after problems with his documents.

Citing his role in the highly secretive JTF-2 commando unit, the military has declined to release Paisley's age, his marital status, his picture or his physical description.

--ctv.ca 2005-04-15

[sriracha john]

Very interesting story.... the remaining parts should prove even more interesting...

[sriracha john]

Citing his role in the highly secretive JTF-2 commando unit, the military has declined to release Paisley's age, his marital status, his picture or his physical description.

Here's a few additional tidbits I found.... so much for the above noted exclusion of information..

Montgomery Paisley (file photo)

OTTAWA - An explosives expert with Canada's elite commando unit who disappeared after a two-week leave in August 2003 is now in military custody in Canada after showing up in Thailand.

Questions remain about what Special Forces Sergeant Montgomery Paisley of Joint Task Force 2 did while he was missing, officials said.

Paisley served a 2002 tour of duty in Afghanistan, fighting Taliban and al-Qaeda groups, before cleaning out his bank account, taking a commercial flight to Bangkok and vanishing.

The native of Brown's Flat, N.B., had been in the Canadian military for 16 years.

The case was a particular concern to Canadian authorities because Paisley specialized in explosives, mines and booby traps. Authorities believed he had a laptop computer containing bomb-making information when he disappeared.

A total of 13 military investigators turned up no clues to his whereabouts for almost two years, said Capt. Mark Giles of the National Investigation Service (NIS).

The fact that Paisley emptied out his bank account indicates some premeditation, said military analyst David Rudd of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies.

"Given the fact that he went to Southeast Asia, given the fact that his whereabouts and activities were unknown for the better part of two years ... this [is] a national security issue. You just can't avoid it," Rudd told CBC News.

[Khun Larry]

Seems like a nice enough chap.

May have even seen him a time or two.

[penzman]

An empty wallet probably led him back to the embassy. Hope he had a great time Now, back to work!

How about bringing back one " I was in Thailand for 2 years and all I brought back was this one lousy t-shirt. You'll have to take turns wearing it!" t-shirt.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Seems like a nice enough chap.

May have even seen him a time or two.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Could he be CdnVic sometime TV mod ?

[cdnvic]

Seems like a nice enough chap.

May have even seen him a time or two.

Could he be CdnVic sometime TV mod ?

If I were JTF2 no troll would post twice

I'm too much of a wuss to be a commando anyways

cv

[huski]

Missing Cdn. soldier turns up at Bangkok embassy

His trail went cold until April 7 when he approached Canadian officials in Thailand, apparently after problems with his documents.

maybe went to his embassy because his existing passport was expiring. what was this nimrod thinking ? a year left in the service and he spends it at nana plaza. jeeezz.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Missing Cdn. soldier turns up at Bangkok embassy

His trail went cold until April 7 when he approached Canadian officials in Thailand, apparently after problems with his documents.

maybe went to his embassy because his existing passport was expiring. what was this nimrod thinking ? a year left in the service and he spends it at nana plaza. jeeezz.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

His little head did the thinking

[sriracha john]

Given his background..... we may be really missing the boat on this one. His time and situation in Thailand may have been completely different then what we are currently guessing at.

Things don't add up in this situation....

: (for your perusal):

JTF2: Canada’s super-secret commandos

CBC News Online

If truth is one of the first casualties of war, secrecy is one of war's first exigencies. There is no better instance of this than Canada's elite commando unit, which is so secretive Canadian authorities are hesitant even to refer to it as an elite commando unit.

But the United States is well aware of Canada's Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2). The U.S. was impressed by JTF2's performance.

JTF2 consists of volunteers from three branches of the Canadian Armed Forces. JTF2 began in 1993 when it took over counter-terrorist duties from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Its numbers are said to be about 350. Its Canadian base is Dwyer Hill Training Centre in Ottawa's rural west end.

The average age of a JTF2 commando is 28, considerably more experienced than fresh-faced recruits.

This is Canada's special force, our elite fighters. They are selected and trained as rigorously as any elite force in the world, which includes Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) and, in the United States, the Green Berets, Rangers and Delta Force. The requirements of the U.S. super-elite Delta Force probably also apply to Britain's SAS and Canada's JTF2, which means a quarter of those who volunteer – and these are top soldiers – are routinely washed out. Of those who go on, one in 10 makes it to the elite unit.

These are the units deployed to trouble spots to act with stealth and deadly force. They are trained to rope down from helicopters, live off the land for months, break a combatant's hip with a kick to the upper femur.

JTF2 soldiers were part of commando operations that killed at least 115 Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters and captured 107 senior Taliban leaders over a six-month period.

[sriracha john]

UPDATE

As an update to this thread and the initial thread:

'Mentally ill' bomb expert missing in Thailand

Military withdraws desertion charges against ex-special forces soldier

May 19, 2006 - 8:53 am

OTTAWA (CP) - The military has withdrawn a desertion charge against an ex-special forces soldier who disappeared into Thailand for almost two years.

Military prosecutors said it was "in the public interest" to abandon the case against former sergeant Montgomery Paisley after it was established he has been suffering from a major depressive disorder.

A Defence Department statement said if the case had proceeded the central issue would have been Paisley's mental health and his level of criminal responsibility.

Paisley left his unit with a potentially sensitive laptop computer in July 2003 and was absent until he turned himself in at the Canadian embassy in Bangkok in April 2005.

Navy Capt. Holly MacDougall, director of military prosecutions, said lawyers reviewed psychological test results and reports, consulted with mental health professionals and decided Paisley's conduct "may adequately be addressed through administrative processes and within the medical domain."

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service charged Paisley with desertion, absence without leave and stealing on April 15, 2005, after escorting him back to Canada from Thailand, ultimately deciding to try him only on the desertion charge.

-------------------------------------------------

soooo, I guess Thailand should expect to see him arriving back at the airport relatively soon....

"Welcome back, Montgomery"....

[Johpa]

UPDATE

As an update to this thread and the initial thread:

'Mentally ill' bomb expert missing in Thailand

Military withdraws desertion charges against ex-special forces soldier

May 19, 2006 - 8:53 am

OTTAWA (CP) - The military has withdrawn a desertion charge against an ex-special forces soldier who disappeared into Thailand for almost two years.

Military prosecutors said it was "in the public interest" to abandon the case against former sergeant Montgomery Paisley after it was established he has been suffering from a major depressive disorder.

The public does not give a rat's derriere on this matter. It is rarely in the government's interest to bring charges against members of the more secretive elite military units. Don't want to upset someone under oath who knows things that are best kept under wraps.

[britmaveric]

Wonder if this was his first holiday in thailand? (perhaps he had a lady and decided to do a runner)

[Minburi]

What I find interesting is that in the Canadian Military when you go awol or take off you are reported to the police and the meatheads and such but no attempt is made to find you as the manpower and resources are not there. So after a certain amount of time they just release/discharge you out of the military with dishonourable conduct. So why the big hoppla? Most likely he will do a bit of time in military prison in edmonton and be RTM`ed. He will be back in Thailand in 2 years less a day at the worst.

[Kerryd]

Wonder if this was his first holiday in thailand? (perhaps he had a lady and decided to do a runner)

I think this is a joke. The guy planned this ahead of time. Cleared out his bank account and travelled to Thailand. Lived here for two years until he ran out of money, then goes to the embassy, "I'm broke, help me".

Now the government has decided to drop the desertion charge, because he may have been "depressed" at the time he left for Thailand. (Note: if you disappear like this, you are subject to to the charge of being Absent With-Out Leave (AWOL). After 6 months, the charge is changed to Desertion).

So he got a 2 year holiday and now will be able to return. Except for the small problem of not having a pay cheque any more. Pretty sure he blew any chance he may have had to get a pension as well (unless he scams a disability pension, which is a definite possibility)

Why didn't I think of a scam like this while I was still in ? If it hadn't been for my honesty, pride and professionalism, I might have tried something like this.