Thailand's Thaksin prepares for war

By John Cole and Steve Sciacchitano

BANGKOK: -- Newly appointed Thai Minister of Defense Air Chief Marshal Sukampon Suwannathat is quietly planning to activate a new "war room", or secretive unofficial command center, to direct mass pro-government "red-shirt" demonstrations planned for the coming months, according to senior Thai military sources familiar with the situation.

The war room, created at the direction of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, will become operational by June, the same sources say. The senior military sources say that Thaksin, who lives in self-exile in the United Arab Emirates, ordered that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, his younger sister, be kept in the dark about the war room's creation so that she may honestly deny its existence if questioned by the press.

Whether the announced red-shirt demonstrations are planned to [more...]

Full story: http://atimes.com/at...a/NB18Ae03.html

-- atimes.com 2012-02-18

Although never revealed to the media, this anti-coup operations center was very successful in tracking coup planners and was also largely responsible for eventual coup leader and then army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratklin's cancellation of plans for the original coup, which had been plotted for the hours before the polls opened for the May 1, 2006, national parliamentary elections.

that's an interesting part.

Thaksin, who lives in self-exile in the United Arab Emirates, ordered that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, his younger sister, be kept in the dark about the war room's creation so that she may honestly deny its existence if questioned by the press.

Yes lets keep it a secret ..... there is no war room .... its only a rumor .

though the credibility of that report, story, yarn...whatever, is pretty much non-existent imo

So much for Thaksin's claims to want "reconciliation". he appears to actually be planning a coup, of his own !

Come in Spinner!

The more he meddles, the more it becomes obvious that allowing him back would probably not be the best move for healing the country.

though the credibility of that report, story, yarn...whatever, is pretty much non-existent imo

Well, it didn't come from the Nation. That lifts the credibility a few notches.

though the credibility of that report, story, yarn...whatever, is pretty much non-existent imo

Well, it didn't come from the Nation. That lifts the credibility a few notches.

Asia Times Online was created in 1999 and sees itself as the successor to Sondhi Limthongkul's* Asia Times that closed in 1997.

Who is talking about credibility ?

* Sondhi Limthongkul is the leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)

...ordered that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, his younger sister, be kept in the dark about the war room's creation so that she may honestly deny its existence if questioned by the press.

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil...makes being a PM at lot easier....allows more time to travel around Thailand to see all the water attractions.

I just seriously don't get this. Why are the journo's giving this criminal any media attention at all. What is this guy doing giving orders and stating that Thailands PM must be kept in the dark? He seems to be doing a practice run for the position he ultimately wants. The media is allowing this man to become self appointed President!!! He needs stopping/silencing quickly.

though the credibility of that report, story, yarn...whatever, is pretty much non-existent imo

That would be "non-existing credibilty" with an "interesting part" ?

.allows more time to travel around Thailand to see all the water attractions.

Did not realise the PM was into soapies...

though the credibility of that report, story, yarn...whatever, is pretty much non-existent imo

Well, it didn't come from the Nation. That lifts the credibility a few notches.

Asia Times Online was created in 1999 and sees itself as the successor to Sondhi Limthongkul's* Asia Times that closed in 1997.

Who is talking about credibility ?

* Sondhi Limthongkul is the leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)

But is there any real connection between it and a news source 15 years defunct? The authors seem to be well informed and credentialed, though I doubt they would get this article published in any "red" rag - well maybe the "non-existing credibility interesting part."

I love coup holidays.

If this news is true, another good coup should be held now.

Else it will be too late if we leave Thaksin be the President of Thailand.

senior Thai military sources familiar with the situation

My favorite goto source.

All Thais will all be rich under Thaskin in 6 months, 8 months, 12 months, 18 months

Okay so time is not that important, can all thais please wait till after I return

I promise you will all be rich in 6 months

Pleas do not tell the PM

I suppose if a would-be dictator is having difficulty seizing control of the military, creating your own private militia is the next best thing. Not in the interest of democracy though.

I would be interested to hear the thoughts of those anti-militarists on the generals who would disavow their pledge to protect king and country to support a clearly corrupt (but well-paying) crony invhis attempt to consolidate power a` la his good mate Hun Sen.

I wonder if as well as "handheld, encrypted communications devices" the next redshirt invasion will be equipped with more effective incendiary devices.

Thailand's Thaksin prepares for war

As opposed to Montenegro's Thaksin or Dubai's Thaksin ... good to know it is just a civil war.

Thats a great way to attract tourists....make a public statement declaring that you're setting up a 'war room' for impending pro-government marches (riots)... TIT..

Always scare when a country feels a need to have pro-government demonstrations when there are no anti-government demonstrations going on.

Clearly this is the path to reconciliation.

though the credibility of that report, story, yarn...whatever, is pretty much non-existent imo

Well, it didn't come from the Nation. That lifts the credibility a few notches.

Asia Times Online was created in 1999 and sees itself as the successor to Sondhi Limthongkul's* Asia Times that closed in 1997.

Who is talking about credibility ?

* Sondhi Limthongkul is the leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)

Asia Times on-line may consider itself to be the successor to an original Asia Times newspaper... But the on-line version has absolutely nothing to do with Sondhi..... you need to take a job with The Nation... or stop believing your wife..!

Well , so much for secrets, now the whole bloody shebang knows about it , soon the US and it's allies will be doing it , gee the whole world will soon be doing it, however to all who is interested, I have such a secret bunker, its called the Dunny, or the loo for the educated.

IMHO the next red shirt insurrection will have no shortage in attendance and likely an oversupply. In fact, I expect more than 80% to be women, most of them quite elderly and doddering on their last legs and/or looking around in senile stupefaction, all wondering <deleted> am I doing here, while their families back home go into paroxysms thinking about the B7.5 million possibly on its way.

History repeats itself.

We have seen such thing happen again and again all over the world, and this won't be the last.

The up-raising of the common people.

To struggle for a more open and free democratic society.

Last happen in USSR, Romania, Yogoslavia, East Timore, Tibet, Egypt, Iraq, etc

We congratulate then if the up-raising is a success.

We condem then if the up-raising fails.

IMHO the next red shirt insurrection will have no shortage in attendance and likely an oversupply. In fact, I expect more than 80% to be women, most of them quite elderly and doddering on their last legs and/or looking around in senile stupefaction, all wondering <deleted> am I doing here, while their families back home go into paroxysms thinking about the B7.5 million possibly on its way.

So true.

though the credibility of that report, story, yarn...whatever, is pretty much non-existent imo

That would be "non-existing credibilty" with an "interesting part" ?

do you really, really, need it to be explained to you?

ok

"that's an interesting part... though the credibility of that report is pretty much non-existent"

comprende?

Is that what you think this is all about? Dream on.

History repeats itself.

We have seen such thing happen again and again all over the world, and this won't be the last.

The up-raising of the common people.

To struggle for a more open and free democratic society.

Last happen in USSR, Romania, Yogoslavia, East Timore, Tibet, Egypt, Iraq, etc

We congratulate then if the up-raising is a success.

We condem then if the up-raising fails.

though the credibility of that report, story, yarn...whatever, is pretty much non-existent imo

That would be "non-existing credibilty" with an "interesting part" ?

do you really, really, need it to be explained to you?

ok

"that's an interesting part... though the credibility of that report is pretty much non-existent"

comprende?

Sorry. It's just that I fail to find "non-credible" statements "interesting". Explains a few things though.