Rumoured Attack On Myanmar By Thailand And USA

[sriracha john]

Can you really see the US making a lightning strike on Myanmar? Even if it did it would be a surgical strike, not carpet bombing of Rangoon.

Has anyone seen the movie "Stealth"?

Talk about deja-vu...

Jamie Foxx will attack at dawn...

[bartender100]

What about someone invading Thailand and restoring democracy???

[Ricardo]

No Mr. Sierra1 I'm not french, I'm swiss and was born and live parttime on the border to France and Italy (named the friendship triangle). I have many french, italian and european friends who I respect, and are nice people.

But it seems that most of the anglo-saxons populating this forum have a great pleasure to denigrate France,the french people and others european countries; especially the US one.

I'll be flamed but I don't care.

Well I won't flame you !

The British & French have a long history of friendly rivalry. We call them the frogs, they call us roast-beefs, both references to the other's supposed cuisines.

They mounted the last successful invasion of the UK in 1066, we ruled them for about a century in the middle-ages, we denied Napoleon (with help from our allies) supreme-overlordship of Europe, they denied us entry to the EEC for 20 years, etcetera.

But we also pull together when need be - for example in the two world wars, or building Concorde, a technology 20 years ahead of its time & a famous commercial-disaster for both countries, or the Channel-Tunnel connecting Europe with the UK.

There is a sense of humour mixed-in with any apparent denigration. They make much of our London fogs, the last one some 50 years ago, we laugh at headlines like "Fog in the English-Channel - Continent cut-off" .

It's simplistic to see the relationship as merely denigration, IMHO.

[PeaceBlondie]

I can expect the Burmese junta to be, and to act, paranoid and insanely. Is this the first or the 931st time they've admitted being afraid of an invasion?

I suspect that if American or Thai military forces came to 'extract' the Lady of Burma, Aung Sahn Suu Kyi, she'd insist that they not take her out of Burma.

Burma is not on the radar screen of the puppeteers who handle George W. Bush. It's great that Condi Rice and Colin Powell have stood up for The Lady, but it's all talk. Iran is next in the target of the World's Only Remaining, Rapidly Declining, Debt-Increasing Superpower.

Are you on drugs?

Nope; I've never done drugs, and I'm practically a teetotaler. What is there in my post that you find incorrect, or are you just disagreeing?

1. The Burmese junta acts paranoid at times, and insane at times. E.g., moving the capital practically overnight. Do you have evidence to the contrary?

2. I asked a question. Care to answer it, on topic?

3. I don't think The Lady would voluntarily leave Burma. Do you think she would?

4. I don't think the real decision makers in the White House care enough about Burma to even have a tentative, hypothetical, 'what if?' invasion scenario of Burma. As mentioned, the Secretaries of State have criticized the junta, but they haven't been the decision makers (well, Condi's fast getting there).

5. Iran is next in the target for a US invasion. Read any news media lately?

6. Oh, did that final sentence bother you? The USA is the only remaining superpower. Its status as such is rapidly declining. There is no doubt that its debt increases.

Thanks again for all your valuable insights.

[Sangsom]

No Mr. Sierra1 I'm not french, I'm swiss and was born and live parttime on the border to France and Italy (named the friendship triangle). I have many french, italian and european friends who I respect, and are nice people.

But it seems that most of the anglo-saxons populating this forum have a great pleasure to denigrate France,the french people and others european countries; especially the US one.

I'll be flamed but I don't care.

Well I won't flame you !

The British & French have a long history of friendly rivalry. We call them the frogs, they call us roast-beefs, both references to the other's supposed cuisines.

They mounted the last successful invasion of the UK in 1066, we ruled them for about a century in the middle-ages, we denied Napoleon (with help from our allies) supreme-overlordship of Europe, they denied us entry to the EEC for 20 years, etcetera.

But we also pull together when need be - for example in the two world wars, or building Concorde, a technology 20 years ahead of its time & a famous commercial-disaster for both countries, or the Channel-Tunnel connecting Europe with the UK.

There is a sense of humour mixed-in with any apparent denigration. They make much of our London fogs, the last one some 50 years ago, we laugh at headlines like "Fog in the English-Channel - Continent cut-off" .

It's simplistic to see the relationship as merely denigration, IMHO.

This is what this forum makes so boring at times. People moving far away from the subject and not contributing to it at all except for some childish accusitions regarding nationalities! Start a new topic for this nonsense, at least people interested in a certain item can stick to the subject without being bothered by some that belong in the kindergarten and not here!

God save the Queen & Vive la France & Deutschland ueber Alles & Hup Holland hup!

[Johpa]

What about someone invading Thailand and restoring democracy???

Many of you readers may not be aware that back in the late 1980s or early 90s Burmese troops did indeed invade and occupy Thai territory. All they needed was to buy off a certain Thai general-cum-politician with some logging concessions and the next thing you know, there were Burmese troops operating on Thai soil. Invading Thailand is simply an economic transaction.

[otherstuff1957]

Most countries have contingency plans on how to invade their neighbors. In most cases those plans are just academic exercises. They're practice for peacetime staff officers. I would expect that the British Army has plans for invading Norway somewhere in their files and that Argentina has plans for invading Chile! Just because plans exist, doesn't mean that those invasions will ever take place or even be seriously discussed.

[thaigene2]

This news report is just too stupid for words..it's just wishful thinking by Irawaddy..(a Burmese pro-democracy magazine if you weren't aware).

Why would the USA give a sh*t about Burma? And why on earth would they start another fire in another part of the world (especially one where they fared so badly 30 years ago...) when they are in such a mess in another?

Okay..here's another knucklehead theory..It's actually going to be a Psy-Op. The CIA is going to release doctored copies of the Burmese Junta's newspaper "The Shining Light of Myanmar" with a frontpage cartoon of the Prophet Muhammed in the company of a Rangoon bargirl, then they're going to drop thousands of copies into the streets of Syria and Iran and let these guys fight it out amongst themselves..pretty clever, chai mai?

[richard10365]

I posted something earlier...from the newpaper who apparently started this......they stated it wasn't them who insinuated Thailand being involved with a usa in a conspiricy to attack Myanmar. It was the Thai media who started it.

Maybe you guys missed that. Or, you enjoy discussions dealing with "what if".

The Irrawaddy News did not say Thailand was planning an attack with USA. The Thai media made that claim. They started the rumor and you guys seem to be carrying it on.

Edited February 11, 2006 by richard10365

[Crushdepth]

This is really too stupid to actually comment on.

Yep.

[Slim Chance]

Liberated Iraqi Child

The U.S. bomb Myanmar on behalf of Aung San Su Kyi and the Democracy League? BRILLIANT!

Especially when you consider that the NLD is devoted to NON-VIOLENCE.

Su Kyi being rescued and taken out of the country? INGENIUS!

Considering that she has been given the chance to go but refuses to leave and remains as a symbol of hope to her people and a thorn in the generals’ backsides.

Thailand attack Burma? WHAT A CONCEPT! When they are second in trade there only to China and Thaksin’s in the cell-phone business there.

Bush, Rice and the gang are busy pointing their bloody fingers at Myanmar in order to try and create a little diversion, hoping somebody will be stupid enough to fall for it.

If the U.S. couldn’t take Korea, Vietnam or Iraq, how will they take Burma? --especially when they’re already spread so thin.

The U.S. is indeed a pitiful empire in decline. Murderous treasonous war-profiteers are in control and the people are all too drunk on materialism to much notice or care.

Oh yes: Militarist Flag Wavers Burn in he11.

Democracy At Work

**attachments deleted**

Edited February 11, 2006 by cdnvic

[cclub75]

If the U.S. couldn’t take Korea, Vietnam or Iraq, how will they take Burma? --especially when they’re already spread so thin.

The U.S. is indeed a pitiful empire in decline. Murderous treasonous war-profiteers are in control and the people are all too drunk on materialism to much notice or care.

Oh yes: Militarist Flag Wavers Burn in he11.

Your hatery of the USA makes you totally blind.

Everybody knows that this "invasion of Burma" is a pure non sense, a joke, to entertain people like you.

But strangely, no one really talk about Burma and its people.

This country is in the hands of a bunch of crazy "generals", full of whisky, drugs, and totally paranoid.

You think about corruption in Thailand ? Well Burma is a mafia state.

Why don't you care about the life -the hel_l- that people have in Burma ? Why don't you REALLY pray for a foreign military intervention in order to free this country ?

And North Korea. Oh yeah, once again you are laughing about the USA... But it's the same disgrace. Even worse than Burma.

Yes we should bomb burma, north korea, and organize a big Nuremberg trial. We have to stand for freedom and the basic human rights.

Stop to the principle of "non intervention", herited from the Cold War.

[richard10365]

Thailand never said they were attacking burma.......it was the thai media....you guys who are continueing this disussion are idotits.

[Slim Chance]

US Forces round up suspects

Actually, my friend, my “hatered” of the USA has made my vision 20-20. And the murderous Bush regime is not the USA any more than the generals of Myanmar “are” Burma.

I’m from the USA and I live in Burma. I know both countries well.

The thugs in Rangoon are strictly of the penny-ante street-corner variety compared to the seasoned killers in Washington.

Who is the “we” who should bomb Burma, you and me? Or is it you and the other fun jokesters that know how to laugh at a good tragedy? My sincere apologies for missing your style of humor. Will a belated hee-haw suffice?

Bomb the country to save the country, huh? Is that more forum in-crowd funny talk?

When you get tired of bombing for peace, come on over and join the human race.

If you must define the world in simplistic terms as “us” and “them”, then as far as I can tell, “them” are the militarists of all nationalities and “us” are the worlds people who just want to live in peace.

And it takes courage in the US or Burma to say no to “them”.

Oakland Police open

fire on peace demonstration

[the gent]

I can expect the Burmese junta to be, and to act, paranoid and insanely. Is this the first or the 931st time they've admitted being afraid of an invasion?

I suspect that if American or Thai military forces came to 'extract' the Lady of Burma, Aung Sahn Suu Kyi, she'd insist that they not take her out of Burma.

Burma is not on the radar screen of the puppeteers who handle George W. Bush. It's great that Condi Rice and Colin Powell have stood up for The Lady, but it's all talk. Iran is next in the target of the World's Only Remaining, Rapidly Declining, Debt-Increasing Superpower.

Are you on drugs?

Nope; I've never done drugs, and I'm practically a teetotaler. What is there in my post that you find incorrect, or are you just disagreeing?

1. The Burmese junta acts paranoid at times, and insane at times. E.g., moving the capital practically overnight. Do you have evidence to the contrary?

2. I asked a question. Care to answer it, on topic?

3. I don't think The Lady would voluntarily leave Burma. Do you think she would?

4. I don't think the real decision makers in the White House care enough about Burma to even have a tentative, hypothetical, 'what if?' invasion scenario of Burma. As mentioned, the Secretaries of State have criticized the junta, but they haven't been the decision makers (well, Condi's fast getting there).

5. Iran is next in the target for a US invasion. Read any news media lately?

6. Oh, did that final sentence bother you? The USA is the only remaining superpower. Its status as such is rapidly declining. There is no doubt that its debt increases.

Thanks again for all your valuable insights.

Navel gazing americans can be so tedious.

Given what we know about the size of the US military/industrial/economic complex, which country/power/state/continent do you envisage superseding their position as numero uno within, say, the next 50 years? Reasons for supporting a contrary view to my own, which as you may surmise are implicit, would be welcome. Furthermore, what is likely to be the UN sanctioned action supporting military intervention in Iran affairs according to the existing protocols ?

[Jeff1]

Liberated Iraqi Child

The U.S. bomb Myanmar on behalf of Aung San Su Kyi and the Democracy League? BRILLIANT!

Especially when you consider that the NLD is devoted to NON-VIOLENCE.

Su Kyi being rescued and taken out of the country? INGENIUS!

Considering that she has been given the chance to go but refuses to leave and remains as a symbol of hope to her people and a thorn in the generals’ backsides.

Thailand attack Burma? WHAT A CONCEPT! When they are second in trade there only to China and Thaksin’s in the cell-phone business there.

Bush, Rice and the gang are busy pointing their bloody fingers at Myanmar in order to try and create a little diversion, hoping somebody will be stupid enough to fall for it.

If the U.S. couldn’t take Korea, Vietnam or Iraq, how will they take Burma? --especially when they’re already spread so thin.

The U.S. is indeed a pitiful empire in decline. Murderous treasonous war-profiteers are in control and the people are all too drunk on materialism to much notice or care.

Oh yes: Militarist Flag Wavers Burn in he11.

Democracy At Work

**attachments deleted**

Needs alot more editing Vic

[Sangsom]

No editing needed I would say! Its clear loud and true!

[Johpa]

The U.S. is indeed a pitiful empire in decline. Murderous treasonous war-profiteers are in control and the people are all too drunk on materialism to much notice or care.

Well you can't fault Slim Chance on this part of his rant. At least we no longer need to worry about the Slim Picken's depiction of a nuclear holocaust so maybe there is some hope..

[cclub75]

Bomb the country to save the country, huh? Is that more forum in-crowd funny talk?

When you get tired of bombing for peace, come on over and join the human race.

If you must define the world in simplistic terms as “us” and “them”, then as far as I can tell, “them” are the militarists of all nationalities and “us” are the worlds people who just want to live in peace.

And it takes courage in the US or Burma to say no to “them”.

OK now I understand. You are a human like you said, I mean a true pacifist.

In 1938, you would have felt so pleased and happy after the Munich agreement.

And lately, of course you would have joined the "rather red than dead" camp.

Hum, you are such a real human.

[bendejo]

[i don't think The Lady would voluntarily leave Burma. Do you think she would?

Moot point. If it happened it would be an "extraction," a commando operation, no kid gloves involved. At the first sign of resistence they would drug her, strap her to a stretcher, then deliver her as "package."

At least she'll be able to get more TV stations than she did back home.

[usatrader]

Given, somewhat inside, but mostly outside the United States, this fallacy of a widely accepted truism of a all but destroyed Americano nation, this idea that the USA and especially Thailand would be planning to invade Myanmar is but a wishful illusion, lacking reasoned judgment, rational and or logical foresight or thought.

Not to mention the other 6 to 8 countries the US is allegedly planning to invade so often articulated, as if a virus, by this illusionary crowed of Americano doomsayer types.

Doomsayer prognostications, much in the light of self assumed Nostradamus like visions. Yet, in reasoned rational, unlike him, in that they are visionless and shortsighted as to the self interests of the nations to which these doomsayer’s come from.

These everpresent prognostication of an imminently pending Americano doom are repeated, year after year, decade after decade for some 50 plus years now. Prognostications, given their endlessness and timelessness in frequency and continued lack of realization, despite decades of such exclamations, that have lost credulity, much like the boy who cried wolf one to many times.

It is especially bemusing to hear the glee at which many wishful doomsayers want this American demise to happen, given the world’s unquestioned, and ever increasing, never more so than now, Global economic interdependence.

It is an assumption, in an apparent consensus by these doomsayers, that all the world, but the Americans exclusively, would go unscathed financially and economically if this were to happen quickly and in an imminent time frame.

It is as if this interdependent trade induced wealth generation, its associated income and job creation, to rich and poor nations alike, were not part and parcel coupled inseparably to the same global economic ship. Whereby, in this absurd fantasy of doom, some surmise a fallacious reality that if its largest compartment were to become flooded and sink, the rest, would, as detachable vessels, somehow remain in economic and financial status quo, unhindered and unscathed.

Instead of the hardcore reality that the ship is inseparable and the rest of it is not immune to its entirety sinking along with its largest compartment. It is an ill vision of self interest reality that would have the potential for the world to leap backwards, for decades thereafter, into a world wide depression, heretofore unseen or unthought of, where life styles of poor and rich nations alike would be more reminiscent of the 18th century than the 21st for some time thereafter.

Now for the Taliban types out there, this would be an advancement in life style and opportunity. But for much of the rest of us, it would be an economic h e l l on earth for decades to come.

This thread’s presumption of a planned invasion by the USA much less, in alliance, with Thailand, is absurdly illusionary.

My opine anyway.

[Kerryd]

I highly doubt the US or anyone else is planning on doing anything about Burma in the near future (0-10 years). Too many other problems exist.

The only way anything would happen there in the near future is if the Regime started a whole-sale slaughter of it's own people (ala the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot crews in Cambodia), or if Burma suddenly discovered huge oil reserves begging to be exploited.

In the first scenario, any action would be driven by the UN, and would therefore be pretty much ineffective (can you imagine Bangladeshi, Guatemalan and Nigerian troops trying to overthrow anybody ?) Western nations with professional, well trained armies wouldn't commit troops to such an endeavour for fear that some may come home in body bags.

Remember the crisis in Sierra Leone a couple of years back ? No Western/Euro nation would volunteer troops for that, they all came from poor, 3rd world nations like Bangldesh.

When Ethiopia and Eritrea decided they didn't want to fight anymore, the UN sent in peacekeepers. Suddenly the Western/Euro nations were eager to volunteer troops. After all, the warring countries both agreed they didn't want to fight anymore, so it was a pretty safe situation to commit troops to.

In the latter case, you'd know something was in the works when the major mouthpieces (CNN and FoxNews) started slagging Burma non-stop the same way they are doing with Iran now. When the rhetoric heats up, especially in the right-wing media, you can bet it's because certain people are being told to start influencing public opinion in order to make any subsequent actions look like they are being done with the support of the people.

(Remember that nobody really cared about Rwanda, Somalia or the Sudan, but when SoDamn Insane invaded Kuwait, the powers that be couldn't respond fast enough to liberate those poor, oppressed, but oil-rich people).

As for US plans to invade anybody. Well, some of you may not be aware, but the US, like most other major powers (i.e. Russia, China) have contingency plans on the shelf for almost every scenario that could arise.

A nuclear war between India and Pakistan ? I'll bet the US has contingency plans ready for such an event (detailing the US response, with many options available to suit who ever is sitting in the big chair at the time).

Invasion of Canada ? They definitely have detailed plans on the shelf for such a contingency. Same thing if Panama suddenly decided to close the Panama canal, or if Iceland suddenly declared war on Luxembourg (OK, maybe not for that, but you get the idea).

I'm sure that some brass have already pulled out, dusted off and updated the contingency plans relating to Iran, and they already know what options are available, which troops/ships and aircraft would be ear-marked for such an operation. Saves a lot of time if the big guy suddenly says "go" !

[otherstuff1957]

Great analysis Kerryd. I think you really hit the nail on the head.

[TAWP]

They both have plans and full scenario-playouts, seeing what is going to happend from what action. It's called 'wargames' and have been done for 200+ years by advanced militarys. Only benefit from later years is that the simulation-time has decreased due to computers.

[cdnvic]

Great analysis Kerryd. I think you really hit the nail on the head.

That's because unlike most armchair warriors, he actually knows what he's talking about.

cv

[the gent]

If inaccuracy and vacuity are the benchmark in this forum for reasoned arguement then Kerryd's 'analysis' is indeed a profound piece. The fact that it seems to have found a resonance in the forum does not surprise me.

For those of us more interested in facts rather than vapid musings, Burma is in fact rather oil rich in that it holds proved reserves of 3.2 billion barrels of crude. It's extraction and export since the 1950s is, I thought, common knowledge.

Sierra Leone's civil war was effectively ended in May 2000 when British troops intervened and restored some semblance of order which paved the way for the UN peacekeeping force, UNAMSIL.

The rest of his post defeats any rational debate.

[ace]

Yes, Burma holds large resource reserves including oil, minerals, metals, jade etc.

China and France would not be at all keen to back regime change.

Unfortunately Burmese Junta also holds large reserves of Paranoia, insanity, genocide, torture, rape and murder against its own peoples.

This is a regime that really does need changing, by force. But seeing as they work with the multi-nationals and Chinese state (for thousands of years) not against them, this will not happen any time soon.

[PeaceBlondie]

Navel gazing americans can be so tedious.

Given what we know about the size of the US military/industrial/economic complex, which country/power/state/continent do you envisage superseding their position as numero uno within, say, the next 50 years? Reasons for supporting a contrary view to my own, which as you may surmise are implicit, would be welcome. Furthermore, what is likely to be the UN sanctioned action supporting military intervention in Iran affairs according to the existing protocols ?

Thanks, Gent, for reminding me to check my navel. I can be very tedious, counting the lint.

I'd answer your off topic question with "China" - but, what's the point?

Supporting a contrary view to your own - I can't tell what your view is. And the Un sanctioning action ... Iran...protocols is off the topic.

Please let us know when you have an opinion about either Burma or Myanmar, Gent.

But if this whole thing started out from a Thai media news clipping, I know how Thailand can invade Burma: just bomb them with those 200,000 computers that the Ministry of Education is going to have assembled by vocational students. That should be non-violent!

[TAWP]

Better yet, ship them and include Windows95...also make sure they only have CD-roms, and then include a copy of the Anna-video on a DVD...that ought to keep them busy...

Edited February 13, 2006 by TAWP