Invasion Europe!
The Nazz
02-03-2007, 19:43
Look out, everyone (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mistaken-Invasion.html?em&ex=1172984400&en=19a74d7e536b27ca&ei=5087%0A).
ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- What began as a routine training exercise almost ended in an embarrassing diplomatic incident after a company of Swiss soldiers got lost at night and marched into neighboring Liechtenstein.
According to Swiss daily Blick, the 170 infantry soldiers wandered 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) across an unmarked border into the tiny principality early Thursday before realizing their mistake and turning back.
A spokesman for the Swiss army confirmed the story but said that there were unlikely to be any serious repercussions for the mistaken invasion.
''We've spoken to the authorities in Liechtenstein and it's not a problem,'' Daniel Reist told The Associated Press.
Officials in Liechtenstein also played down the incident.
Interior ministry spokesman Markus Amman said nobody in Liechtenstein had even noticed the soldiers, who were carrying assault rifles but no ammunition. ''It's not like they stormed over here with attack helicopters or something,'' he said.
Liechtenstein, which has about 34,000 inhabitants and is slightly smaller than Washington DC, doesn't have an army.
Those Swiss--so crafty. It's the beginning, I tell ya! First it's Liechtenstein, next it's Andorra, and before you know it, Monte Carlo!
Farnhamia
02-03-2007, 19:46
Look out, everyone (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mistaken-Invasion.html?em&ex=1172984400&en=19a74d7e536b27ca&ei=5087%0A).
Those Swiss--so crafty. It's the beginning, I tell ya! First it's Liechtenstein, next it's Andorra, and before you know it, Monte Carlo!
Do the folks in San Marino know about this? :eek:
The Nazz
02-03-2007, 19:47
Do the folks in San Marino know about this? :eek:
They're on defense posture 2, I believe. ;)
Nova Magna Germania
02-03-2007, 19:49
Tell it to the marines... we've invaded the wrong country
Giles Tremlett in Madrid
Tuesday February 19, 2002
The Guardian
An attempt to show off their prowess at dawn assaults went badly wrong for a unit of heavily armed British Royal Marines at the weekend when they accidentally invaded the wrong country.
The platoon of some 30 marines stormed from a landing craft on to the San Felipe beach in the Spanish town of La Linea, carrying 60mm mortars and SA80 assault rifles, and took up defensive positions on the sand.
Tell it to the marines... we've invaded the wrong country
Giles Tremlett in Madrid
Tuesday February 19, 2002
The Guardian
An attempt to show off their prowess at dawn assaults went badly wrong for a unit of heavily armed British Royal Marines at the weekend when they accidentally invaded the wrong country.
The platoon of some 30 marines stormed from a landing craft on to the San Felipe beach in the Spanish town of La Linea, carrying 60mm mortars and SA80 assault rifles, and took up defensive positions on the sand.
Article continues
Instead of being fired on with blank rounds by fellow British soldiers pretending to be the enemy, the marines found themselves being stared at by startled local fishermen.
The enemy, when they appeared, turned out to be two blue-uniformed officers from La Linea's municipal police force, who informed the detachment of marines that they were not, as they had thought, in Gibraltar.
"They were told that they must have made a mistake. This sort of thing does not happen very often here," a police spokesman in La Linea said yesterday.
The marines beat a hasty retreat and went off to find the real Gibraltar. This, locals observed, was easily recognisable because it had a 1,398ft high rock sticking out of it.
Embarrassed Ministry of Defence officials in London admitted yesterday that the invading force, which had come from the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, had got lost in bad weather on Sunday morning and ended up "attacking" a different country.
"It was clearly an embarrassing and unfortunate incident," an MoD spokesman said. "They made their apologies and left."
A La Linea police spokesman said: "We reported the incident to the relevant authorities at the interior ministry."
The local Europa Sur newspaper reported yesterday that Spain was considering making a formal diplomatic complaint to the British embassy in Madrid.
An embassy spokesman said yesterday that no such complaint had been received but admitted that senior diplomats on both sides had discussed the incident.
The British invasion of Spain came just as the two countries were in the middle of a delicate process of trying to sort out their 300-year-old wrangle over the Rock.
Historically it has been the Spaniards who have tried to invade Gibraltar. La Linea itself gets its name from the "firing line" for Spanish cannon. The reversal of roles has done little to ease tensions on either side of la verja, as Gibraltarians call the frontier with Spain.
HMS Ocean had reportedly stopped off in Gibraltar on its way to the Persian Gulf.
The MoD spokesman explained the marines would have guided themselves from the warship to the beach with an ordinary compass.
But he did not think disciplinary action likely: "I am sure some lessons have been learned."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/gibraltar/story/0,11525,652616,00.html
Hydesland
02-03-2007, 19:53
Sure Switzerland, you love having Liechtenstein stuck at your ass all the time. ;)
Are you sure the swiss did this?
Wait it makes sense now! They have been neutral all this time, because they have been planing to take over the world!
H N Fiddlebottoms VIII
02-03-2007, 20:08
Those Swiss--so crafty. It's the beginning, I tell ya! First it's Liechtenstein, next it's Andorra, and before you know it, Monte Carlo!
And they'll get a way with it too, because no one will be able to find the countries that have been invaded in order to protect them.
Least of all the British Marines.
Andaluciae
02-03-2007, 20:08
It's the signal to all the Swiss that have been spread around the world! The time to move is now my people! Now!
Andaluciae
02-03-2007, 20:16
It becomes even more sinister when we realize that there is another small country in which Swiss troops dominate: The Vatican!
Jeez, it's Nazi Germany all over again. ;)
It becomes even more sinister when we realize that there is another small country in which Swiss troops dominate: The Vatican!
Secret invasion of the world! Run!
The Nazz
02-03-2007, 20:18
Secret invasion of the world! Run!
Opus Dei has colluded with the Swiss Guard.
Andaluciae
02-03-2007, 20:20
Opus Dei has colluded with the Swiss Guard.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050508/wd2.jpg
Dum dum dum duuuuuuuuuuuuum!
Opus Dei has colluded with the Swiss Guard.
Not to mention The Illuminati, the Freemason, CIA, MI6, Prince Charles. And the Brownies.
They're on defense posture 2, I believe. ;)
And that would be what? Casting a wary glance at the horizon? :p
The Nazz
02-03-2007, 20:26
And that would be what? Casting a wary glance at the horizon? :p
Heh. Something I made up, or heard somewhere and don't remember the reference. ;)
Andaluciae
02-03-2007, 20:28
And that would be what? Casting a wary glance at the horizon? :p
Oh, you better watch out for Defense Posture One! That's when they get their pocketknives out and start whittling sticks!
Mittsville
02-03-2007, 20:32
Oh, you better watch out for Defense Posture One! That's when they get their pocketknives out and start whittling sticks!
but they are swiss army knives. IT'S A CONSPIRACY!!
Philosopy
02-03-2007, 21:06
This kind of thing isn't that uncommon. There's the article posted above about the British doing it in Spain, and I believe the American's once invaded Sweden instead of Norway on a NATO exercise, although I can't remember the exact details.
The Swiss are trying to spread neutrality all over the world!
http://www.sebbelmeyer.de/futurama/images/planet(neutral).jpg
We'll become the neutral planet and then be invaded by some dumbass space captain!
Eltaphilon
02-03-2007, 21:12
The Swiss are trying to spread neutrality all over the world!
http://www.sebbelmeyer.de/futurama/images/planet(neutral).jpg
We'll become the neutral planet and then be invaded by some dumbass space captain!
"Sir! It's a beige alert!"
"If I die, tell my wife: Hello."
The British used to end up in the Republic of Ireland all the time when they were patrolling the border areas in the Troubles. If you look at a map the border is so convoluted; twists and turns everywhere, and it isn't marked in most places, so they just wouldn't know that they'd ended up in the wrong country. It happens.
The Nazz
02-03-2007, 21:14
"Sir! It's a beige alert!"
"If I die, tell my wife: Hello."
Fly the white flag of war!
Whereyouthinkyougoing
02-03-2007, 21:27
http://www.guardian.co.uk/gibraltar/story/0,11525,652616,00.html
Awesomeness: The marines beat a hasty retreat and went off to find the real Gibraltar. This, locals observed, was easily recognisable because it had a 1,398ft high rock sticking out of it. :p
The Nazz
02-03-2007, 21:30
Awesomeness: :p
Tasty, tasty snark. ;)