Swiss invade Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein: no retaliation for Swiss 'invasion'

"The Swiss army is not renowned for its aggressive expeditionary adventures - but it does appear to have accidentally invaded Liechtenstein."

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Liechtenstein: no retaliation for Swiss 'invasion'


Mark Oliver and agencies
Friday March 2, 2007
Guardian Unlimited


The Swiss army is not renowned for its aggressive expeditionary adventures - but it does appear to have accidentally invaded Liechtenstein.

According to the Swiss daily Blick, around 170 infantry soldiers from the famously neutral country wandered more than a mile across the unmarked border with the tiny principality.

The incident happened yesterday morning and the Swiss troops turned back - probably slightly sheepishly - after they realised their mistake.

A spokesman for the Swiss army confirmed the story, but said that there were unlikely to be any serious repercussions for the mistaken invasion, the Associated Press reported.

"We've spoken to the authorities in Liechtenstein and it's not a problem," spokesman Daniel Reist said.

As well as the obligatory Swiss army knives, the troops were armed with assault rifles - however, they had no ammunition, Mr Reist said.

Officials in Liechtenstein, which is on Switzerland's eastern borders, also sought to play down the incident.

Markus Amman, an interior ministry spokesman, said nobody in Liechtenstein had even noticed the soldiers. "It's not like they stormed over here with attack helicopters or something," he said.

If the Swiss had decided to invade and annex Liechtenstein, which has a population of around 34,000, it probably would have been a walkover. Liechtenstein is a quarter the size of the Isle of Man, and does not have an army.

The Swiss / Liechtenstein episode may stir memories for some of an accidental invasion of Spain by British marines five years ago after they misplaced Gibraltar while on exercises, much to the alarm of local fishermen.

for far to long we have failed to do something about the Swiss´s beligerent attitute!

I say we bomb them!!!:laugh4:

...and their fascist chocolate and Ricola practices...

I see the liberal media are swallowing the "accidental" invasion theory hook, line and sinker.

This was a calculated attempt by the Lederhosen Lizard Alliance to determine the efficacy of the Liechtenstein cloaking device. Operatives, posing as Swiss armed forces (really, does anyone believe that stuff about "armed with rifles but not bullets"?) wandered the mountains trying to find the stealth state - as many innocent people have done fruitlessly in the past.

Marcus Amman (if you rearrange those letters using the code discovered in the famous "Naked Lady with the Big Boobies" painting you will reveal the call-sign of one of the Lizard Alliance robotic mother ships) expects us to believe that no-one in Liechtenstein saw anything - nothing of course was recorded by the herds of surveillance cattle patrolling the ephemeral borders.

Operation Lost Tourist was a success. Still, no-one can be sure where exactly Liechtenstein really is - not even their alleged neighbours.

It's getting close to St. Patrick's Day. Maybe they were following a rainbow in the hopes of finding that Leprechaun stash?

Uh... that's Switzerland. You follow bankers there for that end. Gnomes, leperchauns (sic), same thing really aren't they ?

Im thinking to meself "Whats the point of having assault rifles if you have no ammo?".

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Originally Posted by holybandit

Im thinking to meself "Whats the point of having assault rifles if you have no ammo?".

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I've always wondered what a "defense rifle" looks like.

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Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro

I've always wondered what a "defense rifle" looks like.

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http://www.akdess.com/images/cannon.jpg

The rifles are to prevent the Von Trapp Family from coming back.

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Originally Posted by holybandit

Im thinking to meself "Whats the point of having assault rifles if you have no ammo?".

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Keeps idiot greenhorns from shooting themselves/each other/the milkman by accident, would be my educated guess.

"Soldier proof", you know.

Those darn Trapps are trying to sneak back over! Open fire!


Sorry ma'am, your goats looked alot like several Austrians.

Or they could be lighting them on fire then opening fire (see backroom clip thread)

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Originally Posted by Watchman

Keeps idiot greenhorns from shooting themselves/each other/the milkman by accident, would be my educated guess.

"Soldier proof", you know.

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Still, it has to be insulting to carry around a rifle but to know your goverment doesnt trust you enough to actually load the thing.

:inquisitive: I would think it were SOP for training exercises for example. Why the heck would on-duty soldiers need live ammo most of the time anyway ? They'll be given it once (read as "in the somewhat theoretical case") it becomes necessary.

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Originally Posted by Watchman

:inquisitive: I would think it were SOP for training exercises for example. Why the heck would on-duty soldiers need live ammo most of the time anyway ? They'll be given it once (read as "in the somewhat theoretical case") it becomes necessary.

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A surpise attack by nazi's?

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Originally Posted by Banquo's Ghost

I see the liberal media are swallowing the "accidental" invasion theory hook, line and sinker.

This was a calculated attempt by the Lederhosen Lizard Alliance to determine the efficacy of the Liechtenstein cloaking device. Operatives, posing as Swiss armed forces (really, does anyone believe that stuff about "armed with rifles but not bullets"?) wandered the mountains trying to find the stealth state - as many innocent people have done fruitlessly in the past.

Marcus Amman (if you rearrange those letters using the code discovered in the famous "Naked Lady with the Big Boobies" painting you will reveal the call-sign of one of the Lizard Alliance robotic mother ships) expects us to believe that no-one in Liechtenstein saw anything - nothing of course was recorded by the herds of surveillance cattle patrolling the ephemeral borders.

Operation Lost Tourist was a success. Still, no-one can be sure where exactly Liechtenstein really is - not even their alleged neighbours.

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That damnable LLA is at it again!
I could've sworn they all died in that cold snap in which those (literally and figuratively) cold-blooded miscreants could not survive.
I now call to meeting the Insanely Cynical Lunatics Aimed at the Destruction Of the Lederhosen Lizard Alliance and Bizarrely Threatening Organisations Just As Diabolical As the Lederhosen Lizard Alliance, also known as the ICLADOLLABOJADALLA.
Banquo will be the Inquisitive Invesigator in Chief!

The micro-nations are up to no good, no good I tell you. Bravo to the Swiss for taking on the micro-nation conspiracy!

I for one welcome our new Swiss overlords.

The biggest issue at hand is whether Liechtenstein will be treated as a unilingual or multilingual...umm canton(is that what they call their provinces? can't remember and too lazy to look it up).

Switzerland joined axis of evil
BOMB SWITZERLAND !!!!!:2thumbsup:

btw I know why they had no ammo. They wanted test their knifes :clown:

Upon learning of the Swiss invasion, Liechtensteiners were heard crying in the street "Alp! Alp! We're being invaded!"

Liechtenstein has since created a militia to patrol along the border with Switzerland and called them the Swiss Watch.

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ICLADOLLABOJADALLA

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:inquisitive:

Isn't he President of somewhere in the Gulf? The conspiracy thickens :laugh4:

I do not believe Switzerland is able to invade Lichtenstein.
If 170 soldiers had been forced to eascape by some patriotic-attituded mountain goats.....:)

In search of scary images of the aggressive Swiss army, I accidentally came across this:
http://www.gadgetizer.com/2006/02/07...gb-mp3-player/
:laugh4:

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Originally Posted by macsen rufus

:inquisitive:

Isn't he President of somewhere in the Gulf? The conspiracy thickens :laugh4:

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How have you learned this? Who told you? I suspect we have a mole problem...

Its a conspiracy theory!

They were just testing the waters,

"lets pretend we do this accidentally and evaluate reactions". :whip:

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Originally Posted by Watchman

:inquisitive: I would think it were SOP for training exercises for example. Why the heck would on-duty soldiers need live ammo most of the time anyway ? They'll be given it once (read as "in the somewhat theoretical case") it becomes necessary.

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I can't imagine on-duty Swiss soldiers have ever actually needed ammo. Probably given a lot during WW2 though. At least they had lots of gold to make robust bunkers out of.

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Markus Amman, an interior ministry spokesman, said nobody in Liechtenstein had even noticed the soldiers.

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https://jimcee.homestead.com/swiss-guard.jpg

Maybe the Liechtenstein-ians were just being polite, rather than point and laugh. Bravo for them.

I guess covert operations are out of the question for the Swiss. :inquisitive:

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Originally Posted by Gregoshi

I guess covert operations are out of the question for the Swiss. :inquisitive:

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They could infiltrate McDonald's? :stunned:

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Originally Posted by Banquo's Ghost

They could infiltrate McDonald's? :stunned:

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Aye, but after a diet of double Big Mac [TM] and fries they'd need a new set of plate armour. :laugh4:

In all seriousness, this is almost a non-issue. After all, were there ever a war involving Switzerland (or Liechtenstein, for that matter), we would be protecting that lot.

Accidentally stepping over the border is not all that uncommon. In one of the excercises I took part (many moons ago) we ended up in France. We were eventually called back by our commander after a very confused French citizen seemed to have had our APC crossing his field with some lunatics storming out the back. No need to say, we had a blast and a good laugh at our misguided corporal.

There have been incidents much more serious in the past years such as artillary shells being directed at a patch in France and so forth...

As to the running around with armed rifles: it would be lunacy to have our rifles loaded while doing exercises as described above. The mentioned troops were most probably recruits anyway.

Apart from guarding duty (embassies, WEF, airports, bases etc.) and the actual designated life-fire exercises our weapons are never loaded. It would really be pointless and dangerous at the same time. Germany and Austria would never invade anyway because they would have ther arses handed to them ;).

Quid

EDIT: ...and just to rule out any misconceptions...we do get issued a Swiss Army Knife and we're a very mean force with them...

Not sure if this is classified, but anyways:beam: :

When I was in the military last year, we went on an exercise far away from our garrison. While we were flown there, our supply trucks drove there, and on their way there, they drove through Finland... The battalion headquarters were in full panic, and prepared to explain it if anyone found out. Fortunately for all of us, nobody saw the trucks and nothing happened...

However, a few years ago, a similar thing happened, with a personell truck full of soldiers taking a stop at a gas station to buy sweets, with everyone jumping out and going to the store. Unfortunately, this was within the borders of Sweden... Things escalated, until the point where our prime minister had to excuse to the prime minister of sweden on a diplomatic level, the "invasion of Sweden"...

Yeah, I can relate. Accidental invasions happen sometimes. A few years back, our guys on the way to Afghanistan for exercises, accidentally crossed over into Iraq. Man, the misunderstandings flew, I can tell ya. Some of them are still there, trying to find their way out.

Maybe if they donned striped blousy uniforms and medieval helmets, they could tap-dance their way out of there. Whatcha think?

Not if they are in the Papal uniforms... I don't think it would help diminish the idea that it is a crusade.

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Originally Posted by KukriKhan

Yeah, I can relate. Accidental invasions happen sometimes. A few years back, our guys on the way to Afghanistan for exercises, accidentally crossed over into Iraq. Man, the misunderstandings flew, I can tell ya. Some of them are still there, trying to find their way out.

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:laugh4: :thumbsup:

:wall: :shame:

Some EU soldiers invaded Norway a few years ago. They were aiming for a port with a very long and complex name in Sweden or somewhere, near the border. Just over the border was a very similar sounding port, which just so happened to be on the crease of their map so they couldn't read the name properly. Hilarity probably didn't ensue.

I sort of feel left out now .... all our neighbours are separated by a large stretch of liquid so we never have any incidents like that. Not that we even have much of an army to exercise... ~:mecry:

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Originally Posted by BDC

Some EU soldiers invaded Norway a few years ago. They were aiming for a port with a very long and complex name in Sweden or somewhere, near the border. Just over the border was a very similar sounding port, which just so happened to be on the crease of their map so they couldn't read the name properly. Hilarity probably didn't ensue.

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EU soldiers? :inquisitive: Do you mean NATO? In which case Norway is a member.

Yes, and Greece and Turkey are NATO members too, but I don't think that they would like the others troops on their land.

Well I have to say that you got me there. :laugh4:

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Originally Posted by InsaneApache

EU soldiers? :inquisitive: Do you mean NATO? In which case Norway is a member.

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Maybe those were ERRF soldiers on manouvers. There is a pool of 60000 troops since january to use for the European Rapid Reaction Force.

http://www.answers.com/topic/europea...reaction-force

Some years ago russian fighters were kept flying around Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. German and American fighters who were defending that countries into NATO were doing nothing so Russian happily crossed borders without any risk. Situation changed when they moved there polish fighters. No Russian planes cross border now:)

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Originally Posted by Quid

In one of the excercises I took part (many moons ago) we ended up in France. We were eventually called back by our commander after a very confused French citizen seemed to have had our APC crossing his field with some lunatics storming out the back. No need to say, we had a blast and a good laugh at our misguided corporal.

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Hehe, what did you tell the citizen? 'Hallo! Da sind wie wieder! Schade, aber wir brauchen doch ja wirklich dein Lebensraum'? :laugh4:


I liked this bit from the link in the article:

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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I have such confidence in the British armed forces.

Since Basic Training in '72, and repeated almost weekly by someone during my entire Army career, it must therefore be true:

The Army's most dangerous weapon?

One Second Lieutenant + one map.

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Originally Posted by KukriKhan

Since Basic Training in '72, and repeated almost weekly by someone during my entire Army career, it must therefore be true:

The Army's most dangerous weapon?

One Second Lieutenant + one map.

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There's GPS now though. Just hope they bother to enter those accented characters correctly...