Headline writers live for days like this.
Swiss Accidentally Invade Liechtenstein
ZURICH, Switzerland — 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.
[…] 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.
Let’s see them try that with Germany.
***Update***
One quibble. I don’t get why the Swiss had to invade Liechtenstein when they could rent it.
dreggas
I bet the administration is getting ideas from this. Somehow all of our troops in Iraq will be patrolling the border with Iran one night, get “lost” and cross the border at which point the admin will say “well we’re here…REGIME CHANGE!”
Tsulagi
At least apparently the Swiss can immediately recognize their mistake and correct it.
Not so here. Well, maybe the president of personal responsibility can say there was a translation mistake. He said Iran, but those in charge of trying to decipher what he says translated it as Iraq. Their fault.
BRian
They went in to Liechtenstein unprepared and unequipped? Is Rumsfield working for the Swiss now?
scarshapedstar
This will not stand.
Send in the Marines!
Bubblegum Tate
ZING!
moonbiter
Regarding Germany, I can say with some confidence that the Bundeswehr wouldn’t be any more concerned about it than the the folks in Liechtenstein. Maybe invite them to the local Biergarten for a few before pointing them back in the right direction.
Today’s Germany is not 1930s-40s Germany.
S.W. Anderson
In a world beset by sociopathic murderers, suicide bombers and religious extremists gone wild, this story is downright charming.
Best thing the Liechtensteiners could’ve done is beckon the Swiss intruders to town for food, drink and maybe the purchase of some souvenirs. For a country of only 34,000, every little boost to the economy helps.
Best thing the Swiss could’ve done is explain they were looking for their army knife, which was last seen just over the border.
Jackmormon
I suspect that if the invasion had gone in the other direction, the Swiss might have pulled down a mountain pass or two and massacred the entire battalion with small arms fire. Not sure about that, of course, but the Swiss National Guard seems to have precisely one defense plan, and that’s it.
S.W. Anderson
Jackmormon, the Swiss might have only one simple defense strategy, but given how many times they’ve been invaded in recent centuries, it seems to be more than enough.
RSA
My understanding is that this is not really a surprising event. When I was living in Germany fifteen years ago, I had a Swiss friend who’d (of course) been in the Army. He told a story about his unit testing rocket launchers of some kind(!) near the border and accidentally starting a forest fire in Liechtenstein. It was not a serious fire, but it was certainly embarrassing.
Jackmormon
it seems to be more than enough
Well, yeah, you go with what works.
I was an exchange student with a Swiss family, and the father was some sort of artillery engineer, career Swiss military. We’d go on these family outings, and he’d be pointing out the vulnerable bits of the cliffs, hinting dire, secret things about placed charges. Absolutely terrifying is what it was.
Punchy
You mean to tell me there’s not a damn compass on their knives?
They have a garage door opener, shoe horn, stapler, and probably a Ipod on those things, but not a compass?
Really…with the Swiss…it starts with banking and ends with cheese….beyond that…not so much.
Jake
And marched right through before they realized their mistake. How does one say D’oh! in Swizzle?
Rudi
Will Dougie Feith be esplaining why the neo-con Swiss invaded the Lichers to bring Jeffersonian Decomracy and FREE MARKETS to the oppressed conversatives?
ChrisO
The Italians (it would be them, wouldn’t it?) managed to invade neutral Sweden a few years back. They had intended to fly to Kristiansand in Norway but misread the map and landed at Kristianstad in Sweden instead… (see BBC News, “Soldiers’ map mix-up“)
This line from the BBC story is priceless:
Yeah, I can see how that might have been a clue. ;-)
Zifnab
Hey, if it ain’t broke…
And this is perhaps one of the funniest stories I’ve heard this year. Props to Tim for posting it.
Darrell
Typical European military action: Invade, then apologize, and retreat.
grumpy realist
Well, at least the Europeans know when they’ve invaded the wrong country. I’m not so sure about the US, given our recent military shenanigans.
raj
Just to let you know, the Germans would probably invite the Swiss in for a beer and some Wurst.