Thai troops join Iraq force

[silverchair]

not sure if this has been posted but here goes:

i happen to be part thai so this interested me.

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/09/04/sprj.irq.thai.troops/index.html

[saigon68]

1. THIS SMELLS TO HIGH HEAVEN

What they don't tell you is all 21 of them (and later the 400)are being paid U.S. comparable wages. Ie -- a Thai Sergeant makes the same as a U.S. Sergeant. $1800 vs $75.

They also do not do any combat and have full PX benefits etc. They were lined up by the thousands to get on this GRAVY TRAIN in Viet-Nam.

There are a few direct kickbacks to the Thais, ie the Colonels and Generals who "supervise" them from a distance (ie: Bangkok) are also paid the scale.

In Viet-Nam these people ran pacification programs from Saigon. all 3,000 of them they were there so the U.S. would exceed the troop caps that congress put on them.

The U.S. taxpyer is paying for all this HORSESHIT including the C-5 which is bringing the mercenaries in to Iraq as part of the coalition of the "WILLING"

[xchrom]

3. so we're paying the thai salaries?

what kind of thai presense is that?
i'm confused, aren't countries supposed to be jumpin up and down to contribute to the american conquest of iraq?
maybe we should go back to the old tribute collection -- countries could start paying us to stay away from them.

[realFedUp]

2. Thai food sounds better than MRE's

maybe with international troops, good food will
finally show up.