Oops! The Swiss accidently invade Liechtenstein

[europop2005]

Swiss Accidentally Invade Liechtenstein

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 2, 2007
Filed at 7:07 p.m. ET

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 just over a mile 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.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Admit it, Switzerland just wanted to show Liechtenstein that it shouldn't attract too many billionaires to bank with them.

 

[indra]

Oops!

 

[dazzledbylight]

 

[Salome]

I've been to Liechtenstein and don't doubt no one would ever have the intention to invade it

 

[Vincent Vega]

Switzerland isn't the only country that falsely invaded another one.
A few years back a unit of British soldiers was on a maneuver to invade Gibraltar by the sea. They got a bit off track and landed in Spain

 

[DrTeeth]

I accidentally invaded Belgium once, but that's because I missed the highway exit.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Hm, if you had missed the next exit as well, you would have invaded France

 

[verte76]

Oops.

 

[Bones58]

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. [/B]

Their officials have a sense of humour