Thai Army Seizes Power in Coup, Arrests Former Prime Minister

The commander of Thailand's military has ousted Thailand's civilian government in Bangkok in the midst or months-long demonstrations between 'redshirt' supporters of the caretaker government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and antigovernment factions. In a televised statement, Thai Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said he had taken power because of a months-long impasse between the government and opposition demonstrators and also due to "the violence in Bangkok and many parts of the country that resulted in loss of innocent lives and property, [which] was likely to escalate""

The military also announced that the 2007 Constitution would be suspended, except for the chapter pertaining to the Thai monarchy. General Chan-ocha is described as pro-monarchy and served in the Queen's Guards Regiment and was involved in a 2006 coup that toppled the government of then PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who is the brother of the Yingluck Shinawatra.

With the coup announcement, the Thai Army also announced that they are imposing martial law and a nationwide 10 PM to 5 AM Curfew. In Bangkok, the Army took PM Shinawatra and her cabinet into custody and moved to disperse pro-government 'redshirt' encampments as well as antigovernment demonstrations.

In late 2013, PM Shinawatra dissolved the House of Representatives and called for general elections on Feb 2nd. However, the elections could not take place that day due to widespread protests. Thailand's Constitutional Court then revoked the elections in March and earlier this month had unanimously voted to remove Yingluck and some of her ministers from office.

Yingluck Shinawatra's Pheu Thai party won more than half the seats for the House of Representatives of Thailand in 2011, making her Thailand's first female prime minister and also its youngest at age 43. Both Yingluck and Thaksin enjoyed heavy support from the predominantly rural north, although wealthy and middle class Thais from around the capital often dismiss them and their Pheu Thai colleagues as backwards and corrupt.

The Thai Army has staged at least a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932.

Blackwater-Hating Congressman Turns Out To Be Not Too Picky About Ride Out of 3rd World Capital In Middle of Coup

I came across this at LoppyD's place earlier tonight and couldn't resist digging into some yummy schadenfreude.

Representative Alan Grayson, who assured anyone who'd listen that the GOP healthcare plan is to 'just have you die', also has been drinking copious amounts of the Blackwater Hater-ade.

However, while on Congrssional business to the African nation of Niger this month, Grayson (D-FL) had to be spirited out of the country when that country's military staged a coup in the country's capital of Niamey. Rep. Grayson was spirited from the US Embassy to the airport and onto a plane that landed in neighboring Burkina-Faso. As it turned out, the plane was registered to his longtime nemesis, XE Services LLC- formerly Blackwater USA:

"The flight was arranged through the State Department," spokesman Todd Jurkowski said. "The congressman did not know, and frankly did not care, who owned the plane."
"The congressman does not deny that there is admirable work being done by some employees of private contractors," Jurkowski continued. "However, he stands by his criticism of companies who have been found to cheat the American people, defraud our government, and unnecessarily risk the lives of members of our military, all in the name of making a profit.

My my....I'm all atwitter over Grayson's sudden and convenient concern over the safety of our troops overseas. I wonder if he was as concerned when the late John Murtha accused the Haditha Marines or indiscrimately slaughtering a whole village in Iraq or how his ultimately baseless accusations would play on Al-Jazeera or Al-Manar TV.

As amusing as Grayson's predicament is, do not forget that his rhetoric targetting Blackwater/XE and other private military contractors has been enthusiastically and repeatedly used by groups like Al Qaeda and the Taliban when trying to deflect attention or blame away from their attacks on civilians.