Don't Those Knives Come With Compasses?

March 2, 2007 8:22 AM

The Swiss accidentally invaded Liechtenstein last night but no retaliation is expected. Oops! Guess it's time to make these standard military issue. The last time something like this happened, the Spanish ignored an accidental British invasion. Previously on MeFi: More about Liechtenstein than anyone ever cared to ask.
posted by zarq (51 comments total)

Were they in an EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle?
posted by MtDewd at 8:30 AM on March 2, 2007 [3 favorites]

The British never "accidentally" invaded Spain. We were just testing the waters...
posted by 13twelve at 8:34 AM on March 2, 2007

I saw the British invasion on ITV the other day. The soldiers looked at 3 or 4 different places but were unsure which landing to make until after the last commercial break when they choose the up market one with the best view and the nicest beach.
posted by srboisvert at 8:47 AM on March 2, 2007 [2 favorites]

Why not issues them GPS's (or equivalent Galileo devices)?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:49 AM on March 2, 2007

issue
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:49 AM on March 2, 2007

This episode is like a Mel Brooks movie.
posted by blucevalo at 8:49 AM on March 2, 2007

I understand they snuck in across the Hoth ice fields.
posted by sourwookie at 8:53 AM on March 2, 2007 [4 favorites]

The Swiss Miss.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:02 AM on March 2, 2007 [10 favorites]

The Swiss Miss.

That's a *much* better headline. :)
posted by zarq at 9:05 AM on March 2, 2007

I once robbed a man and destroyed a guard tower just to get into Litzenburg. Oh, oh - Lichtenstein. Never mind.
posted by Wolfdog at 9:11 AM on March 2, 2007

The Swiss Miss.

I think we're about done here.
posted by smackwich at 9:18 AM on March 2, 2007

I'm gonna remain neutral on this.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 9:31 AM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

The Swiss Miss.

And the Lichtenstein Marching Corp takes it in stride.
posted by cortex at 9:48 AM on March 2, 2007

After 359 years of neutrality, no less
posted by four panels at 10:00 AM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

This was no accident. Lichtenstein had the Q bomb!
posted by Kikkoman at 10:06 AM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

Argh. Liechtenstein. No wonder their bid for foreign aid ultimately failed.
posted by Kikkoman at 10:07 AM on March 2, 2007

How could they tell?
posted by Dizzy at 10:13 AM on March 2, 2007

Nice Leonard Wibberley references there, Kikkoman. :D
posted by zarq at 10:15 AM on March 2, 2007

Liechtenstein, which has about 34,000 inhabitants and is slightly smaller than Washington DC, doesn't have an army.

Hah, someone's getting their facts from the CIA world factbook.
posted by Space Coyote at 10:18 AM on March 2, 2007

Zenmaster, that's a great idea, but can someone who uses a GPS to track their own position also be tracked by others?
posted by zarq at 10:21 AM on March 2, 2007

Where is the outrage? Where oh where will we find the resolve to stand up to Swiss aggression?
posted by The Light Fantastic at 10:23 AM on March 2, 2007

The President was informed earlier today.

His response was: "Licked his what?"
posted by briank at 10:31 AM on March 2, 2007 [2 favorites]

Can't wait for the book "Invasion for Dummies".
posted by homodigitalis at 10:32 AM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

I don't think that using GPS is trackable — the receiver is just 'listening' to three or more satellites broadcasting a signal and triangulating. You wouldn't want your army to be wholly reliant on GPS though, since the US State Department can turn it off, or reduce the accuracy for non-US military users (Selective Availability), at will.
posted by Aloysius Bear at 10:37 AM on March 2, 2007

Is it really an invasion if they marched into the country by accident?
posted by inconsequentialist at 10:42 AM on March 2, 2007

On this side of the pond, that would have meant war; the US would have been on annihalation prowl.

This makes me happy - could just be friday - that this wasn't a big deal at all. That this is a laughable incident.

Here I can't cross into my neighbor's yard without worrying that he might shoot me.

I enjoy this very much. Perhaps there is hope yet.

Could just be a friday thing.
posted by mr_book at 10:46 AM on March 2, 2007

zarq : that's a great idea, but can someone who uses a GPS to track their own position also be tracked by others?

Nope, as Aloysius Bear indicated, it's strictly a receiver that triangulates it's position from three or more satellites. They do make variants that have a transmitter in them as well (think Lojack units for finding stolen cars,) but standard GPS is strictly one way.

AB is also correct on the point of not being totally dependent on GPS; it's good to know that if you have no batteries, you can still find your way.
posted by quin at 10:47 AM on March 2, 2007

I've been at war with my intelligence for years.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:51 AM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

Liechtenstein, which has about 34,000 inhabitants and is slightly smaller than Washington DC, doesn't have an army.

Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get 'em!
posted by languagehat at 10:51 AM on March 2, 2007

Today, MetaFilter "accidentally" invaded Liechtenstein. Said general l hat: "We're stumbling across the border over there, because we can't find our way back here."
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:58 AM on March 2, 2007

Also, this totally reminds me of the time I 'accidentally' invaded my neighbors pool. I was conducting late night maneuvers in their back yard, and my coordinates were off by a few degrees. Fortunately no one saw me, and apart from the their needing to clean up several empty bottles and replace their pool filter, it was not considered an inter-yard incident.
posted by quin at 11:01 AM on March 2, 2007

Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get 'em!

We'll have to wait until they strike oil.
posted by amyms at 11:01 AM on March 2, 2007

How many feet of intestines did you lose down the filter, quin?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:02 AM on March 2, 2007

That's biological warfare, man. Not cool.
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:06 AM on March 2, 2007

70 infantry soldiers wandered just over a mile across an unmarked border,

Surprised they didn't wander right through Liechtenstein into Austria, then we'd see sparks fly, those touchy Austrians
posted by edgeways at 11:12 AM on March 2, 2007

A couple of my friends from university were the ones who accidentally invaded Spain. They were supposed to be doing exercises on Gibraltar, but Matt was holding the map upside down.
I weep for the future.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 11:16 AM on March 2, 2007

President Bush just gave a news conference on this:

"I'm not going to discuss what we're doing in terms of moving of forces, anything of that nature. But I view it very seriously, not just that but any threat to any other countries, as well as I view very seriously our determination to reverse out this aggression. And please believe me, there are an awful lot of countries that are in total accord with what I've just said, and I salute them. They are staunch friends and allies, and we will be working with them all for collective action. This will not stand. This will not stand, this aggression against Lickten, uh, Lishten, uh, against our friends in Iraq.

posted by moonbiter at 11:45 AM on March 2, 2007

It's just this kind of "misunderstanding" that will inevitably lead to the Germans "accidentally" moving an armored regiment into Alsace-Lorraine.
posted by Midnight Creeper at 12:05 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

How many feet of intestines did you lose down the filter, quin?

I'm not sure I needed to be reminded of that. Now if you'll excuse me I have a sausage on the grill.
posted by prosthezis at 12:10 PM on March 2, 2007

The Swiss are so cute when they invade.
posted by four panels at 12:20 PM on March 2, 2007

Live Free or Don't.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:55 PM on March 2, 2007

The border must be made of Swiss cheese.
posted by dhartung at 1:08 PM on March 2, 2007

This is my favorite news of all time. This makes me happy and have faith in unicorns, puppies and everything rainbow at the same time while eating cookies.

After 359 years of neutrality, no less
posted by four panels

D'oh! There goes that attendance record.
posted by eatdonuts at 2:03 PM on March 2, 2007

Did France surrender yet?
posted by tommasz at 4:12 PM on March 2, 2007

"We've spoken to the authorities in Liechtenstein and it's not a problem," Daniel Reist told The Associated Press.

Yet another reason why the Onion has become irrelevant. You can't manufacture funny like this.
posted by any major dude at 4:46 PM on March 2, 2007

Jesus. The one time Fark's most overused tagline would be funny and appropriate, and they don't use it.
posted by Ryvar at 5:33 PM on March 2, 2007

It's a trap?
I'd hit it?
Give that country a sammich?

Help me out here, Ryvar.
posted by coriolisdave at 9:27 PM on March 2, 2007

"Swiss army accidentally invades Lichtenstein, France surrenders."

Sheesh.
posted by Ryvar at 10:45 PM on March 2, 2007

In unrelated news, Switzerland's strategic reserve of false teeth is running dangerously low...
posted by russm at 12:51 AM on March 3, 2007

Thank you Aloysius Bear and quin, for the explanations. :)
posted by zarq at 7:26 AM on March 3, 2007

Were they in an EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle?

Who knows?
I'm guessing they were riding a swiss variant of the LTGAC.
But the swiss have always favored unconventional vehicles and hardware.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:59 PM on March 3, 2007