U.S. drops charges in alleged Laotian coup plot

[alp227]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

(01-10) 17:18 PST SACRAMENTO -- Federal prosecutors dropped charges Monday against Hmong refugees and a former U.S. Army officer accused of conspiring to overthrow Laos' communist government.

The decision came four days after the death of Vang Pao, leader of Hmong refugees in the United States and former commander of pro-U.S. ethnic tribesmen in Laos and Vietnam. Vang, 81, was charged in the initial indictment in 2007, but prosecutors dismissed him from the case in 2009.

The 11 remaining defendants, all California residents, were accused of conspiring to buy weapons and explosives and finance an army of insurgents to attack the Laotian government.

Prosecutors said the defendants had negotiated with an undercover agent to purchase machine guns, anti-tank rockets and other weapons and had discussed a plan to bomb the capital city, Vientiane.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/10/BASU1H6UGC.DTL

[Poll_Blind]

1. “As Loasy as things are for Pao, tomorrow they could be some Hmong's good old days”

I guarantee I will neither recall nor admit to making this post.

PB

[Angry Dragon]

2. But the US can hire private armies to overthrow governments

seems like a double standard

[David__77]

3. The US better rein these people, and clean up its war crime mess.

They were duped into being agents of the CIA during the Indochina war, and now the US acts like an innocent party. The US obviously cannot condone destabilization acts against sovereign Laos, but it should definitely provide full material support to the refugees caused by its policies, and their offspring.