US makes Thailand 'non-Nato ally': Security divides APEC talks

http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en42332&F_catID=&f_type=source

BANGKOK: US President George W. Bush rewarded Thailand on Sunday for supporting the war on terror and told other nations gathering for a Pacific Rim summit they too had to bind together to end the threat.

Bush began his day by meeting with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand, which he thanked for backing the US-led invasion of Iraq and praised as a stalwart ally in the global war on terrorism.

He hailed the role of Thai forces in the capture of Hambali, the alleged operational chief of Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah and suspected mastermind of the October 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed more than 200 people.

"Mr Prime Minister, the world is safer because of that. And I want to thank you, and I want to thank you for your support in Iraq," said Bush, who announced plans to make Thailand a "major US non-Nato ally."
<snip>

What in the hell are they up to courting all these "non-nato" countries?

What in the hell are they up to courting all these "non-nato" countries?

It's part of a broader strategy to disperse US troops from major installations and into smaller rapid strike units based in small countries which cannot object to their territories being used as launching points for imperial takeovers. It's difficult to persuade the likes of Germany or Turkey to support warmongering so the US is moving its forces to countries such as Thailand which can be bought off with a few suitcases full of cash.