2007 Laotian coup d'état conspiracy allegation

The alleged 2007 Laotian coup d'état plan was a conspiracy allegation by the U.S. Department of Justice that Lt. Col. Harrison Jack (Ret.), former Royal Lao Army Major Generals Vang Pao, among others conspired in June 2007 to obtain large amounts of heavy weapons and ammunition in allegedly planning an attempt to overthrow the Communist government of Laos in violation of the Neutrality Act.^[1]

History

On June 4, 2007, the U.S. Department of Justice announced they had arrested ten individuals in connection with the alleged plot as part of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.^[2] The operation, dubbed "Operation Tarnished Eagle," alleges Lt. Col. Harrison Jack (Ret.), former Royal Lao Army Major Generals Vang Pao, Lo Cha Thao, Youa True Vang, Hue Vang, Chong Vang Thao, Seng Vue, Chu Lo, and Lo Thao conspired in June 2007 to obtain scores of AK-47 assault rifles, ground-to-air Stinger missiles, M72 LAW rockets, AT-4 anti-tank missiles, mines, rockets, explosives and smoke grenades in allegedly planning an attempt to overthrow the government of Laos in violation of the Neutrality Act.^[1]

On June 14, Dang Vang was also arrested in connection to the alleged plot.^[3] In an affidavit by Graham Barlowe, a group supervisor of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, it is alleged that at the time of Vang's arrest, he admitted preparing the operations plan.^[4]

After initially denying bail, the U.S. federal judge ultimately reversed the bail decision, granting Vang Pao and the other defendants bail, even while labeling all of them flight risks, given their access to significant financial resources and private airplanes.^{[citation needed]}

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lead agent has also stated in a court affidavit that "probable cause exists to believe" that former Wisconsin State Senator Gary George was part of the conspiracy.^[5]

On April 23, 2008, it was reported that U.S. Magistrate Judge Dale A. Drozd would hear arguments in November for motions seeking information U.S. intelligence agencies might have on the alleged coup plotters, including whether the government has intercepted electronic communication between Hmong in the United States and Laos.^[6]

The defendants' lawyers argued that the case against all of their clients was spurious at best. "The case cannot proceed [because] the process has been so corrupted by the government's misconduct that there can never be any confidence in the validity of the charge," said Mark Reichel, one of the defense attorneys involved in the case. "[W]hile the [prosecution] tries to portray the 'conspiracy' as a dangerous and sophisticated military plan, it cannot refute the extensive evidence demonstrating otherwise – from the agent's informing the so-called conspirators that they would need an operational plan; to his providing a map of the region when they couldn't procure a useful one; to his explanation of what GPS was (including that it requires batteries); to the so-called conspirators' inability to finance the operation."^[7]

Charges dropped against all defendants

On September 18, 2009, the federal government dropped all charges against Vang Pao, saying that "continued prosecution of this defendant is no longer warranted," and announcing in a press release that the federal government was permitted to consider "the probable sentence or other consequences if the person is convicted.”^[8]

On January 10, 2011, the federal government dropped all charges against the remaining defendants. "Based on the totality of the circumstances in the case, the government believes, as a discretionary matter, that continued prosecution of defendants is no longer warranted," according to court documents.^[9]

Reaction

Vang Pao's arrest and a preliminary decision by a U.S. federal judge to deny bail to Vang Pao and the other defendants sparked huge Hmong protest rallies in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other states.^[10]

As of early 2008, pressure built on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and U.S. President George W. Bush to issue pardons in the case, given the defendants' historical alliance with U.S. interests in Southeast Asia.^[11]

See also

	Asia portal
	United States portal

• Conspiracy (political)

References

External links

• "Gen. Vang Pao’s Last War", The New York Times Magazine, May 11, 2008.
• "U.S. Agents Thwart Planned Laos Coup Plot", The Christian Science Monitor, June 6, 2007.