We took over to save country, says army chief

The military leader who ousted Thailand's prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said today the coup was necessary to end mounting rifts within Thai society and Thaksin's efforts to undermine democracy.

In the country's first coup in 15 years, Army chief General Sondhi Boonyaratklin led a rapid, bloodless, well-orchestrated overthrow yesterday while Thaksin was away in New York.