Bangkok Bombings The Work Of Jemaah Islamiah

[Galong]

Wouldn't JI have claimed responsibility?

Let's just blame JI even if they're not responsible. That's easy and it makes great news. JI said they weren't responsible for it in the past didn't they?

Why do they print crap like this without any proof?! Can't the press keep anything secret? This story is simply stupid and totally uncalled for

I'm generally against censoring the media, but this speculative crap journalism doesn't need to reach the masses.

[ColPyat]

I'm generally against censoring the media, but this speculative crap journalism doesn't need to reach the masses.

On the other hand, as you can see here in this thread, most of the masses on ThaiVisa don't exactly buy that story. Not that much harm done. Relax.

[yeasin17]

I just don't get it. a foreign news agency has the news about thailand bombings where as none of the thai newspapers have no details about this. and thai newspaper (bangkok post) needs refer to that foreign news agency's news as the source of this kind of newses.

don't they have enough sources to verify the news internally from their own country..??

is it some kind of sabotage attempt??

just giving this a thought..

[Tony Clifton]

interesting, but not surprising that it's an Aussie news service that is (or appears to be) breaking the story. Similarly, whenever an internationally wanted criminal is apprehended in Thailand, it always seems to be overseas sleuthing that's the main force behind the apprehension. Let's hope Thai 'intelligence services' and police forces (equivelent of the FBI?) get better at their jobs - and take the wheel, rather than so often taking the back seat and relying on foreign intelligence services to connect the dots.

A case in point is the man who murdered several yound people in India and in Thailand (can't recall his name, something like Sorej?) - Even when BKK police were given intruiging evidence by a Belgian embassy worker, and actually arrested the guy in Bangkok, the Thai authorities LET HIM GO, because it was a weekend and they couldn't verify whether his American passport was valid. It turned out his passport was bogus - and the scumbag went off and murdered several other people before he was apprehended much later - in India.

...so it goes.

Scumbag's name is Charles Sobrahj.

[Tod Daniels]

While this 'news' is something, I feel that they will never uncover the truth behind who actually did the bombings.

The bombs were very small, NOT placed in high density, or high population tourist areas, but in out of the way places, which had very few foreign tourists comparatively speaking for Bangkok.

Extremists, seperatists, terrorists or anyone wanting to cause wide scale death/destruction would have had a far easier time in Bangkok at 6PM New Years Eve with the entire population of the town out and about. This was a carefully orchestrated, well thought out bombing which was designed to garner international media attention and certainly NOT something to cause the massive casualties seen with bombings in other countries.

It will be interesting to see the news in the following weeks as to whether this is another thing 'swept under the rug' by the powers that be here in the glorious "Land O' Thais" or if anything actually comes from the 'on-going investigation'.

[Richard W]

Weren't there two sets of bombs? There were the small early ones and the later ones that would have been much more effective if the mass gatherings had not been cancelled because of the early ones. Are we looking at one set of bombers or two sets of bombers, with one set unintentionally wrecking the plans of the others?

[Briggsy]

"Intelligence sources" is very vague. Nobody knows if this is disgruntled police, pro-Thaksin army officers or who knows. Until some official comment comes out, this has as much weight as "somebody in the pub said...."

[yankeechief]

From The Nation's weblog:

Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said it himself that based on evidence and plausible assumption, he suspected men in uniform were involved in the New Year bomb attacks.

On January 8, General Prem Tinsulanonda, president of the Privy Council, met with 84 senior cavalry officers and key battalion commanders and urged them to act as an anchor for public morale and safeguard the country in light of the unstable situation triggered by political turbulence.

Army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin outflanked then premier Thaksin Shinawatra by uprooting all of battalion commanders seen as Thaksin's cronies. Sonthi's move undermined the clout of Thaksin's allies from Pre-Cadet Class 10 and paved way for his grip on power. Maj General S, a Thaksin's Pre-Cadet Class 10 fellow graduate and staunch ally, had personal and professional interest to steer officers from Pre-Cadet Class 22-to-24 to rise through the military ranks. The general and his proteges are now assigned to desk job.

In the July's reshuffle, Sonthi chose to fill key battalion positions with graduates from Pre-Cadet Class 25-to-26. And he removed the majority of Pre-Cadet Class 10 officers to inactive positions after the coup. Even though there is no one pointing an accusing finger against former battalion commanders, it is not a mere coincidence that Prem should have an unscheduled meeting with incumbent commanders.

I suspect the masterminds behind the bombing will never be unmasked because it is a long-established tradition that graduates from the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy will not annihilate one another.

Suspected masterminds in all past bombings linked to the military continue to elude the law to this day.

Could not be closer to the truth. There is a major struggle currently between the military and the police. But nobody will ever discuss that openly.

[blaze]

There seems to be TWO stories in that Australian story: First: there apparantly exists an "intelligence report" from which the reporter was able to quote directly. (referring to statements given by an informant). Second: there appears to be an 'intelligence source' who is ALSO quoted. (linking the JI to Taksin.

That sounds almost like: here's the facts. Now here's the government spin. Or am I just bored?

[Dupont]

From The Nation's weblog:

Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said it himself that based on evidence and plausible assumption, he suspected men in uniform were involved in the New Year bomb attacks.

On January 8, General Prem Tinsulanonda, president of the Privy Council, met with 84 senior cavalry officers and key battalion commanders and urged them to act as an anchor for public morale and safeguard the country in light of the unstable situation triggered by political turbulence.

Army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin outflanked then premier Thaksin Shinawatra by uprooting all of battalion commanders seen as Thaksin's cronies. Sonthi's move undermined the clout of Thaksin's allies from Pre-Cadet Class 10 and paved way for his grip on power. Maj General S, a Thaksin's Pre-Cadet Class 10 fellow graduate and staunch ally, had personal and professional interest to steer officers from Pre-Cadet Class 22-to-24 to rise through the military ranks. The general and his proteges are now assigned to desk job.

In the July's reshuffle, Sonthi chose to fill key battalion positions with graduates from Pre-Cadet Class 25-to-26. And he removed the majority of Pre-Cadet Class 10 officers to inactive positions after the coup. Even though there is no one pointing an accusing finger against former battalion commanders, it is not a mere coincidence that Prem should have an unscheduled meeting with incumbent commanders.

I suspect the masterminds behind the bombing will never be unmasked because it is a long-established tradition that graduates from the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy will not annihilate one another.

Suspected masterminds in all past bombings linked to the military continue to elude the law to this day.

Could not be closer to the truth. There is a major struggle currently between the military and the police. But nobody will ever discuss that openly.

Lets hope it lasts.

If they ever banded together, they could fleece the country and the farangs with even greater impunity.

[ColPyat]

Could not be closer to the truth. There is a major struggle currently between the military and the police. But nobody will ever discuss that openly.

...and between the military, the military and the military.

There are conflicts over the direction of the coup, if the coup should have been done, and over who's gonna be next army chief when Sonthi retires later this year, etc...

[Gary A]

The Thai government was loath to suggest it may be Islamic militants. They were VERY quick to blame Thaksin and TRT for the bombings.

I'd bet it was JI and their plan was to create even more political turmoil. They plan worked exactly as JI had hoped. To brag that they did it would have spoiled their plan.

It would certainly be a shame if the government had to admit it was wrong. Having to apologize to Thaksin would certainly be out of the question.

[blaze]

The Thai government was loath to suggest it may be Islamic militants. They were VERY quick to blame Thaksin and TRT for the bombings.

I'd bet it was JI and their plan was to create even more political turmoil. They plan worked exactly as JI had hoped. To brag that they did it would have spoiled their plan.

It would certainly be a shame if the government had to admit it was wrong. Having to apologize to Thaksin would certainly be out of the question.

Unless of course, the facts (if there are any) implicating JI can be spun to implicate Taksin too.

[dai ru55]

The Thai government was loath to suggest it may be Islamic militants. They were VERY quick to blame Thaksin and TRT for the bombings.

I'd bet it was JI and their plan was to create even more political turmoil. They plan worked exactly as JI had hoped. To brag that they did it would have spoiled their plan.

It would certainly be a shame if the government had to admit it was wrong. Having to apologize to Thaksin would certainly be out of the question.

I think you are dead right, there is no way a muslim is going to blame another muslim and the coup leader is a..... that's right a muslim... say no more

[sillyfools]

What was the original source of the australian article? A guy in Singapore???

[my friend I]

Wouldn't JI have claimed responsibility?

Let's just blame JI even if they're not responsible. That's easy and it makes great news. JI said they weren't responsible for it in the past didn't they?

Why do they print crap like this without any proof?! Can't the press keep anything secret? This story is simply stupid and totally uncalled for

I'm generally against censoring the media, but this speculative crap journalism doesn't need to reach the masses.

The Weekend Australian is a paper that struggles with the truth but know they can sell papers with a JI story coz of the Bali link. One paper a week & this is all they can come up with for excitement. Culture!

[opothai]

The Thai government was loath to suggest it may be Islamic militants. They were VERY quick to blame Thaksin and TRT for the bombings.

I'd bet it was JI and their plan was to create even more political turmoil. They plan worked exactly as JI had hoped. To brag that they did it would have spoiled their plan.

It would certainly be a shame if the government had to admit it was wrong. Having to apologize to Thaksin would certainly be out of the question.

I think you are dead right, there is no way a muslim is going to blame another muslim and the coup leader is a..... that's right a muslim... say no more

i can relate to this,

at this particular time in thailands recent chequered history, it does not take a lot to destabalise the powers that be.

i have seen two programms of undercover journalism, following ordinary mosques, and the immams have all been taught in saudi and sent out to preach in america, europe and th uk, and all have the same common denominator, teach hate and turmoil amongst your followers and destabalise any government.

what this creates is a lot of independant cells working on thier own, as proven in the aforemwntioned countries.

there are mosques in thailand and are they monitored, this sounds like an amateurish independant attempt, a bit like the trial of the terrorists in the uk at the moment.

just a thought

[Mid]

[londonthai]

I am not sure if it was already pointed out in this very thread but at 6am some 15 inteligence officers were detained in Bangkok and around suspected with planting new year bombs:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=102328&hl=

[PJRay]

"Thai Intelligence," now there's an oxymoron for ya...

[ronthompson]

Wouldn't JI have claimed responsibility?

Responsibility is usually made by calling Radio, TV or the Newspapers- how do we know they were not notified??

[mayacan]

I said this before about this subject when the bombings first happened. It is a great way for the newly placed government (military) to further enhance their power and clamp down on civil liberties in Thailand......very much like what has happened in my country, America.

If this was JL, they would have (1) claimed responsibility, and (2) taken many more lives in these bombings.

Coup d e'tat, military, control, power, royalty, disengage in democratic institutions, limit freedoms..........

[leight02]

So inteligence agencies say it was southerners/islamists

while intelligence sources say it was Thaksin cronies.

Anybody else got any theories ?

How about...these guys don't have a clue!!!!

second that!

[littlebritain]

I totally agree with kmart.Thai and intelligance in the same sentence is a no no, a little like most females I know.They often use the words 'DON'T and 'STOP'.......but never next to each other or in the same sentence !

[Old Man River]

What doesn't make sense is that JI doesn't set off these little grenade bombs, the set off large bombs that kill alot of people. These little firecrackers don't fit their methods.

The analysis I read right after the bombings is that it looked like work from outsiders operating in the south, although the JI were not specifically mentioned. The comparisons made were the numerous, small, coordinated bombings in Bangkok, similar to those in Yala, and the similarity in the bombs used (nails etc.). It was mentioned that the current government would not want to blame terrorists from the south as it would point directly to international terrorists given the government's olive branch policies have been well received by Thailand's southern Moslem community. With Aussie intelligence now also pointing to outside influences, it gives this possibility great credability and scares the hel_l out of me.

[wombat]

Anybody else got any theories ?

yup...i theorise that our beloved BG's,who could,as we all know give mi6 the cia and asio lessons in intelligence gathering and distribution,should be asked to listen to what is being said on the jungle drums and let us know what the truth is.

[longway]

Wouldn't JI have claimed responsibility?

Let's just blame JI even if they're not responsible. That's easy and it makes great news. JI said they weren't responsible for it in the past didn't they?

Why do they print crap like this without any proof?! Can't the press keep anything secret? This story is simply stupid and totally uncalled for

I'm generally against censoring the media, but this speculative crap journalism doesn't need to reach the masses.

am glad there is somebody else who thinks this bs. who the hel_l is ron corben anyway and why should ' thai intelligence' reveal anything to him.

most likely he just made it up and sold it an autralian newspaper, coz australians will buy in that JL stuff just like yanks see Al queda under every rock.

[markarthur]

What doesn't make sense is that JI doesn't set off these little grenade bombs, the set off large bombs that kill alot of people. These little firecrackers don't fit their methods.

I'm not sure the size of the bombs disqualifies the pattern. I don't know diddly about the actualities of JI's operations in the region, but it occurs to me that Thailand isn't exactly prime territory for them and they may be dealing with a farm-team operation. Certainly a simultaneous bombing on a holiday seems more in keeping with an Islamic/terrorist operation than a political one, and if the idea was to deflect attention to political participants it was both clever and successful. As a very casual observer, it seems much more ominous that the Islamist network is trying to expand into "mainland" Thailand than if the native political groups were resorting to stunts to make each other look bad. I think the Thaksin link is pretty fanciful myself. The Jihadis like blowing stuff up.

[cclub75]

We certainly do have a timing problem here...

I'm wondering... the australian report... and at the same time the spectacular "raid" ('18 locations in BKK and provinces) of thai police...

It does not sound like a coincidence.

Who is manipulating who ?

[Mid]

We certainly do have a timing problem here...

I'm wondering... the australian report... and at the same time the spectacular "raid" ('18 locations in BKK and provinces) of thai police...

It does not sound like a coincidence.

Who is manipulating who ?

coffee , first ??