Thailand Arrests Car Bomb Suspect

[george]

Thailand arrests car bomb suspect

BANGKOK: -- Thailand Friday arrested a man it suspects may have been behind the previous day's car bomb that killed six people and wounded 44 in the insurgency-plagued south, the acting southern army region commander said.

Police arrested Thai national Habeeza Jaeduloh, 30, who they believe fled the scene in the southern border town of Sungai Kolok minutes after the blast by stealing a Thai journalist's car.

"He was the only suspect arrested, and charged with theft after he stole a car but was intercepted," Major General Kwanchart Klaharn told Thai radio.

A military official confirmed the arrest to AFP.

The bombing, in a pickup truck parked in a busy nightlife area, was the deadliest single incident in a campaign of violence that has gripped the Muslim-dominated deep south for the past 13 months and claimed about 600 lives.

Kwanchart said Habeeza, a Sungai Kolok native, aroused further suspicion because his passport showed he had legally left Thailand for Malaysia on February 10 but had no reentry stamp despite appearing at the blast scene.

"As of now he is under interrogation by the military," Kwanchart said.

Malaysia has pledged to cooperate with Thailand in its attempts to quell the rebellion, but says Thai allegations that militants take refuge across the border are not backed by enough detail for the authorities to act on.

-- AFP 2005-02-18

[george]

Son of insurgent leader masterminding bomb blast in deep South, says PM

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra today held the “son of an insurgent leader” responsible for a powerful explosion in Thailand's southern border province of Narathiwat yesterday, which claimed six deaths and nearly 50 injuries.

The prime minister asked to be given one month to deal with the problems in the country's deep South with improved strategies.

The incident, in which a powerful explosive was planted in a pick-up truck near a busy hotel, the Marina Hotel, in the province's popular tourist district of Sungai-Kolok, was staged to press the government to relent its efforts to arrest insurgents, he said.

“Give me one month and the situation will improve. We will make sure to arrest the core leaders and devote our resources to intelligence gathering. We have received tips before the bombing attack and there could be more after the one

yesterday,“ said Mr Thaksin.

The prime minister said he knew that the son of an insurgent leader who is facing an arrest warrant is behind the attack.

He said he is preparing to inform the public of yesterday's incident and government moves to address the southern problems in a nationwide telecast soon.

Mr. Thaksin stood by his policy to colour-code areas in the country's three southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani into green,yellow and red zones.

The red zone where inhabitants are incooperative with the government, but sympathetic to insurgent movements, will be denied development funds.

This policy has been roundly criticized as an unwise move to escalate the spate of insurgency.

“What do the critics know? Our policy is very well thought out and those in the areas who sincerely wish to see peace have to lend hands to state authorities,“ said the Thai leader.

--TNA 2005-02-18

[JimGant]

The red zone where inhabitants are incooperative with the government, but sympathetic to insurgent movements, will be denied development funds.

...........and why not carpet bomb the phuckers with pork chops, just for good measure.

[Thetyim]

The red zone where inhabitants are incooperative with the government, but sympathetic to insurgent movements, will be denied development funds.

...........and why not carpet bomb the phuckers with pork chops, just for good measure.

Why not phone Mr Bush, tell him you think they might have some WMD, then sit down and watch Dubya do the job for you.