Abhisit Confirms Army Head Office Attacked With M79 Grenade

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ARMY HQ ATTACK

Khattiya to surrender "in a few days"

By The Nation

Published on January 23, 2010

Outspoken Army officer Maj-General Khattiya Sawasdi-phol, accused of masterminding the grenade attack on the Army headquarters a week ago, said yesterday he would turn himself in to police in the next few days.

Police yesterday arrested a man who worked as a guard for the pro-Thaksin Shinawatra Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship movement and seized a number of replica firearms, including an M79 grenade launcher.

Any illegal arms in his house 'must have been planted'

Amnart Intharachote, 40, said he had received military training under the King Taksin Force established by Khattiya but did not know him.

Police later secured an arrest warrant for Phornwat Thongsomboon, a leader in the King Taksin Force and a regular poster of comments in Khattiya's website, after raiding his Bangkok home and finding nine M16 rounds and a number of other munitions and holsters.

Both men have been charged with possessing firearms and replica weapons without permission.

Khattiya did not travel from Songkhla province on Thursday amidst speculation he was going to be arrested. A large group of reporters and cameramen was waiting for his arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Three people close to the officer, including two soldiers arrested on Thursday night when a team of policemen and military officers raided his military flat in Bangkok, were yesterday released on Bt200,000 bail.

Speaking in a phone interview, Khattiya said he was not running away and was staying in Songkhla to "wait and see". He denied being behind the grenade attack, saying he was not in the city at the time it took place - around 3am on January 14.

"I need to see whether my arrest warrant is issued at the request of a civilian or a military unit. I will have my lawyers seek to have it voided on Monday. Under normal procedures, an arrest warrant can be issued for a commissioned Army officer only after two summons are issued," he said.

Khattiya said he did not own any illegal explosives and war weapons found in his house could have been planted there by military policemen participating in the raid.

"I insist I do not keep any explosives in my possession at the flat. That cannot be possible," he added.

He said a handgun and munitions found in his military flat located in the nearby 4th Cavalry Battalion, which was also searched, were legally registered under his name.

He said Sgt-Major Natthasit Suwannaraj, a solider attached to the 3rd Cavalry Battalion, was his personal driver in 1999, while Private Manaschai Khamphon was his orderly. He did not give details about his relationship with Ekkalak Wisetwongsa, a civilian who was arrested yesterday morning.

"Throughout my military career, no attack was ever launched on the Army's HQ until now. It might be carried out by any terrorist, but I will never attack my own home. The Army commander should resign for failing to protect the Army's own command post. I would have left if I were him. But he suspended me and is now making me a scapegoat," he said.

Army chief General Anupong Paochinda has reportedly ordered Army units to hand over Khattiya immediately to police after arrest.

Security at all Army barracks and arms depots has reportedly been heightened to prevent possible attacks or sabotage following the Army's action against Khattiya.

-- The Nation 2010-01-23

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[hammered]

It is always interesting how the powerful and elite and well backed manage to arrange their own surrenders on their own terms and to suit them.

[Samuian]

It is always interesting how the powerful and elite and well backed manage to arrange their own surrenders on their own terms and to suit them.

The "Kreang Jai" Society, nobody wants to be the first A_hole in line!

This always leaves a door open in case the winds may change...

And already the case for the other guy, admitting he has been trained in

the "King Thaksins Army" unit, but doesn't know Katthiya!

The weapons of war have been "planted".. it's obvious, just to put the blame in these brave and honest UDD

supporters...

Everybody get's the picture, it is a simple as that - Katthiya said, no he didn't, did he?!

Next Noppadon will pull up and deny it all, but blame the "illegal undemocratic, military junta installed government" on it!

Edited January 23, 2010 by Samuian

[neotica]

The police and military yesterday raided the residence of suspended senior officer Maj-General Khattiya Sawasdipol and arrested two of his aides after a mysterious grenade attack on Army headquarters last Friday morning.

police to search Khattiya's residence, in a military compound in Bangkok's Kiakkai subdistrict. Police found grenades

The sooner this nut job is in jail, or out of the country, the better.

Unaltered photos of his e-books available on his own website

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Police: Maj-Gen Khattiya must report within 7 days

BANGKOK, Jan 23 (TNA) – Thailand’s Crime Suppression Police on Saturday ordered Army Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, a prime suspect in the M79 grenade attack on the army headquarters last week, to report within one week, as the criminal court has rejected a police request to issue an arrest warrant.

The police order will be posted at the locations where military weapons were seized and suspects were apprehended earlier this week.

The order will also be sent to Maj-Gen Khattiya’s superiors and to places where he is suspected to be in hiding.

Police investigators late Friday night asked the court for an arrest warrant for Gen Khattiya, also known as ‘Seh Deang’, but it was rejected for the reason that he is an army officer and he has not shown any sign of escaping.

Police, therefore, issued an order instead.

The order for Gen Khattiya to report to police for possessing military weapons without permission came after the January 15 M79 grenade attack on the office of army commander Gen Anupong Paochinda in Bangkok.

It also followed a Thursday raid on his home and a flat belonging to a non-commissioned officer who was reportedly his close aide and driver. So far three persons have been arrested, with two being granted bail.

Meanwhile, Gen Khattiya, who has denied any link to the seized weapons, said he would arrive in Bangkok from Hat Yai Saturday afternoon, and will join the anti-government UDD protesters at Chanthaburi.

The Red Shirts are demonstrating at Soi Dao Highland Golf Club to emphasise alleged double standards of law enforcement by the Abhisit Vejjajiva government.

The UDD accuses the Soi Dao golf course owner, an associate of Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda, of encroaching on Khao Soi Dao mountain forest reserve and building the golf course on national land.

The Red Shirt leaders linked Gen Prem to the golf course owned by a group of Bangkok Bank shareholders, since the privy council president was a chief adviser for the bank.

Repeating his statement of innocence, Gen Khattiya said he was not responsible for attacking the army chief’s office.

Meanwhile, an army spokesman said the army had not issued an order to detain Gen Khattiya as reported by some media earlier. He said the investigation is being done by police and the army will not intervene.

The spokesman said a complaint on the January 15 incident in which the M79 grenade was “fired from outside the army headquarters and not from within the headquarters premises” had been filed with police.

The spokesman again stated that the army had no plan to stage a coup and seize power. (TNA)

-- TNA 2010-01-23

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[animatic]

Generals don't go to the front and shoot weapons.

They sit back echalon and give orders,

they are rarely ever where the tip of the spear pierces flesh.

The logical outcome of this is to tie up the SOB from giving orders

till well after Thaksin is newly poor. Though one can easily imagine

he has standing orders in 'the event of has capture by the enemy'...

his fellow officers and country men...

[Steve2UK]

EDITORIAL

Army has itself to blame for rumours over hq 'attack'

By The Nation

Published on January 24, 2010

Delayed announcement and action makes it look like political game

If conspiracy theorists are getting out of control over the "attack" on the Army headquarters on January 14, the Army has largely itself to blame. The way it handled the incident was ambiguous at best, giving rise to conflicting theories. National security surely will be cited if critics start asking why there had to be so much secrecy, but then another question will have to be asked: are all the rumours and speculation at play right now good for national security?

As of now, we have heard four major theories. First, the "attack" was carried out by suspended senior officer Maj-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, who has burned all his bridges with Army chief Anupong Paochinda. Second, the "attack" was staged as a "prelude" to more incidents that could eventually justify new military intervention in politics. Third, a "third party" launched the grenade "attack" to cause fresh political gloom and uncertainty. And fourth, Khattiya was set up because he had crossed a few powerful people.

These notions have somewhat become basic theories whenever political violence aimed at individuals is concerned. Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra used to be accused of staging a failed "car-bomb" attack on himself. Even Thaksin's archrival Sondhi Limthongkul was suspected by some of faking an assault on his own convoy, athough real bullets were used and one lodged itself in his skull.

However, the Army has not helped at all when it comes to the "grenade attack". The claimed incident was kept a secret for a week and admission was only made after the story was splashed across the front page when reporters inquired into why security had been increased for Anupong and his family. If there were any witnesses, |none has come forward or been allowed to talk to the media. No reporters have been to see the damage, and raids on the residences of Khattiya and his aides took place soon after the alleged January 14 incident made headlines.

Why raid the suspects' residences a week after the claimed attack occurred? Would the raids have been conducted if the media had not "exposed" the proclaimed incident? And while we can assume that those who have fired a grenade into the Army headquarters may decide for some reason to keep plenty of explosives at their homes a week after the attack, it's puzzling that Army investigators chose to rely on that possibility instead of launching a swift, sweeping search immediately after the assault.

Whether Khattiya is villain or victim in this case, suspicion will persist, not least because of the way the Army reacted to the alleged attack. The initial silence, then the outburst and the cat-and-mouse game with Khattiya - who was seen on many news channels on Friday denying involvement and pouring new scorn on his superiors - are all ingredients for bad gossip and rumour. It will go down as another mysterious incident that took place as a result of Thailand's political crisis. If it was a real attack and not a political game, it is looking more like the latter - thanks to the Army.

In a recent interview, Anupong has suggested he is stuck in the middle of the political crisis, having been harshly criticised by both the red- and yellow-shirted movements. Being in his position is obviously not easy, and what happened on January 14 and the aftermath mean two things: either someone is making it much harder for him, or he's making it much harder for himself. As for Khattiya, he could be joining a growing band on the run, fairly or unfairly.

-- The Nation January 24, 2010

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2010/01/24...on_30120984.php