Questions Linger About 'grenade Attack' On Army Hq

[webfact]

ANALYSIS

Questions linger about 'grenade attack' on Army HQ

By POLITICAL DESK

THE NATION

Published on January 26, 2010

Armchair analysts have taken a range of different positions to try to explain the mysterious explosion at Army headquarters last Thursday morning (Jan 14).

BANGKOK: - Some commentators may have obtained first-hand "leaked" information on Wednesday evening, but getting such a head start had made no difference in the quality of their analysis.

All the theories and scenarios they proffered to account for the incident were illogical and irrational.

The source of the story itself is very questionable. Reporters on the Army beat tried to write their reports as professionally as possible but are there are still doubts.

They reported seeing an unusual beef-up of security for Army commander Anupong Paochinda and got a tip from his military police escorts that a grenade had landed near his office in the wee hours of January 15, nearly a week earlier.

Some well-connected journalists who reached Anupong by phone Wednesday night said he denied the incident, claiming nothing had happened. But since many sources confirmed the apparent attack, they decided to release the news for Thursday's paper. No journalist saw the bomb scene.

Since Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva corroborated the story, Anupong had to assign Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd to call a press conference on Thursday afternoon to give an official explanation.

The spokesman did not make the story clear but instead offered some more confusing information. He said security guards at Army HQ noticed nothing strange that night. Even bomb-disposal experts could only say there might have been an explosion, but they could identify if it was caused by a grenade. No need to ask from where and by whom.

It is ridiculous that professional soldiers at Army HQ did not hear the sound of an M79 going off. What kind of bomb explodes with no noise?

What Sansern could say was there was indeed an explosion at night at an exercise room near Anupong's office but he could not answer why the Army did not set up an inquiry to probe the incident and why they had kept quiet about it for days.

The Army did not allow the media to see the site of the blast. Some said it was possible that chiefs wanted to cover their embarrassment. But people have been left wondering how the Army can protect the country if its headquarters is vulnerable.

Most analysts pointed the finger at Army specialist Maj-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, who is at loggerheads with Anupong, as the Army chief had recommended the Defence Ministry suspend him from duty.

Maverick Khattiya was punished on grounds that he had sided politically with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and insulted Anupong. He said he would stomp on Anupong if the commander ventured out of the Army office.

Other analysts argued that Khattiya might be crazy but he was not fool enough to challenge the Army chief with an M79 since that would end up being a walk straight to jail.

Acting police chief Prathep Tanprasert said raids on homes owned by Seh Daeng or his aides found no links to the earlier attack so far.

The second camp of analysts suggested the attack was a set-up to bring down Khattiya and keep him away from Thaksin. But their reading has loopholes, too. If Anupong wanted to subdue Khattiya this way, why did he have to sit on the story for days? Why he did not rush to take him in immediately after the explosion? Why did he allow the media to break the news and let Khattiya run away? Why did Anupong have to humiliate himself by bombing his own office just because he wants to pin Khattiya down?

A third camp of analysts said the explosion was the tip of an iceberg, reflecting a rift in the Army beyond a personal feud between old schoolmates Anupong and Khattiya. Anupong's "enemies" allegedly want to create a chaotic situation to discredit and eventually topple him. They want to use personal conflicts along with political polarisation to ignite violence, paving the way to military intervention, one said.

"Look, everything started when the red-shirted group and Thaksin went all out to fight Abhisit's government, as the courts are about to rule on the Thaksin assets case," the analyst said.

However, this line of reasoning does not hold water either, since a military coup in Thailand usually needs no pretext. Any military coterie can stage one if they have the troops in hand and strong support from the elite in society.

A successful coup does not need an overture, otherwise it could fail if opponents trace back to the source of the noise.

-- The Nation 2010-01-26

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Hardback]

["Other analysts argued that Khattiya might be crazy but he was not fool enough to challenge the Army chief with an M79 since that would end up being a walk straight to jail"

This is exactly what I thought when they initially pointed the finger at Seh Daeng...this whole thing seems like a cook up to me.

[hammered]

Its always nice to read idle speculation and it makes for good entertainment. Im sure we can in the same spirit think of our own theories one of which will be that those involved know exactly what happened and why and they dont want outsiders to know

[Asa]

["Other analysts argued that Khattiya might be crazy but he was not fool enough to challenge the Army chief with an M79 since that would end up being a walk straight to jail"

This is exactly what I thought when they initially pointed the finger at Seh Daeng...this whole thing seems like a cook up to me.

PM and the Army Chief jumped to conclusion in pointing their fingers at Maj. Gen. Daeng without credible evidence. The judge threw out the request for a warrant, because the raid at his house only produced a .38 handgun and few ammo, while government news agency twisted the fact to a huge cache of war weapon in his possession, which actually found in another soldier's house. I kind of disapointed when even the PM acted like a wise *ss.

[mythBuster]

Unfortunately for Anupong the institution that he leads does not have any credibility at all with the majority of the people. The power may come out of the barrel of a gun, people, even he poor who had to surrender their votes to crooks, have brains.

This is a cooked up charge, in any other country the court would love at a general who cleaned up the damage, ruined the crime scene and than came to the conclusion that a rookie general was involved.

The problem is unfortunately that the army gets away with crimes against the people and people in general for over a century and as they have lost all touch with reality and never studied history they think they can rewrite history and that nothing has changes since the 70's.

[Hardback]

Unfortunately for Anupong the institution that he leads does not have any credibility at all with the majority of the people. The power may come out of the barrel of a gun, people, even he poor who had to surrender their votes to crooks, have brains.

This is a cooked up charge, in any other country the court would love at a general who cleaned up the damage, ruined the crime scene and than came to the conclusion that a rookie general was involved.

The problem is unfortunately that the army gets away with crimes against the people and people in general for over a century and as they have lost all touch with reality and never studied history they think they can rewrite history and that nothing has changes since the 70's.

Two excellent points. This is all so much bluster by the military.