Thai Police Find Explosive Chemicals Linked To Terror Plot

[SomTumTiger]

I notice a lot of the posters and 'likers' on other threads who were saying the warning was a 'crock of sh*#' are quiet on this thread.

Very valid point.

Quite right. We are indeed fortunate for the US presence, not that some people will ever be able to express thanks. Thank you US State Department and US National Security.

Im happy to thank them as well. If they hadn't shamed the Thaksin government into acting - we might have ended up with a huge death toll.

[Jingthing]

I notice a lot of the posters and 'likers' on other threads who were saying the warning was a 'crock of sh*#' are quiet on this thread.

Very valid point.

Quite right. We are indeed fortunate for the US presence, not that some people will ever be able to express thanks. Thank you US State Department and US National Security.

Im happy to thank them as well. If they hadn't shamed the Thaksin government into acting - we might have ended up with a huge death toll.

The US embassy says the terror warning is still on.

[Thai at Heart]

I cannot believe the foreigners bemoaning the fact that it takes the US or Israel to stop a potentially massive incident anywhere in the world. If you know that an incident like this is to happen, why on earth would you rather that the response is to say nothing? The nature of these types of bombs is that they are to kill completely indiscriminately, so as others have said, forewarned is forearmed, or would you rather to lose your own or someone dear to you's life through ignorance?

Bemoan the fact that this is even necessary in the world, but anyone who thinks that the point is to stand around and do nothing when some idiot wants to blow up civilians needs their head read.

[Steely Dan]

I notice a lot of the posters and 'likers' on other threads who were saying the warning was a 'crock of sh*#' are quiet on this thread.

I'm not - I said at the start that this is all too convenient for this crack pot set of politicians and coppers. A "shop house" full of fertilizer? So they took come pics in a shop full of fertilizer and happy days - case closed.

Also, even if you get knicked for dropping chewing gum on the floor, they make you stand there, face for all to see while the big brass stand around looking smug. So, why no face pics of this guy and WHY, having admitted to storing bomb making equipment and lots of "conspiracy to commit" charges available to them with admissions of guilt as well has this guy been slammed on a plane out the country. All points to a whole lot of smoke and mirrors where the politicians and police feel they have to react to something broadcast by the Americans (true or not), and then get carried away.

Watched the ABC News on the Australia Network tonight and they displayed his picture on the screen. The coverage of the offender leaving the police station showed him hooded, shackled and wearing a balistic vest. The ABC also said that Thailand was playing it down as they were concerned about the impact on tourism (See Thai's do love farangs and want you to come and enjoy the beachs) Police were also reported to have said that there was never any threat of terrorism in Thailand and the suspect was just using Thailand as a stop over enroute to another unknown destination.

They should have given him an orange outfit to wear.

[Thai at Heart]

In respect to the accusations that the Thais have "botched" this, what I believe the response is standard M.O. for big operations in Thailand. There is no one spokesperson. Everyone rushes in to have a photo op or to make a statement. On top of that are the Thai to English translations that drop context and nuances. One can use this as an opportunity to bash the government, but the fact of the matter is that the crisis management structure has been the same for the past 25 years. It seems they are all graduates of the University of Keystone Cops. Face it, has the management of a crisis differed between the government building occupations, Bangkok protests, Southern floods, or recent floods? This is Thai management style on display.

The problem is that these people actually DEMAND respect. They moan about the country losing its reputation because someone tells the truth and then blunder into making the country appear to be a laughing stock of incompetence and attitude approaching a bunch of 7 year olds giggling in the corner because someone sat on a whoppy cushion. This isn't just limited to the current bunch; just look at the last bunch trying to engage with the world to try to catch whatsisname.

I can't (although I probably can)imagine what the level of opinion is of any Thai administration amongst the foreign embassy corps, but considering they get these communiques on official documents, it must be hard to get any work done, and they probably need full time massage for their aching ribs.

[TAWP]

On top of that are the Thai to English translations that drop context and nuances.

With all due respect, several Thai journalists live-Tweet from news-conference and they both know how to translate properly and rightly point out when the stories change [in Thai]. It isn't about nuances, it is about changing answers within the same press-conference.

[noitom]

the Thai official said "the suspect asked me to say don't worry to the Thai people, there will be indefinitely no attack in Thailand." So the Thai official got this information out low level terror cell member who may not be informed about his target/s until the last minute, according to their MO. Why is their no charge for terrorism when the original attack targets were the Israeli embassy on Soi 19 and other israeli targets , synagogues in Bangkok?

What is the basis for releasing the terror suspect immediately for deportation when in fact he admitted ownership and responsibility for the fertilizer? The Thais probably want to get him out of the country fast to try to get the sex trade tourism business back to normal. Why is the suspect being photographed with a hood, but not a bullet proof vest? The Thai comments to news media are always contradictory and mendacious to safeguard and shill for its sex trade business.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'd never really thought about or realized it before...

The Israeli Embassy is over between Soi 19 and Asoke Rd, whereas the Iranian Embassy is over near Soi 22 and 24...not too far away.

I had been kind of wondering, why the Thai police kept talking about keeping a watch out in the area of Suk Soi 22.

[Jingthing]

I'd never really thought about or realized it before...

The Israeli Embassy is over between Soi 19 and Asoke Rd, whereas the Iranian Embassy is over near Soi 22 and 24...not too far away.

I had been kind of wondering, why the Thai police kept talking about keeping a watch out in the area of Suk Soi 22.

Makes sense. Of course there's no reason to add extra security to the Iranian embassy. Edited January 16, 2012 by Jingthing

[steffi]

This sounds to be nearly 2/3 at least of McVies bomb in Omaha....

I'm going to say it was Oklahoma

[elcent]

I noticed the other English newspaper has the national police chief today explaining that the explosives materials, according to the suspect, were supposed to be concealed in fan boxes and transported outside Thailand to other unnamed destinations...

Dunno why anyone ought to be concerned about that... The guy was just in the agriculture business, and it's their normal method to ship urea fertilizer in electric fan boxes... Some people are such alarmists....

It was declared as cat litter to justify the smell. Don't believe a thing what a Hezbollah says. 99.9% are lies.

[scorecard]

I notice a lot of the posters and 'likers' on other threads who were saying the warning was a 'crock of sh*#' are quiet on this thread.

Very valid point.

Quite right. We are indeed fortunate for the US presence, not that some people will ever be able to express thanks. Thank you US State Department and US National Security.

Im happy to thank them as well. If they hadn't shamed the Thaksin government into acting - we might have ended up with a huge death toll.

Well said.

[EvolvingApe]

Yeap I anxiously await the anti Americans who are going to comment about how the American embassy is crying wolf by issuing the warning.

I was one who thought it was BS, I stand corrected.

[EvolvingApe]

A lot of people on here enjoying the taste of their toes in their mouths.

I appreciated the heads up warning. Better to be informed than uniformed and sorry afterward. The US intelligence has a lot more inside knowledge than even the most chronic trollers and those moaning about super power countries.

I don't know, in some cases it's better to be uniformed. If you're in university on final exam day without your uniform you get a zero lol.

[EvolvingApe]

the wife is always the last to know

According to reports in the Swedish press, the man is 47-year-old Hussein Atris, a barber who lived for many years in western Sweden before moving back to Lebanon seven years ago.

According to his wife, he was in Thailand on business at the time of his arrest.

http://www.thelocal.se/38518/20120116/

And the wife is usually one of the last to tell the truth.

Ah, more "evidence" for the US to drum up support for its war against Iran.

Isn't that stretching it a bit???? Even though "reportedly" funded by Iran, this group is from Lebanon.

A quick look back at the most recent war in Iraq will also show that the US doesn't need any outside support to go to war, either. I was already wrong on this topic once, having stated the fact that American govt. is constantly giving terror warnings, but still I assert this has nothing to do with setting up support for an attack on Iran.

[FOODLOVER]

Moral - if you want to sneak out of the country, take off your balaclava (ski mask for yanks?).

Did he bring that with him?

It's regulation terrorist headgear, how else would BIB spot them?

The shirt is a dead give away.

[webfact]

TERROR

Explosive materials seized

The Nation

Raid on shophouse in Samut Sakhon yields tonnes of urea fertiliser and ammonia nitrate, often used to make bombs

Police in Samut Sakhon province yesterday seized a stockpile of substances that could be used to make a bomb, and said the chemicals were linked to the arrest of a suspected Lebanese terrorist believed to be a member of the Hezbollah militant group.

Suspect Atris Hussein was arrested over the weekend following a tip-off from Israeli authorities of a terrorist threat against Israeli and American property or citizens in Bangkok. Following information they said came from Atris, police raided a building on Rama II Road and found a stock of 4,380 kilograms of urea fertiliser and 260 litres of ammonium nitrate - chemicals that can be used as ingredients for a bomb.

National police chief Priewpan Damapong said the suspect did not intend to use the explosives to attack Bangkok, but had hidden them for shipment to another destination.

"He [the suspect] told Thai people to feel relaxed as there would be no terrorist activity in Thailand - definitely," the police chief told reporters.

Police have not yet charged Atris with plotting a terrorist act but simply with having a potentially lethal substance without permission, according to deputy national police chief Pansiri Papawat.

The Lebanese suspect has been detained for further questioning. Thai authorities tried to play down the incident after the US Embassy issued an emergency warning on Friday that foreign terrorists might be looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future.

US citizens were urged to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok, it said.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the situation was now under control. Concerned agencies were instructed to be fully on alert and closely monitor the situation.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney said in her twitter page yesterday the advice to the US citizens still stood and asked nationals to check the embassy homepage for updates.

Prime Minister Yingluck said she also had instructed the Foreign Ministry to provide updated information to foreign representatives and tourists in Thailand for better understanding of the situation.

"May I beg understanding from the media. Let our concerned officials conclude the whole situation first and we will inform the public accordingly.

"At this stage, I urge people not to panic. The situation is now under control," she said.

The opposition Democrat Party has accused the government of misinforming the public over the terrorism threat to the country.

"The government should be more cautious over this sensitive security issue since we are being watched by the world," said opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The government had to have a clear stance and balance between the measures to provide safety in the country and relations with foreign countries.

"We need proper measures to protect our people - but for foreign countries, notably the US, we cannot allow them to guide us on any matter," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Kowit Wattana said there was nothing for Thai people to worry about as police and agencies were consulting to maintain order in the country.

At this moment, there was no intelligence information about foreign terrorists in the country, he said.

Bangkok Metropolitan Police work closely with Interpol and his government is efficient enough to take care of security matters for the country, he said.

Metropolitan Police Commander Winai Thongsong said Thailand was not the prime target for international terrorists but they used it as a transit point to ship their weapons to other destinations.

The commander said he had instructed officials to investigate more thoroughly to find if there were any Thais involved with the chemical stockpile. Thai national Krisana Promchana, who owned the building, seemed to know nothing about the chemicals. He simply provided the property for rent to the suspect, Winai said.

The suspect told police he had rented the building from a Thai national since January 2010 and had stored the chemicals there since then. He packed the substances in boxes and stored them among boxes containing electric fans. The substances were to be shipped together with other export goods from Thailand to other countries he did not name, according to Winai.

The chemical substance is now confiscated and under police protection, he said.

However, Winai said police would continue to patrol many heavily touristed sites such as Bang Lampu and Sukhumvit as well as possible targets such as the US Embassy on Wireless Road.

-- The Nation 2012-01-17

[necronx99]

"He [the suspect] told Thai people to feel relaxed as there would be no terrorist activity in Thailand - definitely," the police chief told reporters.

Well if the bad guy says not to worry then that's good enough for me!

[Pseudolus]

Maybe Blair was the Target?

[David48]

Thailand was not the prime target for international terrorists but they used it as a transit point to ship their weapons to other destinations.

Thailand ... bomb making Hub

Just before someone else grabbed that pun!

(Edit)

Oh ... just heard a new one on TV a new one ... "Thailand ... Hub of the Future" ... is there nothing that this country is not capable of?

Edited January 17, 2012 by David48

[Singlebarrel]

Would it not make sense that he is being deported to Sweden? I believe that is where his passport was issued. Perhaps that would explain the quick deportation in light of the recent news about him. Certainly he would then be in for more interrogation as opposed to an exodus to Lebanon. Just a guess on my part and I should know better than to try to make sense of any action taken by the Thai government.

I posed that same question here the other day... AFAIK, we haven't heard zip from the Swedish government as to whether this guy was carrying a legitimate Swedish passport, or whether it was a phony. There were reports originally he was carrying two different passports, and later some suggestion some of his documents were fraudulent...

But from the news reports I've seen thus far, there's been no clarification of just who he is and what's his real passport/citizenship status... I'd love to know.. I hope we hear something from Sweden re this guy... and also.... to what country he got deported to.

Say it aint soo...

[Singlebarrel]

"He [the suspect] told Thai people to feel relaxed as there would be no terrorist activity in Thailand - definitely," the police chief told reporters.

Well if the bad guy says not to worry then that's good enough for me!

That good enough for me, now I can go and have a beer

[Nowhereman60]

I'm not even going to read this topic just comment that all you anti-Americans now need to dig a hole and bury your head in it. Our Embassy was totally right in it's warning. Your country intelligence should be as good and maybe those who died in the subways of London or Bali would still be around. God Bless America.

[David48]

I'm not even going to read this topic just comment that all you anti-Americans now need to dig a hole and bury your head in it. Our Embassy was totally right in it's warning. Your country intelligence should be as good and maybe those who died in the subways of London or Bali would still be around. God Bless America.

Spoken like a true believer of the failing, but still the most dominant , super power in the world. The USA’s global influence in the world is waning as hungrier and more nimble nations rise, and in their time, will fall also.

Most of the people here aren’t ‘anti-American’. I lived in the States (plus England and Ireland) and the American people are some of the nicest and accommodating people who I have had the pleasure to live with … in their own country.

Travelling with Americans … that is another story and ‘Oh my God … it’s not like this at home’ could be your national tourist catch phrase. My thoughts are always ‘well … if you don’t like, piss off back home then'. Thought ... but never said.

In issuing the warning, your Embassy (most likely frustrated with the lack of Thai public announcements), took the bold and rightful step to protect their citizens … to ‘take care of them’ and alert other ‘Westerners’ by default.

In the same way the Thai government, through, initially their silence and then comforting statements of calm and security awareness, protected and 'took care' of us tourists … their tourist industry.

But Nowhereman60, I agree with you, the American Embassy was totally right in it's warning … but, as for the rest of your post …

Edited January 17, 2012 by David48

[animatic]

This sounds to be nearly 2/3 at least of McVies bomb in Omaha....

I'm going to say it was Oklahoma

Yes indeed. I was tired an agravated with the BS when I posted.

Muragh buiding in Oklahoma City.

5,000 lbs of fertilzer used.

They found 4,380 kilos in this stash,

That is enough for twice the bomb.....

I think Tony Blair in Bangkok would be an atractive target for them.

[wxyz]

"PM ensures safety following bomb ingredients found"

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PM-ensures-safety-following-bomb-ingredients-found-30173833.html

"remain calm, all is well" - Chip Diller/ Kevin Bacon

"Animal House" (1978)

[gopnarak]

The opposition Democrat Party has accused the government of misinforming the public over the terrorism threat to the country.

"The government should be more cautious over this sensitive security issue since we are being watched by the world," said opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The government had to have a clear stance and balance between the measures to provide safety in the country and relations with foreign countries.

"We need proper measures to protect our people - but for foreign countries, notably the US, we cannot allow them to guide us on any matter," he said.

I suspect that the Government already tried that and wanted handle it the Thai way and isn't very happy about how the US stepped in.

Any suggestion how to do that, Mr. Abhisit, not allow them, the US, notably, to guide us (you) on any matter ...

Protest in front of the embassy "US not for Us", "Hillary ork bai" chants and sing the national Hymn, got some fancy idea while reading the resistance handbook of the worlds leading resistance movement? It will be hard to bring that message across and to tell them that you can do it alone.

I respect the tough stance of Abhisit, the way he wanna say NO. but i like also the soft tactic of the Gov't. I think they say NO too

[Tywais]

Inflammatory and off topic posts removed.

[gl555]

The opposition Democrat Party has accused the government of misinforming the public over the terrorism threat to the country.

"The government should be more cautious over this sensitive security issue since we are being watched by the world," said opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The government had to have a clear stance and balance between the measures to provide safety in the country and relations with foreign countries.

"We need proper measures to protect our people - but for foreign countries, notably the US, we cannot allow them to guide us on any matter," he said.

I suspect that the Government already tried that and wanted handle it the Thai way and isn't very happy about how the US stepped in.

Any suggestion how to do that, Mr. Abhisit, not allow them, the US, notably, to guide us (you) on any matter ...

Protest in front of the embassy "US not for Us", "Hillary ork bai" chants and sing the national Hymn, got some fancy idea while reading the resistance handbook of the worlds leading resistance movement? It will be hard to bring that message across and to tell them that you can do it alone.

I respect the tough stance of Abhisit, the way he wanna say NO. but i like also the soft tactic of the Gov't. I think they say NO too

The correct way would have been to inform the public that there was a real threat and to tell them to be careful instead of trying to cover it up and pretend there's nothing wrong. This incompetant PT government have themselves to blame letting the US embarass them like that. If they had handled it more professionally, I'm pretty sure the US would have been more then happy to work with them.

The Thai way of handling things? Yes sabai sabai till something goes boom! That's the Thai way.

Oh and your attempts at sarcasm really suck.

[Scott]

Oh and a few more off-topic posts and replies have been deleted.