Thai Police Charge Lebanese In Terror Probe

[Jayman]

The one thing that really stinks about this whole event is that the thai police paraded the suspect around with a black mask on. I've been here a long time and can't ever remember them hiding the ID of a suspect unless it's a minor. What's even more odd is they released his name and a copy of his passport so why the black mask during the perp walk? That doesn't seem right at all to me. Almost makes me think the guy under the mask doesn't look like the picture they already released which would open up a whole big can of worms. Of course, I'm just speculating.

[TantraMantra]

The one thing that really stinks about this whole event is that the thai police paraded the suspect around with a black mask on. I've been here a long time and can't ever remember them hiding the ID of a suspect unless it's a minor. What's even more odd is they released his name and a copy of his passport so why the black mask during the perp walk? That doesn't seem right at all to me. Almost makes me think the guy under the mask doesn't look like the picture they already released which would open up a whole big can of worms. Of course, I'm just speculating.

Aren't we all.

Edited January 17, 2012 by TantraMantra

[shadiadi]

Story sounds fishy the other day they said they deported him already or did he go to the non existent CIA interrogation camp

[Siripon]

The Democrat party say the shophouse rented by the suspect is actually owned by the police.

Why were so many fans and pairs of slippers found with the fertilizer too?

[sirchai]

"Ammonium nitrate is commonly used in agriculture, but mixed with other substances can make a bomb. Possession of the chemical requires a permit in Thailand."

Like a driver's license......???

[Ulysses G.]

I think that is the issue. The USA wanted him for such a Camp, but Thailand wasn't willing to deliver. So the embassy pressed the terror attack panic button to hurt and to push Thailand.

Now THAT sounds like a "conspiracy theory".

[timewilltell]

Thailand has done the right thing according to its interests as perceived by the mentality of the Thai Officials.

Thailand wants to protect its tourist income and will say and do almost anything to avoid damaging the perceived safety of Thailand as a destination. The safety of the tourist and collaterally the ordinary Thai are way down the list of importance. This is not so far away from the way many governments think. For example the UK rarely has any interest in its own citizens abroad who pay for the Embassy services here as admitted by the Ambassador. The role of the Embassy is to facilitate trade and foster business relations aside from keeping an eye on its national interests and security matters. The administrative services provide the funds for this operation, hence the huge costs of any service the Embassy provides its citizens here.

The Thai damage limitation exercise it has tried to put in effect has been a complete farce however. The politicians and police cannot think or plan ahead. I suggest the police and security forces here had no idea about the threat until told and are so apathetic to anything that does not bring forth a monetary personal reward they probably made little to no effort to follow it up. The politicians likewise are interested in little that does not bring personal monetary gain or a media opportunity to promote their skill (which is sorely lacking) to an unthinking public easily swayed by propaganda.

The US and other nations with a far better and more professional security establishment and more service minded approach to it's citizens decided to publish the alert. First they probably want to give a kick to wake the Thais up, second they want to catch the small fry terrorist to show their citizens how they are looking after them, third it assists their geo-political policies, and maybe several other benefits. The Western governments do have to be more accountable to their citizens and thus present that face to their actions. They are just more mature politically and militarily than Thailand. They are much better at international spin, lies and facades than the Thais; the Thais EXCEL at this on a personal and national level however, just unskilled in the more enlightened international stage.

Fortinately for Thailand's politicians the abject bungling that goes on, goes so far above the heads of the largely unenlightened Thai populace that it can carry on bungling without many cpnsequences; the benefit of a pathetic education system intentionally kept so, for the benefit of the rich. Much the same as 1900 England!

The most interesting potential facets about this incident are:

The unwillingness of the US to pander to the Thai government in delaying the issue of its warning

The egg on the face of the Thai government who have made the mess immeasurably worse for themselves not better - who can believe anything they say anymore?

The massive bungling of the Thai police / security services in handling the fallout

The highlighting of the use of Thaand as a place where terrorists can plan and prepare for attacks and the prostitution of the country to that by treating the fact so inconsequentially.

The complete lack of quality insightful reporting by the media supporting the comical ineptitude of many of the officials involved and the blind acceptance by the average Thai of the propaganda spouted forth by those officials. Many seem to act like movie stars rather than people shouldered with the burden of public office and service.

The fact the shophouses seems to be owned by the police is maybe unsurprising but also somewhat worrying.

The fact that some people seem unperturbed that a huge quantity of fertilizer and.nitrate have been found in one place and try to reason it away by the most implausible arguments.

I am certain the whole matter includes many subsurface interests and intrigues by several or many parties. The only one plain to see is Thailand's obvious indifference to the threat of the potential murder of tens or hundreds of people in preference to saving the face of officials under the guise of protecting the tourist industry and face of the nation. They really must learn to do a better job of political spin already an art form in the West!

In falling over itself to save face, Thailand is cementing itself as the clowns of Asia in the international community by the ineptitude of those in power and that isn't funny! Thailand and the majority of its people deserve so much better! Thailand deserves civil servants with an understanding of public duty and service and politicians with convictions other than monetary riches and fame.

Corruption is the fuel that maintains this ineptitude and evilness in government and the public service institutions. Time for the average Thai to wake up and start to fight it.

Edited January 18, 2012 by timewilltell

[Morch]

Hmm....they found the chemiclas, where the suspect led them, and he confessed what they were for....so how did this "nothing was found"? All it says is they didn't find prints...

If you choose to understand that no prints = nothing was found, selective reading is a gentle term here.

There's a difference between claiming to be a legitimate political movement in a democratic system and between actually being one. A hint, blowing up your political rivals isn't playing according to democratic "rules". Anywhere.The charges concerening the murder of the Lebabese prime minister have nothing to do with Israel, btw. Also not just "a few states". Bummer.

And once again: Hezbollah DID carry attacks overseas, not just in Lebanon and Israel. Killing uninvolved civilians of those countries. How is this, then, "not their style"?

He confessed what exactly? that he wants to ship the bombs somewhere else or that he wants to bomb beer bars and bagel bakeries in Bangkok?

Keep in mind that it was a statement released by the police chief whos main interests is to spread the massage that the danger is over.

Separate between allegation, speculation and what kind of evidence we actually have.

Try the following angle:

Swedish man, 400 electric fans stored in a ware house, wife said he traveled to Thailand for business and trade opportunities.

fertilizers can be used as fertilizers.

^^ Is that rue or not? suspicious?

A bomb making lab would be hard evidence.

Just being a Lebanese and to store Urea and a link to what is said in the english wikipedia about Hezbollah is not hard evidence.

Agreed, a confession is not evidence. Coercion could be involved so that the Police can tidy things up nicely. Say they caught a culprit. Danger is over. Bring on the tourists.

Have you not heard of innocent 'till proven guilty? Though I'm not sure if that is Thai law.

Can't you see that this could be a US/ISRAEL set up to speed up the coming war with Iran?

Israel has more motive for this event than Hezbollah and are notorious for their dirty tricks...as is USA.

IMHO this Lebanese tourist/buisness man is probably a Stitched up Scapegoat.

Don't believe all what you hear in LOS and even less what you see. ..Probably this will be deleted as similar are.

Little bit at a loss here - you guys keep saying how the Thai authorities ought to be trusted, that they know what they're doing and that they're on top of things.

Then you also hint that confessions were coerced and that the whole thing is an American-Israeli setup.

[kerryk]

The one thing that really stinks about this whole event is that the thai police paraded the suspect around with a black mask on. I've been here a long time and can't ever remember them hiding the ID of a suspect unless it's a minor. What's even more odd is they released his name and a copy of his passport so why the black mask during the perp walk? That doesn't seem right at all to me. Almost makes me think the guy under the mask doesn't look like the picture they already released which would open up a whole big can of worms. Of course, I'm just speculating.

He was on Thai TV last night in hand cuffs without the mask.

[anterian]

From MCOT this afternoon:

Lebanese-Swedish suspect charged with having hidden explosive chemicals

SAMUT SAKHON, Jan 16 -- Lebanese-born Swedish national Atris Hussein, suspected as a terrorist, was charged Monday afternoon with possessing explosive chemicals linked to a terror plot after the substances, which could be used to make explosives, were discovered in a building in this suburban province adjacent to the Thai capital.

National police chief Pol Gen Prewpan Dhamapong said the suspect and the seized chemicals -- a large amount of urea fertiliser and ammonium nitrate solution -- were sent to the Royal Thai Police Bureau. The suspect is subject to further prosecution under the Arms Control Act of having the chemicals without Defence Ministry permission.

The punishment can be as much as five years in prison, a fine up to Bt50,000, or both.

According to Mr Hussein, the building was used only to store the chemicals, but not to produce explosives. A terror plot was not planned for Thailand, he said, but the country was being used as a transit site to distribute the materials for making bombs abroad, but the location was not disclosed by the Thai authorities.

MORE:

Apparently the news reports earlier today that the guy was deported were premature...or...to put it another way... wrong.

Or maybe the previous reports were correct and this one is wrong, who the hell knows. You sure can't tell who is behind mask.

I think the balaclava worn by the accused are to conceal the multiple contusions on his face which accidentally happened during his interrogation

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

And so you're suggesting the Israelis and/or the U.S. also planted 4 tons of bomb making chemicals in a storage unit outside BKK more than a year ago, to let them sit all that time waiting for now to hatch their plot???

And then the Thai police, so happy with the Americans for blowing the terror warning whistle publicly perhaps without telling the Thais, decided to play along at the same time they were blasting the U.S., conveniently driving the guy who had no clue to the chemical storage place???

Really????

[lovetotravel]

And so you're suggesting the Israelis and/or the U.S. also planted 4 tons of bomb making chemicals in a storage unit outside BKK more than a year ago, to let them sit all that time waiting for now to hatch their plot???

And then the Thai police, so happy with the Americans for blowing the terror warning whistle publicly perhaps without telling the Thais, decided to play along at the same time they were blasting the U.S., conveniently driving the guy who had no clue to the chemical storage place???

Really????

I've seen several reports lately the Thai FM was told 1 day before the US terror warning announcement. But did nothing about it. So the US went ahead with the warning. Remember when the aircraft carrier came here to help with the floods?

[sparebox2]

From MCOT this afternoon:

Lebanese-Swedish suspect charged with having hidden explosive chemicals

SAMUT SAKHON, Jan 16 -- Lebanese-born Swedish national Atris Hussein, suspected as a terrorist, was charged Monday afternoon with possessing explosive chemicals linked to a terror plot after the substances, which could be used to make explosives, were discovered in a building in this suburban province adjacent to the Thai capital.

National police chief Pol Gen Prewpan Dhamapong said the suspect and the seized chemicals -- a large amount of urea fertiliser and ammonium nitrate solution -- were sent to the Royal Thai Police Bureau. The suspect is subject to further prosecution under the Arms Control Act of having the chemicals without Defence Ministry permission.

The punishment can be as much as five years in prison, a fine up to Bt50,000, or both.

According to Mr Hussein, the building was used only to store the chemicals, but not to produce explosives. A terror plot was not planned for Thailand, he said, but the country was being used as a transit site to distribute the materials for making bombs abroad, but the location was not disclosed by the Thai authorities.

MORE:

Apparently the news reports earlier today that the guy was deported were premature...or...to put it another way... wrong.

Or maybe the previous reports were correct and this one is wrong, who the hell knows. You sure can't tell who is behind mask.

I think the balaclava worn by the accused are to conceal the multiple contusions on his face which accidentally happened during his interrogation

From the photo, one can clearly see another guy in red shirt.

[TantraMantra]

And so you're suggesting the Israelis and/or the U.S. also planted 4 tons of bomb making chemicals in a storage unit outside BKK more than a year ago, to let them sit all that time waiting for now to hatch their plot???

And then the Thai police, so happy with the Americans for blowing the terror warning whistle publicly perhaps without telling the Thais, decided to play along at the same time they were blasting the U.S., conveniently driving the guy who had no clue to the chemical storage place???

Really????

Hmmm! sounds as plausible as anything else.

[TantraMantra]

Hmm....they found the chemiclas, where the suspect led them, and he confessed what they were for....so how did this "nothing was found"? All it says is they didn't find prints...

If you choose to understand that no prints = nothing was found, selective reading is a gentle term here.

There's a difference between claiming to be a legitimate political movement in a democratic system and between actually being one. A hint, blowing up your political rivals isn't playing according to democratic "rules". Anywhere.The charges concerening the murder of the Lebabese prime minister have nothing to do with Israel, btw. Also not just "a few states". Bummer.

And once again: Hezbollah DID carry attacks overseas, not just in Lebanon and Israel. Killing uninvolved civilians of those countries. How is this, then, "not their style"?

He confessed what exactly? that he wants to ship the bombs somewhere else or that he wants to bomb beer bars and bagel bakeries in Bangkok?

Keep in mind that it was a statement released by the police chief whos main interests is to spread the massage that the danger is over.

Separate between allegation, speculation and what kind of evidence we actually have.

Try the following angle:

Swedish man, 400 electric fans stored in a ware house, wife said he traveled to Thailand for business and trade opportunities.

fertilizers can be used as fertilizers.

^^ Is that rue or not? suspicious?

A bomb making lab would be hard evidence.

Just being a Lebanese and to store Urea and a link to what is said in the english wikipedia about Hezbollah is not hard evidence.

Agreed, a confession is not evidence. Coercion could be involved so that the Police can tidy things up nicely. Say they caught a culprit. Danger is over. Bring on the tourists.

Have you not heard of innocent 'till proven guilty? Though I'm not sure if that is Thai law.

Can't you see that this could be a US/ISRAEL set up to speed up the coming war with Iran?

Israel has more motive for this event than Hezbollah and are notorious for their dirty tricks...as is USA.

IMHO this Lebanese tourist/buisness man is probably a Stitched up Scapegoat.

Don't believe all what you hear in LOS and even less what you see. ..Probably this will be deleted as similar are.

Little bit at a loss here - you guys keep saying how the Thai authorities ought to be trusted, that they know what they're doing and that they're on top of things.

Then you also hint that confessions were coerced and that the whole thing is an American-Israeli setup.

Please don't lump me in. My opinions are unique and constantly changing as the plot unfolds.

[Jayman]

The one thing that really stinks about this whole event is that the thai police paraded the suspect around with a black mask on. I've been here a long time and can't ever remember them hiding the ID of a suspect unless it's a minor. What's even more odd is they released his name and a copy of his passport so why the black mask during the perp walk? That doesn't seem right at all to me. Almost makes me think the guy under the mask doesn't look like the picture they already released which would open up a whole big can of worms. Of course, I'm just speculating.

He was on Thai TV last night in hand cuffs without the mask.

Oh great. Have they published any photos? I hope he looked like the passport photo they released.

thanks for the update.. Is sort of a relief that they showed his face to the public.

on a side note.. I too was thinking a reason for not initially showing his face was to hide the fact that they beat him good and didn't want the world to see that image.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Jayman

[Puwa]

i shouldn't be surprised after living here 20 years, but my god the standard of journalism in thailand has fallen to shameful depths.

[kerryk]

The one thing that really stinks about this whole event is that the thai police paraded the suspect around with a black mask on. I've been here a long time and can't ever remember them hiding the ID of a suspect unless it's a minor. What's even more odd is they released his name and a copy of his passport so why the black mask during the perp walk? That doesn't seem right at all to me. Almost makes me think the guy under the mask doesn't look like the picture they already released which would open up a whole big can of worms. Of course, I'm just speculating.

He was on Thai TV last night in hand cuffs without the mask.

Oh great. Have they published any photos? I hope he looked like the passport photo they released.

thanks for the update.. Is sort of a relief that they showed his face to the public.

on a side note.. I too was thinking a reason for not initially showing his face was to hide the fact that they beat him good and didn't want the world to see that image.

He didn't look bruised or made up on TV.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The suspect looked perfectly fine on TV...and his uncovered face matched the passport photo that's been widely circulated...

That, and, in a Swedish newspaper the other day, a Sweden Foreign Ministry spokesman said the suspect now has an attorney and reported he's been treated well by the Thai authorities.

[Buchholz]

The one thing that really stinks about this whole event is that the thai police paraded the suspect around with a black mask on. I've been here a long time and can't ever remember them hiding the ID of a suspect unless it's a minor. What's even more odd is they released his name and a copy of his passport so why the black mask during the perp walk? That doesn't seem right at all to me. Almost makes me think the guy under the mask doesn't look like the picture they already released which would open up a whole big can of worms. Of course, I'm just speculating.

He was on Thai TV last night in hand cuffs without the mask.

Oh great. Have they published any photos? I hope he looked like the passport photo they released.

thanks for the update.. Is sort of a relief that they showed his face to the public.

the unmasked perp

Kom Chad Leuk News

http://www.komchadlu...7%E0%B8%A2.html

and his Swedish passport photo

.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Buchholz

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The NYT the other day quoted a Swedish FM spokesman as saying the guy's Swedish passport had expired, despite the 2015 expiry date being shown on the passport copy depicted above... (Forged passport document, or maybe the FM guy or the NYT were wrong???)

I haven't seen any further elaboration of that issue, nor have I seen it addressed in other news media reports. But I was out yesterday, so perhaps there's something else out there.

Edited January 19, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK