CIA 'can't rule out al-Qaeda role in Thaksin video'

[webfact]

CONTROVERSIAL VIDEO CLIP
CIA 'can't rule out al-Qaeda role in Thaksin video'
Pakorn Puengnetr
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), asked by Thai intelligence officials to help verify the YouTube video containing a threat to kill former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has not ruled out the involvement of al-Qaeda, a Thai intelligence source said.

CIA officials have speculated the people who produced the video were amateurs. Three languages were used in it - Arabic; Urdu, an official language of Pakistan; and English - but the CIA believes the English part was voiced-over, according to the source, who asked not to be named.

While the CIA has not given much weight to the theory that the men appearing in the clip were themselves al-Qaeda members, since no symbols of the terrorist group appear in the video, the agency has not yet ruled out the possibility that the clip was made by al-Qaeda. If that were the case, it would be the first time the group had involved itself in issues relating to the unrest in the deep South, the Thai intelligence official said.

"Al-Qaeda has not yet come out to deny it was responsible for making the clip, so we have to be pessimistic by not ruling out the possibility, and cannot be careless," he said.

No link of any kind had been found with Malaysian politics, he added. "What we can do is ask Malaysia to help identify if a person with the name 'Mansoor Ahmed Volvo' exists," he said.

Pol Maj-General Pisit Paoin, commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, said his office does not have specialists to verify if the clip was the work of an international terrorist organisation like al-Qaeda, and needed help from foreign nations.

A source in the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Region 4 Front said the man who revealed his face in the clip looked similar to a suspect facing arrest warrants on security charges stemming from incidents in 2004-2006. Since the Muslim separatist insurgency escalated in the deep South nine years ago, there have never been any foreigners involved. All accused separatists have Thai ID cards, he said.

Intelligence official and former Southern Special Operations Centre chief Lt-General Nanthadej Meksawat - who served as leader of the team that arrested Riduan Isamuddin (Hambali), a member of the Indonesian terrorist organisation Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) - believes the video definitely involved Malaysians. He said it could be the work of a group opposing the ongoing peace dialogue, or an anti-Malaysian government group. "The peace dialogue has upgraded and popularised the Barisan Revolusi Nasional [bRN], and this would upset other groups who oppose the peace deal, or those who dislike the BRN," Nanthadej said.

"The Malaysian government strongly backs the peace negotiations, and the Thai former prime minister [Thaksin] has also voiced support for the Malaysian government, thus a link with Malaysia in some aspect is possible [assuming the threat made in the video is genuine]," he said.

Nanthadej dismissed reports the group responsible for the clip was a local anti-government group. "Thai politics had never [been involved with such] things and the man who claimed to be al-Qaeda revealed his face. Who would dare to do that?" he said.


-- The Nation 2013-07-31

[dudu]

Could be he pissed off some people in Dubai, there would be no real political agenda triggering this, or maybe its a very transparent puny attempt for sympathy to his gullible followers so he can come home to the protection of Thailand where he will be safe!.....

[chooka]

Good to see that they have actually asked for outside assistance when needed. Expensive tho for a guy (Thaksin)) who is not even a politician but just a criminal on the run.

[jaidam]

We read that Thaksin is not scared at all by this video. But by coincidence has moved his residence to Beijing(a city with v low muslim population) and away from Dubai which has quite alot of them.

[nachiket]

3 idiots with the photo of 4th idiot.

[lemoncake]

Well... If the clip is real, perhaps Thai jail is the safest place for Mr. T

Strangely , Mr T has not made any comments in this regards , unless I missed it

[nachiket]

Good to see that they have actually asked for outside assistance when needed. Expensive tho for a guy (Thaksin)) who is not even a politician but just a criminal on the run.

Divert people attention to gain some credit.

Else, political game is going on.

Great move. Let's see if this strategy works out for him to return back as this will create some sympathy in public heart.

[GentlemanJim]

Nanthadej dismissed reports the group responsible for the clip was a local anti-government group. "Thai politics had never [been involved with such] things and the man who claimed to be al-Qaeda revealed his face. Who would dare to do that?" he said.

.....eeeeerrrrrrr! Someone from Al Qaeda!

[givenall]

So it is fake and made by A-Qaeda who are the foreigners and by the way may not be fake.....................

[LomSak27]

Get with the Program! This was made in Dubai, by orders of - it cannot be otherwise .....

That is the general conclusion of the TV Savants & Cognoscenti

[SteveReilly]

Such bullshit! Since when would the CIA ever admit to investigating something, let alone a current event. So the Nation newspaper cannot name the source who also in turn cannot name the source? "I heard that he heard that he is doing....?" Perhaps this is another one of Thaksin's ploys to use press lapdogs to make himself look good. If a hater of good old democratic USA hates Thaksin, then we must conclude that Thaksin is also a promoter of democracy, so the line of thinking goes. I would wager a bet that Thaksin hired these guys to make the video.

[Pikeybkk]

Good to see that they have actually asked for outside assistance when needed. Expensive tho for a guy (Thaksin)) who is not even a politician but just a criminal on the run.

Divert people attention to gain some credit.

Else, political game is going on.

Great move. Let's see if this strategy works out for him to return back as this will create some sympathy in public heart.

Divert police attention......they don't give attention to anything but teamoney

[scorecard]

We read that Thaksin is not scared at all by this video. But by coincidence has moved his residence to Beijing(a city with v low muslim population) and away from Dubai which has quite alot of them.

Interesting, he was warned several years back by the Chines authorities to not use China as a base for any political activities, statements, etc.

[simple1]

Such bullshit! Since when would the CIA ever admit to investigating something, let alone a current event. So the Nation newspaper cannot name the source who also in turn cannot name the source? "I heard that he heard that he is doing....?" Perhaps this is another one of Thaksin's ploys to use press lapdogs to make himself look good. If a hater of good old democratic USA hates Thaksin, then we must conclude that Thaksin is also a promoter of democracy, so the line of thinking goes. I would wager a bet that Thaksin hired these guys to make the video.

Al Qaeda video authenticity or otherwise is sometimes commented upon by US security officials & published by media outlets

[Dondon]

ah since CIA runs Al Quaeda they WOULD be able to tell Thai officials if it is them, but then they would have to acknowledge they fund AQ in Syria and Africa...oh wait, they have.... oh well good luck

[Suradit69]

'"What we can do is ask Malaysia to help identify if a person with the name 'Mansoor Ahmed Volvo' exists," he said.'

Volvo?

"I heard that he heard that he is doing....?"

Sounds more like a Thai Visa regular filling us in on the "facts" (about virtually anything) he ferreted out from voices only he could hear.

[darren84310]

Could be he pissed off some people in Dubai, there would be no real political agenda triggering this, or maybe its a very transparent puny attempt for sympathy to his gullible followers so he can come home to the protection of Thailand where he will be safe!.....

Could also be that the following was a result of his orders, maybe!

"In October 2004, 84 Muslim human rights protesters were killed at Tak Bai when the Army broke up a peaceful protest.^[60] The many detainees were forced at gunpoint to lie prone in Army trucks, stacked like cordwood. The trucks were delayed from moving to the detainment area for hours. Many detainees suffocated to death due to gross mishandling by the military."

[bkkjohnny69]

'"What we can do is ask Malaysia to help identify if a person with the name 'Mansoor Ahmed Volvo' exists," he said.'

Volvo?

"I heard that he heard that he is doing....?"

Sounds more like a Thai Visa regular filling us in on the "facts" (about virtually anything) he ferreted out from voices only he could hear.

The managing director of Volvo Trucks Malaysia is a gentleman named Mansoor Ahmed.....

Edited July 31, 2013 by bkkjohnny69

[CHANGOVER]

''Mansoor Ahmed Volvo'', - another foreign import being reassembled in Thailand.

Check his body parts match.

[pgrahmm]

Wouldn't be at all surprising if Mr. T paid for and staged the whole thing - to further endear himself as a strong, postioned and important national figure & make him appear as a strong opponent to a group that has the LOS running scared.....

[jcb2001]

Certainly of no concern for Thaksin. He says he has many Muslim friends as he lives in Dubai.

What arrogance!!!!!

[gjwgjw]

Al cia da

[catweazle]

Think there's a mistake in the headline - since Al-Qaeda was created by the american government and CIA in the first place. So it should read, "CIA role can't be ruled out in Thaksin video..."

People looking for answers should ask what might be the reason behind the timing of this event (I think any muslim extremist would give a rat's a$$ about a convicted criminal and ex Thai PM), and most important, "Cui bono?"

Perhaps just a media stunt to get Thaksin back into people's minds again. Maybe now some Thai officials will openly beg him to come back and help taking care of the oil spill (wearing a custom tailored Desaster First Response Tuxedo and italian sneakers, using an elaborate hand engraved golden bucket with a handle covered in precious stones).

Oh, man, the HiSo Thais would just love the media coverage of that with orders for such buckets with local goldsmiths and DFR Tuxedos with indian tailor shops going through the roof

Edited July 31, 2013 by catweazle

[GrantSmith]

Oh, man, the HiSo Thais would just love the media coverage of that with orders for such buckets with local goldsmiths and DFR Tuxedos with indian tailor shops going through the roof

Ummmm... Come again?

[catweazle]

Oh, man, the HiSo Thais would just love the media coverage of that with orders for such buckets with local goldsmiths and DFR Tuxedos with indian tailor shops going through the roof

Ummmm... Come again?

Have one more coffee and read it all again - no sense of humor, hhhmmmm?

[sirchai]

Thaksin a suicide bomber...-

[SPIKECM]

Good to see that they have actually asked for outside assistance when needed. Expensive tho for a guy (Thaksin)) who is not even a politician but just a criminal on the run.

He is a politician... and also a criminal.. but the main difference from all the rest of the Thai politicians is that he is on the run.

[klauskunkel]

"Al-Qaeda has not yet come out to deny it was responsible for making the clip, so we have to be pessimistic by not ruling out the possibility, and cannot be careless," he said.

"...however, once Al-Qaeda comes out and denies responsibility for the clip, we will rule them out because they do not lie."

Edited July 31, 2013 by klauskunkel

[marell]

Let's make it easier. Is there anyone they can rule out?

[johnlandy]

Pol Maj-General Pisit Paoin, commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, said his office does not have specialists to verify if the clip was the work of an international terrorist organisation like al-Qaeda, and needed help from foreign nations.

This is a quantum leap forward for a Thai to publicly admit that something is beyond them.

Perhaps if this 'step change' is a signal of a change in the Thai mindset and they go on to seek the assistance of outside help they might even be able to do something about the rampant corruption, road toll, etc.,

'not to mention the illegal gambling' and perhaps even get a few of the ho's off the streets'

I better pinch myself to make sure that I am not dreaming