Two Lebanese in Thai custody over possible Hezbollah ties

[webfact]

MILITANTS
Two Lebanese in Thai custody over possible Hezbollah ties
The Nation

NSC questions presence of watched men; fears attacks during Jewish fest

BANGKOK: -- Two suspected foreign terrorists have been held for questioning regarding possible involvement with the Islamist Hezbollah militant group, the National Security Council confirmed yesterday.

However, "we have found no links with the group at this stage. Israel has mentioned this group but there is no conclusion yet that the men are members of the group," said Paradorn Pattanatabut, secretary-general of the NSC. The suspects are still being questioned.

The militant group based in Lebanon has fought with Israel for years. Both sides have engaged in fighting and attacks that have resulted in the loss of lives.

A high-ranking source identified the two men as Lebanese-French Daud Farhat and Lebanese-Philippine Yousef Ayyad.

They were separately visited during the Songkran break by Immigration Police and taken from their homes in Sukhumvit.

Both have been on the Thai immigration watch list for being possible members of Hezbollah, the source said.

"Their presence in Thai territory near the Jewish Passover, which this year fell on April 13, aroused the Thai side's suspicions, so the Thai side decided to take them into custody for questioning after a fatal shooting in the US during Passover," the source said.

Jews celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. This year, Passover coincided with Thailand's Songkran.

The pair are being detained under immigration laws as their visas were already revoked, the source said, while declining to add whether they would be deported.

Referring to news reports that there was a third Lebanese, the source said Bailal Bahsoun, who is also on the watch list, did not enter the country.

An Israeli website, Stop910, which collects information on terrorist cells in East Asia, reported on Tuesday the presence and detention of the Lebanese in Thailand, but said there were three Lebanese exposed.

It said the suspects were reportedly scouting out Israeli and Western sites for attacks.

Previous cases

Thailand is a popular destination for Israeli tourists, particularly young people who tend to take time off to travel the world after completing their service in the Israel Defence Forces.

However, the Southeast Asian region has become problematic in terms of terrorism, given the ease with which local passports are forged and their common usage. There are also many migrants from Lebanon and Iran in the region who can be enlisted to aid in terror activities, the website said.

The recent case follows another one when Atris Hussein, allegedly a member of Hezbollah, was arrested on January 16, 2012, with a large amount of fertiliser stored in a shophouse in Samut Sakhon that he had rented.

He was sent to prison last September for two years and

eight months for possessing ex-plosive precursors without a permit.

There was an incident allegedly linked to terrorism on Valentine's Day in 2012 when hand-grenade explosions rocked Bangkok.

Two Iranian men, one of whom lost both legs to a grenade he threw at a police car chasing him, were arrested.

Iranian Ambassador Majid Bizmark in press interviews has dismissed as baseless any claims of a link involving Iran with that incident.


-- The Nation 2014-04-17

[Somtamnication]

Sounds a bit like Minority Report issue to me.

[chooka]

Wasn't the 3rd guy a Thai with links to Hezbollah, what happened to him?

[Somtamnication]

Wasn't the 3rd guy a Thai with links to Hezbollah, what happened to him?

His feet are being tickled with a finch''s feather.

[Pimay1]

The pair are being detained under immigration laws as their visas were already revoked, the source said, while declining to add whether they would be deported.

One would think the journalist interviewing the source would ask the three follow-on questions.

Who revoked their visas?

Why were their visas revoked?

Why were they permitted to stay in Thailand after their visas were revoked?

[Tatsujin]

Wasn't the 3rd guy a Thai with links to Hezbollah, what happened to him?

He was a "Thai Citizen" . . . perhaps that had something to do with it . . .

[noitom]

This is a wake up call for THais. The Thais are lucky to have the Israelis and the US watching their back.

[WoopyDoo]

However, the Southeast Asian region has become problematic in terms of terrorism, given the ease with which local passports are forged and their common usage.

Yep, Despite the negative global attention to Thailand's free and easy trade in stolen and forged passports and ID, I can go down Khao San road today and buy a forged passport, drivers license, ID card and even airport staff cards without any problem whatsoever.

That is how much Thailand really cares about its image..... No wonder this country is fast becoming the 'hub of terrorism'.

[monkey4u]

Geez I thought it was just us Aussies from Sydney who pick on Leb's.

Guess I was wrong

[bendejo]

I suspect they get a bounty from UK or US when they snare one of these. Good bounties make for good alliances.

Maybe that incident when the Iranian blew his legs off in the street woke them up to this stuff.

Malaysia, on the other hand, doesn't know and doesn't want to know, just don't target us, thank you very much.

[MMarlow]

The pair are being detained under immigration laws as their visas were already revoked, the source said, while declining to add whether they would be deported.

One would think the journalist interviewing the source would ask the three follow-on questions.

Who revoked their visas?

Why were their visas revoked?

Why were they permitted to stay in Thailand after their visas were revoked?

Not too difficult to work out, but if you did that you wouldn't, of course, be able to bash the journalist.

Immigration.

Undesirables, suspected linked to terrorist organisations.

They were only permitted to stay after revocation because they had to be located.

[hard124get]

I posted yesterday that anything that the Israeli News agency says is a pack of lies. Don't fall for this Islamophobia.

[hard124get]

This is a wake up call for THais. The Thais are lucky to have the Israelis and the US watching their back.

[hard124get]

Yes, every country should have CIA and Mossad death squads roaming free !

[Morch]

I posted yesterday that anything that the Israeli News agency says is a pack of lies. Don't fall for this Islamophobia.

And by virtue of you posting it, it must be true.

However, this report, shabby as it may be, comes from The Nation.

[Morch]

Yes, every country should have CIA and Mossad death squads roaming free !

Only CIA and Mossad death squads I met in Thailand weren't doing much roaming, more hanging on to their bar stools while making up stories.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Morch

[TheFishman1]

hard124get Your post is just so f--- I decided not worth my time to comment

[hard124get]

I posted yesterday that anything that the Israeli News agency says is a pack of lies. Don't fall for this Islamophobia.

And by virtue of you posting it, it must be true.

However, this report, shabby as it may be, comes from The Nation.

Yesterday it was a fact according to an Israeli News agency. Today this report says: "we have found no links with the group at this stage. Israel has mentioned this group but there is no conclusion yet that the men are members of the group,"

[hard124get]

hard124get Your post is just so f--- I decided not worth my time to comment

Thanks for small mercies.

[Kru Baa]

Oh Lebanese. I wasn't wearing my glasses before I opened this. I thought it said lesbians. That would have been a much more interesting story.

[spectrumisgreen]

EVERY year, pretty much, the Jewish Passover will coincide with Songkran, April 14th by and large being included in the SK festivities.. so if you're from Lebanon (regardless of ACTUAL links to such as Hezbollah.. none reported here I notice!!).. then your presence at this time in Thailand will be treated as 'suspicious' and you will be taken from your place and dragged in for questioning as a possible terrorist, and get your visa revoked to boot??? I mean why IS their presence here so suspect? Is Thailand a Jewish state or outpost of Israel now? And why take guys in to question them, possibly regarding a shooting in the US, like coming to Thailand is an automatic next move for such terrorists? Why even give them visas in the first place if you were only going to arrest them and revoke the visas once they were here?

Doesn't add up as usual, with unenlightening throw away lines dropped in there like saying 'Israel has mentioned this group...' (not the men they've arrested mind, just the fact that there IS a terrorist group.. and, er yep, most countries have them.. so you gonna stop and question everyone from these places too???) And as usual with these things coming out it always seems to happen, that is Thailand suddenly gets so 'sharp' and 'on the (international) ball' - whether there's an actual 'ball; or not!! - just after they've just been accused of being, well, total sh** in regards to intelligence, international security and foreign liaison affairs, such as most recently with their late "Flight 370? Oh yeah we watched it last week on our radar heading the wrong way.. what, you're still looking for it?" debacle!!!

Sorry, I love Thailand.. I just can't take it seriously, regarding serious issues, as it just doesn't do them.. well, seriously...

[Morch]

I posted yesterday that anything that the Israeli News agency says is a pack of lies. Don't fall for this Islamophobia.

And by virtue of you posting it, it must be true.

However, this report, shabby as it may be, comes from The Nation.

Yesterday it was a fact according to an Israeli News agency. Today this report says: "we have found no links with the group at this stage. Israel has mentioned this group but there is no conclusion yet that the men are members of the group,"

Not really - most Israeli media covered this, if at all, a bit cautiously.

The report posted in Thaivisa was from an Israeli right-wing media outlet, quoting an opinionated website. Given their politics, such reports are quite common for them.

Generalizing from this with regard to all Israeli media is over the top.

Not knowing enough details, it would be wrong to jump into conclusions.

Could be something, could be nothing.

[Morch]

EVERY year, pretty much, the Jewish Passover will coincide with Songkran, April 14th by and large being included in the SK festivities.. so if you're from Lebanon (regardless of ACTUAL links to such as Hezbollah.. none reported here I notice!!).. then your presence at this time in Thailand will be treated as 'suspicious' and you will be taken from your place and dragged in for questioning as a possible terrorist, and get your visa revoked to boot??? I mean why IS their presence here so suspect? Is Thailand a Jewish state or outpost of Israel now? And why take guys in to question them, possibly regarding a shooting in the US, like coming to Thailand is an automatic next move for such terrorists? Why even give them visas in the first place if you were only going to arrest them and revoke the visas once they were here?

Doesn't add up as usual, with unenlightening throw away lines dropped in there like saying 'Israel has mentioned this group...' (not the men they've arrested mind, just the fact that there IS a terrorist group.. and, er yep, most countries have them.. so you gonna stop and question everyone from these places too???) And as usual with these things coming out it always seems to happen, that is Thailand suddenly gets so 'sharp' and 'on the (international) ball' - whether there's an actual 'ball; or not!! - just after they've just been accused of being, well, total sh** in regards to intelligence, international security and foreign liaison affairs, such as most recently with their late "Flight 370? Oh yeah we watched it last week on our radar heading the wrong way.. what, you're still looking for it?" debacle!!!

Sorry, I love Thailand.. I just can't take it seriously, regarding serious issues, as it just doesn't do them.. well, seriously...

Like all of us, I do not have more details than published.

What I can guess is that if it came to a situation where Israel actually asked Thailand to detain them (seriously doubt Thailand did so independently), it was not solely on the basis of a website report, or as a random action (probably quite a few Lebanese citizens around and arriving to Thailand, other than these two). Either they had enough relevant information to convince the Thai authorities to take action, or they were spotted hanging around one of the Israeli/Jewish centers in Thailand. Thailand wouldn't get into a possible diplomatic indecent just to please Israel.

[Pimay1]

The pair are being detained under immigration laws as their visas were already revoked, the source said, while declining to add whether they would be deported.

One would think the journalist interviewing the source would ask the three follow-on questions.

Who revoked their visas?

Why were their visas revoked?

Why were they permitted to stay in Thailand after their visas were revoked?

Not too difficult to work out, but if you did that you wouldn't, of course, be able to bash the journalist.

Immigration.

Undesirables, suspected linked to terrorist organisations.

They were only permitted to stay after revocation because they had to be located.

Right, try again. They were exposed yesterday and immigration police went directly to their homes. Plus they have been on the immigration watch list.

They were separately visited during the Songkran break by Immigration Police and taken from their homes in Sukhumvit.

Both have been on the Thai immigration watch list for being possible members of Hezbollah, the source said.

[northernjohn]

Yes, every country should have CIA and Mossad death squads roaming free !

It would definably improve the life style in the South.

A government ignoring them and an army roaming around directionless has not helped one bit.

Islam still remains a deadly threat there.

Don't even try to give me that political nonsense. To an Islamic the government and the religion are all the same. They will never let up until they have forced out any other point of view but there own.

[northernjohn]

EVERY year, pretty much, the Jewish Passover will coincide with Songkran, April 14th by and large being included in the SK festivities.. so if you're from Lebanon (regardless of ACTUAL links to such as Hezbollah.. none reported here I notice!!).. then your presence at this time in Thailand will be treated as 'suspicious' and you will be taken from your place and dragged in for questioning as a possible terrorist, and get your visa revoked to boot??? I mean why IS their presence here so suspect? Is Thailand a Jewish state or outpost of Israel now? And why take guys in to question them, possibly regarding a shooting in the US, like coming to Thailand is an automatic next move for such terrorists? Why even give them visas in the first place if you were only going to arrest them and revoke the visas once they were here?

Doesn't add up as usual, with unenlightening throw away lines dropped in there like saying 'Israel has mentioned this group...' (not the men they've arrested mind, just the fact that there IS a terrorist group.. and, er yep, most countries have them.. so you gonna stop and question everyone from these places too???) And as usual with these things coming out it always seems to happen, that is Thailand suddenly gets so 'sharp' and 'on the (international) ball' - whether there's an actual 'ball; or not!! - just after they've just been accused of being, well, total sh** in regards to intelligence, international security and foreign liaison affairs, such as most recently with their late "Flight 370? Oh yeah we watched it last week on our radar heading the wrong way.. what, you're still looking for it?" debacle!!!

Sorry, I love Thailand.. I just can't take it seriously, regarding serious issues, as it just doesn't do them.. well, seriously...

I would completely agree with you if it wasn't for the Islamic caused terrorism in the south of Thailand.

Thailand is not a country sitting on the out side looking in. It is a country where it is happening in a confined area at this point in time. any hint of members of the other named terrorist groups is cause for all Thailand to worry. They are not organizations who only operate in a small part of the country. To them any part is fair game. In fact any place in the world is fair game.

Do not take them lightly. They can and will kill you with no reason or remorse.

[RickFarang]

Somebody explain this to me: Is there a law on the books in this country that makes it a crime to be suspected of having links to a political party? What's really going on here?

[Morch]

Somebody explain this to me: Is there a law on the books in this country that makes it a crime to be suspected of having links to a political party? What's really going on here?

Some countries see Hezbollah as political party, some see it as a legitimate military freedom fighting organization, some see it as a terrorist outfit.

I'm sure you knew that already.

[zazezo]

Yes, every country should have CIA and Mossad death squads roaming free !

It would definably improve the life style in the South.

A government ignoring them and an army roaming around directionless has not helped one bit.

Islam still remains a deadly threat there.

Don't even try to give me that political nonsense. To an Islamic the government and the religion are all the same. They will never let up until they have forced out any other point of view but there own.

You could profit from studying Middle-East history when it comes to terrorism.

Assassination of Lord Moyne, higest ranking British official in the M-E.

Assassination of Count Bernadotte, U.N. Mediator.

Bombing of King David Hotel, British Army HQ in Jerusalem

Bombing of British Embassy in Rome

Bombing of public markets

Bombing of trains

Armed robbery of banks

and much, much more--ALL DONE BY JEWISH TERRORISTS

Edited April 17, 2014 by zazezo

[Morch]

Yes, every country should have CIA and Mossad death squads roaming free !

It would definably improve the life style in the South.

A government ignoring them and an army roaming around directionless has not helped one bit.

Islam still remains a deadly threat there.

Don't even try to give me that political nonsense. To an Islamic the government and the religion are all the same. They will never let up until they have forced out any other point of view but there own.

You could profit from studying Middle-East history when it comes to terrorism.

Assassination of Lord Moyne, higest ranking British official in the M-E.

Assassination of Count Bernadotte, U.N. Mediator.

Bombing of King David Hotel, British Army HQ in Jerusalem

Bombing of British Embassy in Rome

Bombing of public markets

Bombing of trains

Armed robbery of banks

and much, much more--ALL DONE BY JEWISH TERRORISTS

Indeed.

However, the examples cited are at least 60+ years old.

Furthermore, this has little to do with Hezbollah or Thailand.