TNT Bomb Discovered Near Thaksin's Residence

[younghusband]

More support of "this-has-all-been-a-staged-folly" take on the situation:

The four officers facing charges are out on bail.

- AFP

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even for Thailand, that seems too preposterous that people who were seriously attempting to assassinate the leader of the country would be allowed to roam freely on bail for months.

I don't have any special knowledge of this case and I suppose like most people was profoundly sceptical when details of the so called bombing attempt began to emerge.I still take the view that it was probably engineered to bolster sympathy for Thaksin.

But it is twisted logic to claim as the poster does that the charges against the four officers, whether out on bail or not, provides support for the staged incident theory.In fact quite the opposite.Suggest we all take a breather on this one at await developments.

The trouble is that some people are so obsessive about Thaksin's wrongdoings that any evidence is claimed in support.

[John K]

This is all song and dance to save face. As someone pointed out a judge who is not tainted by Thaksin will more than likely throw it out of court.

[blaze]

"4 Army men charged in 'car bomb' case

Military prosecutors yesterday filed criminal charges against three officers linked to an alleged attempt to assassinate former premier Thaksin Shinawatra with a bomb-loaded car last August, while dropping all charges against one of them.

A source at the Bangkok Military Court's public prosecution office said that Colonel Suraphol Supradit, Lt-Colonel Manas Sukprasert and Lieutenant Thawatchai Klinchana have been charged with premeditated attempt to commit murder, attempted murder of a state official on duty, having explosives and unauthorised possession of equipment.

Maj-General Phairoj Theerapharb faced no criminal charges, the source added.

Sgt-Major Chakhrit Janthara, who disclosed evidence allegedly implicating the three officers, will receive immunity in exchange for his testimony in court. All five have been released on bail.

Wisit Chuanpipatpong

The Nation"

This thing isn't going away- nor, it appears, does the army seem to want it to go away.

Edited March 9, 2007 by blaze

[Tony Clifton]

premeditated attempt to commit murder, attempted murder of a state official on duty, having explosives and unauthorised possession of equipment.

WHO HIRED THEM?

And again, ridiculously , bail is allowed, again...

Shoot a tourist, bail.

Bail, bail, bail.

Thailand's justice system is a f$%^& farce.

Edited March 9, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[blaze]

premeditated attempt to commit murder, attempted murder of a state official on duty, having explosives and unauthorised possession of equipment.

WHO HIRED THEM?

And again, ridiculously , bail is allowed, again...

Shoot a tourist, bail.

Bail, bail, bail.

Thailand's justice system is a f$%^& farce.

The short answer? They were employed by ISOC dep commander and vociferously anti-Taksin Gen Pollop- he of the Krue Se massacre. But I think you mean, who gave the order to bomb Taksin- well, they aren't saying- only that it was a high ranking general.

A more thorough article can be found here: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/08...es_30013088.php

One thing should finally be apparant- if Taksin or any of his people had hired these guys, I doubt they would be hesitant in pointing the finger.

Edited March 9, 2007 by blaze

[Plus]

Why would they? Who in his right mind would stand up and take responsibility for that farce? General Panlop was sacked in less than two hours after the car was discovered. Is he charged with anything at all?

[blaze]

Why would they? Who in his right mind would stand up and take responsibility for that farce? General Panlop was sacked in less than two hours after the car was discovered. Is he charged with anything at all?

Well, if it were me who was paid to plant the bomb- I'd sure be less afraid to say that Taksin paid me to bomb his own self- than to say that a general currently serving - or even retired - had. Especially if that general held a lot of influence in high military circles.

Edited March 9, 2007 by blaze

[John K]

At this point this topic is all for show. The bomb that never was. I doubt there is any issue here now except some internal Thai politics. I think we should just let this melt away unless something significant comes of it like a direct undisputed link to Thaksin setting this up. At that point it would be added to the growing list. If that would be the case I wonder what the charge would be?

[Tony Clifton]

Why would they? Who in his right mind would stand up and take responsibility for that farce? General Panlop was sacked in less than two hours after the car was discovered. Is he charged with anything at all?

Well, if it were me who was paid to plant the bomb- I'd sure be less afraid to say that Taksin paid me to bomb his own self- than to say that a general currently serving - or even retired - had. Especially if that general held a lot of influence in high military circles.

Blaming any of the two would likely see you get "suicided" in a cell, having swallowed your own socks. It's still very dangerous to underestimate the viruses Thaksin has left behind.

[blaze]

At this point this topic is all for show. The bomb that never was. I doubt there is any issue here now except some internal Thai politics. I think we should just let this melt away unless something significant comes of it like a direct undisputed link to Thaksin setting this up. At that point it would be added to the growing list. If that would be the case I wonder what the charge would be?

So if I understand you correctly, you are suggesting that unless this event can be used to implicate Taksin, it should just be swept under the rug. Incredible.

Edited March 9, 2007 by blaze

[blaze]

Why would they? Who in his right mind would stand up and take responsibility for that farce? General Panlop was sacked in less than two hours after the car was discovered. Is he charged with anything at all?

Well, if it were me who was paid to plant the bomb- I'd sure be less afraid to say that Taksin paid me to bomb his own self- than to say that a general currently serving - or even retired - had. Especially if that general held a lot of influence in high military circles.

Blaming any of the two would likely see you get "suicided" in a cell, having swallowed your own socks. It's still very dangerous to underestimate the viruses Thaksin has left behind.

Is it even remotely conceivable to you that this thing, which walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck- just might actually be a duck? Why is it so difficult to believe that elements in the military, elements who had been involved in past assasination attempts would hate Taksin enough to assasinate him?

[Tony Clifton]

Looks like a duck.

Walks like a duck.

Quacks like a duck.

Yet, he was hired to do so.

Sometimes, you have to look beyond the uniform.

[blaze]

Looks like a duck.

Walks like a duck.

Quacks like a duck.

Yet, he was hired to do so.

Sometimes, you have to look beyond the uniform.

These guys readily admit they were hired. They tell why they were hired, their reasons for accepting the job and albeit somewhat veiled, who hired them. Now of course, someone who is hel_l bent on blaming the Jamaican drug lords, or a Russian religious cult, or Taksin his own self- may not wish to believe this- but then they would have to provide evidence to undermine those facts or to support their pet theories- and so far there is.... none. All we have to go on is the facts as presented. This creature probably is... a duck.

[John K]

OK Blaze I will bite on this one. At the time it was big news because it was made to look like an attempt on a head of state.

As the story unfolded it became more and more obvious it was made to give Thaksin an excuse to grab more power by trying to tie this bomb powerful people who still could be a threat to him.

As of the moment the coup was successful this more or less became a non issue however as it was still recent news and continued to be of interest.

As time continued at least to me this was only a small group of people involved (matches Thaksin’s tactics) and the only person would benefit from this would be Thaksin. Who they are and where they are in the hierarchy and who’s flag the follow is really the only remaining question and would lend to support or disprove a theory if they acted alone or were hired.

At the moment the police are running a bit scared because the new top cop seems to be one to take little bull nor does he seem fond of the color grey. Because this last news is military based it does at least make me see where it goes but I keep in my mind this is still a show as there was never an assembled bomb. If they want to push an issue an Isaan farmer coming back from the store with fertilizer would be doing the same. He has diesel fuel in the tank of his tractor. By properly mixing the two he can make a bomb.

This story has evolved into protecting smaller empires than Thaksin’s as seeing that their insurance policy got canceled in September. No mater how you look at it this is still fallout from a dance with the devil.

[blaze]

OK Blaze I will bite on this one. At the time it was big news because it was made to look like an attempt on a head of state.

As the story unfolded it became more and more obvious it was made to give Thaksin an excuse to grab more power by trying to tie this bomb powerful people who still could be a threat to him.

As of the moment the coup was successful this more or less became a non issue however as it was still recent news and continued to be of interest.

As time continued at least to me this was only a small group of people involved (matches Thaksin’s tactics) and the only person would benefit from this would be Thaksin. Who they are and where they are in the hierarchy and who’s flag the follow is really the only remaining question and would lend to support or disprove a theory if they acted alone or were hired.

At the moment the police are running a bit scared because the new top cop seems to be one to take little bull nor does he seem fond of the color grey. Because this last news is military based it does at least make me see where it goes but I keep in my mind this is still a show as there was never an assembled bomb. If they want to push an issue an Isaan farmer coming back from the store with fertilizer would be doing the same. He has diesel fuel in the tank of his tractor. By properly mixing the two he can make a bomb.

This story has evolved into protecting smaller empires than Thaksin’s as seeing that their insurance policy got canceled in September. No mater how you look at it this is still fallout from a dance with the devil.

Maybe it's just the time of day, but I have to confess I don't know what you are trying to say. Let me ask you this:

Do you still think that Taksin was behind the incident?

Or do you blieve that this was incident was sanctioned by the military top brass?

Or do you now believe that the attempted assasination was the work of rogue elements in the army? n(And if that is the case, does that speak well for military unity at this very critical time as military appointments are due to be made?)

Or do you believe that since the incident can no longer (rationally) be used as proof to demonstrate Taksin's evil nature, it no longer is important?

I had expected that after the coup, this would be swept under the carpet.

But the decision to proceed against these guys was one of the first orders of business for the junta. Now either they were trying to show that Taksin was attempting to blow his own self up (which looks to be almost certainly not the case) or they were concerned that there are anti taksin elements within the army that pose a real threat to the junta.

[hammered]

OK Blaze I will bite on this one. At the time it was big news because it was made to look like an attempt on a head of state.

As the story unfolded it became more and more obvious it was made to give Thaksin an excuse to grab more power by trying to tie this bomb powerful people who still could be a threat to him.

As of the moment the coup was successful this more or less became a non issue however as it was still recent news and continued to be of interest.

As time continued at least to me this was only a small group of people involved (matches Thaksin’s tactics) and the only person would benefit from this would be Thaksin. Who they are and where they are in the hierarchy and who’s flag the follow is really the only remaining question and would lend to support or disprove a theory if they acted alone or were hired.

At the moment the police are running a bit scared because the new top cop seems to be one to take little bull nor does he seem fond of the color grey. Because this last news is military based it does at least make me see where it goes but I keep in my mind this is still a show as there was never an assembled bomb. If they want to push an issue an Isaan farmer coming back from the store with fertilizer would be doing the same. He has diesel fuel in the tank of his tractor. By properly mixing the two he can make a bomb.

This story has evolved into protecting smaller empires than Thaksin’s as seeing that their insurance policy got canceled in September. No mater how you look at it this is still fallout from a dance with the devil.

Maybe it's just the time of day, but I have to confess I don't know what you are trying to say. Let me ask you this:

Do you still think that Taksin was behind the incident?

Or do you blieve that this was incident was sanctioned by the military top brass?

Or do you now believe that the attempted assasination was the work of rogue elements in the army? n(And if that is the case, does that speak well for military unity at this very critical time as military appointments are due to be made?)

Or do you believe that since the incident can no longer (rationally) be used as proof to demonstrate Taksin's evil nature, it no longer is important?

I had expected that after the coup, this would be swept under the carpet.

But the decision to proceed against these guys was one of the first orders of business for the junta. Now either they were trying to show that Taksin was attempting to blow his own self up (which looks to be almost certainly not the case) or they were concerned that there are anti taksin elements within the army that pose a real threat to the junta.

It is no doubt all politics that may never be clear at all. Thaksin used the farcical plot to remove an army general and set the police in position to sweep all the security top posts in the country. Those accused waved their TRT membership cards around and said how they loved Mr. T and his policies. Along came a coup and now it suits someone to resurrect this case for some reason. Enough said.

[Plus]

They are not questions to me, but I believe there was no attempted assassination. The incindent was staged.

I'm not alone in this belief, if you care to read posts from the relevant threads, that was nearly unveral opinion.

[blaze]

They are not questions to me, but I believe there was no attempted assassination. The incindent was staged.

I'm not alone in this belief, if you care to read posts from the relevant threads, that was nearly unveral opinion.

Well the 'near universal' acceptance of a myth doesn't give the myth one ounce of credibility- surely you remember the polls indicating that over 80 percent of Americans believed the WMD myth, the Al Queda/911 myth?

If indeed the event was staged, why is the military prosecuting three of its own? Why have they confessed? Or is it all a huge conspiracy. Are you suggesting the army now is lying? That they have NOT got confessions? That they did NOT strike a plea bargain with one of the accused? At some point, we got to get real and let reality be dictated by facts, not by popular opinion.

This should serve as a warning that much of what popular opinion construes as fact may have been nothing more than agenda driven wishful thinking. Certainly the Nation, a major source of news for many of us, wanted people to believe it was a set up. And like mindless sheep, many of us bought their line.

But those in a position to truly know what happened- namely the military- did not buy the myth.

Of course a few people will never allow facts to get in the way of what they 'know'. But for many this might start a process of questioning just what really has and what really has not transpired in the last year.

Edited March 10, 2007 by blaze

[blaze]

OK Blaze I will bite on this one. At the time it was big news because it was made to look like an attempt on a head of state.

As the story unfolded it became more and more obvious it was made to give Thaksin an excuse to grab more power by trying to tie this bomb powerful people who still could be a threat to him.

As of the moment the coup was successful this more or less became a non issue however as it was still recent news and continued to be of interest.

As time continued at least to me this was only a small group of people involved (matches Thaksin’s tactics) and the only person would benefit from this would be Thaksin. Who they are and where they are in the hierarchy and who’s flag the follow is really the only remaining question and would lend to support or disprove a theory if they acted alone or were hired.

At the moment the police are running a bit scared because the new top cop seems to be one to take little bull nor does he seem fond of the color grey. Because this last news is military based it does at least make me see where it goes but I keep in my mind this is still a show as there was never an assembled bomb. If they want to push an issue an Isaan farmer coming back from the store with fertilizer would be doing the same. He has diesel fuel in the tank of his tractor. By properly mixing the two he can make a bomb.

This story has evolved into protecting smaller empires than Thaksin’s as seeing that their insurance policy got canceled in September. No mater how you look at it this is still fallout from a dance with the devil.

Maybe it's just the time of day, but I have to confess I don't know what you are trying to say. Let me ask you this:

Do you still think that Taksin was behind the incident?

Or do you blieve that this was incident was sanctioned by the military top brass?

Or do you now believe that the attempted assasination was the work of rogue elements in the army? n(And if that is the case, does that speak well for military unity at this very critical time as military appointments are due to be made?)

Or do you believe that since the incident can no longer (rationally) be used as proof to demonstrate Taksin's evil nature, it no longer is important?

I had expected that after the coup, this would be swept under the carpet.

But the decision to proceed against these guys was one of the first orders of business for the junta. Now either they were trying to show that Taksin was attempting to blow his own self up (which looks to be almost certainly not the case) or they were concerned that there are anti taksin elements within the army that pose a real threat to the junta.

It is no doubt all politics that may never be clear at all. Thaksin used the farcical plot to remove an army general and set the police in position to sweep all the security top posts in the country. Those accused waved their TRT membership cards around and said how they loved Mr. T and his policies. Along came a coup and now it suits someone to resurrect this case for some reason. Enough said.

Either Taksin tried to frame ISOC or there are rogue elements still loose in the army. Rogue elements NOT sympathetic to Taksin- and while that may be uncomfortable to those who wish to see the army as some kind of collective of saints, it is certainly important. It also points out how little critical thinking has been exercised by many in the pro-coup/anti-taksin camp- how willingly they chose to believe what suited their agendas- at the expense of reasonably weighing the evidence.

[John K]

OK Blaze I will bite on this one. At the time it was big news because it was made to look like an attempt on a head of state.

As the story unfolded it became more and more obvious it was made to give Thaksin an excuse to grab more power by trying to tie this bomb powerful people who still could be a threat to him.

As of the moment the coup was successful this more or less became a non issue however as it was still recent news and continued to be of interest.

As time continued at least to me this was only a small group of people involved (matches Thaksin’s tactics) and the only person would benefit from this would be Thaksin. Who they are and where they are in the hierarchy and who’s flag the follow is really the only remaining question and would lend to support or disprove a theory if they acted alone or were hired.

At the moment the police are running a bit scared because the new top cop seems to be one to take little bull nor does he seem fond of the color grey. Because this last news is military based it does at least make me see where it goes but I keep in my mind this is still a show as there was never an assembled bomb. If they want to push an issue an Isaan farmer coming back from the store with fertilizer would be doing the same. He has diesel fuel in the tank of his tractor. By properly mixing the two he can make a bomb.

This story has evolved into protecting smaller empires than Thaksin’s as seeing that their insurance policy got canceled in September. No mater how you look at it this is still fallout from a dance with the devil.

Maybe it's just the time of day, but I have to confess I don't know what you are trying to say. Let me ask you this:

Do you still think that Taksin was behind the incident?

Or do you blieve that this was incident was sanctioned by the military top brass?

Or do you now believe that the attempted assasination was the work of rogue elements in the army? n(And if that is the case, does that speak well for military unity at this very critical time as military appointments are due to be made?)

Or do you believe that since the incident can no longer (rationally) be used as proof to demonstrate Taksin's evil nature, it no longer is important?

I had expected that after the coup, this would be swept under the carpet.

But the decision to proceed against these guys was one of the first orders of business for the junta. Now either they were trying to show that Taksin was attempting to blow his own self up (which looks to be almost certainly not the case) or they were concerned that there are anti taksin elements within the army that pose a real threat to the junta.

Ok to answer your questions, yes I think Thaksin was behind it, and at the time if successful any threat to the people involved would have been stopped by Thaksin. Now that Thaksin is gone the people involved are open to whatever legal criminal action Thaksin would have stopped. I don’t think the military were involved because the are not that inept and there would now be a crater from a car bomb someplace in Bangkok with spatters of Thaksin’s blood across the street from the crater.

This is now involved in the constantly twisting and turning power struggle known as Thai politics. This was probably brought back to life by someone as a tool who feels one or more of the accused defendants is in his/her way to getting more power. If it comes out that Thaksin was involved or another it would make no difference because either way reputations are damaged and a significant distraction keeps the accused off balance at a time when they need to be on their toes.

Based on how long things take in Thailand, this should just be coming to a head about the predicted election time.

[Plus]

Well the 'near universal' acceptance of a myth doesn't give the myth one ounce of credibility- surely you remember the polls indicating that over 80 percent of Americans believed the WMD myth, the Al Queda/911 myth?

You are twisting it around. The myth that the bomb was wired and ready to go off was born before our own eyes. There were huge contradictions between initial reports and the official line that was adopted a few days later.

The Nation wasn't the only paper covering the story, in fact it was quite late posting it on their website, under "breaking news". I believe the first report came from the Thai News Agency. Photos of the explosives were all over the media before lunch that day.

What makes you so cocky as to say that everyone here who was following the story from the start had got it completely wrong while you don't seem to know anything about it yourself?

[blaze]

Well the 'near universal' acceptance of a myth doesn't give the myth one ounce of credibility- surely you remember the polls indicating that over 80 percent of Americans believed the WMD myth, the Al Queda/911 myth?

You are twisting it around. The myth that the bomb was wired and ready to go off was born before our own eyes. There were huge contradictions between initial reports and the official line that was adopted a few days later.

The Nation wasn't the only paper covering the story, in fact it was quite late posting it on their website, under "breaking news". I believe the first report came from the Thai News Agency. Photos of the explosives were all over the media before lunch that day.

What makes you so cocky as to say that everyone here who was following the story from the start had got it completely wrong while you don't seem to know anything about it yourself?

"ALLEGED BOMB PLOT

Top general said to be mastermind

Accused says 4 senior officers targeted PM over 'damage he's caused nation'

One of three military personnel linked to the alleged car-bomb plot to kill the caretaker prime minister turned himself in to police yesterday and said four other senior officers were behind the plot.

Police said Sgt-Major Chakhrit Janthara told them a four-star general masterminded the murder plot against Thaksin Shinawatra for "having damaged the country".

Citing what they described as Chakhrit's 10-page written confession, police said three other officers were involved in the murder plot - a Maj-General Sor, a Maj-General Tor and a Colonel Bor, all assigned to the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc). Chakhrit was also at Isoc.

Police did not say whether Chakhrit had specified whether the alleged mastermind was assigned to Isoc.

Three Army personnel, including Chakhrit, surrendered to police yesterday. Combined with Chakhrit's implication of four other officers, as well as the two officers currently in military custody, the total number of military personnel allegedly involved in the plot has grown to nine.

General Pallop Pinmanee, a deputy Isoc director who was sacked on August 24, the day police intercepted the Daewoo sedan loaded with explosives, said he would not comment on Chakhrit's statement in regard to the "mastermind" issue.

Excluding Chakhrit, who is the most junior of the military personnel in custody, no other officers have cooperated with police.

Citing "Chakhrit's confession", police said the non-commissioned officer had proposed shooting Thaksin, but Colonel Suraphol Supradit, who surrendered himself yesterday morning shortly after Maj-General Phairoj Theerapharb, said "the mastermind" wanted to use explosives.

Following is what police cited from Chakhrit's confession: Chakhrit and Suraphol later argued over the use of the bomb and its violent impact, but Suraphol finally insisted that "Hundreds of people may die from the bomb, but to save all 65 million Thai people, the Thaksin regime has to go."

Suraphol ordered Chakhrit to buy the Daewoo sedan, which was intercepted by police on August 24 and found loaded with explosives, from a used-car dealer. Chakhrit had the car painted bronze at a garage in the Ratchadaphisek area.

The car was later loaded with bomb materials, though Chakhrit was not involved. Chakhrit received several payments of Bt100,000 to pay for the operation.

He said Supaphol ordered him to find a spot for the Daewoo at the Air Force Terminal at Don Muang airport on August 9, but he was asked to leave by an Air Force military policeman while waiting for the driver to park the car.

Chakhrit said he was going to return to the airport the next day, when Thaksin was scheduled to fly to Cambodia, but the plan was postponed due to poor planning.

On August 24, Lt Thawatchai Klinchana was ordered to drive the Daewoo near Bang Phlat Intersection, and Lt-Colonel Manas Sudprasert, the second suspect arrested on Tuesday, was to wait with a remote-controlled detonator. Chakhrit said he did not go to the scene and did not know why the remote control unit did not work.

After the sedan was intercepted and found loaded with explosives, Suraphol ordered Manas to use Plan B, which was to kill Thaksin in an ambush using Russian-made Rocket Propelled Grenades or US-made M-79 rounds, but police identified the team members before the plot could be carried out.

Chakhrit claimed "the mastermind and executive operators" also had a Plan C, the staging of a military coup, if Plan B failed.

A police source said Chakhrit had decided to reveal all of this information because he feared he might be "silenced" by people familiar with the plot.

Speaking after Chakhrit was arrested, Central Investigation Bureau commander Lt-General Montree Jamroon said Chakhrit had confessed to all charges police had pressed against him. "The jigsaw puzzle is nearly complete, but I can tell you nothing about what he has said," Montree added.

Chakhrit was the first military staffer to surrender to police on Wednesday when he walked into the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) headquarters. He was questioned by police in the presence of military officers from the Judge Advocate Corps.

Maj-General Phairoj was the second to surrender. He arrived at the CSD compound in a van at 8.10am, ahead of the 10am deadline set by police for the suspects to surrender. He was escorted inside and had no chance to speak to waiting reporters.

Colonel Suraphol was the last to show up, shortly after 10am. He told reporters, "You go ask my bosses", when asked to explain his role in the alleged assassination plot.

All three officers have been charged with six criminal offences, as have Thawatchai, the driver of the Daewoo sedan, and Lt-Colonel Manas, who has been in military custody since his arrest on Tuesday.

The Bangkok military court accepted a police recommendation not to release the three on bail. They were later brought back to the CSD compound and kept separately in detention facilities before police began questioning them."

Now where in there do you find anything that could support your contention that Taksin tried to frame anybody? Don't you think that the military, in it's need to present a united front right now, would welcome the opportunity to pin this on Taksin if they possibly could?

But then- stranger things have happened- and I guess we'll just have to see what comes out in court.

Edited March 11, 2007 by blaze

[Tony Clifton]

Why has Thaksin mentioned over and over that he won't return soon because he fears for HIS own safety but meanwhile, his wife, son and daughter remain here or come and go as they please, apparently without worrying about their safety. Something doesn't fit the puzzle here.

[younghusband]

Well the 'near universal' acceptance of a myth doesn't give the myth one ounce of credibility- surely you remember the polls indicating that over 80 percent of Americans believed the WMD myth, the Al Queda/911 myth?

In what sense was the Al Quaeda association with 9/11 a myth?

Edited March 11, 2007 by younghusband

[blaze]

Well the 'near universal' acceptance of a myth doesn't give the myth one ounce of credibility- surely you remember the polls indicating that over 80 percent of Americans believed the WMD myth, the Al Queda/911 myth?

In what sense was the Al Quaeda association with 9/11 a myth?

Whoops- nobody else caught that? Boy is my face red. I meant the Iraq connection to 9/11. (yikes)

[farangsay]

Well the 'near universal' acceptance of a myth doesn't give the myth one ounce of credibility- surely you remember the polls indicating that over 80 percent of Americans believed the WMD myth, the Al Queda/911 myth?

You are twisting it around. The myth that the bomb was wired and ready to go off was born before our own eyes. There were huge contradictions between initial reports and the official line that was adopted a few days later.

The Nation wasn't the only paper covering the story, in fact it was quite late posting it on their website, under "breaking news". I believe the first report came from the Thai News Agency. Photos of the explosives were all over the media before lunch that day.

What makes you so cocky as to say that everyone here who was following the story from the start had got it completely wrong while you don't seem to know anything about it yourself?

"ALLEGED BOMB PLOT

Top general said to be mastermind

Accused says 4 senior officers targeted PM over 'damage he's caused nation'

One of three military personnel linked to the alleged car-bomb plot to kill the caretaker prime minister turned himself in to police yesterday and said four other senior officers were behind the plot.

Police said Sgt-Major Chakhrit Janthara told them a four-star general masterminded the murder plot against Thaksin Shinawatra for "having damaged the country".

Citing what they described as Chakhrit's 10-page written confession, police said three other officers were involved in the murder plot - a Maj-General Sor, a Maj-General Tor and a Colonel Bor, all assigned to the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc). Chakhrit was also at Isoc.

Police did not say whether Chakhrit had specified whether the alleged mastermind was assigned to Isoc.

Three Army personnel, including Chakhrit, surrendered to police yesterday. Combined with Chakhrit's implication of four other officers, as well as the two officers currently in military custody, the total number of military personnel allegedly involved in the plot has grown to nine.

General Pallop Pinmanee, a deputy Isoc director who was sacked on August 24, the day police intercepted the Daewoo sedan loaded with explosives, said he would not comment on Chakhrit's statement in regard to the "mastermind" issue.

Excluding Chakhrit, who is the most junior of the military personnel in custody, no other officers have cooperated with police.

Citing "Chakhrit's confession", police said the non-commissioned officer had proposed shooting Thaksin, but Colonel Suraphol Supradit, who surrendered himself yesterday morning shortly after Maj-General Phairoj Theerapharb, said "the mastermind" wanted to use explosives.

Following is what police cited from Chakhrit's confession: Chakhrit and Suraphol later argued over the use of the bomb and its violent impact, but Suraphol finally insisted that "Hundreds of people may die from the bomb, but to save all 65 million Thai people, the Thaksin regime has to go."

Suraphol ordered Chakhrit to buy the Daewoo sedan, which was intercepted by police on August 24 and found loaded with explosives, from a used-car dealer. Chakhrit had the car painted bronze at a garage in the Ratchadaphisek area.

The car was later loaded with bomb materials, though Chakhrit was not involved. Chakhrit received several payments of Bt100,000 to pay for the operation.

He said Supaphol ordered him to find a spot for the Daewoo at the Air Force Terminal at Don Muang airport on August 9, but he was asked to leave by an Air Force military policeman while waiting for the driver to park the car.

Chakhrit said he was going to return to the airport the next day, when Thaksin was scheduled to fly to Cambodia, but the plan was postponed due to poor planning.

On August 24, Lt Thawatchai Klinchana was ordered to drive the Daewoo near Bang Phlat Intersection, and Lt-Colonel Manas Sudprasert, the second suspect arrested on Tuesday, was to wait with a remote-controlled detonator. Chakhrit said he did not go to the scene and did not know why the remote control unit did not work.

After the sedan was intercepted and found loaded with explosives, Suraphol ordered Manas to use Plan B, which was to kill Thaksin in an ambush using Russian-made Rocket Propelled Grenades or US-made M-79 rounds, but police identified the team members before the plot could be carried out.

Chakhrit claimed "the mastermind and executive operators" also had a Plan C, the staging of a military coup, if Plan B failed.

A police source said Chakhrit had decided to reveal all of this information because he feared he might be "silenced" by people familiar with the plot.

Speaking after Chakhrit was arrested, Central Investigation Bureau commander Lt-General Montree Jamroon said Chakhrit had confessed to all charges police had pressed against him. "The jigsaw puzzle is nearly complete, but I can tell you nothing about what he has said," Montree added.

Chakhrit was the first military staffer to surrender to police on Wednesday when he walked into the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) headquarters. He was questioned by police in the presence of military officers from the Judge Advocate Corps.

Maj-General Phairoj was the second to surrender. He arrived at the CSD compound in a van at 8.10am, ahead of the 10am deadline set by police for the suspects to surrender. He was escorted inside and had no chance to speak to waiting reporters.

Colonel Suraphol was the last to show up, shortly after 10am. He told reporters, "You go ask my bosses", when asked to explain his role in the alleged assassination plot.

All three officers have been charged with six criminal offences, as have Thawatchai, the driver of the Daewoo sedan, and Lt-Colonel Manas, who has been in military custody since his arrest on Tuesday.

The Bangkok military court accepted a police recommendation not to release the three on bail. They were later brought back to the CSD compound and kept separately in detention facilities before police began questioning them."

Now where in there do you find anything that could support your contention that Taksin tried to frame anybody? Don't you think that the military, in it's need to present a united front right now, would welcome the opportunity to pin this on Taksin if they possibly could?

But then- stranger things have happened- and I guess we'll just have to see what comes out in court.

Do you have a source for this news report ?

Couldn't find it in BP or Nation.

With the main suspects named as Sor , Tor and Bor I had to check my calendar

in case it was April 1st already.

[blaze]

Well the 'near universal' acceptance of a myth doesn't give the myth one ounce of credibility- surely you remember the polls indicating that over 80 percent of Americans believed the WMD myth, the Al Queda/911 myth?

You are twisting it around. The myth that the bomb was wired and ready to go off was born before our own eyes. There were huge contradictions between initial reports and the official line that was adopted a few days later.

The Nation wasn't the only paper covering the story, in fact it was quite late posting it on their website, under "breaking news". I believe the first report came from the Thai News Agency. Photos of the explosives were all over the media before lunch that day.

What makes you so cocky as to say that everyone here who was following the story from the start had got it completely wrong while you don't seem to know anything about it yourself?

"ALLEGED BOMB PLOT

Top general said to be mastermind

Accused says 4 senior officers targeted PM over 'damage he's caused nation'

One of three military personnel linked to the alleged car-bomb plot to kill the caretaker prime minister turned himself in to police yesterday and said four other senior officers were behind the plot.

Police said Sgt-Major Chakhrit Janthara told them a four-star general masterminded the murder plot against Thaksin Shinawatra for "having damaged the country".

Citing what they described as Chakhrit's 10-page written confession, police said three other officers were involved in the murder plot - a Maj-General Sor, a Maj-General Tor and a Colonel Bor, all assigned to the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc). Chakhrit was also at Isoc.

Police did not say whether Chakhrit had specified whether the alleged mastermind was assigned to Isoc.

Three Army personnel, including Chakhrit, surrendered to police yesterday. Combined with Chakhrit's implication of four other officers, as well as the two officers currently in military custody, the total number of military personnel allegedly involved in the plot has grown to nine.

General Pallop Pinmanee, a deputy Isoc director who was sacked on August 24, the day police intercepted the Daewoo sedan loaded with explosives, said he would not comment on Chakhrit's statement in regard to the "mastermind" issue.

Excluding Chakhrit, who is the most junior of the military personnel in custody, no other officers have cooperated with police.

Citing "Chakhrit's confession", police said the non-commissioned officer had proposed shooting Thaksin, but Colonel Suraphol Supradit, who surrendered himself yesterday morning shortly after Maj-General Phairoj Theerapharb, said "the mastermind" wanted to use explosives.

Following is what police cited from Chakhrit's confession: Chakhrit and Suraphol later argued over the use of the bomb and its violent impact, but Suraphol finally insisted that "Hundreds of people may die from the bomb, but to save all 65 million Thai people, the Thaksin regime has to go."

Suraphol ordered Chakhrit to buy the Daewoo sedan, which was intercepted by police on August 24 and found loaded with explosives, from a used-car dealer. Chakhrit had the car painted bronze at a garage in the Ratchadaphisek area.

The car was later loaded with bomb materials, though Chakhrit was not involved. Chakhrit received several payments of Bt100,000 to pay for the operation.

He said Supaphol ordered him to find a spot for the Daewoo at the Air Force Terminal at Don Muang airport on August 9, but he was asked to leave by an Air Force military policeman while waiting for the driver to park the car.

Chakhrit said he was going to return to the airport the next day, when Thaksin was scheduled to fly to Cambodia, but the plan was postponed due to poor planning.

On August 24, Lt Thawatchai Klinchana was ordered to drive the Daewoo near Bang Phlat Intersection, and Lt-Colonel Manas Sudprasert, the second suspect arrested on Tuesday, was to wait with a remote-controlled detonator. Chakhrit said he did not go to the scene and did not know why the remote control unit did not work.

After the sedan was intercepted and found loaded with explosives, Suraphol ordered Manas to use Plan B, which was to kill Thaksin in an ambush using Russian-made Rocket Propelled Grenades or US-made M-79 rounds, but police identified the team members before the plot could be carried out.

Chakhrit claimed "the mastermind and executive operators" also had a Plan C, the staging of a military coup, if Plan B failed.

A police source said Chakhrit had decided to reveal all of this information because he feared he might be "silenced" by people familiar with the plot.

Speaking after Chakhrit was arrested, Central Investigation Bureau commander Lt-General Montree Jamroon said Chakhrit had confessed to all charges police had pressed against him. "The jigsaw puzzle is nearly complete, but I can tell you nothing about what he has said," Montree added.

Chakhrit was the first military staffer to surrender to police on Wednesday when he walked into the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) headquarters. He was questioned by police in the presence of military officers from the Judge Advocate Corps.

Maj-General Phairoj was the second to surrender. He arrived at the CSD compound in a van at 8.10am, ahead of the 10am deadline set by police for the suspects to surrender. He was escorted inside and had no chance to speak to waiting reporters.

Colonel Suraphol was the last to show up, shortly after 10am. He told reporters, "You go ask my bosses", when asked to explain his role in the alleged assassination plot.

All three officers have been charged with six criminal offences, as have Thawatchai, the driver of the Daewoo sedan, and Lt-Colonel Manas, who has been in military custody since his arrest on Tuesday.

The Bangkok military court accepted a police recommendation not to release the three on bail. They were later brought back to the CSD compound and kept separately in detention facilities before police began questioning them."

Now where in there do you find anything that could support your contention that Taksin tried to frame anybody? Don't you think that the military, in it's need to present a united front right now, would welcome the opportunity to pin this on Taksin if they possibly could?

But then- stranger things have happened- and I guess we'll just have to see what comes out in court.

Do you have a source for this news report ?

Couldn't find it in BP or Nation.

With the main suspects named as Sor , Tor and Bor I had to check my calendar

in case it was April 1st already.

Yes it's from the Nation, Sept 8.

The update is here:

http://nationmultimedia.com/search/page.ne...amp;id=30028864 and was posted a few pages back.

Edited March 11, 2007 by blaze

[sriracha john]

Why would they? Who in his right mind would stand up and take responsibility for that farce? General Panlop was sacked in less than two hours after the car was discovered. Is he charged with anything at all?

Well, if it were me who was paid to plant the bomb- I'd sure be less afraid to say that Taksin paid me to bomb his own self- than to say that a general currently serving - or even retired - had. Especially if that general held a lot of influence in high military circles.

Blaming any of the two would likely see you get "suicided" in a cell, having swallowed your own socks. It's still very dangerous to underestimate the viruses Thaksin has left behind.

Is it even remotely conceivable to you that this thing, which walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck- just might actually be a duck? Why is it so difficult to believe that elements in the military, elements who had been involved in past assasination attempts would hate Taksin enough to assasinate him?

I think the clearest evidence that it wasn't an assination attempt by the elements in the military are from earlier posts... that Thaksin conveniently knew about it 2 weeks beforehand.... and also that if the military HAD been involved, they would have completed the job easily instead of the circus act style that it was done in.

<snip>

Edited March 13, 2007 by Jai Dee
Flame comments deleted

[Jai Dee]

Some personal attacks (flames) on other members have been deleted from this thread.

Please keep it civil and the discussion on-topic.

The moderators tolerance level of this type of behaviour is getting very low.

You have been warned.

[sriracha john]

UPDATE... and finally, the verdict is.... wait a bit longer...

Thaksin car bomb verdict adjourned

The Military Court on Wednesday morning postponed its verdict in the case of three army officers charged with attempting to assassinate former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra until Aug 19.

A car containing a large quantity of high explosives was found under a flyover across Bang Phlat intersection, on the route then-prime minister Thaksin's motorcade was supposed to travel, on Aug 24, 2006. The car bomb was rigged to be detonated by remote control.

Three army officers were arrested and charged in connection with the bomb. Col Surapol Supradit, Lt-Col Manas Sukprasert and Lt Tawatchai Klinchana were charged with attempted assassination and

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/14...poned-to-aug-19

-- Bangkok Post 2009-06-17