Hezbollah Terrorists Sanctioned By US after Being Released from Thailand

[Jacob Maslow]

The State Department announced that three Hezbollah members were added to the US terror watch list on Wednesday. One of the members was convicted and put in prison in Thailand in 2012.

The man, Hussein Atris, remained in custody until September of 2014 before being released. Mr. Hussein was charged with stockpiling explosives. Arrested in Bangkok, Mr. Hussein admitted during interrogation to stockpiling as much as 3,000 kilograms of explosives. He was also suspected in a plot to carry out a bombing within Bangkok.

Mr. Hussein was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison for possession of illegal explosives. The lack of severity is due to the storing but not usage of the bomb-making materials.

The other men were accused in a 2012 bus bombing that targeted tourists in Burgas, Bulgaria at the airport. The attack claimed the lives of six people.

Thailand states that all of these three man are part of the US’s terror watch list. As a result, U.S. citizens are not allowed to make any transaction with these parties. Furthermore, if the men own any assets or property within the United States, it will all be frozen at this time.

All three men are believed to have returned to Lebanon, their home country.

-- 2015-04-30

[ABCer]

I hope these men will be able to thank good old Thailand for their 'non severe' sentences from Lebanon.

I am also sure that Lebanon needs them badly for all the good things they can contribute to their country.

Let us hope that Bulgaria has completely rebuilt the damages to its airport and has recovered from loss of some 6 insignificant Bulgaris.

After all, what is more important than re-education and re-integration of active, able and dedicated Lebanese back into society?

Hesbollah, Lebanon, Thailand - aren't we all Asean? We must stand together, nest se pas?

[zydeco]

China, Russia, North Korea. And, now, Hezbollah. Who is left for Thai foreign policy to cozy up to? ISIS?

[alfalfa19]

sanctioned, as in the eiger sanction? that would be nice.

[lemonjelly]

So, 2 years 8 months for storing 3000 kg of explosives destined for use by international terrorists..... But longer if caught with 30 g of weed...... Amazing Thailand, amazing.

[razer]

The Islamist are at our doorstep.The bombings in the south are probably just light taps on the door. Just 3 days ago .....

"Malaysian police have arrested 12 people linked to the militant group Islamic State and seized explosives, foiling a plan to attack several locations in and around the capital city of Kuala Lumpur."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/26/malaysian-police-arrest-12-people-isis-links

[mike324]

What a joke Thailand is, terorrist caught planning to blow up the city 2 years, a bloke I knew who was involved with atm fraud sentence to 20 years but reduce to 5.

[ezzra]

What a joke Thailand is, terorrist caught planning to blow up the city 2 years, a bloke I knew who was involved with atm fraud sentence to 20 years but reduce to 5.

Your friend should have blown the ATM instead robbing it he too would get only 2 years in the slammer...

[FangFerang]

Maybe an effort to keep the targets from becoming Thai targets....?

[Sviss Geez]

What a joke Thailand is, terorrist caught planning to blow up the city 2 years, a bloke I knew who was involved with atm fraud sentence to 20 years but reduce to 5.

What a joke some posters here are. He wasn't caught or charged with planning to blow up anywhere, he was charged with possessing explosives, big difference. He was sentenced to nearer 3 years than 2.

[Sviss Geez]

China, Russia, North Korea. And, now, Hezbollah. Who is left for Thai foreign policy to cozy up to? ISIS?

How do you work out that Thailand is "cozying up" to Hezbollah? By jailing one of their people?

[chainarong]

I was surprised that someone in possession of explosives would only get 2+ years , I thought I was reading a verdict handed down from a OZ court , letting these people escape through the net is not a good look , the process needs to be tightened up , which probably has happened , the damage is done , cross your fingers he doesn't return

[Cardiff1963]

5 years for possession of cannabis or the death sentence for 20g of ecstasy.

Yet a slap on the wrist for possession of a nuclear arsenal (as long as you don't use it).

Am I missing something?

[boomerangutang]

So, 2 years 8 months for storing 3000 kg of explosives destined for use by international terrorists..... But longer if caught with 30 g of weed...... Amazing Thailand, amazing.

It must be a SE Asian thing. Something strange in the water? Too much MSG? Indonesia is executing young folks for making a stupid decision to carry a package overseas, yet a guy gets caught with nearly 80 pounds of high explosive in a large city, and he gets less than 3 years. Then there's hemp, which is considered a Class 5 drug, along with heroin, though no one in the history of the world has ever gotten stoned from smoking hemp. DEA sure has huge influence over smaller countries, and giving billions of dollars to SE Asian governments sure helps in that indoctrination.

What happened to the Iranians who not only stored and fabricated bombs in Bkk, but also set a couple off. There was a woman who paid for the apartment, but she slipped quickly back to Iran. Has Thailand asked for her to be extradited? No. Wouldn't want to offend a customer who buys a lot of rice, would we?