Hambali, alleged mastermind of al-Qaida's campaign of bombings in Southeast Asia, was plotting new terror attacks when he was captured this week, possibly against a Bangkok summit President Bush is due to attend, Thailand's prime minister said Saturday. Hambali planned to make Thailand a base for terror operations, but his arrest — and those of three of his associates since June — has uprooted his Jemaah Islamiyah terror network from the country, the Thai leader said.
| It's possible, assuming they hadn't taken root yet. And Thailand doesn't have a large Muslim minority, certainly not above the far south... |
Thailand's porous jungle and river frontiers and lax security at border posts make it a tempting place for Jemaah militants to hide. But its cells have been more prominent in other nations of the region — Malaysia and Indonesia.
| Because most Thais are Buddhists, the turbans tend to stand out. They also have a penchant for doing un-Islamic things like laughing, dancing, pinching pretty girls, and generally having fun. |
But a top U.S. official said it would be a "foolish assumption" to believe the threat of terrorist attack at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in October ended with Hambali's arrest. "We have a top planner, we do not have all the members of al-Qaida in our possession, or Jemaah Islamiyah in this case," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said during an interview broadcast Sunday on Australian television. "I think a better assumption is that these fellows are out to do us ill and we ought to take every precaution against this." APEC, set for Oct. 20-21 in the Thai capital, is expected to attract at least 20 world leaders, including Bush. |