Thai Police Pursue Tip on Terror Plot

JANUARY 13, 2012
By JAMES HOOKWAY
The Wall Street Journal

BANGKOK—Thai police were questioning a Lebanese man with alleged links to the Hezbollah militant group Friday after the U.S. Embassy warned of possible terrorist attacks in Bangkok amid growing tensions in the Middle East over how America and Israel might disrupt Iran's alleged plans to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran has accused Israel and the U.S. of plotting to assassinate nuclear scientists working in the country. On Wednesday, scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who worked on uranium enrichment, was killed by a bomb attached to his car and the strike bore similarities to series of other attacks on scientists working on Iran's nuclear program.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Thursday vowed to punish the perpetrators. Lebanon-based Hezbollah is stridently anti-Israel and has often served as a proxy for Iranian interests in the past.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denied any U.S. involvement in the attack. Israeli officials have so far declined to comment, but Asia-based security officials warn that the rising tensions in the Middle East could potentially result in attacks on U.S. or Western targets around the world.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung told reporters that Thai authorities had received a tip-off about possible terrorist attacks in the Thai capital, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. "At first we were told the Palestinians were behind it, but it turned out to be Hezbollah," Mr. Chalerm told the Associated Press.

The U.S. Embassy sent an emergency message to U.S. citizens earlier in the day warning of a possible terrorist attack and advising people to stay away from crowded tourist areas, but offered few other details. Israel also published a travel warning on Friday for Bangkok. Citing the arrests by the Thai authoroites of Lebanese activists from Hezbollah, Israelis were warned to avoid visiting Bangkok and to stay away from establishments known as favored by Israelis.

Defense Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa told reporters that initial intelligence suggested that an attack could occur between Friday and Sunday. He said Thai authorities kept the alleged plot under wraps in order to avoid damaging the country's multimillion-dollar tourist industry, but said intelligence reports suggested the plans to attack might have been related to the worsening relations between the U.S. and Iran.

Neither Mr. Chalerm nor Mr. Yuthasak provided any further information on how far the alleged plot had progressed or possible targets.

Mr. Chalerm said Thai police had followed two Lebanese men. One of them was detained for questioning, while the other appeared to have left the country after the U.S. issued its warning, but Mr. Chalerm told the AP that that situation is under control.