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Following two reports Israel gave to Thailand, one in December and another Jan. 8, one terrorist is under arrest (1/13) and 300 pounds of bomb making material is removed (1/16). Initial arrest was made only hours after the US, via Israeli intelligence, warned its citizens in Bangkok. Per 1/16 report, "The US embassy still has not lifted the terror warning it issued on Friday" for American tourists.
1/16/12, "Thai police find large cache of bomb-making materials," BBC
"Police in Thailand say they have found a large supply of materials for making bombs, following the detention of a suspect with alleged links to Hezbollah.
The suspect led police to a building containing more than 300 boxes of fertiliser and ammonium nitrate."...
--------------------------------Thank-you, Israel.
1/13/12, "Thailand arrests Hezbollah suspect after US Bangkok alert," BBC
"Thai authorities have arrested a Lebanese man with suspected links to Hezbollah militants, after receiving a warning from Israel.
The arrest came hours after the US advised its citizens in the Thai capital, Bangkok, to be on the alert over a possible terrorist threat.
"Technically the two men have not committed any crimes under the Thai law, so we could only use the immigration law to keep this one suspect in custody," he said.
An official at the defence ministry told Reuters that Israel had contacted them on 22 December with information that two or three suspects could be planning an attack in Thailand, but that those individuals had left the country. A second warning came on 8 January, he said.
Israel's foreign ministry declined to comment on the reports....
Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist movement which holds several seats in Lebanon's parliament as well as being the country's most powerful military force. Its defining platform is hostility towards Israel.
The movement is backed mainly by Syria and Iran and is considered by the US to be a terrorist organisation....
The Thai authorities had said there was no need for a general alert as it would "cause panic and affect our tourism".
Bangkok has been hit by several small scale bombs in recent years in what are thought to have been politically motivated attacks, and Thai Islamist insurgents regularly carry out attacks in the southern provinces."
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More from the 1/16 report
"Police in Thailand say they have found a large supply of materials for making bombs, following the detention of a suspect with alleged links to Hezbollah.
The suspect led police to a building containing more than 300 boxes of fertiliser and ammonium nitrate.
The raid follows the terror alert issued by the US and Israel warning citizens to avoid tourist sites.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said that the situation was under control.
The suspect, who was detained last week, is said to be a Lebanese man with a Swedish passport.
Police say the man has links to Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Shia Islamist movement backed by Syria and Iran
- that the US considers to be a terrorist organisation.
A second suspect is also believed to have left Thailand.
A police spokesman told local media that the chemicals were going to be shipped out of Thailand for use in an unspecified third country.
The US embassy still has not lifted the warning it issued on Friday stating that Americans should "exercise caution
- when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather"."
photo ap via bbc
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