‘Key’ Terrorists Passing Through Kingdom

Thailand has put on its watch list the names of 220 foreigners, including key international terrorists linked with alQaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah who have passed through the Kingdom in the past three years, Thai intelligence sources told The Nation yesterday.

After recent warnings from the US of a possible new round of terrorist attacks, Thai security officials went through stacks of immigration records from 2001 to the present, isolating the names.

The names became significant when compared with mostwanted lists supplied by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as other international security organisations.

The sources said that the 220 names comprised 128 alQaeda followers, including 45 Iraqis and 16 Iranians, 13 members of Jemaah Islamiyah, three Egyptian Islamic militants and another 21 members of other terrorist groups.

Thai and US intelligence officials are working closely to prevent anyone on the lists from slipping into Thailand to bomb socalled “soft” targets such as hotels, entertainment venues or offices of private companies.

The US has said that although Thailand is considered a “lesser” target of international terrorist is far from immune.

The intelligence sources, who requested anonymity, said this was the first time Thailand had screened incoming and outgoing persons so meticulously. All available information on foreign visitors was analysed.

Some of those listed have used Thailand as a safe haven during their yearlong campaign against soft targets around the world, the sources said, confirming that 10 terrorists with links to alQaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah had visited Thailand in 2001 and 2002.

The alleged terrorists who visited Thailand include Kuwaiti Canadian Mahammed Mansour Jabarah who was arrested in Canada after the September 11 events, Hassan Igbalchaudury, a Pakistani, and two Yemeni men – Abdul Karem Ahmed Al Tuwayti and Abdul Hakim Mohamed Al Kumin. All are linked to alQaeda.

The sources said the rest were six alleged members of Jemaah Islamiyah from Singapore who frequented Thailand – Mas Selamat Kesteri, Ahmed Sahgi, Hassan bin Ismail, Zainal Abidin Mohamed Rashid, Ishak Mohammed Noohu, Mohamed Hassan Bin Sayudin.

All are on CIA wanted lists, the sources said, adding that each has a US$5 million (Bt200 million) bounty on his head. Thai authorities at all border checkpoints have already reinforced their procedures.

The alleged terrorists came to Bangkok during 2001 and 2002, the sources said, adding that Mohammed Mansour Jabarrah was in Bangkok in January 2002 to allegedly plan for the Bali bombing. Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, also attended the meeting. He was captured by Thai police and the CIA in August in Ayutthaya.

The intelligence sources admitted it had been difficult to monitor immigration sufficiently as most operatives used several forged passports and some crossed the porous borders without going through official entry points.