Thailand's terrorism nexus

The violent unravelling of a bomb plot in the Thai capital, Bangkok, in February and the apparently unrelated seizure of a large cache of explosive precursor materials from a warehouse outside the city in January have drawn international attention to the threat of terrorism in Thailand.

Both incidents involved foreign nationals and highlighted the ease with which terrorist operations could be prepared in the country. The events also called into question both the Thai government's willingness to acknowledge the threat and its preparedness to address it.

Explosive developments

On 12 January, a Swedish citizen of Lebanese extraction, Atris Hussein, was arrested while attempting to depart Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport. His arrest came after Israeli intelligence had alerted Thai authorities to the alleged presence in Bangkok of a cell comprising operatives of the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group, Hizbullah. Following Hussein's arrest, both Israel and the US issued travel alerts warning of an increased risk of a terrorist attack in Thailand.