One of the world's "most lethal terrorists" captured north of Bangkok - August 15, 2003
[This is all over the papers today, but in case you missed it: Hambali, a terrorist linked to "nearly every major al-Qaida and Jemaah Islamiyah plot since the attacks on the World Trade Center..." has been apprehended. This capture has variously been described as an FBI or CIA operation and the FBI is reportedly interrogating Hambali somewhere in Thailand.]
UPDATE: There is now speculation that legalities concerning Hambali's arrest were why Thaksin had to rush through the controversial executive degrees on terrorism (all the local papers and academics shrilly attributed it to his growing authoritarianism). Thaksin now denies this.
Also: A "senior Thai general" has quickly clarified that Hambali is not being held in Thailand, but was flown to Indonesia. Also interesting to note that he was apparently in Thailand to plan an attack on the upcoming APEC summit in Bangkok.
Also: Indonesian denies this. (The date on this article is wrong. The correct date should be is August 15, 2003.)
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