Terror in Bangkok, Then and Now
10/04/23 • 35 min
An innocent looking hit-and-run accident in downtown Bangkok in 1994 uncovered a sophisticated Hezbollah network in Thailand, an attempt to target the Israeli embassy there, and a decomposing body hidden in a vat full of chemical explosives. Two decades later, a new string of Hezbollah and Iranian-directed plots in Thailand cropped up, this time involving operatives hiding explosives in bags marked as “cat litter,” signing up for flower arrangement classes as cover for travel to Bangkok, and bulk buying bottles of nail polish remover for reasons having nothing to do with makeup.
Guests:
· Sakdawut “Josh” Smanbut, Police Colonel and superintendent in the Royal Thai Police’s Special Branch.
· Oded Ailam, former Deputy Head of Global Operations for the Mossad and Chief of Mossad’s Counterterrorism Center.
Breaking Hezbollah’s Golden Rule is hosted by Dr. Matthew Levitt from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
It is produced by Anouk Millet from Earshot Strategies, and written by Dr. Levitt, Lauren von Thaden, and Camille Jablonski, research assistants at The Washington Institute.
Explore my map and timeline of Hezbollah’s Worldwide activities.
For a full transcript of the episode, a list of sources, recommended reading, and information on our guests, visit our website.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An innocent looking hit-and-run accident in downtown Bangkok in 1994 uncovered a sophisticated Hezbollah network in Thailand, an attempt to target the Israeli embassy there, and a decomposing body hidden in a vat full of chemical explosives. Two decades later, a new string of Hezbollah and Iranian-directed plots in Thailand cropped up, this time involving operatives hiding explosives in bags marked as “cat litter,” signing up for flower arrangement classes as cover for travel to Bangkok, and bulk buying bottles of nail polish remover for reasons having nothing to do with makeup.
Guests:
· Sakdawut “Josh” Smanbut, Police Colonel and superintendent in the Royal Thai Police’s Special Branch.
· Oded Ailam, former Deputy Head of Global Operations for the Mossad and Chief of Mossad’s Counterterrorism Center.
Breaking Hezbollah’s Golden Rule is hosted by Dr. Matthew Levitt from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
It is produced by Anouk Millet from Earshot Strategies, and written by Dr. Levitt, Lauren von Thaden, and Camille Jablonski, research assistants at The Washington Institute.
Explore my map and timeline of Hezbollah’s Worldwide activities.
For a full transcript of the episode, a list of sources, recommended reading, and information on our guests, visit our website.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
Risky Business in South America
Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Hezbollah operative Amer Mohamed Akil Rada for coordinating the activities of various commercial enterprises for Hezbollah, including charcoal exports from Colombia to Lebanon. Rada previously helped case targets for Hezbollah around South America and was a member of the Hezbollah operational squad that carried out the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. Here’s the backstory on Rada, recorded prior to the Treasury designation, and more on Hezbollah’s use of front companies to hide its criminal and terrorist activities in the Western Hemisphere.
Guests:
- Armando Cortez, Director of the Anti-Terrorist Unit within the Argentinian Attorney General’s Office and team leader of the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center bombing investigation.
- Aurora Ortega, U.S. government professional and Ph.D. candidate at George Mason University.
Breaking Hezbollah’s Golden Rule is hosted by Dr. Matthew Levitt from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
It is produced by Anouk Millet from Earshot Strategies, and written by Dr. Levitt, Lauren von Thaden, and Camille Jablonski, research assistants at The Washington Institute.
Explore my map and timeline of Hezbollah’s Worldwide activities.
For a full transcript of the episode, a list of sources, recommended reading, and information on our guests, visit our website.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
"A Jumble of Overlapping Plots" in Baku
In 2008, Azerbaijani authorities thwarted a Hezbollah plot to target an Israeli Independence Day celebration and kidnap the Israeli ambassador in Baku. Two Hezbollah operatives were arrested, tried, and convicted, but the group was not deterred by this setback. By 2011, Hezbollah and Iran had formulated “a jumble of overlapping plots” that officials discovered to be part of a coordinated campaign to assassinate foreign diplomats in at least seven countries, including in Azerbaijan.
Guests:
- Ambassador Arthur Lenk, former Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan (2005-2009)
- Mahammad Mammadov, Research Fellow at the Topchubashov Center in Baku, Azerbaijan
- Zohar Palti, Viterbi International Fellow at The Washington Institute
- Joby Warrick, national security reporter at The Washington Post
Breaking Hezbollah’s Golden Rule is hosted by Dr. Matthew Levitt from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
It is produced by Anouk Millet from Earshot Strategies, and written by Dr. Levitt, Lauren von Thaden, and Camille Jablonski, research assistants at The Washington Institute.
Explore my map and timeline of Hezbollah’s Worldwide activities.
For a full transcript of the episode, a list of sources, recommended reading, and information on our guests, visit our website.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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