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Islamist Insurgency Hits Thailand Hard; the Insurgency in Southern Thailand is Building Momentum

Islamist Insurgency Hits Thailand Hard; The Insurgency in Southern Thailand is Building Momentum

"Add Thailand to the list of Islamist insurgencies spinning out of control. Best known for its spicy food, sex trade, Buddhist monks, and once booming economy, Thailand is now home to one of the world's more brutal jihad wars. For three years, a stubborn and increasingly violent insurgency has grown in the heavily Muslim districts of the country's south, made worse by the clumsy and corrupt response by Thai officials. A just released paper by Southeast Asia terrorism expert Zachary Abuza (1) paints a harrowing picture of the conflict.

"The situation is not improving," writes Abuza. "There is a question of whether the Thai government can salvage anything. Right now, they are losing the south, and 2007 will be a critical year...."

You can look forward to hearing more about this mess. Add Thailand to a troubled list that includes Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq, Kashmir, Mindanao, and Somalia."

-- Source: USN&WR, David E. Kaplan, on the net at: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/badguys/070105/islamist_insurgency_hits_thail.htm

Reference:

1. Three Years after the January 2004 Raids, the Insurgency in Southern Thailand is Building Momentum, by Zachary Abuza, 03 January 2007, which can be found at: http://counterterrorismblog.org/site-resources/images/4%20January%202004%20Anniversary.pdf

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ERRI/Emergency.com References:

"World-Wide Terrorism Predictive Analysis," 01 May, 2005, .PDF, can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/2005/World-Wide%20Terrorism_2005.pdf

"18 Feb 2005 - Could Thailand's terrorism spread?" -- On the internet at: http://www.emergency.com/cntrter3.htm

"THAILAND-Update: Additional Battalions Being Sent to S. Thailand," ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT, Monday, September 20, 2004, Vol. 10, No. 263(From ERRI data archives -- only available to ERRI/EmergencyNet consulting clients and news subscribers)

"The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit - Security Preparations," ERRI Daily Intelligence Report, Thursday, September 04, 2003, Vol. 9 - 238 (From ERRI data archives -- only available to ERRI/EmergencyNet consulting clients and news subscribers)