AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES BANGKOK BOMBINGS WITH GENERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 000003 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2017 TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV PINS KISL ASEC TH SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES BANGKOK BOMBINGS WITH GENERAL WINAI REF: BANGKOK 2 (BOMBINGS) Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce, reason: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The Ambassador on the afternoon of January 1 phoned General Winai Phattiyakul, Secretary General of the Council for National Security (CNS),to discuss the string of bombings in Bangkok the night before. Citing discussions at a CNS meeting earlier in the day, Winai said he and his colleagues were unsure who had carried out the attacks. However, they felt the culprits were likely either southern Thai Islamic militants (unaffiliated with the Jemaah Islamiyah international terrorist network) or political actors linked to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. ¶2. (C) Acknowledging the bombs appeared similar in composition to devices used by southern militants, Winai nevertheless said the knowledge of how to construct such devices was widespread. Expressing doubt that the southern militants had the necessary support in or familiarity with Bangkok, Winai considered it 90 percent likely that political figures had organized the attacks, intending to discredit the government and harm tourism and the overall economy. The modus operandi of using bombs to create a sensation, without aiming to cause massive deaths or injuries, seemed more suited to political figures rather than southern Thai militants. (Note: During the Thaksin era, numerous small bombs detonated at sites associated with opponents of the Prime Minister. No culprits were convicted for these bombings, which many observers believed were intended to promote Thaksin's interests. End Note.) Winai acknowledged the bombings injured many people, but -- given the planned New Year's Eve festivities -- the numbers could have been significantly higher. Winai speculated that many injuries might have resulted from low-level operatives having used poor judgment in placing their bombs, contrary to the intent of the planners. ¶3. (C) Noting that quick action against the culprits would minimize the damage to the Thai economy and to political stability, the Ambassador urged Winai to ensure a speedy and thorough investigation, and he offered the assistance of a USG explosive forensics expert. Winai assured the Ambassador the CNS intended to aggressively investigate the bombings. He welcomed the Ambassador's offer of technical assistance and said he would order those on the Thai side to cooperate with the Embassy's expert. BOYCE