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AP-Mad Thai Pig Chavalit claim in n

Subject: AP-Mad Thai Pig Chavalit claim in no-confidence debate

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Monday, December 20 9:42 AM SGT=20
Opposition claim in no-confidence debate
BANGKOK: Thailand's political opposition claimed yesterday that an =
associate of Osama bin Laden was operating from a Thai base.=20
Opposition leader and former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said =
he had evidence the unnamed suspect had funnelled arms to Myanmar =
activists who took over Yangon's Bangkok embassy in October.=20

``From decades of involvement in intelligence penetration operations I =
have obtained tapes. There is a group linked to international =
terrorists, one member of which is in Thailand,'' said Mr Chavalit, a =
retired general, on the fifth day of a marathon no-confidence debate.=20

``There is concrete evidence this man is wanted by a Cambodian court, =
and he has links with Osama bin Laden and he provided arms to the =
Myanmar embassy gunmen,'' he said.=20

Mr Chavalit also said the man could be linked to a blast at an oil =
refinery earlier this month which killed seven people. Police have said =
the blast was probably an accident.=20

When unconfirmed reports of the alleged terrorist's presence in Thailand =
were published earlier this month they were denied by the government.=20

Bin Laden is accused of masterminding bombings at two US embassies in =
Africa last year.=20

The opposition, which admits it is unlikely to win the vote expected =
today at the end of the debate has tried to discredit the government of =
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai before elections due next year.=20

Opposition critics have savaged the administration over its economic =
policies and the handling of the Myanmar embassy siege. Mr Chavalit =
yesterday questioned why authorities had failed to arrest the embassy =
gunmen and had instead provided them with a helicopter to reach the =
border. Agence France-Presse=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Monday, December 20</B> 9:42 AM SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Opposition claim in no-confidence =
debate</FONT></H2>BANGKOK:=20
Thailand's political opposition claimed yesterday that an associate of =
Osama bin=20
Laden was operating from a Thai base.=20
<P>Opposition leader and former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh =
said he had=20
evidence the unnamed suspect had funnelled arms to Myanmar activists who =
took=20
over Yangon's Bangkok embassy in October.=20
<P>``From decades of involvement in intelligence penetration operations =
I have=20
obtained tapes. There is a group linked to international terrorists, one =
member=20
of which is in Thailand,'' said Mr Chavalit, a retired general, on the =
fifth day=20
of a marathon no-confidence debate.=20
<P>``There is concrete evidence this man is wanted by a Cambodian court, =
and he=20
has links with Osama bin Laden and he provided arms to the Myanmar =
embassy=20
gunmen,'' he said.=20
<P>Mr Chavalit also said the man could be linked to a blast at an oil =
refinery=20
earlier this month which killed seven people. Police have said the blast =
was=20
probably an accident.=20
<P>When unconfirmed reports of the alleged terrorist's presence in =
Thailand were=20
published earlier this month they were denied by the government.=20
<P>Bin Laden is accused of masterminding bombings at two US embassies in =
Africa=20
last year.=20
<P>The opposition, which admits it is unlikely to win the vote expected =
today at=20
the end of the debate has tried to discredit the government of Prime =
Minister=20
Chuan Leekpai before elections due next year.=20
<P>Opposition critics have savaged the administration over its economic =
policies=20
and the handling of the Myanmar embassy siege. Mr Chavalit yesterday =
questioned=20
why authorities had failed to arrest the embassy gunmen and had instead =
provided=20
them with a helicopter to reach the border. Agence France-Presse=20
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