Michael Yon writes of going back to the Iraqi war after his brief state side travels this winter to gather material for a book on the battle for Mosul that occurred in 2004. In order to return to Iraq, he details his circuitous route through the under belly of the Asian continent and describes the ease with which he, and those with murderous intent, can travel, communicate, re-supply and plot their nefarious schemes with relative ease and anonymity.
A must read for any who wish to grasp a glimpse into the shadow world of Islamic terrorism.
I am writing now from the Middle East, poised to reenter the war in less than 15 hours; this time without the protection of the military.
Originally I planned to fly straight to Dubai, but flights on the desired date were going for about $3,000. Having been to Asia many times, I knew there was a backdoor with a low cover, so I flew to Bangkok for less than $600. From Bangkok a flight to the United Arab Emirates runs about $400. The slight detour was worth the price in time.
Thailand was once called Siam, but whatever name is used, the Kingdom has long been a gateway to Asia. Today, flights are cheap and plentiful; the food is good and the people friendly. For all these reasons, it's often been my entry and exit point for the Near, Far and Middle East.
Thailand is having its own Islamic insurgency in the South. This one has nothing to do with America, Israel or the Palestinians; but a philosophy that breeds flames and bleeds carnage.
Although some attacks occurred at voting centers, only irresponsible journalists would join these elections like Siamese twins to those attacks. And yet they did. The same thing occurs daily in Iraq. I call it 'illegal joining.' A good example is how some reporters are now joining the Iraqi civil war to the invasion. The civil war was already there, just under-reported. Even CNN admits that it failed to report previous atrocities in Iraq so that it could retain access under the former dictator. Resorting to mass murder to maintain 'civil order' is a hallmark of an uncivilized government. The most generous interpretation might posit that a ruler engaging in atrocities against a faction of his populace is probably facing a serious threat to his authority. But the media didn't even resort to euphemisms when it came to reporting these atrocities, they bought access with their silence, and so few outside of Iraq knew how bad things were.
But Thailand is far more civilized and advanced than Iraq. Thailand's problems and challenges may be myriad, but the Thai people are increasingly educated, hard-working, and their society is largely open and very Buddhist. Their belief system seeks enlightenment through contemplation, and Buddhists are not compelled to commit crimes in the name of religion or tribe.
Ironically, Thailand is also, I believe, a safe-haven or sort of zona franca for terrorists. This nest is not the result of a docile or accommodating government, as was the case with the Taliban hosting Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Thais fiercely oppose terrorism, actively fight it, and are close allies with the United States and other western countries, especially in the GWOT. The US and Thailand have long had close intelligence, military and law enforcement relationships. The CIA, DEA and FBI, for instance, have long-established offices in the Kingdom. It is not ideology, but rather geography and circumstance that make Thailand a waypoint for the wicked.
For many of the same reasons that I've decided to enter the Middle East through Thailand so, too, do the terrorists. Upon landing in Bangkok, I quickly bought a new chip for my cell phone without presenting identification. Within 10 minutes of coming to the counter, I had a new and largely untraceable cell number with which I could call, or receive calls, from most places in the world. The number would have been even more untraceable had I bought a new phone with the chip. In fact, I could have bought ten chips and phones that day; or a hundred. A person could change chips and phones with every new call.
Bangkok has thousands of internet cafes. Every new message could be made from a new address and computer. I'm not giving away state secrets; the terrorists know this already. Add this easy access to transportation and communications to the high-end shopping, and the millions of foreigners from around the world who visit the Kingdom each year, and we are half-way to a safe haven.
There are more land, sea and air routes into and out of the Kingdom than can be accounted for. The potpourri of foreigners makes Thailand an easy place to melt away in, or slip out of. Despite the homegrown strife in the Southern region, many knowledgeable people remain curious about how and why Thailand has escaped a more serious wave of homegrown Islamic terrorism in its heartland.
The full story is here.
Go on and read it. You know you want to.
