Posted on 04/22/2004 1:41:33 PM PDT by JimSEA
A mystery group in Thailand has sent letters to the South Korean and Pakistani embassies threatening to attack them and six other countries which are allies of the US in the Iraq war.
Police are taking seriously the threat made by the ``Yellow-Red Overseas Organisation'', unknown before now, which sent letters to the two embassies this week.
The group also threatened attacks on airlines and other major facilities of Australia, Japan, Kuwait, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand, here and overseas, between April 20 and 30.
AFP quoted a South Korean foreign ministry spokesman as saying the letter was addressed to ``all US alliance forces in Iraqi operations'', adding that eight countries were mentioned by name. With the exception of Pakistan and Kuwait, both close allies of the US, all the countries listed have been involved in US-led operations in Iraq.
The Pakistani embassy was the first to receive a letter on Monday.
The threat comes a week before Pakistan's Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali is due to visit to hold talks with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Bangkok.
The South Korean embassy got its warning on Wednesday in a letter dated April 16 and signed by a Mohammed M Salah, the supposed head of operations of the organisation that describes itself as an alliance of anti-US forces.
First secretary Ryoo Jung-Young said his government in Seoul had demanded greater security for the embassy and the Korean community in Thailand.
``This is a serious problem. They threatened embassies, air flights and other interesting places [in the eight nations],'' he told AFP.
Pol Lt-Gen Thani Somboonsap, the Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner, said a security beef-up was put in place on Wednesday night.
Thai stocks fell 2.22% yesterday on reports of the terrorist threat, with the Stock Exchange of Thailand index closing at 690.96 points, down 15.69, on trade worth 22.5 billion baht.
Noppadon Kokolsupasirichai, an analyst from Sicco Securities, said market sentiment throughout the region had been affected by terrorism fears.
Pol Lt-Gen Thani said he has also asked Bang Rak and Lumpini police stations to step up security at Korean Air and other airlines.
He said security at other embassies is also being stepped up.
Pol Lt-Gen Chalermdej Chomphunut, the Special Branch commissioner, said his unit had no background information on the ``Yellow-Red Overseas Organisation,'' but he believed it was based in Thailand as the letters were mailed here.
The embassies of the eight countries mentioned in the threat letters would be given tighter security, he said.
Early this month, the Thai embassy in Sweden received a letter warning that Thailand could be a target for terrorists after sending soldiers to Iraq.
In January South Korean authorities stepped up security after Korean Air's Bangkok office received a letter warning of attacks on flights to the country.
That letter was signed by the ``Anti-Korean Interest Agency''.
It also wrote to the South Korean embassy in Bangkok warning of attacks on South Korean assets and aircraft.
Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said extra security and intelligence was being provided at the request of the threatened embassies.
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