Bangkok threat: Terrorist's Swedish connection

Thailand terror suspect married to Swede, believed to have used passport to aid Hezbollah

Dudi Cohen|Published: 01.15.12 , 00:42

The suspect detained in Bangkok on suspicion of planning to blow up Israeli targets in Thailand has been identified as 47-year-old Hussein Atris, an Lebanese man holding a Swedish passport.

An examination of the passport, which was obtained by Ynet, revealed that Atris was born in southern Lebanon and married a Swedish woman in 1996. The marriage made him eligible for a Swedish passport, which he allegedly exploited for the benefit of Hezbollah's terrorism apparatus.

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According to reports by Swedish media, Atris previously owned a hair saloon in Gothenburg, before returning to Lebanon more than 10 years ago. Moreover, one of his relatives, Germany resident Muhammad Atris, was involved in the past in the Iranian assassination of four Kurdish opposition figures in 1992.

Hussein Atris' passport

Meanwhile, Thai police were looking for Atris' accomplice, who is believed to be in his 30s or 40s. Police in Bangkok published the suspect's composite portrait, which bears great resemblance to Hezbollah operative Naim Haris. The latter's photo was unusually published last year, by the Shin Bet, which at the time identified him as an operative in charge of recruiting Hezbollah agents worldwide.

Iran is believed to have prepared a broad infrastructure for recruiting agents in Thailand by setting up schools, cultural and religious facilities for the benefit of the country's Muslim population. These institutions have been disseminating anti-Israeli and anti-American propaganda materials.

Iran and Hezbollah may have now chosen Thailand as the target for a terror attack against Israel, possibly to avenge the recent killings and blasts in Iran, or to take revenge for the assassination of Hezbollah's military chief Imad Mugniyah some four years ago.