From The Australian, with thanks to Nicolei:
THAI Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has linked militants responsible for violence in Thailand’s south with Indonesian and Malaysian Islamic extremists, fuelling fears the domestic insurgency has connections to global terrorism.
Of course it has connections. If Thaksin and the global media knew anything about the doctrine of jihad, and paid attention to what the “insurgents” themselves were saying, they would know that.
In comments that prompted an angry reaction from Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Mr Thaksin said the militants were trained in the jungles of the northern Malaysian state of Kelantan.
“They had recruited prospective youths and trained them in the jungles of Kelantan,” Mr Thaksin said in his regular weekend radio address.
But he also said the violence was influenced by “extremists in Indonesia”, although he gave no details about whether the Indonesian-based regional terror group Jemaah Islamiah was involved. “These strange acts have been learned from extremists in Indonesia. Many are students who have studied (religion) in Indonesia.”
The comments mark the first time Mr Thaksin has suggested the influence of Indonesian militants. While many analysts fear groups such as al-Qa’ida and JI may capitalise on the unrest in Thailand’s south, most agree there is no direct evidence of their involvement.