Thailand: Army Defeats Radicals and Democrats

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January 5, 2008: Islamic radicals planted five bombs, in Moslem neighborhoods, on New Year's eve. The bombs injured 27 people, but killed no one. The Islamic terrorists are learning. In the last few decades, all Islamic terrorist organizations have failed when they switched to attacks that killed large numbers of civilians. The New Years bombings were to show disapproval for frivolous entertainment. This is not popular either, but is a step down from mass murder.

Nearly three thousand people have died in four years of Islamic terrorism. The death rate declined this year, to about 500, as police finally got leads on key players within the Islamic radical gangs. This put many of the Islamic terrorists under arrest, or on the run, leaving them less able to terrorize and kill people. The Moslems in the south also became more willing to identify the bad guys, and that led to more attacks on southern Moslems, to shut them up.

Meanwhile, the country is in danger of becoming a military dictatorship. The recent elections returned to power the party that had been overthrown by the coup in late 2006. The generals promised elections, which their candidates lost, and now the generals are urging the courts and Election Commission to disqualify the opposition candidates that won. This could lead to violence, as the majority of the population realizes that the generals have shut down democracy and taken power for themselves. Of course, the generals have the royal family on their side, for the moment. The Thai royal family has survived into the 21st century by accurately reading the mood of the people. Everyone now awaits the king's views on these matters.