Israel applauds Thai conviction of Iranians involved in botched attack on Israeli diplomats

Foreign Ministry says plot "part of ongoing terror campaign" after Thai court finds man guilty of attempted murder.

By HERB KEINON, REUTERS
Bangkok bombing 390 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Bangkok bombing 390
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A Thai court on Thursday found an Iranian man guilty of attempted murder in a botched plot to target Israeli diplomats in Bangkok last year.
Saeid Moradi, 29, blew off his own legs when a bomb he was carrying exploded as he tried to throw it at Thai police. A second defendant, Mohammad Khazaei, 43, was given 15 years in jail for possession of explosive devices.
Five people were wounded by a series of explosions in Bangkok on February 14, 2012. The explosions were linked to a car-bomb attack on the wife of an Israeli diplomat in India and a third, unsuccessful attack in Georgia a day earlier.
Khazaei was arrested at Bangkok's main international airport while trying to catch a flight to Malaysia. Moradi was arrested at the scene of the bombing.
A third suspect, Masoud Sedaghat Zadeh, is being held in Malaysia after fleeing Thailand shortly after the explosions.
A spokesman for the Royal Thai Police said Malaysia had approved Zadeh's extradition to Thailand but the suspect had not yet been brought back to hear the charges against him Israel accused Iran and Hezbollah of being behind the attacks. Teheran denied involvement.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's spokesman Mark Regev said that the Thai convictions "are yet another clear demonstration of the Iranian global involvement in terrorism." Earlier this year a Lebanese national with ties to Hezbollah was convicted of involvement in a planned attack against Israeli targets in Cyprus.
"We have seen Iranian/Hezbollah terrorist operations in Asia, Africa, Europe, north America, in countries across the planet," he said. "This involvement can simply not be denied. The Iranians both directly conduct attacks, and -- when it suits their interests -- work through proxies like Hezbollah. I would hope that today's convictions in Bangkok will serve as a wake up call to those in eh international community who have illusions about Iranian behavior." The Foreign Ministry also issued a statement welcoming the Thai verdict.
"This bomb plot was part of an ongoing Iranian terror campaign that targets Israeli and Western objectives," the statement said.
"This is evidenced, among other things, by the use of identical explosives in the near simultaneous attacks which were carried out by Iranian terrorists in Bangkok, New Delhi and Tbilisi. In the latter two cases, it should be remembered that the perpetrators managed to affix magnetic explosives to Israeli diplomatic vehicles." Israel, the statement said, "calls on the international community to continue to fight terrorism with determination, in accordance with the legal tools at its disposal, and to bring to justice those involved in such activities."