The LORD will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee; they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways. (Deuteronomy 28:7)
Two Iranians detained on suspicion of plotting to bomb Israeli targets in Thailand were sentenced last week. Saeid Moradi, 29, was sentenced to life in prison and Mohammad Kharzei, 43, to 15 years for their roles in a plot to target Israeli diplomats in Bangkok. The two were caught when the Bangkok villa in which they were staying accidentally blew up. A third suspect, Iranian Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, 31, fled to Malaysia following the explosion, where he was detained and is currently appealing an extradition order.
Moradi was convicted of attempted murder of a police officer, possession of illegal explosives and causing explosions that damaged property and injured several civilians. Kharzei was convicted of possession of explosives. Neither defendant was charged with terrorism, but Israel’s ambassador to Thailand, Simon Roded, did not hesitate to identify their actions as such: “This sentence proves once again that Iran is engaged in the proliferation of terror all around the world.”
In February 2012, the cache of homemade explosives in their villa blew up accidentally. Both men claimed they did not know about the explosives, but Moradi lost both his legs when he dropped several explosives that he was carrying as he fled police. According to his testimony, he had been trying to dispose of them when they fell. One police officer and five civilians were injured in the incident.
The bombs bore a striking similarity to the “sticky” bombs found in two other foiled bombing attempts the same week, one in India and one in Georgia. They contained small, round magnets for attaching the bombs to their targets. Moradi denied any knowledge of the connection.
Kharzei argued that he was not a terrorist and had not even known Moradi until they met at the airport in Tehran on their way to Thailand.
In addition to jail time, the court ordered the pair to pay damages, 2 million baht ($62,800), to the owner of the villa. Moradi was also ordered to pay the phone company for damaging one of their phone booths as he fled.
According to Israel Hayom, Israel believes the botched plot was part of a covert war against Israeli interests abroad that has intensified in recent years because of Iran’s alleged quest to develop nuclear weapons.
