SHARING OUR TACTICAL ADVANTAGE - WHY?

They say fools rush in where angels fear to tread. We Sri Lankans are no strangers to rushing into situations we barely understand, in fact we've made history doing so. Not just once, but repeatedly over the decades and centuries. Maybe we are a nation of fools, perhaps we have a national level learning disability which keeps us from stopping to think. Especially when we are at an emotional high as a nation, like these present days.

When Sri Lanka decided to respond to the LTTE's 'Final War' with a decisive campaign of her own, we heard the opinions of various self-appointed experts who predicted a situation in which no clear winner would emerge. We saw the funny faced Norwegians, in particular a bitchy whore who made every effort to portray the Tamil Tiger terroristas as the good guys, simply because she was openly sleeping with one of them. And then there were the other NGO wallahs whose activities can be only guessed at from the numbers of blue eyed tamil kids now found abandoned in the refugee camps. These characters and the similarly amusing Colombo based Sri Lanka's own peaceniks were making every effort to convince us that the war was a losing proposition. But that's in the past now, nevertheless an important part of history we should never forget.

To forget what these paraihs attempted to do to Sri Lanka will not only be a mistake, but also an unforgivable disgrace to the memory of the brave Sri Lankan Defence Forces personnel who sacrificed their lives to prove them wrong.

We also seem to be in a hurry to make a new mistake. Now that we've proven our new found capability in being able to deal with modern day terrorism more effectively than everyone else, significant interest is seen from other nations who are keen to learn how we did it. Among these are nations such as the UK, whose eager beaver Foreign Minister rushed to Sri Lanka wanting to stop us from accomplishing the very result that they are now interested in learning about in greater detail. In April this year, even before the war was won we forecasted "..In two years from now, no one will give a rat's ass as to how many died in the process but will only remember how we defeated terrorism.." in these columns. In two months they've come asking us how we did it and in our own unique boastful arrogance and stupidity our government seems to be only too willing to share it all even with the vermin who openly attempted to support the LTTE and provide it yet another lifeline.

That brings us to the very important question of whether we need to share our expert knowledge with everyone who merely asks for it. The simple answer is No. Had the Brits and Americans shared their specialized combat skills with us when we really needed it, this war would have been over decades ago. They didn't. We owe them nothing.

To emphasize the obvious is usally a wasted effort. Yet the obvious stupidity of the present situation demands nothing less. Openly sharing our strategic, operational and tactical secrets opens the door to effective counter-measures being developed. Those who support terrorism from abroad will then have the ability to better arm the next crop of terrorists and train them in strategies to defeat our capabilties. For that simple reason, sharing our secrets is not only stupid, but unnecessarily dangerous as well.

So Sri Lanka should just say No. If they don't get it, try Nyet, Nada, or even Illayi.

HUMAN RIGHTS TERRORISTS DEFEATED IN US COURTS

COURT UPHOLDS U.S. LAW ALLOWING PRESIDENT TO DESIGNATE GROUPS AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

A law that allows the U.S. president to designate groups as terrorist organizations, freeze their assets and block aid to them was upheld by a federal appeals court in San Francisco today.
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act was enacted by Congress in 1977 and was originally used by presidents to impose economic sanctions on foreign nations considered a threat to national security.

In 2001, President George W. Bush issued executive orders under the law that enabled him, through the Treasury Department, to designate groups as terrorist organizations, freeze their assets and prohibit any aid or services to the groups. The penalty for violating the law is a fine of either $250,000 or twice the amount of money given to a group.

The procedure was challenged in federal court in Los Angeles by the Humanitarian Law Project, which sought to aid the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Turkey and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam in Sri Lanka.

Project lawyers argued that the law was unconstitutionally vague and that it violated the First Amendment right of free speech.

But a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled by a 2-1 vote that the law regulates conduct, not speech, and does not violate the Constitution. The court majority said, "There is no right to provide resources with which terrorists can buy weapons and explosives."

Source: http://cbs5.com/localwire/22.0.html?type=bcn&item=TERRORIST-ORGANIZATION-LAW--12-24

IN AFGHANISTAN AND SRI LANKA - SEEKING AN END TO TERROR

When Sri Lanka went after the LTTE in a fight to the finish, they used tactics which are hard to repeat elsewhere. As her armed forces employed innovative military strategies to wreak havoc in the terrorist groups’ strongholds, the Sri Lankan government received strong backing from a determined and silently vengeful population who were willing to pay any price to eliminate the Tamil Tigers. Such popular backing and a series of unforeseen opportunities worked in favor of the Sri Lankan government both in the domestic and foreign theaters enabling her to pursue the conflict until the LTTE was completely liquidated as a fighting force.

It was only towards the tail-end of the fighting that political changes in the US and other distant lands brought some human rights related pressure on the Sri Lankan government, which it managed to keep at bay successfully.

And then the Sri Lankans pulled yet another classic stunt by virtually abducting the newly self-appointed LTTE leader known as KP from somewhere in South East Asia, blowing the lid off the entrenched belief that the conflict would remain within the territorial space of the island nation.

Even though most democratic nations would flinch at the prospect of adopting the withering tactics used by Sri Lanka in her spectacularly successful anti-terrorist campaign, the lessons learnt here have not been lost on most. Even before the fighting came to an end, many defense analysts were speculating how far the Sri Lankan war would influence the future of asymmetrical warfare across the world. There is an undivided consensus that Sri Lankan Defense Forces have rewritten the book on modern warfare and changed conflict strategy irreversibly. Once considered undefeatable, terrorism is now a very curable disease, one which required bitter medicine.

Coming on the heels of an Indian military victory over terrorism in Khalistan and Russian suppression of terror in Chechnya, the Sri Lankan conquest of Tamil Tiger terrorism comprehensively proves the case for decisive military action as a solution for this modern day scourge. It is perhaps due to this reason that a US Special forces contingent is currently in joint exercises with Sri Lankan Army Special forces and SL Navy Special Boat Squadron units in North Eastern Sri Lanka.

The situation in Afghanistan is diametrically opposite to that of Sri Lanka. The Americans have ventured into perhaps the world’s most inhospitable land where no invading army had ever been successful as occupiers for any considerable length of time. Just as they defeated innumerable hostile forces over the centuries the Afghans could quite possibly prove that they can still remain unconquerable even by the mighty Americans, if they decide to do so. Just as they had help from friendly neighbors to defeat the Soviets in the war which lasted thru’ 1970/80s, the Afghans could muster plenty of support from Iran, Pakistan and other predominantly Muslim nations in the region.

In their present war against some of the world’s most powerful armed forces, the Afghan guerilla forces have so far held a decisive upper hand; they field warriors who are willing to die, to fight an enemy who wants to win wars with no casualties to own side. But the game is changing, as is only to be expected in the aftermath of the Sri Lankans’ comprehensive defeat of terrorism.

US forces appear to have since of late adopted leadership decapitation strategies which are yielding positive results. A recent air strike by US unarmed drones killed the Taliban commander in Pakistan throwing the terror group into disarray. Snatch operations since then have netted at least two high profile terrorist leaders, causing further disintegration of the Afghan guerilla operations.

How far the American will go to eradicate the Taliban under the present Obama administration will remain to be seen, even though tactics similar to those adopted by Sri Lanka definitely are providing significant success in the battle field and elsewhere. The Taliban on the other hand are unlikely to go quietly, as the recent suicide bombings which caused massive casualties indicate. In response the US backed Afghan government has clamped a press censorship ostensibly to control panic during the fragile election process in the troubled land, drawing absolutely no adverse comments from the Western press who were overtly critical when similar action was put in effect by Sri Lanka during the height of her own bloody events.

Wars often define human history. How we fight decides who wins. Sri Lanka recently re-wrote the book on how wars will be fought in the future. And thereby, whether her most ardent supporters and detractors admit or not, Sri Lankans have effectively changed how how our part of history will be written in the future.

PLANNED HAMBANTOTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

TOP TIGERS WERE ALL COWARDS

SINCE the world stunning events of May 2009 which culminated in the elimination of the top heirarchy of the LTTE, a stark realization has begun to dawn on many Sri Lankans, including those who vehemently supported the Tamil Tigers; the entire leadership of the terrorist group turned out to be absolute cowards when faced with personal physical danger.

It was SP Thamilselvam, who it is said was in the habit of repeatedly requesting for assurances for his physical safety before arriving in the proximity of any Sri Lankan military group or even unarmed Sri Lanka government negotiators. He obviously underestimated the capacity of Sri Lankan intelligence to find him swiftly when they wanted to, and to bring the wrath of the SLAF to his doorstep. Tamilselvan's elimination was a clear declaration by SLG that it meant business and a no-holds barred war on the cards.

Towards the last stages of fighting when the writing was on the wall for the LTTE and since then, the begging and pleading in private even while bragging in public by the remaining tamil tiger leaders has been continuing. The subtle transformation of the TNA even while attempting to overtly portray a different image to the public is a clear indication of the level of frightening uncertainty the present SLG and her defence forces have made these terrorist supporters face upto.

The rumors regarding the circumstances of the LTTE supremo's death also indicate the possibility that he offered to unconditionally surrender in exchange for personal safety guarantees. Saving the brute perhaps was considered an unnecessary expense by all those with vested interests. Instead, Velu's death and not surrender was an absolute necessity for the Indians to neutralize any further pressure from Tamilnadu politicians, while many others who had secret dealings with the LTTE leadership elsewhere in the world would have wished for none less.Velu's death was a much greater necessity for his influential friends than to his enemies.

KP's capture and quick extradition has indeed taken the growing uncertainties surrounding the terrorist group to an unanticipated hieght. The shock of his capture and events since then are making this self-appointed top Tiger confess willingly to Sri Lankan Intelligence providing a wealth of information which could easily lead to further arrests worldwide.

Interestingly, survival prospects for terrorists aren't very good in Sri Lanka these days, if the last few high profile happenings are anything to go by. The last LTTE mouth-piece Nadesan who approached Sri Lankan forces hiding behind his Sinhalese wife begging for clemency as claimed by unverified various sources, was found full of bullet holes along with an entourage of other Tamil terrorist high rankers. While KP's future may be different for obvious reasons, his long term career prospects may quite well be limited within the walls of a prison cell.

They say a coward dies a thousand deaths each day. Deep in his mind KP must be wondrering how and where he will meet his end. While KP's end may be less uncertain now that he is a prisoner in Sri Lankan government's official custody, the fate of others out there may becoming more uncertain by the passing minute as he continues to divulge information.

BANNING RACIST AND RELIGIOUS POLITICAL GROUPS

IT is bad enough that we have entrenched religio-racist agendas in every walk of life, without adding legitimacy to such abhorrantly discriminatory systems by providing it a political platform to access power.

There are arguments in favor of and against political entities which espouse a distinct bias towards certain ethnic, religious or linguistic groups. For many years the Sinhalese did find the existance of a radical JVP useful against minorities which they percieved as discriminating against the majority, while holding disproportionate priviledges. Even Sinhalese intellectuals often percieve the JVP's radical dogma as a knee-jerk reaction to a realistic ground situation in which the majority is gradually losing an equal footing to unfair minority demands. Similarly the minotities argue in favor of not only discriminatory political agendas, and in some cases covertly favor the use of force to further their own extreme views in an environment percived as inherently disadvantageous to their kind.

Where did this horror really begin? Depending on whose side you are on, some would hold the 'pancha bala' (five forces) concept introduced by late SWRD Bandaranike to be the starting point of racial chaos. Old timers from that era claim that Bandaranaike simply attempted to correct the monstrous wrongs committed by the British colonial rulers who had established systems which unfairly advantaged English speaking Christians. Digging further back through history a pattern of discriminatory action and counter-action begins to emerge.

History can teach us many lessons, and in this one there's a simple lesson to be learnt; this vicious cycle of politically favoring any religion, language or ethnic agenda must be firmly and permanently stopped.

DECIMATING THE LTTE REMNANTS - BY OWN HAND

DID the capture and swift extradition to Sri Lanka of the newly self-appointed 'savior of the Tamil people' happen as a result of on going internecine struggle within the LTTE? Reports from those with deep rooted contacts within the tiger lobby such as veteran reporter DBS Jeyaraj say yes.

Kumaran Pathmanadan aka KP was the last remaining top Tamil Tiger who was badly wanted by Sri Lankan authorities now keen to wrap up the endgame against the terrorist LTTE. Though the LTTE was wiped off militarily in a punishing campaign which stunned the world for its swift and decisive action, Sri Lankan authorities and defence analysts worldwide continue to see the LTTE remaining a credible organization overseas where a large Tamil diaspora sympathetic towards the Tigers still harbor searing hatred towards the island nation.

The final phase of the anti-terrorist operations by the Sri Lanka Defence Forces [SLDF] saw the annihilation of the LTTE leadership under circumstances which still remain speculative, irrespective of statements by the government and military authorities. However, the average Sri Lankan and anyone who has known the facts about the LTTE find the elimination of the terror group to be only a source of comfort.

The capture and removal of KP from the self installed leadership position creates an interesting scenario. Firstly, the overseas pro-LTTE diaspora was convinced that the death of the Tamil Tiger leadership would automatically facilitate removal of the LTTE's terrorist stigma and make it easier for the group to access international political leaders. Statements issued by KP indicating a move towards becoming a democratic entity are aimed clearly towards convincing world leaders with known sympathy for the Tamil Tiger cause that they can now be openly associated with, without adverse publicity. Had the pro-LTTE lobby been capable of building up a coherant campaign which resulted in convincing the interested international players that the group will no longer resort to terrorism, it may have resulted in increased pressure on the Sri Lankan government to negotiate or grant siginificant concessions to them. Although KP made the right noises in this regard he failed to impress anyone even if it seemed to bring about a reconcilliation among some of the fractured pro-LTTE lobby. The wider international community seemed unconvinced, at least for now.

The prevailing politico-military ground reality in Sri Lanka does not allow for another uprising to be successful in anyway for the foreseeable future, unless significantly supported by the regional power India. Given the current political climate in the region, India is unlikely to support another terrorist movement in Sri Lanka knowing quite well that it would lead to disasterous results in Tamilnadu and adjacent states.

Had KP been successful in executing a long term strategy to gain the confidence of world leaders to remove the ban against the group for long enough to re-organize and re-arm a sizeable dissident force within Sri Lankan territory, a protracted future war could have resulted though with predictably doubtful results. From the pro-LTTE lobby's perspective it would have nevertheless been a worthy effort, to show to the world that there is a continuing tamil struggle which needs recognition. To the remaining overseas Tigersit would provide the much needed means to keep the lucrative funding lines open, which in turn provides a life of luxury to those holding powerful positions within the organization.

Now that KP has been virtually eliminated, his overt rival Perinpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan becomes the heir apparent. Tamil sources are abuzz that it was Nediyavan who provided the information to Sri Lankan intelligence leading to KP's quick rendition. While the circumstances surrounding his arrest by Sri Lankan authorities remain unclear, it appears to have been a Mossad style extraction operation originating in Malaysia and arriving in Sri Lanka via Thailand.

Nediyavan, backed by hardliners who detested KP's apparent soft approach are likely to carry forward the same violent rhetoric while attempting to raise funds from the Tamil overseas diaspora using strong arm tactics. Members of Tamil diaspora are now in for another nightmare period as the new leadership attempts to establish itself in power using the best known method to the Tamil Tigers, physical violence and coercion.

To the Sri Lankan establishment, KP's capture would be another feather in its cap, as the grand finale grinds on. At this moment even if this prized capture is yet another reason for additional jubilation, Sri Lankan decision makers need to focus more on strategically thinking ahead to proactively neutralize the next potential threat to our national security and territorial integrity.

The next threat will come from the Tamil hardliners abroad attempting to re-establish themselves into a coherant organization which will attempt to deny any connection to the globally banned LTTE. Such an entity can be expected to be more successful in winning over the allegiance of a wider majority of overseas Tamils and the usual international political figures most Sri Lankans percieve to be LTTE stooges. The Achelles' heel of any such organization will still be a dire need to finance its operations, primarily from member contributions. Knowing that coercion will be used to obtain contributions, Sri Lankan intelligence needs to watch for tell tale signs and seek the cooperation of international law enforcement agencies to restrict such activity.

The war didn't end when the last shot was fired on a lonely stretch of land in North Eastern Sri Lanka. It merely changed hue and moved overseas. Capturing and incarcerating LTTE leaders whenever possible will not end it either. A series of well planned and executed diplomatic and law-enforcement operations that reach far out across the world are now needed to snuff out the remaining monsters.

LTTE'S NEW LEADER ARRESTED IN THAILAND

SL defence sources report that the LTTE's self appointed new leader KP has been arrested by authorities in Thailand, where he had been domiciled for a long time.

Though KP made concilliatory noises about a peaceful struggle for a seperate state, it was known that the Tamil Tiger procurement channels were buzzing yet again, collecting arms for a possible resumption of terrorism in Sri Lanka. As recently as a two weeks ago a shipment of arms is suspected to have been recieved by KP's operatives in Thailand from North Korea.

KP's arrest and potential neutralization opens the door for a further alienation of the remaining Tamil Tiger supporters from the moderates who are now attempting to regroup for a more democratic approach towards achieving greater autonomy for areas they call traditional tamil homelands. Remaining hardliners are now more likely to pursue an even more extreme approach leading towards further conflict with the Sri Lankan government, which has already proven its ample superiority in this game. Recent changes made to bring all of Sri Lanka's armed services under one structure for greater functional effectiveness puts the island nation's security apparatus in adequate readiness for any such eventuality. A resurgence of violence will also strengthen the hand of the hawks in the government.

While the news of KP's arrest is still new, prospects for his extradition to Sri Lanka will remain to be seen. India's previous demands for his arrest and extradition in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assasination for which an outstanding Interpol warrant is still pending may take precedence over any requests from Sri Lanka.