We are on a winning track says Army Chief

Army Commander Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka told The Bottom Line that he was very confident of defeating terrorism in Sri Lanka, adding that, “We are on the winning track.”

“My officers and soldiers are totally committed and dedicated to secure our motherland. The reason we have been successful so far is that we have good military intelligence, Special Forces, infantry. etc. The entire Army is committed as a team, to defeat terrorism,” he said.

“The LTTE is in our sights continuously round the clock and are not allowed to raise their heads from their second line of defence. If they raise their heads, they are destroyed. We destroyed the LTTE’s forward defence lines (FDL) and advanced 500 to 800 metres in Muhamalai, Kilali and Nagar Kovil, and are now operating from ‘no man’s land’,” a senior officer said.

Jaffna Security Forces (SF) Commander Maj Gen G.A. Chandrasiri has under his command 55 Division led by Brig. Kamal Gunarathne and 53 Division led by Brig. Samantha Sooriyabandara assisted by the Muhamalai, Nagar Kovil and Kilali Brigades led by three battle hardened officers, Col. Athula Koddipili, Col. Nissanka Ranawake and Col. Shantha Dissanayake respectively..

The main threat to the Jaffna peninsula is the LTTE artillery positioned in Pooneryn. Informed sources said that the LTTE has housed a 130mm artillery gun inside a concrete bunker..

Vavuniya SF Commander Maj Gen Jagath Jayasooriya has 57, 58 and 59 Divisions, along with Weli Oya and Mannar area under his command.

On Monday (18) morning the Army’s 59 Division, led by Brig. Shavindra de Silva , 581 and 583 Brigades launched a multi-pronged offensive at the LTTE’s defences in the area north of Mannar, and secured areas north of Uilankulama and Pallikuli, after dislodging several LTTE fortifications. In addition, troops have captured two LTTE bunkers in Pallikuli, a senior army officer said.

North of Uilankulama, troops advanced from their positions and attacked LTTE strongholds around 5:30 am., killing two terrorists and wounding at least 20 in the incident.

Separately, in the Pallikuli area, troops advanced into LTTE territory around 5:45 am, and after a fierce battle, secured the area. Troops recovered bodies of two LTTE cadres as well as two burnt bodies, along with six T.56 rifles and five claymore mines. Troops also destroyed five bunkers. Meanwhile, one soldier died and four were injured.

According to intercepted LTTE communication, another four LTTE cadres were killed in battle.

Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara denied LTTE web site Taminet reports that 11 soldiers died, reiterating that only one soldier died, while four were injured, when the Army gain controlled of the area. Further, Brig. Nanayakkara said that seven LTTE bodies were scheduled to be handed over to the ICRC.

What has happened to LTTE air power?
The LTTE’s air power seems to be conspicuous by its absence. It did conduct a major effort to acquire an air force of sorts, though this was mostly for reconnaissance and suicide operations. After a number of failed attempts at building its own aircraft, the LTTE managed to acquire six micro-lights from Baled Air in France. In addition, the LTTE bought hang-gliders, mini-copters, and single-seaters, such as the Mini 500, from Australia. A sports plane was also brought from the Ukraine. The LTTE worked with Canadian and British technicians to build airstrips and have their pilots trained in aviation schools in the UK. Though this air wing – ‘Air Tigers’ – was rudimentary, it was assumed that the LTTE would be able to conduct suicide attacks.

LTTE incidents in 2008
February 4: Sri Lankan High Commission spokesman in London, Walter Jayawardhana, claimed that, “Toronto Police reported the arrest of two Londoners, Kirubakaran Selvanayagam Pillai (38) and Sethukavalar Saravanabhavan (35), connected to the Tamil Tigers, for having stolen information on thousands of credit cards of UK customers,”

Pro-LTTE Tamil groups in Britain, launched a campaign to highlight the “sufferings” of Tamils in Sri Lanka, with a protest outside Downing Street. Protesters carried banners and raised slogans demanding “justice” for Tamils in Sri Lanka. “Let us all unite together to save our relations, to ask for our rights,” a leaflet distributed at the rally said. The protest, organised by the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO), whose spokesman Suren Surendiran said, “The aim is to educate second generation Tamils living in the UK and the general public of the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka. We also intend having this demonstration in other major cities here in the UK and in Canada, Australia, US and South Africa, during the year.” Meanwhile, Walter Jayawardhana condemning the protest as “LTTE propaganda”, expressed concern that though the LTTE was banned under Britain’s terror laws, its ‘front organisations’ were operating freely.

January 22: A calendar depicting the logo of the LTTE and the map of a separate state of ‘Tamil Eelam’, was sold outside Hindu temples in London on January 1. The calendar, with a reddish sky and a rising sun in the background, depicts the map of Tamil Eelam and a gloriosa lily -- the ‘official flower’ of the LTTE, the Colombo Post reported. While the writing on top says Thamil Thai Naalkaati (Tamil Mother Calendar) 2008, the bottom states “History of the Tamils, world history and a calendar that reflects the religious and astrological matters relating to Tamils.” The ‘Tamil Eelam’ calendars were publicly sold at five pounds to 10 pounds each, the report said.

January 16: Britain’s leading Tamil organisation, the British Tamils Forum, called for a boycott of SriLankan Airlines, in a move to target the Sri Lankan economy, as part of their campaign for a separate Tamil homeland. Tamils were urged not to travel by Sri Lanka’s national carrier, which earns an estimated £12 million every year from British Tamils travelling to Sri Lanka. “Travelling with SriLankan Airlines is tantamount to paying the government of Sri Lanka to buy the weaponry with which to kill our people in their homeland,” said the Head of the Forum, Ivan Pedropillai, at a press conference. The Forum also urged British tourists not to visit Sri Lanka, arguing that the earnings from tourism “adds to Sri Lankan Government’s war chest.” Pedropillai, however, sought to distance his group from the LTTE, saying that while it shared the groups “political goals,” it believed in struggle through legal and peaceful means.

January 10: A US District Court in Maryland sentenced a Sri Lankan to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to provide arms, ammunition and other military material to the LTTE. The sentence was imposed on Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, a Sri Lankan resident in the US.

Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu situation
The LTTE is forcibly recruiting children and men in the above districts, telling civilians to be ready for the final war.

Boys and girls above 12-years, are provided weapons training for at least two weeks. Those above 16-years are deployed to the front. When these untrained civilians die, the LTTE does not hand over their bodies to their parents, instead they hand over only a photograph.

Many elders query why Prabhakaran’s son or daughter are not deployed for battle. When four distressed parents, whose abducted children did not return, questioned the LTTE cadres of their children’s whereabouts, they were shot dead as being traitors.

Blood from civilians and children
An aid worker and reliable sources revealed a worsening crisis in the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, where the LTTE is forcing men, women and children to donate blood for the treatment of wounded Tigers.

With few volunteers responding to its appeal for blood, the LTTE is now targeting schoolchildren and even adults past their prime, for blood supplies for its wounded cadres. The LTTE’s “Thileepan” unit is reportedly involved in this heinous activity. It is even threatening severe reprisals for those not volunteering to donate blood.

According to available reports, on January 22, 40 school children in Kilinochchi, were forcibly taken to Anandapuram Technical College, where the LTTE has its blood banks, to ‘donate’ blood.

On January 28, school children and civilians were forced to ‘donate’ blood to the LTTE’s mobile units in the general area of Vaddakachchi and Kilinochchi. People were taken to these LTTE blood banks in tractors, eyewitnesses fleeing the areas, revealed.

On February 5, a similar blood collection campaign in the Vishwamadu area, where school children were among the majority, was conducted. The LTTE is reportedly ignoring the standard medical practice of not obtaining blood from children below 18 and adults over 60 years.

According to informed sources, the LTTE is using Rural Development Committees in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts, to intimidate people for such blood ‘donation’ campaigns. On February 8, posters put up and leaflets distributed in the LTTE areas, threatening people to participate in the LTTE’s blood ‘donation’ camps.

LTTE propaganda war
Is it too late to defeat the LTTE’s propaganda war in a professional manner? Why doesn’t the Sri Lanka Government try to defeat it?

Is it that our diplomats are sleeping or busy enjoying their perks?

It appears that well organised LTTE disinformation campaigns pop up like mushrooms. Sri Lanka has to deal with this propaganda war urgently. Unless Sri Lanka deals with this problem in a professional manner, it will not have much of a chance of defeating the LTTE’s disinformation campaign.

The LTTE has offices in major cities around the world. These offices operate as ‘embassies’ for the LTTE and carry out their propaganda war. LTTE are using the following for their disinformation and propaganda war.

Holding exhibitions that propagate malicious disinformation against Sri Lanka. Petitioning the respective Prime Ministers. Organizing meetings with multiparty MPs, to win their sympathy. Visiting and lobbying and entertaining MPs. Hosting MPs for various events and functions.Carry out disinformation campaign through paid campaigners

Sri Lanka, seemingly, has nothing to combat this organised disinformation and propaganda war by the LTTE.

Lobbying Human Rights groups
LTTE strategy and tactics in Colombo and south
An intelligence source said that there are suicide bombers with Sinhalese and Muslims identity cards. The LTTE has also paid money to Sinhalese and Muslims to gather information and arrange safe houses.

LTTE morale now is very low and the Tamil diaspora too is despairing of the LTTE’s defeats. To build up morale, the LTTE will resort to any kind of attack on Colombo or its suburbs.