Political expediency in fighting against terrorism

Someone commented recently that the Government is following the policy of the ostrich. I had realised this as early as in September 1995 having served a short spell as director of the 'resurrected' Special Branch (SB) of the Police Force. When matters pertinent to security were reported by the SB,

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reporting direct to the newly formed SB that functioned under the Inspector General of Police, and the National Investigation Bureau. had nothing to report. Special Branch reports were however tabled,Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored.

deployed in the Gulf War to regain Kuwait from Sadam Hussain, was cited as an example where casualty figures were minimised.

Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored despite the I.G.P. stressing the need for a Police Intelligence set up under his command. It became quite clear that what the Defence authorities wanted were, intelligence reports.

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As for the NIB, its high command was staffed with sycophants who were brought in to do the needful for political expediency.

Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored with much fanfare. Troops were drawn from the East and the Wanni and the additional troops recruited and rushed in were also most Censored trained.

This column and concerned citizens specialised in the subject of combat training, commented on the Censored training given to government troops.

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The government embarked on a war against the LTTE, known throughout the world for 'terrorism in its most vicious form and sophistication, well financed, trained, and equipped with deadly weaponry', as if engaging in a practice 'chak-gudu' match!

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True, this is not a time for attributing blame. But debriefings are most important for us to learn at least from bitter experience, where we have gone wrong, so that we can get our priorities right even at this late stage, and leave the war to those specialised in the subject, and intelligence gathering to the most logical authority which is the police. And, of course, men of stature have to be selected to the command positions.

Too many precious lives have already been lost in vain from both sides. 'Hurry up cautiously' should be the theme.

Eelam - any option?

By Kumbakarna

During the second world war when the pacifists in England called for food to be sent to the Nazi occupied areas, Churchill addressed the House of Commons on the 20th of August 1940 and said this.

"What indeed would be a matter of general complaint would be if we were to prolong the agony of all Europe by allowing food to come into nourish the Nazis and aid their war effort, or to allow food to go into the subjugated peoples, which certainly would be pillaged by their Nazi conquerors. There have been many proposals, founded on the highest motives, that food should be allowed to pass the blockade for the relief of these populations. I regret that we must refuse these requests."

Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored. Yet we send food to areas located in the North of Vavuniya to LTTE controlled areas to feed the LTTE so that they could fight Censored Censored Censored Censored? The debacle at Elephant Pass signifies the beginning of a dark period for Sri Lanka,

. Unlike in the North, this would create hundreds of thousands of Sinhala and Muslim refugees from the occupied areas. I Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censore, perhaps we would have to appeal to a metaphysical God for knowledge of the future.

At such a juncture there would be a break with orthodoxy and a search for radical alternatives.

There would in fact be no celebrations for the Tamil people. They would be faced with an uncertain situation in the South, a dictatorship in the North, and further sacrifices in order to establish a larger Dravidastan by the LTTE. In true,there would be problems to India of an equal magnitude to that which happened to the Arabs on the creation of the state of Israel. There would be echoes and a boost for separatism in the Asian regions, and this would suite the hidden hands behind the LTTE.

War footing is not pussyfooting - it is a concerted commitment

By Susantha Goonatilake

The Cabinet has at this eleventh hour decided to put the country on a war footing.

A step long overdue. There have been over 100,000 deaths due directly or indirectly to the Tamil separatist insurgency - including the 1987 JVP uprising, which was directly related to its fall-out. In the US with a population ten times ours, the Vietnam War, which cost only 50,000 deaths, led to serious and continuous rethinking. An important fall-out was the new restrictions on war reporting in any new war the West is involved in. No Sandesayas for the West.

What does war footing mean?. We cannot leave its definition to an incompetent set of politicians, who have debased words to their personal profit. Many historians and informed laymen could describe what this meant in countries as varied as Britain. Germany, Norway, Japan and Korea. But we have to find its meaning in our own tragic context. In these dark hours. there are some minimum preventive and proactive actions that should be taken to cleanse weakness and enhance our strength.

The first step in this would be to instill in the country that war can be and must be won. This would imply removing from all government media - that is the media, we the people actually own - all those who have propagated otherwise. There are some obvious persons who should be immediately removed and if necessary, investigated by the NIB for possible links with the enemy. This would include journalists who have helped sap the nation's will to fight. It should include the writers who were scoffing last week at the Sangha calling for Indian help now while they opposed Indian intervention in 1987. People like that do not know that sovereign countries do not have permanent friends, only interests. In any other country they would not be allowed to write in a primary school magazine. In 1987, Indian troops were opposed because it was an imposition. Censored Censored Censored. Those who sang hosannas for the Norwegian intervention should now be forced to request Norwegian help for arms and ships.

Other employees in these organisations should immediately expose these traitors using whatever means including anonymous tips to the security authorities and to all the nationalist organs. Trusted pro government media nationalists should be given more voice. There should be immediate and compulsory training of all state organs on war reporting. Patriotic songs and films on war heroes should be aired everyday. No, this will not kill innocent Tamils, the other canard being spread by the anti victory group. Specially the Cabinet should be briefed that the insurgency did not start in 1983 but at least ten years before.

Particular government ministers and MPs who have made statements of despair should also be immediately side-lined by their colleagues and the security apparatus. Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored Censored. During election time families of soldiers must descend in their thousands on the electorates of these enemies of victory and ensure that they are soundly defeated.

He and others of his group who benefited by demoralising the people should likewise be investigated by the security authorities for other more serious possible lapses. The government should take into immediate custody everybody who has expressed support for separatism.

Such bishops should be asked to prove their loyalty by blessing the troops as their counterparts in other countries do

A truly pathetic situation. This is where other countries bring in the "back room boys". Let us recall the example of Britain's dark days in World War 2 when she was fighting with her back to the wall. Here a large number of professionals and scientists were co-opted under the armed forces to help the war effort. This also eventually led to the development of operations research.

In Sri Lanka today there is a large number of professional personnel that could be harnessed at this critical juncture. These include surveying and mapping experts who could identify targets and areas of Tiger activity, electronic personnel who could not only identify Tiger communication systems but also develop methods of destroying them, civil engineering and mechanical engineering personnel who could help in a large number of activities, social scientists who could help in the propaganda war, and many other subject specialists from several other fields. Even Buddhist experts who will describe how meditation techniques can be used to strengthen resolve. No, do not laugh at this. The entire Japanese fighting techniques arose out of Buddhist meditation. And in the US today sportsmen are taught such Buddhist techniques to put in that extra effort to win.

The help that could come to the armed forces by harnessing our experts will be immense.

During the last week I have been sounding various professionals in the country. They are willing and ready to help the armed forces in this trying time. They are all responsible persons, many heads or ex-heads of the leading professional organisations in the country. They come from various religious and political backgrounds. But in this extreme hour, they are willing to sink their differences for a common cause even if the politicians cannot.

While we throw out the defeatist buffoons in the State media, the State now in its new war footing should welcome the available patriotic competence. Future historians will carve the names of these professionals in gold.

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