The Defence Column

12th May 1996

Army to get a face lift

By Our Defence Correspondent


CENSORED

the new Army Commander Lt. General Rohan Daluwatte moves to infuse a much needed face-lift to the military.

The changes expected to be decisive and far reaching censored Judging by the new Commander's past style of conduct, the media will be the last to know of military plans. But the media are assured of equal goodwill and information on a need to known basis.

CENSORED

In the new Army Commander the Deputy Defence Minister finds the ideal facilitation to revamp the military in order to achieve the governments's objective of an early end to the 'protracted' war.

The censored military formula - the element of surprise will become a cardinal rule in planning future offensives with only a few people allowed prior information of 'day and time' censored on a strictly need to know basis.

Though the Operation Riviresa was widely speculated of and expected even by the LTTE the strategic details were kept a secret till the final hour. Ground troops and Commanders except for a few top brass were issued orders at the 11th hour before the offensive took off the ground, and completely took the enemy by surprise.

Meanwhile, Tiger Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran has reportedly called an emergency meeting of his top-brass in a jungle hideout off Mullaitivu to discuss the new course of action the LTTE should adopt in the face of a crippling onslaught by government troops.

CENSORED

Prabhakaran, the strategist he is, may well be planning to change the course of the Eelam war in a yet unknown, dramatic guerrilla exercise.

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