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| Sri Lanka |
| There is a Military Solution to Terrorism: The Sri Lankan Example |
| 2008-10-29 |
| By Sanjeewa Karunaratne While the U.S. and NATO forces are struggling against Taliban in Afghanistan, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the world’s deadliest terrorist organization fighting for a separate state in Sri Lanka, is on its knees. Inventors of the modern suicide jacket, the LTTE, mastered the use of female suicide bombers and carried out more suicide attacks than any other terrorist organization in the world. A terror outfit responsible for assassinating two world leaders and the largest number of politicians is losing its war. An organization that effectively controlled about half of the country is confined to mere twenty square miles and shrinking. How it was possible for the Sri Lankan military to beat the number one terror organization in the world? It started with a proactive, aggressive foreign policy. Sri Lankan government employed a remarkably successful foreign relations mission through its foreign minister, Mr. Laxshman Kadirgamar, to expose the LTTE and to improve the image of the Sri Lankan government. Thanks to his relentless efforts, until his death in 2005, LTTE was proscribed in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and E.U. and its fund-raising mechanism suffered a major blow. Sri Lankan military changed its tactics and deployed small, specialized commando type units called “Deep Penetration Units” (DPUs) or Long Range Recon Patrols (LRRPs). These units proceed deep into the terrorist held territory and attack. In early 2002, they exploded a grenade targeting the LTTE’s leader V. Prabhakaran, who narrowly escaped—the war has taken to LTTE’s backyard, and long and behold, LTTE initiated peace talks though the government of Norway in September 2002. In 2004, LTTE’s eastern commander and then second in command, Colonel Karuna Amman, broke away with his carders. This defection was not an isolated event or a coincidence, but a result of years of intelligence work involving Sri Lankan Army and regional intelligence agencies. With the ceasefire still in operation, LTTE fought back killing all but one of the members of the “Deep Penetration Unit” and its Tamil spies, but this victory was short-lived—with the help of Karuna’s faction government regained the control in the east and held Provincial Council elections after eleven years. Sri Lankan Army’s Deep Penetration Unit was reformed as the “Mahasohon Brigade” later, and, as before, it took the war to the LTTE controlled areas—an eye-to-eye military tactic—which made the LTTE very nervous and panicky because it hadn’t happened during the last 20 years of war. The Sri Lankan military was able to speak in a language terrorists understood. In 2007, LTTE’s second in command, S. P. Tamilselvan, was killed in a precision air strike, effectively utilizing ground intelligence, as one of the many LTTE leaders fell to the DPU attacks. Supplementing the military success, Sri Lankan government collaborated with the Indian government to enforce strong security in the Indian Ocean using regular patrols and state-of-the-art radar facilities. Unmanned Surveillance Drones were deployed to monitor traffic in the 30-mile strait separating India and Sri Lanka. One by one Sri Lankan Navy destroyed all eight of the cargo vessels used by the LTTE to smuggle arms into the country—the end was on sight. The Sri Lankan government boosted the morale of the military by unequivocally supporting the war. The strong stand taken by the hard-lined Sri Lankan President, Rajapaksha was a major factor of the LTTE’s imminent defeat. President Rajapaksha never backed off from the military campaign amidst consistent dissatisfaction by number of countries claiming human rights violations and threatening to cut aid. As a result, Sri Lanka lost its seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council while Bahrain, Zambia and Pakistan retained theirs, but the war continued. The pressure was intense on the India government to intervene by the furious Tamil Nadu politicians, mainly, Chief Minister Karunanidhi and Vaiko, the leader of MDMK, who organized rally after rally in favor of a terrorist organization banned in India. However, Sri Lankan government maintained close ties with India; assured the safety of Tamils and continued to receive military assistance. President Rajapaksha established a political culture where minorities received fair and equal treatment, full protection of the law and freedom to fully engage in the government. He gave the military stern orders to minimize civilian casualties, a task which was impossible as LTTE used civilians as a shield. His message to the country was clear and loud “this is not a war between Sinhalese and Tamils, but terrorism and normalcy; no development is possible without ending this war.” This message received a clear mandate as the LTTE took to heels. Sri Lankan story is a myth-buster. Setting precedence, a carefully laid down plan is dismantling the world’s deadliest terrorist organization. Effective foreign policy; innovative military tactics; excellent intelligence; strong political will and latest technology have taken down the LTTE. Though it is possible to defeat a terrorist organization, military, the final solution is a political one. A terrorist turned politician, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, is the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province and Karuna Amman is a Member of the Parliament. Democracy is taking shape in once LTTE held areas, and soon it would engulf the whole country. After twenty-five years, losing over 75,000 lives and billions of dollars in destruction, Sri Lanka is seeing the end of the tunnel, where a new path begins for the country: a path of unity, understanding and nation-building. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #1 There is a Military Solution to Terrorism: The Iraqi Example. Thanks to President Ô we may never see the Afghan Example, The Gaza Example, The Iranian Example, The Pakistani Example, The Saudi Example, The Syrian Example..... |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins 5*** 2008-10-29 22:29 |