We had heard the myth of LTTE terrorists’ military power before.
American Ambassador need not repeat that to us.

By Charles Perera

The American Ambassador had said "I don’t think a military solution is possible without a parallel political strategy……..” but from what I know the spoils of war , political settlements and other things are divided only after the war-after signing of armistice.

In Sri Lanka there is retaliation against terrorists to stop them from continued attack on the civilians, kidnapping of children, murders and
assassinations. The government need not in parallel with these horrendous
criminal activities of a group of ruthless terrorists, hoist a white flag to inform them of the government’s proposed devolution of political power.
Either this simple logic is beyond the grasp of the honourable Ambassador, or he is merely repeating what some one asked him to say.

Let the terrorist stop their terrorism, and lay down their arms and inform the government that they have decided to fall in line with the democratic political system. Then the government will invite them along with the other political parties representing the Tamil people to negotiate devolution of political power.

The American Ambassador had recently stated that a military solution against terrorists is not possible. Terrorism and military action to counter terrorism are not like a war where there would be victor and a looser. The solution sought through military action against terrorism is not a victory, but to disable the terrorists and force them to surrender or in the alternate to be annihilated.

The American Ambassador behind his smiling mask, seems to be playing a different game in trying to reconstruct the myth about the terrorist by stating that “….the LTTE has significant capability to attack, using terrorist means. We should not underestimate that. …”

We had heard that before Mavil Aru water sluices were closed by the terrorists. We cannot be duped again even if the rumour is being hammered out by a respected Ambassador. The Ambassador had added that “ The most important thing in our view is to come up with a credible (political) process". If he really means that he should tell that also to his boss George Bush before he sends the next 2000 American Soldiers to a death trap in Iraq.

Once the terrorism has been successfully defeated, the government should hasten to help the Tamil population who had suffered both under the terrorists who had kept them virtually prisoners, and then in the continuous military action running from war zone to safety and living in camps in pitiable conditions.

Thereafter, the government should prepare a political system where the Tamils, Muslims, Sinhalese and other citizens feel free and would live together as Sri Lankans in their own motherland. One has to be vigilant because what ever pretences they make and the millions of loan credit they give the International Community and the UN cannot be trusted to keep small countries united. Where ever there is dissention they would like to divide the countries as they did in Yugoslavia.