Ambassador Blakes confidence
in the LTTE
Shenali Waduge
Ambassador Blake’s light hearted response that the LTTE wouldn’t
have targeted the Air Force helicopter had they known he was traveling
in it may have been made for the simple reason that he didn’t
suffer anything but an unconventional welcome. We wonder whether he
would have made the same remark if something adverse did actually
happen to him (we are extremely happy nothing did). But what about
the other Ambassadors? Are they not important members of the diplomatic
corps as well? While the Ministries of Defense and the Foreign Ministry
tussle over blaming breach in protocol it should be understood that
any Chief of Mission traveling to any conflict-stricken area should
officially inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before hand. We
are very much aware that this protocol is hardly followed in the light
of emissaries and their representatives making personal visits for
tete a tetes with the tiger leaders without informing any officials
of the Foreign Ministry.
Returning to Ambassador Blake’s response to the LTTE attack,
perhaps he may have forgotten how thankful the LTTE is. For all the
assistance and support given Rajiv Gandhi was blown to pieces, for
all the arms and ammunition supplied to the LTTE, President Premadasa
himself was too blown to pieces. The list of those the LTTE have annihilated
are too large to name. The United States seem to forget the very man
they nurtured into existence who dared to strike on home ground and
who now has the power to keep all Americans in tenterhooks. Terrorists
are terrorists. After the September 11th attack, the declaration of
war on terrorism and the drive to wipe out terrorism from the face
of the earth and to eliminate Osama has only led to deaths of scores
of innocent people while Osama still lives carving fear all the while.
The same is said of the LTTE supremo – whatever precautions any
Government takes, it takes only a single calculated attack by the
terrorists to strike terror and fear amongst us.
All superpowers are in unison that while terrorists should not strike
terror in their homestead its “cause” in the Third World
nations can continue and the Governments of these nations are held
in deadlock to maintain the façade of reaching a negotiated
settlement through the much in hyped up talks. The carrot being that
loans and grants will continue to shower as long as the “environment
for a negotiated” settlement is visible for the world to see.
Then again is there cause for alarm about the double standards of
the foreign entities in Sri Lanka as investigations begin to reveal
the numbers of traitors amongst us rising. With the reality of the
situation nakedly facing us, the excuse is if the Government and the
Opposition can enter deals with the enemy why cant we? So we have
people poor, rich, those in power or even out of power having secret
deals with the enemy.
As long as we live in this mentality where for one’s political
survival or the lust to remain in power, or a means to become rich
overnight, one will even sell their soul to the enemy, Sri Lanka can
hardly dream of progressing from the two decades of war-climate that
has now become part and parcel of life.
Our leaders may fill us with empty rhetoric and lies but their conscience
will never deceive the wrong they have done – like Lady Macbeth
the hands of those traitors who liaise with the enemy will be covered
in blood and not “all the perfumes of Arabia” will be able
to wash the blood off.
Is there any genuine Leader amongst us who really wishes to solve
this crisis which has created shrapnel’s of mini-crisis’s
that need more than just talks to solve.
