First Air Attack by the LTTE Took Place in 2002

Dilrook Kannangara

The March 2007 attack by the LTTE on the air base is not the first LTTE aerial terrorist manoeuvre. There are those who play the blame game, including some prominent newspapers owned by politically affiliated individuals, try to highlight the attack as a deficiency of the Defence Secretary. No doubt he should take responsibility for the security lapses, which he has assumed and taken retaliatory and corrective actions at such grand scale that Tamilnet has stopped reporting SLAF attacks just a week after it claimed genocide committed by the SLAF!! What mattered then were not speeches or blame passing, but timely action. Defence Secretary did the perfect thing by vandalising LTTE targets and keeping his mouth shut. What is the point of a parliamentary session of mud slinging and nonsense speeches when what got to do rested with the SLAF. Terror attacks should not be allowed to be political pillars for repeated and monumental political losers.

There is no difference of opinion between the Tiger Master and their bankrupt political Servants; both shut themselves to bitter realities and both were jubilant on 26 March 2007. It doesn’t matter whether terrorists use their own air assets or borrowed, hired, hijacked or awarded assets/rides. It should be recalled that the more disastrous and prominent 9/11 attacks were carried out using 4 hijacked planes.

The first air force aided terror attack in Sri Lanka (barring historical mythology) occurred around 1989 when a terrorist was transported by an SLAF helicopter to Colombo to shoot Mr. Amirthalingam, a former Opposition Leader, at point blank range and flew back in the same copter after the mission was complete. Then there were acts of aerial terrorism in Sri Lanka when a prominent individual (or his body?) was taken in a copter and dumped into the sea.

First LTTE aerial attack took place in 2002 (approximately 5 years before 26/03/2007) when one of its leaders, Anton Balasingham was flown in a seaplane that landed in a tank in ‘LTTE controlled area’ defying all immigration laws and violating our territorial rights. It is indeed an attack as it proved that terrorists can fly into our country (and fly out as well) unhindered, violating our airspace at will and posing a huge security threat. Only difference being it didn’t have a bang to awaken the authorities and the media. The gravity of the situation is even more amplified when considering the fact that this violation took place just a few months after the 2001 attack on BIA and 9/11 attacks. And it was a terror leader in the plane!! From a tiger point of view what a classic case of leading by example. The plane used in 2002 was more advanced than the ones engaged in this years attack. It travelled more than 200 kilometres one way and was capable lading in water; no need of an air strip. No amount of SLAF pounding on LTTE air strips would have deterred such a plane. Also it proved that LTTE air assets can be stored beyond our territorial boundaries. As explained above, it is little solace that the air craft didn’t belonged to the LTTE and there were no explosions.
Where was the then PM who now cries foul for a parliamentary debate?

Around the same time consignments containing planes, etc. and advanced telecommunication equipment were air lifted by SLAF Mi-18/24-Hind helicopters to Vanni. This was at a time when the word ‘peace’ was exploited and ravished to cover up a meek surrender and anyone including the President could be humiliated, intimidated and threatened by being called a racist for talking or acting in honesty. The signatories of the CFA and MoUs with terrorists without informing the President claim that national security is the President’s responsibility. Indeed she didn’t discharge it properly under pressure. However, ordering the bombardment of LTTE ships much to the dismay of the then Cabinet was an act of courage.

Then there was this UNP MP who attempted to transport Cessna aircraft parts very recently. The present government should take full responsibility for not punishing him and his associates for the crime. The Opposition leader should take up his share of responsibility for his own party men bringing in planes to Colombo before the LTTE did. Was there a parliamentary session to discuss the parliamentarian’s aeroplane?

However, LTTE air attacks signify sure doom on the outfit since it cannot sustain an air force; it cannot meet SLAF stiff retaliation and hunt down of perceived LTTE air assets and the LTTE’s inability to cope with so called ‘genocide’ by the SLAF. Inadvertently the LTTE has pointed out to us the direction we should take and we are the masters of the airspace and there is no room for another. Tigers have exposed one of their most susceptible vulnerabilities and will pay a very heavy price in the coming months.

United States and India have already given serious consideration to terrorists acquiring airpower. So will be other LTTE sister terror groups. No one can rule out in this context the likelihood of terrorists attacking the likes of Taj Mahal (already threatened by Indian terrorists) causing enormous damage to their economy and security. If Anton Balasingham in fragile health can fly in a plane over the sea, hardened terrorists (there are plenty of them) can do so within India. The trend is already set. It was indeed an apt request Narayana Swami made from the Indian PM to use tactical warheads to destroy Parabakaran. When Indian alternate leaders urge for actions against terrorists, it is pathetic that their Sri Lankan counterparts call for Baila sessions!!

This is yet another reason why terrorism should be recognised as a global threat to civilised human existence and handled accordingly. Terrorists Without Boarders should be countered by similar cooperation among those who fight it. It is disheartening that many LTTE links abroad have played vital roles in shaping The Flying Terrorist. It is even more distressing that we cannot squash such foreign terror aids the Israeli style. However, proper coordination between the various authorities should ensure that terror financiers are appropriately dealt with by legal and paralegal means when they and/or their agents land in our jurisdiction. After all it is our national security and our future and repeatedly foreign nations have shown a lukewarm approach to get involved in our battle.

The Sri Lankan military has a huge task to destroy all LTTE airstrips, hangers, planes and flying machines, assembly points, control and communication towers, supply routes, storage facilities, hiding places of planes, etc., arms shipments, transport facilities and any other infrastructure, informants, LTTE pilots, mechanics and financiers.

We also need solid surveillance systems, preferably airborne surveillance. Above all supporters of the enemy should be destroyed. Urgent action is needed as a third attack cannot be ruled out