FBI cautions Americans against
funding LTTE-run front Organizations
The Permanent Mission of
Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva
11th January 2008
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has cautioned Americans against
donating funds to LTTE front organizations which masquerade as charities
describing the Tamil Tigers as being among the most dangerous and deadly
extremists in the world whose ruthless tactics have inspired terrorist
networks worldwide, including Al Qaeda in Iraq.
In a release titled, TAMING THE TAMIL TIGERS - From Here in the U.S.,
the FBI states that the LTTE's deadly resume includes the perfecting
of suicide bombers, invention of the suicide belt, pioneering the use
of women in suicide attacks, murdering some 4,000 people in the past
two years alone, and being the only terrorist organization to have assassinated
two world leaders.
The release further states that the ultimate goal of the LTTE is to
seize control of Sri Lanka from the Sinhalese ethnic majority and create
an independent Tamil state. Along the way, it has launched suicide attacks,
assassinated politicians (including a government minister this week
and even a Sri Lankan President), taken hostages, and committed all
kinds of crimes to finance its operations.
The U.S. government has designated the Tamil Tigers a foreign terrorist
organization, so its activities on U.S. territory are illegal and the
U.S. authorities are determined to stop the LTTE, using the full range
of U.S. investigative and intelligence capabilities, the release adds.
TAMING THE TAMIL TIGERS
From Here in the U.S.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan08/tamil_tigers011008.html
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Headline Archives
TAMING THE TAMIL TIGERS
From Here in the U.S.
01/10/08
As terrorist groups go, it has quite a résumé:
" Perfected the use of suicide bombers;
" Invented the suicide belt;
" Pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks;
" Murdered some 4,000 people in the past two years alone; and
" Assassinated two world leaders-the only terrorist organization
to do so.
No, it's not al Qaeda or Hezbollah or even HAMAS.
The group is called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) or the Tamil Tigers for short.
Needless to say, the Tamil Tigers are among the most dangerous and
deadly extremists in the world. For more than three decades, the group
has launched a campaign of violence and bloodshed in Sri Lanka, the
island republic off the southern coast of India.
Its ultimate goal: to seize control of
the country from the Sinhalese ethnic majority and create an independent
Tamil state. Along the way, it has launched suicide attacks, assassinated
politicians (including a government minister this week and even the
Sri Lankan President), taken hostages, and committed all of kinds of
crimes to finance its operations. The resulting civil war has taken
the lives of nearly 70,000 Sri Lankans on both sides of the conflict
since 1983 alone.
Why should you care? Certainly because
of the suffering and bloodshed that the Tamil Tigers have caused. And
because its ruthless tactics have inspired terrorist networks worldwide,
including al Qaeda in Iraq. But also because the group has placed operatives
right here in our own backyard, discreetly raising money to fund its
bloody terrorist campaign overseas, including purchases of weapons and
explosives.
The U.S. government has designated the Tigers a foreign terrorist organization,
so their activities here are illegal. And we're determined to stop them,
using the full range of our investigative and intelligence capabilities.
In April, for example, we struck an important blow when our Joint Terrorism
Task Force in New York arrested the alleged U.S. director of the Tigers.
The man supposedly held several fundraising events at a church and various
public schools in Queens and in northern New Jersey in 2004. He is also
accused of arranging high-level meetings between the group's leaders
and U.S. supporters.
For More Information on Our Cases
- January sentencing in Baltimore
- December sentencing in Baltimore
- April arrest in New York
- February Baltimore guilty pleaWe've also arrested another 11 Tamil
Tiger-related suspects in the New York City region. And in Baltimore,
following a multi-agency investigation, a pair of Indonesian men pled
guilty and were sentenced recently for working with others to export
surface to air missiles, state-of-the-art firearms, machine guns, and
night vision goggles to the Tigers in Sri Lanka.
You can help by being careful with your donations. Like other terrorists,
the Tigers have raised funds under a variety of cover organizations,
often by posing as charities. A great deal of money, for example, was
raised for the Tigers following the 2004 tsunami that devastated Sri
Lanka and many other countries.
And please report any suspicious activities
to your local field office or anonymously through this
website.
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