CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

What a Gas by the LTTE And Whom Are They Trying To Kid ?

Explaining Gasses - By Dr Gaseous Perera For LankaWeb.

September18th 2008.

While there are reports that Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka indicated to the media yesterday that Security Forces operating in Wanni are ready to face any type of gas attacks by the LTTE as Military Personnel have been equipped with gas masks to face such situations, he must also have indulged in a bit of tongue in cheek relative to the seriousness of the anticipated gas attacks as the gas involved was none other than a brace of Tear Gas cannisters used to disperse crowds when they get uncontrollable and overly aggressive.

While suggesting that LTTE had fired canisters of CS gas in Akkarayankulam and Vannivilankulam, the Army Commander said it was not a chemical weapon but a gas which is being used for anti hijacking operations and similar insurgent activities worldwide. Even this could be tongue in cheek as the LTTE are reputed to be gassing up the Wanni, breaking wind in fear for their lives while on the run and causing a huge stink up with the relentless Sri Lankan Armed Forces in pursuit. All this while uttering sinister threats about the 'poison gas' they had in their possession!

While CS is a substance that is used as a riot control agent and is generally accepted as being non-lethal it is a gas which was discovered by two Americans, Ben Corson and Roger Staughton, at Middlebury College in 1928 from which the gas gets its name ~from the first letters of the scientists' surnames and it is probably unrelated to the gas being dispensed by the LTTE!

Of course there is every possibility that the LTTE could have misappropriated a few cannisters of CS gas during their long drawn terrorist campaigns but it is unlikely that they hold large quantities of same or any other more powerful gas or poison as the likelihood of this in a world which has severe restrictions on the obtainability of such material where the prevention of lethal gasses, weapons of mass destruction, dangerous chemicals and any material harmful to mankind falling into the wrong hands has become an international priority.The LTTE with the reputation they carry as dangerous terrorists can only dream about acquiring such material it is safely assumed with high priorities about their acquisition and dispensation relative to global security as their prime impenetrable barrier as they slip deeper into oblivion!

It is no tongue in cheek however when the Army Commander says "If the LTTE fires CS gas canisters at us we have the capability fire more powerful gases against them as we have the mandate as a sovereign state to make use of these gases to curb any terror activity of the LTTE," and what the Army Commander was probably impying was that the Army has access to gasses and the wherewithal which could by far overpower the gasses generated by the terrorists regardless of whether they were natural or unnatural!

According to him a number of soldiers suffered burning effects and some other effects due to firing of CS gas canisters recently. They later recovered and operations were not affected.

The Army Commander said further that "We have already provided gas masks to the troops operating in Wanni to face any type of gas attacks by the LTTE," a better safe than sorry approach perhaps while knowing fully well what kind of gas the LTTE really generated.

The kind which of late is also generated by LTTE supportive websites and their duplicitous, innuendo laced mouthpieces and a kind of gas which evaporates rapidly into thin air when it is released leaving behind a big stink and no more!

Of such are the gas attacks by the LTTE inasmuch as their glorified Air Force better termed Air Farce so whom are they trying to kid?

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