News vom 31.10.2005

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Top military intelligence officer shot dead in Sri Lanka’s capital

COLOMBO - A senior military intelligence officer involved in gathering information about Tamil rebel activities was shot dead by an unidentified gunman inside his vehicle in the early hours of Sunday in Sri Lanka’s capital, police said.


Lt. Colonel T.R.Meedin, 39, had gone out with a group his friends on Saturday night, and his bullet-riddled body was found close to his residence at Kiribathgoda, eight kilometres east of Colombo city, police said.

Police said they suspect that a gunman had fired from inside the vehicle, but it was not immediately clear whether the gunman was previously known to the officer.

Police said that there was no immediate clue as to who was responsible for the assassination, but they were investigating whether Tamil rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were responsible for the attack as he was mainly gathering intelligence on rebel activities.

Early this year Tamil rebels gunned down another senior military intelligence officer in the Colombo city.

Tamil rebels have gunned down more than 50 persons involved in gathering intelligence reports for the security forces since the ceasefire went into effect in February 2002. Among those killed have been members of rival Tamil groups working with the security forces, while others have been army and policemen working as intelligence operatives.

Medina was described as the most senior military intelligence officer to be killed since the ceasefire brokered by the Norwegian government came into effect.

The ceasefire has continued despite some serious violations over the past few years.

 

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LTTE links to al-Qaeda -- International Institute for Strate

LTTE links to al-Qaeda -- International Institute for Strategic Studies confirms Asian Tribune report

Colombo, 30 June, (Asiantribune.com): In its latest report, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies has confirmed the earlier report (first published in the Asian Tribune) linking the LTTE to al-Qaeda.

Asian Tribune reported the connection in its edition of June 15, 2005. It was revealed by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, the former Law and Commerce Minister of India, Leader of the Janatha Party and a visiting Professor at Harvard

In a wide-ranging interview with the Asian Tribune he linked the LTTE to al-Qaeda. The following excerpt from the Asian Tribune (June 15, 2005) reveals the connection:

Question :Recently, you made a press statement on the security threat posed by the LTTE's new air and sea power. You had also criticized in the state the Indian government for its lukewarm attitude. Could you please throw more light on the issue?

Dr. Subramanian Swamy : The LTTE "navy" and "air force" is illegal and clandestine. The LTTE had connections with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in 1997-98. It launders narcotics trade money through it's Eelam "Bank". Most of all, it is anti-India because of it's training to all terrorists organization operating in India, such as ULFA, Naxalites etc., and provides all kinds of nefarious patronage to Tamil chauvinists such as MDMK, DK and PMK, and has corrupted Dalit organizations.

The prestigious International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), in its report released last Tuesday, is now inclined to accept LTTE's links to al-Qaeda.

Highlighting the LTTE suicide attacks the IISS publication Military Balance 2005-2006states in a chapter titled "Non-State Armed Groups" that the LTTE has possible links to al-Qaeda. Four years ago this think-tank detected and alerted the global community about the smuggling and installation of light aircraft by the LTTE. Military observers have concluded that these light aircraft could pose a threat to India as well.

A report in the Sunday Times published from Colombo, Sri Lanka states:

This is perhaps the first time that a well-known international think tank has linked the LTTE to the now notorious al-Qaeda. Diplomatic sources said this publicly declared information might well be used by some member states of the European Union as proof of the LTTE’s international terrorist links.

The LTTE is under scrutiny by the EU that last month issued a tough declaration not only banning LTTE delegations from being received in the capitals of member-states but also stating that the EU is actively considering banning the group as a terrorist organization.

Although not all the attacks have been directly traced to al-Qaeda, counter terrorism experts believe that many of the groups that carried out attacks have some links to al-Qaeda and therefore pose a serious threat.

The IISS also identifies Indias Tamil National Retrieval Troops (TNRT) as a LTTE sponsored group to establish a Tamil homeland in India and cites the World Tamil Association and the World Tamil Movement as front organizations.

Previously the LTTE had been linked with other armed groups but not al-Qaeda.
Four years ago The Sunday Times newspaper here carried a report by its defence correspondent titled Killing in Company;Terrorism Goes Global which said that the LTTE was using its UK office to establish links with other terrorist groups for training and expertise. Defence Correspondent James Clark said the Tigers had forged links with the Spanish terror group ETA and Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) from which the LTTE had received Stinger missiles.

The same article claimed that the LTTE had close links with the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction (FARL) that had been developed with the help of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, a Marxist-Leninist group.

A former additional secretary in Indias Cabinet Secretariat and now a director of the Institute for Topical Studies in Chennai, B.Raman contended in an article that since 1983 the LTTE has had links with various Palestinian terrorist organizations, the Hamas and the Hezbollah.

Raman also contended that the LTTE had no qualms about allowing its fleet of ships to be used for narcotics-running by drug barons from Afghanistan and Pakistan or for gun-running to the Abu Sayyaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front of the Philippines.Terrorism experts believe the Abu Sayyaf group was linked to al-Qaeda

 

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UNP AND LTTE WORRIED THAT THEY CANNOT STUFF BALLOT BOXES BECAUSE OF KARUNA IN THE EAST

United National Front sources said that they are highly worried that Velupillai Prabhakaran would not be able to deliver the necessary number of votes from the Eastern Province for the victory of Ranil Wickremesinghe at the forthcoming Presidential elections due to the opposition from Karuna.

The pro-UNF Daily Mirror said Karuna would soon distribute leaflets in Batticaloa requesting people not to vote for Ranil Wickremesinghe.

In the past parliamentary elections the LTTE openly violated election laws and stuffed ballot boxes and openly practiced impersonations by using small children to vote to elect their proxy party , Tamil National Alliance members to the parliament.

They were expected to use the same methods at the forthcoming Presidential elections to bring victory to their allegedly favorite Ranil Wickremesinghe to power.

In the internecine warfare between Prabhakaran faction and Karuna faction one faction has been opposing the other faction in all their military and political activities. Karuna faction is therefore expected to oppose Ranil Wickremesinghe candidature at the Presidential elections since UNF’s alleged secret pact with the LTTE.

Although the LTTE publicly has declared that they would help neither candidates UNF political opponent Janatha Vimukthi Permuna (JVP) has alleged that there is a secret pact between Ranil and Prabhakaran to obtain Tamil votes.

JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe in a exclusive interview with this correspondent said that it was the reason why Ranil Wickremesinghe refused to condemn the LTTE for the assassinations of Former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and the two principals of Jaffna schools who refused to let LTTE recruit child soldiers . Somawansa also said due to the same reason Ranil also refused to praise the European Union for its ban of the terrorist outfit.

United National Front sources said that they are highly worried that Velupillai Prabhakaran would not be able to deliver the necessary number of votes from the Eastern Province for the victory of Ranil Wickremesinghe at the forthcoming Presidential elections due to the opposition from Karuna.

The pro-UNF Daily Mirror said Karuna would soon distribute leaflets in Batticaloa requesting people not to vote for Ranil Wickremesinghe.

In the past parliamentary elections the LTTE openly violated election laws and stuffed ballot boxes and openly practiced impersonations by using small children to vote to elect their proxy party , Tamil National Alliance members to the parliament.

They were expected to use the same methods at the forthcoming Presidential elections to bring victory to their allegedly favorite Ranil Wickremesinghe to power.

In the internecine warfare between Prabhakaran faction and Karuna faction one faction has been opposing the other faction in all their military and political activities. Karuna faction is therefore expected to oppose Ranil Wickremesinghe candidature at the Presidential elections since UNF’s alleged secret pact with the LTTE.

Although the LTTE publicly has declared that they would help neither candidates UNF political opponent Janatha Vimukthi Permuna (JVP) has alleged that there is a secret pact between Ranil and Prabhakaran to obtain Tamil votes.

JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe in a exclusive interview with this correspondent said that it was the reason why Ranil Wickremesinghe refused to condemn the LTTE for the assassinations of Former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and the two principals of Jaffna schools who refused to let LTTE recruit child soldiers . Somawansa also said due to the same reason Ranil also refused to praise the European Union for its ban of the terrorist outfit.
United National Front sources said that they are highly worried that Velupillai Prabhakaran would not be able to deliver the necessary number of votes from the Eastern Province for the victory of Ranil Wickremesinghe at the forthcoming Presidential elections due to the opposition from Karuna.

The pro-UNF Daily Mirror said Karuna would soon distribute leaflets in Batticaloa requesting people not to vote for Ranil Wickremesinghe.

In the past parliamentary elections the LTTE openly violated election laws and stuffed ballot boxes and openly practiced impersonations by using small children to vote to elect their proxy party , Tamil National Alliance members to the parliament.

They were expected to use the same methods at the forthcoming Presidential elections to bring victory to their allegedly favorite Ranil Wickremesinghe to power.

In the internecine warfare between Prabhakaran faction and Karuna faction one faction has been opposing the other faction in all their military and political activities. Karuna faction is therefore expected to oppose Ranil Wickremesinghe candidature at the Presidential elections since UNF’s alleged secret pact with the LTTE.

Although the LTTE publicly has declared that they would help neither candidates UNF political opponent Janatha Vimukthi Permuna (JVP) has alleged that there is a secret pact between Ranil and Prabhakaran to obtain Tamil votes.

JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe in a exclusive interview with this correspondent said that it was the reason why Ranil Wickremesinghe refused to condemn the LTTE for the assassinations of Former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and the two principals of Jaffna schools who refused to let LTTE recruit child soldiers . Somawansa also said due to the same reason Ranil also refused to praise the European Union for its ban of the terrorist outfit.


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