News Update - 20060110
*** Topic: Options running out for SL for peace ***
Rajapakse continues the tradition of paying lip-service to peace but making plans for war behind the scenes. The two countries with the most vested interests are India and the US. Although the US and India cooperate when it comes to IT business and China policies, they grapple with each other for the right to manipulate the conflict for personal gain.
Like the recent Iraq War for the US, the event of war in SL has been pre-decided by the SL government but without a chance or plan to win. SL will not be able to handle the LTTE militarily, but even more devastating to SL could be the effects of strikes on economic targets. In order to neutralize the disadvantage, SL is relying on either the US or India to come to its rescue.
Although India's intelligence agencies strongly urge India to get involved (so as to prevent the imminent formation of Tamil Eelam), the pro-Tamil parties' coalition from Tamil Nadu puts that out of the question and will continue to for the forseeable future.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4568940.stm
A wake-up call to all Tamils by a very supportive Sinhalese on the need of the hour for us expatriate Tamils:
http://www.sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/01-02_Pararajasingham_Murder_the_Fallout.php
This article says in another way what the LTTE has been saying for a long time now: if war starts, this war will be the final war to end them all.
http://www.tamilcanadian.com/pageview.php?ID=3725&SID=532
In yet another civilian killing by the army, 5 college youths were rounded up and shot.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4578868.stm
The paramilitaries working for the SL military killed the LTTE political leader of Vavuniya West.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16738
Norway's decision to no longer follow the EU's foreign terror list for the sake of its peace processes foreshadows the EU banning the LTTE in the future. On the other hand, that may not be likely so long as war is not in full-swing.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16756
http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/10/stories/2006011004801200.htm
A nice gesture to raise awareness that Tamils suffer no matter where they are in the island.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16770
The LTTE is known to get revenge for attacks on itself or Tamils. This is mostly likely a revenge attack by the LTTE for the 5 youths killed by the SL military.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4589758.stm
Anti-LTTE people in India are beside themselves to watch how the LTTE must be masterfully supporting the pro-Tamil TN parties coalition to support Eelam vocally at this juncture (no earlier, no later). In the future, full-day shutdowns (hartals) can and perhaps will be organized (and enforced by "rowdy" TN party supporters) when the time is right.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/07/stories/2006010704781100.htm
After getting nothing from India, SL took its begging to the US. This suggests that SL did not get anything that it wanted from the US besides useless moral support.
http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=16688
In desperation, Rajapakse himself is appealing to the international community personally, and using the latest naval attack craft attack to support this latest plea.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16807
The paramilitaries have only been able to launch attacks on the border areas of the LTTE held area. These attacks will not spark conventional war; they are instead further incidents in the intelligence war / shadow war. (Conventional war would be initiated by other means.)
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=16811