Full horrors of LTTE terror

The LTTE's fiendish thirst for blood is extending beyond the Lankan State and aiming at grievously harming even her friends in the South Asian region. Sufficient proof of this has been provided by the LTTE's attempt yesterday to assassinate the outgoing Pakistani High Commissioner, in the heart of Colombo. We are glad he escaped unhurt.

While decrying this attempt on the life of the Pakistani High Commissioner we also register our horror and revulsion on the killing of the many Lankan Security Forces personnel who were accompanying him and providing him protection. Our hearts also go out to the scores of civilians who were injured in the blast.

So pervasive is the intolerance, hatred and terror sowed by the Tigers that even Sri Lanka's neighbours are not spared. We hope that at least now the world community would alert itself to the full horrors of LTTE terror. Their blind hatred, apparently, would stop at nothing and this is why the international community should help in bringing the Tigers to heel.

This is a task which cannot wait until tomorrow. The world must activate itself now to contain the LTTE and impress on it the importance of giving-up the terror weapon.

The fact that the LTTE has been continuously shunning the State's invitation to negotiations and going ahead with its blood splurge is ample evidence of its completely degenerate nature.

Terror comes naturally to the LTTE and there does not seem to be an alternative to using tough law-and-order measures to contain the terror group and impress on it the need to consider alternatives to violence and bloodshed.

The attempt on the life of the High Commissioner is also proof that the Tigers are part of the global terror network which is attempting to bleed the world white. It was the conviction that the global terror network needs to be handled by tough law-and-order means which led the US into launching the "war on terror." The US read the writing on the wall on September 11, and launched the required measures to curb the spreading terror threat. Some time back it also saw the wisdom of outlawing the LTTE on its soil.

Time has proved that the US was right. If the problems at the heart of terror are to be resolved, the terrorists should be brought to heel first. There could be no let up in this effort.

Enough is enough we say, the world must put in an united, concerted effort to make the going tough for the LTTE, whose brutality is unmatched in the world. Democracy and civilized living is not possible with the LTTE roaming at large.

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