Bolstering security

The ease with the which the LTTE suicide bomber struck on Sunday only goes to show that the best of security arrangements cannot be good enough. The presence of security men in their numbers, bullet proof vehicles and back up forces alone would not guarantee one's safety unless extra precautions are taken. If not, all such efforts would come to nought.

There can however be no denying that there was a severe security breach that day which was successfully penetrated by the LTTE suicide bomber to wreak carnage. In an environment where terror stalks every nook and corner one cannot afford complacency. According to the TV footage of the scene there was hardly any security presence at the venue and guard was literally down despite the fact that it was very well known that Minister Fernandopulle was a prime target of the LTTE.

The question to be asked is was it necessary for the organisers of this event to invite Minister Fernandopulle who as is commonly known is wont to mingle with the crowds dispensing with security. Could it be that this habit of his was closely monitored by the LTTE and the attack planned making use of this lacuna ?

What was the urgency of a Government Minister to be present at a sporting event where security was bound to be minimal ? Such risks should engage the attention of those involved in mapping out security for VIPs. The heads of the respective Ministerial Security divisions should have a say in assessing the risks confronting a Minister and given the power to veto any assignments that are deemed risky that the Minister may wish to undertake.

We say this going by past experience when VIPs had thrown caution to the winds and presented themselves as sitting ducks to terror attacks. Sunday's attack clearly was a well planned exercise taking into account all the security lapses including the propensity of the Minister to be lax with his security being a popular figure among the masses.

It was a similar security lacuna that enabled the LTTE to penetrate the security ring of President R. Premadasa. A series of assassinations since then under similar circumstances had not yet opened the eyes of our security establishment to the modus operandi of the LTTE. Even in the case of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the Tigers identified a place and a time to target him.

There is an urgent need for a reappraisal of Ministerial security especially since the LTTE, with mounting military pressure on the outfit, has now even started taking on soft targets, merely to cause destabilisation in the South.

We hope the fate that befell Minister Fernandopulle will persuade his colleagues against throwing caution to the winds vis-a-vis their security and not expose themselves to undue risks.

Their public engagements should be cut down to the bare minimum or better dispensed with altogether given the easy access to information on VIP movements obtained by the Tigers as evidenced by the presence of a LTTE suicide bomber in Weliweriya stalking a Government Minister.

And is it really necessary to paste posters announcing the presence of VIPs at public functions weeks in advance ? After all, technologies such as video conferencing, now becoming increasingly cheaper, have made meetings redundant.

We say this because we see politicians today gracing occasions even for the simple laying of a foundation stone in their rural constituencies giving the terrorists a close study of their movements.

We Lankans are notorious for not learning from past lapses and this is amply demonstrated by our attitude to security matters. Our collective amnesia have made us forget even the most horrendous carnage after the initial brouhaha and we lapse into indifference and let down our guard until the next strike. The Tiger is patient and bides its time until the ideal opening presents itself to it.

It is time that we shake off this habit and instead be constantly alive to the ever present danger in our midst. There is also the need to beef up our intelligence gathering. There is therefore a need to spread the net wider even if this will require huge manpower and additional resources.

The upcoming festive season should certainly see restricted movements of VIPs. It is hoped that this continues so as to reduces the odds against terrorist attacks which also claim other innocent lives in the process.

The demise the Minister Fernandopulle we hope will once and for all make our politicians realise the gravity of the situation and be circumspect about their movements.