Economy up despite LTTE activity - Strategy Page

The LTTE is declining and the economy is growing, the respected military website Strategy Page said yesterday.

Despite the fighting in the North, and the occasional terrorist bomb, tourism, and economic activity in general, are up nearly ten per cent over last year, the Page said.

It said: "The Government needs the added tax revenues, because over $1.5 billion has been spent on military operations so far this year. The fighting has left over 4,000 dead so far this year, about 80 percent of the them LTTE fighters.

The army is fighting a cautious war, using its greater numbers and firepower to destroy the LTTE defensive positions, without exposing itself to the kind of commando type attacks the LTTE has used so often in the past.

The LTTE still controls over 300,000 civilians in the North, but is having to conscript more of them to fight. Morale among the Tamil population in LTTE territory is low. The LTTE leaders are willing to fight to the death, most fellow Tamils are not."