Terrorists KILLED
Prabhakaran’s son and Osama’s son:
Shenali Waduge
Barack Obama
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Osama bin Laden |
There is little doubt that both Prabhakaran and Osama were leaders of
two terrorist groups – feared and abhorred. Prabhakaran headed the LTTE
(Liberation of Tamil Tiger Eelam) whilst Osama headed the Al -qaeda.
Prabhakaran’s death was announced on May 18, 2009 while Osama was killed
on May 2, 2011. Sri Lanka is currently facing a plethora of allegations
following its decision to apply a Just War principle and take on the
armed non-State actor – LTTE after suffering 30 years of LTTE terror
attacks. The photo of Prabhakaran’s son with bullet wounds but without
blood and a film documentary funded to be screened annually every time
there are Geneva sessions has taken centre stage of the UNHRC.
There was no film however when 23 US Navy Seals invaded a sovereign
nation and killed Osama, the unarmed Al-qaeda leader and his unarmed son
watched by the US President, his Vice President, the US Secretary of
State and the US military heads. The killing of Prabhakaran’s son is
only an allegation – the killing of Osama’s unarmed son was watched by
the entire US military and State establishment – we would like to know
the reason behind the double standards for Sri Lanka? Was killing an
unarmed man not an assassination to which accomplices included those in
the White House watching the murder – though the world is a better place
now without both Prabhakaran and Osama bin Laden!
Osama’s son was 18 years while Prabhakaran’s son was 12 but both sons
were son’s of two terrorists. Prabhakaran’s son’s death is shrouded in
intrigue and whatever forensic evidence is gathered looking at a
photograph or the stories relayed looking at a picture of him munching a
biscuit in an underground fortified bunker cannot attribute his death to
that being committed by the Sri Lankan forces. Looking at two pictures
and determining that the Sri Lankan army killed the terrorist’s 12 year
old son is unacceptable in any court of law.
International laws
However, in the case of Osama bin Laden the raid by the US Navy seals
was undertaken in secret and Osama and son with several others were
killed whilst they were unarmed and whilst the President of the US and
his heads watched live. These clippings would be available with them
though classified. Osama was hiding in the city of Abbotabad/Pakistan.
“Geronimo EKIA” was the message to confirm Osama’s killing. The
orders were to kill Osama not capture him but the excuse given was “some
threatening moves were made that clearly represented a clear threat to
our guys. And that’s the reason they fired”. In the case of Prabhakaran,
the LTTE was offered several opportunities to lay down their arms and
surrender which they chose not to do and even the UN Panel of Expert
report says that the “Tigers kept on fighting even when it became clear
they had lost in order to save the lives of its leaders. This futile
prolonging of the conflict resulted in many civilians dying
unnecessarily”.
Us troops in Afghanistan |
Sri Lanka’s military did not flout international laws by invading a
sovereign nation yet the US Navy seals entered Pakistan without the
knowledge of the Pakistani government. When Sri Lanka announced the
elimination of the LTTE ground force and declared the country was free
from terrorism the UN Secretary General demanded that Sri Lanka refrain
from “triumphalism” but when Osama’s death was announced there were
celebrations worldwide and cries of “We are the champions”. “The bin
Laden operation was a landmark achievement by our country, by our
military, by our Intelligence Community, and by our Agency,” said the
acting Director of the CIA, Michael Morell.
Ironically, both Prabhakaran and Osama were almost the same age at
the time of their deaths – Prabhakaran was born on November 24, 1954
while Osama was born on March 10, 1957.
A year after US President says that Osama’s killing was “the most
important single day” of his time in the White House—and the daring Navy
SEAL raid that ended the Al-qaeda chief’s life was “the longest 40
minutes of my life.” (May 2, 2012).
Whilst the President of the US was all the while worried about the US
troops “I really want to get those guys back home safe” Sri Lanka’s
President is being questioned on allegations of civilian deaths where
four years on apart from 600 or so people claiming that 3000 are
missing, Sri Lanka is ordered to take responsibility for the deaths of
some 40,000 to 125,000 civilians when there is no kith to even come
forward to name these so called “executed” civilians. Can those who are
making these allegations at least produce evidence that 40,000 to
125,000 were born in Sri Lanka?
LTTE supporters
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Gordon Weiss |
Frances
Harrison |
What is also baffling is that whilst the Sri Lankan army declared it
was militarily taking on the LTTE but also gave the LTTE the opportunity
to lay down their arms and give themselves up which they did not do, the
Sri Lankan army cannot be faulted for proceeding. The Sri Lankan
President would have wanted to see “his guys” back home safe too.
What also needs to be clearly articulated is that on each occasion
that the LTTE was asked to release the civilians the LTTE, their LTTE
fronts overseas and LTTE supporters claimed the people were with them
voluntarily. When IHL is in force in an armed conflict all civilians
taking part in hostilities lose their right to protection as civilians,
yet despite this reality the Sri Lankan army saved approximately 295,000
civilians who had not eaten for days, evidence of how well the LTTE,
their saviors had looked after them!
If Charles Wolf whose wife died in 9/11, 2001 rejoiced at the death
of Osama “I am really glad that man’s evil is off this earth
forever….that his death was long overdue” – is it wrong for the people
of Sri Lanka to voice the same jubiliation given that we have a greater
right having suffered 30 years of LTTE terror whilst the US suffered
just one single event?
* The US says it was on a War with Al-qaeda – cannot Sri Lanka say
the same of LTTE?
* If US views Osama as a combatant – Sri Lanka has every right to do
the same.
* If US views Osama a mass murderer – Sri Lanka has far more right to
view Prabhakaran and the LTTE as such. We have 30 years of terrorism and
deaths to prove so.
Bin Laden’s safe house |
* US argues that whether Obama had a gun or not – it was lawful to
kill a combatant. Where would Sri Lanka’s case be different?
* If the US Attorney General Eric Holder can tell the US Senate
Committee that the US Navy Seal operation was legal – can Sri Lanka’s
Attorney General say the same? For 9/11 which was carried out not by any
Afghans, Afghanistan was attacked and US breached Pakistan’s sovereignty
and killed an unarmed enemy commander citing Yamamoto in World War II
who was shot down. What would Sri Lanka’s position be?
What would Callum MacRae, Channel 4, HRW, Gordon Weiss, Frances
Harrison and scores of others have to say about a Whitehouse official
saying “we have been happy just to get the son. It’s a real bonus to get
them both”. Prabhakaran’s son’s death being attributed to the Sri Lankan
army based on a photograph is nowhere alarming as that of an 18year old
unarmed Osama’s son being killed in a sting operation that breached the
sovereignty of a nation and carried out whilst being relayed live to the
President of the US and all of his national security team.
There is something amiss here. We would like to know why all these
double standards are applied to country as Sri Lanka? |