Archives

LTTE showing signs of becoming political entity - US State Dept

The LTTE's recent public statements give reason to hope that it intends to transform itself into a legitimate political entity, the US State Department said yesterday.

The LTTE has publicly accepted the concept of internal autonomy within a federal Sri Lankan state, conceding its longstanding demand for a separate Tamil Eelam state, the State Department said in its latest edition of 'Patterns of Global Terrorism'.

The report, presented in Washington by Secretary of State Colin Powell, stated that positive developments in Sri Lanka that began in 2001 continued in 2002. "The ceasefire between the LTTE and the Government, established in December 2001, was formalised in February 2002. Formal peace negotiations began in September 2002 and were continuing into 2003."

The State Department noted that it is "too early to tell whether the Sri Lankan peace process will ultimately bear fruit or whether the LTTE will actually reform itself".

"Although guarded optimism surrounds the peace process, the United States will continue to designate the LTTE as a Foreign Terrorist Organization until it unequivocally renounces terrorism in both word and deed," it said. The LTTE has not renounced terrorism; it continues to smuggle in weaponry; and it continues forcible recruitment, including the recruitment of children into its ranks."

The report said the LTTE is estimated to have 8,000 to 10,000 armed combatants in Sri Lanka, with a core of trained fighters of approximately 3,000 to 6,000. The LTTE also has a significant overseas support structure for fundraising, weapons procurement, and propaganda activities.

The Report said: "South Asia remained a central battleground in the global war on terrorism. The liberation of Afghanistan from the Taliban regime eliminated al-Qaida's principal base and sanctuary, but remnant cells continued to present a danger throughout Afghanistan. Fleeing terrorists also caused trouble in Pakistan and other states through which they transited. All countries in the South Asia region have strongly supported the Coalition effort against terrorism.

"The ceasefire in Sri Lanka between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan Government held throughout 2002, and the two sides began direct talks, facilitated by Norway, aimed at ending the country's long civil war and its attendant terrorism. At the same time, the Maoist insurgency in Nepal continued to be a bloody conflict characterized by the use of terrorist tactics. The Government of Nepal and the Maoists adopted a ceasefire in January 2003."

Presenting the report, Secretary Powell said the international campaign against terrorism that President Bush launched and leads continues to be waged on every continent. "With every passing month, that campaign has intensified. As the President has pledged, With the help of a broad coalition, we will make certain that terrorists and their supporters are not safe in any corner or cave of the world."

"We and other members of the international community are sharing intelligence and law enforcement information and cooperating more closely than ever before, and we are working with our partners around the world to help them build their domestic capacities to combat the terrorist threat within and across their national boundaries."

"Terrorism still casts its grim shadow across the globe. The international campaign against terrorism must press forward on every front: diplomatic, intelligence, law enforcement, financial and military. As our report indicates, 2002 saw an increase in global resolve and effectiveness against terrorism and a significant decrease in the number of terrorist attacks, from 355 in 2001, down to 199 in 2002."

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager