Defence Ministry Assurances Of Preparedness To Face Any LTTE Attrocities, War In Particular! Fact Or Fiction?

The Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry has acknowledged through a recent statement by Minister Marapone that the LTTE rebels have doubled their military strength since they entered a Norwegian brokered truce in February last year, but said troops were ready if war broke out. Rather cautiously the Nation now awaits the assurances given on the issue, being hotly debated by opposition factions as to whether Minister Marapone's statement has any credibility towards reality in the unforeseen event of the LTTE going the wrong way and ending up resuming attrocities which have thus far remained discontinued since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and the Norwegian Brokered Ceasefire.

A statement similar to that of Minister Marapone has not been heard to the intensity with which it was dispensed within Parliament ever before, where the Administration has remained non committal in the past on the arms and cadre buildup of the LTTE which has been questioned in Parliament on many an occassion by the President and Opposition Parties and the conclusion by the analysts is that there has been a rather dramatic change of attitude by the Administration to openly declare a readiness to face any adversity presented by the LTTE and a filip to the Nation's apprehensive masses afraid of another conflict which could be based upon confidences renewed together with assurances from Superpowers USA and India with whom intensified Government representations by way of cordial communications and negotiations have been seen as a strengthening of co-operation towards the long term security of Sri Lanka as well as Regional Security in South Asia.

An Open declaration by way of testimony by the Defence Minister made on Wednesday in Parliament, has said quote" The military was aware of the build-up of forces by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), including their conscription of child soldiers, but were preparing military strategies to address any renewed Tiger offensive" end quote which many see as being broadbased upon the assurances of Sri Lanka's closest allies. And these strategies it is fervently hoped are of a substantial nature and not a mere figment of the imagination!

Refering to the LTTE build-up as being concentrated in the Island's Eastern Province, Marapana was quoted as saying that "The significance is not the number of camps in which this increased strengths are stationed but, the fact that the LTTE's strength has nearly doubled since the ceasefire,We have taken this into consideration in the preparation of military strategies to defend the Trincomalee Harbour and the civilian population in this area as well, for any eventual offensive against the LTTE should the occasion arise" in a remarkably open manner contrary to previous posturings of the Administration which showed indifference to the seriousness of the matter where an about turn of near nonchalance was very apparent! making the more discerning wonder what the confidences shown were based on and whether or not they had to do with assurances from strong allies and the deterrent they would pose to be, towards any unforeseen LTTE fancy ideas!.
Penchant towards open dialogue in this instance while dismissing Opposition accusations that the Government has turned a blind eye to the rebel build-up in the northeastern port district of Trincomalee this has been noted as perhaps the winds of change which could turn around apprehensions by the Sinhala Nation that the UNF indeed have indicated a readiness to deliver their assurances towards the Security of Sri Lanka while delivering her from her enemies, specifically the LTTE whose voicings of late have indicated bitterness and anger at the direction of the Peace Negotiations not going to their expectations yet controlled to the degree where assurance towards never again returning to war have also been heard Sotto Voce! which if proven true is a feather in the cap of the Administration.

Nevertheless, bearing in mind that the ceasefire has afforded the Tigers many opportunities to boost their fighting capacity which the opposition analysts deduce as an error of judgement and a dangerous price to pay in order to ensure peace, they have contended that in initiating the ceasefire the obvious aim was to solve the problems with the LTTE not by the use of force , but by overly lax negotiations which provided unwarranted freedom of movemet to the LTTE, and the many other conciliations extended there have also been opportunities provided to use their renewed regrouping as a bargaining tool where even the mere suggestion of events which could once again lead the country to a burdensome war abhorrent if the end result was set in place by an indiscreet Administration which thought little about National Security in its pursuit of peace despite Defence Ministry assuarances which may yet ring hollow!!


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		The Lankaweb Weekly Editorial
FRONT PAGE NEWS . CLASSIFIED . DHAMMAWEB . SANDUN UYANA . ANTENNA . EVENTS DIARY . LONDON DIARY . FEATURES . LETTERS.		Defence Ministry Assurances Of Preparedness To Face Any LTTE Attrocities, War In Particular! Fact Or Fiction? The Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry has acknowledged through a recent statement by Minister Marapone that the LTTE rebels have doubled their military strength since they entered a Norwegian brokered truce in February last year, but said troops were ready if war broke out. Rather cautiously the Nation now awaits the assurances given on the issue, being hotly debated by opposition factions as to whether Minister Marapone's statement has any credibility towards reality in the unforeseen event of the LTTE going the wrong way and ending up resuming attrocities which have thus far remained discontinued since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and the Norwegian Brokered Ceasefire. A statement similar to that of Minister Marapone has not been heard to the intensity with which it was dispensed within Parliament ever before, where the Administration has remained non committal in the past on the arms and cadre buildup of the LTTE which has been questioned in Parliament on many an occassion by the President and Opposition Parties and the conclusion by the analysts is that there has been a rather dramatic change of attitude by the Administration to openly declare a readiness to face any adversity presented by the LTTE and a filip to the Nation's apprehensive masses afraid of another conflict which could be based upon confidences renewed together with assurances from Superpowers USA and India with whom intensified Government representations by way of cordial communications and negotiations have been seen as a strengthening of co-operation towards the long term security of Sri Lanka as well as Regional Security in South Asia. An Open declaration by way of testimony by the Defence Minister made on Wednesday in Parliament, has said quote" The military was aware of the build-up of forces by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), including their conscription of child soldiers, but were preparing military strategies to address any renewed Tiger offensive" end quote which many see as being broadbased upon the assurances of Sri Lanka's closest allies. And these strategies it is fervently hoped are of a substantial nature and not a mere figment of the imagination! Refering to the LTTE build-up as being concentrated in the Island's Eastern Province, Marapana was quoted as saying that "The significance is not the number of camps in which this increased strengths are stationed but, the fact that the LTTE's strength has nearly doubled since the ceasefire,We have taken this into consideration in the preparation of military strategies to defend the Trincomalee Harbour and the civilian population in this area as well, for any eventual offensive against the LTTE should the occasion arise" in a remarkably open manner contrary to previous posturings of the Administration which showed indifference to the seriousness of the matter where an about turn of near nonchalance was very apparent! making the more discerning wonder what the confidences shown were based on and whether or not they had to do with assurances from strong allies and the deterrent they would pose to be, towards any unforeseen LTTE fancy ideas!. Penchant towards open dialogue in this instance while dismissing Opposition accusations that the Government has turned a blind eye to the rebel build-up in the northeastern port district of Trincomalee this has been noted as perhaps the winds of change which could turn around apprehensions by the Sinhala Nation that the UNF indeed have indicated a readiness to deliver their assurances towards the Security of Sri Lanka while delivering her from her enemies, specifically the LTTE whose voicings of late have indicated bitterness and anger at the direction of the Peace Negotiations not going to their expectations yet controlled to the degree where assurance towards never again returning to war have also been heard Sotto Voce! which if proven true is a feather in the cap of the Administration. Nevertheless, bearing in mind that the ceasefire has afforded the Tigers many opportunities to boost their fighting capacity which the opposition analysts deduce as an error of judgement and a dangerous price to pay in order to ensure peace, they have contended that in initiating the ceasefire the obvious aim was to solve the problems with the LTTE not by the use of force , but by overly lax negotiations which provided unwarranted freedom of movemet to the LTTE, and the many other conciliations extended there have also been opportunities provided to use their renewed regrouping as a bargaining tool where even the mere suggestion of events which could once again lead the country to a burdensome war abhorrent if the end result was set in place by an indiscreet Administration which thought little about National Security in its pursuit of peace despite Defence Ministry assuarances which may yet ring hollow!!
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