RCMP COMMISSIONER SAYS TAMIL TIGERS ARRIVING IN CANADIAN WATERS IN A SHIP OWNNED BY THEM RAISES SECURITY CONCERNS
Posted on November 1st, 2009
By Walter Jayawardhana
CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Commissioner of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) William Elliot said that security experts fear the migrant smuggling ship intercepted off the West Canadian coast could be the first wave of defeated Tiger fighters fleeing for safe haven following their devastating defeat in May this year, in Sri Lanka .
The RCMP Commissioner said the very arrival of the defeated terrorists in a ship owned by them and the potential for others to follow raises serious security concerns for Canada.
William Elliot was addressing on Friday (October 30)an Ottawa Conference of security and intelligence experts.
Canada, he added, also home to an estimated 250,000 Tamils and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-one of the few places in the world where LTTE terrorists (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or Tamil Tigers) and supporters might seek to hide in plain sight, and potentially launch terrorist activities.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
Terrorism experts say, the Commissioner said, the migrant smuggling ship intercepted off the West Coast carrying 76 Sri Lankan Tamil men this month is owned by the outlawed Tamil Tigers. Some fear it may be the first wave of defeated Tiger fighters fleeing for safe haven following the end of Sri Lanka’s 25-year civil war.
Although it is too early to reach conclusions whether any of the people pose a security threat to Canada, the fact that they have come, and the potential for others to follow, raises security concerns, said Elliott.
Even if the object of potential LTTE terrorists in Canada was not specifically Canadian, the results could still be devastating, he said.