Shenali D Waduge

On Easter Sunday 21 April 2019 – 8 bombs went off in churches & hotels in Colombo & Batticoloa. Why churches – who decided ? Why Batticoloa, why 3 particular hotels & why have 2 bombers target 1 hotel? 269 innocent people died, for whose objective? Why a jihadi attack, when LTTE had been killing for decades. How come the attackers were from well to do homes? Did political interference prevent action against jihadi groups emerging since 2016? If so, who were the politicians and why? With ISIS declaring a caliphate in Asia which included Sri Lanka, why were the units overshadowing extremist groups disbanded? Who gave the orders?

It was only after the attacks that prior warnings had been given came to be known. These warnings had been given by Indian intel & questions why they were ignored as well as returns to the question of why units shadowing extremist groups were disbanded after regime change in 2015? The warnings had even named Zahran Hashim & indicated churches would be targets. Zahran’s public speeches openly supported Islamic State (not GR) Intel was also at the site in Kattankudy & could read the nature of the speeches. 

No conspiracy theory can eliminate the inaction by the government in power who had been handed intel on likely attacks with names, venues & dates.

Anyone pointing fingers cannot forget this fact.

The other fact that those attempting to blame others cannot forget is that the Islamic State featured the attacks on their Amaq news agency and referred to the suicide bombers as Islamic State fighters” followed by a video pledging allegiance to ISIS leaderAbu Bakr al-Baghdaadi. On 29 April the Islamic State released a video of their leader claiming the Easter attacks to be revenge for the March 2019 defeat in Baghuz (Syria)  Two facts that are important as ISIS was eyeing South Asia as its next Caliphate aligned with US’s pivot to Asia.

Those who claim the Easter Attacks were engineered to bring GR to power must negate the above facts.

The next fact is that a sudden haul of swords were discovered – how did these get imported and why were over 1400 swords kept ready?

By May 7, over 50 people had been arrested by the CID amongst whom was Mohamed Naufer who was said to succeed Zaharan.

The radicalization soon led to violence & is a first indication of what was to come.

10 March 2017 – Zaharan & Co came with swords, rods and petrol bombs against Sufis. This was how a warrant for Zaharan’s arrest was made.

In March 2018, Zahran called for the killing of non-Muslims in Sri Lanka. The video of this is said to have been  handed to police.

30 Nov 2018, 2 police officers were killed in Vavunathivu, a town near Batticoloa – one officer was stabbed 25 times in the chest & head & then shot dead. The other too was stabbed & shot dead.

26 Dec 2018 – 2 youths on motorcycles damaged a few Buddha statues in Mawanella (2 brothers) Zaharan had indoctrinated them. 13 more youths were arrested, one of these tipped the police about the stash of weapons & explosives in a coconut estate in Wanathawilluwa.

17 Jan 2019 – police arrested 4 suspects at the estate possessing 100kg of explosives and ammunition. One of the arrested was Zaharan’s driver M. Shariff Adam Lebbe who admitted to killing the 2 police officers in Nov 2018. Law enforcement returned to the estate to find more weapons.

All of the above showcase indoctrination & ties to the Islamic State. This is further established by the video release by ISIS via its official website.

Indian intel have also been investigating ISIS and foreign fighters & support base in Kerala & Tamil Nadu and on 2 Sept 2018 Indian intel raided some sites. They also discovered links between Coimbatore & Zahran Hashim. Speeches by Zahran & phone records were also discovered. Who was influencing whom is not known but that Zahran was very much involved in ISIS ideology was clear. How far that ideology aims to put a Buddhist as President is left to the common sense of the reader.

The conspiracy theorists should also wonder at the manner indoctrination is taking place even on western climes – the Dehiwela bomber Jameel Mohamed was a post-graduate student in Australia & returned to Sri Lanka in 2013. Reuters reported another Sri Lanka software engineer 24 year old Aadhil Ameez who was being monitored by Indian intel. It was a concern to a lot of Muslims that indoctrination of Muslims were being done overseas and not in Sri Lanka & this is a factor that concerns a lot of Sri Lankan Muslims.

Zaharan’s driver Adam Lebbe gave authorities another tip. 26 April 2019 – police raided a house in Sammanthurai in Ampara & recovered a drone, bomb-making materials, suicide vests & Islamic State flag & same clothing as those wearing in the video.

Adam Lebbe may also like to verify details being spewed by C4’s star witness Hamsa Maulana.

Those promoting a different version may also like to explain the manner that Zahran’s family ended up shooting at police resulting in their deaths. Islamic State claimed this raid resulted in 17 police officers getting killed though in reality no police officers died except for Rilwan & other family members of Zahran.

Whatever the mockumentary & its star witness may aspire to claim there are some facts that cannot be ignored

• Warnings were given by India linking Zahran to Islamic State & giving targets of a suicide attack – the government in power did not take action (was the govt in power told not to take action by the candidate planning to run for President, as bizarre as it sounds this is what C4 is trying to drill into the minds of the naïve)
• Islamic State official website admits the attack was by their fighters & hails them
• Zaharan & NTJ’s extremism was known but units shadowing them were disbanded – was this done by the candidate planning to come to power or by officials who were not even in the country & serving in any military role?
• Cabinet Minister & Govt spokesman Rajitha Senaratne confirmed rumors that a suicide attack on places of Christian worship & tourist areas were shared by foreign intel
• By February 2018 – it was clear from the LG Poll results that the sitting government had lost the people’s mandate & was likely to be defeated at the next election (explains why the present president passed the pillow to current opposition leader to contest in 2020)

The IRA tactic was to inform where they would target & cause public mayhem out of fear. The LTTE attacked without announcement, taking all by surprise. The authorities had no means to protect or prevent victim deaths. The ISIS targets were made known weeks in advance including names of the suicide members. If actions were not taken, it is the responsibility of those who had the powers to take orders, who were informed but did not give orders. This is why the Courts have declared that both President Sirisena & then PM RanilW had to pay compensation of Rs.100m each. 2 Presidential Commission reports & 1 Parliamentary Committee Report gives details of events that unfolded.

Anyone claiming economic asylum must first be able to with evidence refute what is in the Commission reports. No Mockumentary can come up with sensational & irresponsible journalism and use the podium of social media and propaganda to fool the masses who have no time to read the pages in the Commission reports.

The general public must not allow paid films to create disharmony. Obviously this channel is infamous for its ties to the LTTE bandwagon, its directors are regular attendees to their events. This is an attempt by the LTTE, to use Islamic terrorists to kill Catholics and blame it on Buddhists and all the communities must understand this web of deceit and not allow those with agendas to divide people any more than they have.

The British Prime Minister must rope in on the channel trying to promote economic asylum seekers by creating political issues.

Shenali D Waduge