Cancelled Canadian radar program is Sri Lanka's gain

A high-tech radar capable of monitoring small boats operated by drug dealers and terrorists and developed with Canadian tax dollars is being installed in Sri Lanka after the federal government decided it couldn't use the system.

The high-frequency surface wave radar, developed at a cost of $39-million by Ottawa defence scientists and Raytheon Canada Limited, had been hailed several years ago by federal officials as the only one of its kind in the world and a major boost for domestic security.

The federal government set aside $43-million to build and operate eight radar sites on the East and West Coasts as part of its push to improve security in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the U.S.

But the government has shut down the existing experimental radar sites in Newfoundland and the program has been cancelled. The project was derailed after one complaint was received that the radar interfered with civilian communications. The experimental radars had been operating for 10 years without a complaint.

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http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=269565

Sri Lanka main opposition to stay out of independence day celebrations

Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) said here Monday that they would not take part in the official celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of independence on Feb. 4.

"We will not be taking part in the celebrations", Tissa Attanayake, the UNP general secretary, told reporters.

"It was UNP which gained independence to the country in 1948. What we have seen since then is that all governments other than the UNP governments have undone our achievement of gaining independence. There is no freedom to celebrate," Attanayake said.

He said the country is presently undergoing hardships in all aspects of life, including education, health, economy and the separatist armed conflict in the island's north and east provinces.

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/28/content_7513161.htm

Lankan Politician turned back for ‘LTTE links’ from Chennai

The immigration authorities at Chennai international airport turned back a senior Sri Lankan political leader on Thursday night on suspicion that he might have LTTE links.

Middle-aged Nityanandan Indrakumar had to take the flight back to Colombo after failing to convince the immigration officers that he had nothing to do with the Tamil Tigers and was, in fact, the secretary-general of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), a recognised political party in Sri Lanka with four MPs in Parliament.

"Indrakumar came with his wife and three children by Air Lanka UL123 Thursday night. The immigration officers at the airport told him that only his wife and children were permitted entry and he should go back to Colombo. He pleaded he was the leader of a recognised political party, which has been pro-India since its birth almost 30 years ago. But the officers would not relent. This is unfortunate," said Mr Sivajilingam, a TELO parliamentarian. He said Mr Indrakumar went back with his wife and children.

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http://lankaguardian.blogspot.com/2008/01/pro-ltte-lankan-mp-sent-back-from.html

Congress seeks stern action against LTTE supporters

Congress on Monday asked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to take "stern action" against the LTTE supporters in the state.

In a letter to Karunanidhi, state Congress President M Krishnaswamy said that in the past two months, some political as well as non-political organisations had been "openly supporting" LTTE, the banned terrorist outfit, at public meetings and through media.

"They were also making comments demeaning the Congress, which not only hurt the sentiments of the party workers in the state, but also the feelings of the public as a whole," he said in the letter.

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/

JVP rejects solution based on Indian model

The JVP yesterday rejected APRC (All Party Representative Committee) call for a series of measures to achieve maximum and effective devolution of powers to the provinces in the short term.

JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said that Minister Tissa Vitarana’s so called APRC was no APRC at all. How could they categorise it as an all party committee when the JVP and the UNP weren’t represented. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which recognised the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamil speaking people, too, boycotted the committee.

Addressing the press at Savsiripaya auditorium, Amarasinghe asserted that except the SLFP, other parties which endorsed the proposals were in fact no political parties. They were ‘three wheeler’ parties and their endorsement wouldn’t mean a thing, he said.


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http://www.island.lk/2008/01/28/news1.html

Air force pounds Pooneryn

The Air Force pounded LTTE artillery positions in Pooneryn in the North this morning minutes after the rebels launched a barrage of attacks towards military positions in Jaffna.

Source,
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=5036