Patil expresses concern over LTTE’s ‘air capability’

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has expressed concern over the reported air capability of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that could be a threat to the vital installations in South India.

Stressing the need to synergise the efforts of all key partners for a safer and more efficient functioning of the installations in various sectors, he said the government would take all steps to protect the atomic energy installations and ports.

Inaugurating a “Security of Installations in Key Sectors” conference on Monday, Mr. Patil said the government was aware of the need to provide foolproof, multi-tier security to key atomic plants, establishments of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other set-ups in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The conference was attended by heads of installations along with their security chiefs.

“There is a need to pool our efforts, have better coordination and upgrade our technological skills to secure our installations, which are critical to our country,” he said.

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http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/14/stories/2008051459781700.htm

If Sri Lanka Fails Against LTTE the World Fails Fight Against Terrorism-Rajapaksa Tells Oxford Union

Calling it the plain truth President Mahinda Rajapaksa said if Sri Lanka failed in her war against the LTTE the world will fail in its fight against terrorism and democracy will be victim addressing the Oxford University Student Union.

“The LTTE is the most brutal terror outfit the world has ever seen and defeating them requires global support. What Sri Lanka is doing..is fighting the terror outfit single handed to ensure that democracy and respect for human life prevail in the world,” the President said .

Calling the LTTE the main obstacle to development in Sri lanka the President said, it is time the world raising its united voice express its utter revulsion of the barbaric practice of suicide bombings and that form of political expression , if it could be described as such is utterly unacceptable in the civilized world.
Speaking to a packed house of Britishers and expatriate Sri Lankans the President pointed out at the Oxonians like the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike whose wife was the first woman Prime Minister of the world and the late Laxman Kadirgamar who was brutally assassinated by the LTTE.

Sri Lankan Society President Dilan Fernando and his members were joined by Pakistani, Palestine, Indian Socociety members in felicitating the President. Thai Society also sent their delegation to the audience.

The following is the unedited full text of the President’s speech:
#“It is with much pleasure that I address you in these hallowed surroundings tonight. I must thank the Oxford Union and Mr Dilan Fernando for this opportunity. Many renowned speakers have addressed you from here before me. I do not seek to match them in their eloquence but I do wish to speak to you on a subject of much interest to my country at the present time.

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http://www.sinhalaya.com/news/english/wmview.php?ArtID=15276

Air Force bombs key terror training facility - Kilinochchi

Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets bombed a key LTTE training facility located at Kollanvillu, 4 Km South of Mulankavil in the Kilinochchi district this morning (May 14).

According to the Air Force sources, few air sorties were carried out between 7.15 - 7.30 am targeting the LTTE camp. The sources said that the target has been registered by the defence intelligence authorities after thorough ground surveillance. The target was effectively acquired, the sources added.

Extracted from,
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080514_06

Sri Lankan PM says no more truce with Tamil rebels

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said here Tuesday the government would never enter into any more cease-fire agreements with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Wickramanayake said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had exploited cease-fire agreements with the government in the past.

"I will tell you one thing for sure. There will never be anymore cease-fire agreements in the future with the LTTE", the prime minister said.

Wickramanayake's government in January this year unilaterally withdrew from the February 2002 cease-fire.

The Norwegian backed cease-fire held until the end of 2005 when violence escalated. The new wave of violence in the island's long drawn out separatist armed conflict has so far cost over 7,000 lives since December 2005.

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/14/content_8164083.htm

Sacred Tears in Anuradhapura Sri Maha Bodhi Remembered

EXACTLY 23 YEARS AGO on a sunny day (14th May 1985) like this Wednesday (14), Sri Lankans as well as the Buddhist world were traumatized to hear one of their most venerated Buddhist places of worship, Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi at Anuradhapura has been desecrated by a bunch of barbaric Tiger terrorists who went on a killing spree firing on meditating devotees.

Brainwashed blood thirsty fanatics on a snatched state bus on that ill-fated day first stormed the central bus stand in the old town and splashed those present there with a rain of gunfire indiscriminately. As unarmed affected civilians in the town began running in all directions hysterically, many lay dead or bleeding with no knowledge of what was going around, as the terrorists made their way towards the sacred Bo Tree for another heinous crime.

Those armed terrorists then sprayed both the upper layer (Uda Maluwa) and the lower layer (Pahala Maluwa) with bullets, causing the entire sacred place splattered with blood, as scores of meditating and worshiping Buddhist nuns, white-clad observers of eight precepts and other devotees lay dead or unconscious after struck by terrorist bullets.

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http://www.army.lk/morenews.php?id=13220
Photo,
http://www.army.lk/editor/images/2008-01/3_4.jpg