Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Army to raise 61st division

The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) will soon raise the 61st division, raising the number of active divisions in the army to 13. The new division will mostly consist of soldiers recruited during the period of 2007-2008. The 61st division, like the 57th, 58th and 59th divisions, will be raised as an offensive formation, a concept of Major General Sarath Fonseka. For more details of SLA divisions, please read this article.

The army has been running lengthy recruitment campaigns for the past two years backed by heavy advertising through electronic and printed media. According to our sources, the responses to these recruitment drives has so far been positive. 30000 personnel were newly recruited in the year 2007 alone and another 15000 are set to be recruited in the 2008. So far, 3000 personnel have joined the army during the past two months in year 2008.

In news from the northern front, Military Intelligence has now confirmed that Prabhakaran's official photographer, "Thavam", has succumbed to his injuries in Kilinochchi hospital. It is believed he was seriously wounded in the Radha base bombing on the 14th. Thavam, who joined the LTTE in 1981, has been promoted to Lt Colonel rank, the second highest rank in LTTE hierarchy.

Meanwhile on the 16th, several civilians in Mahakachchikodi alerted the security establishment of a possible LTTE infiltration in Erupothana region. A group of army soldiers who were dispatched to search the area came under hostile fire on the 17th. One soldier was killed in the incident. Yesterday (18th), a claymore mine was set off targeting an army Unibuffel in the same region. 3 soldiers were seriously wounded in the incident and the vehicle too received damages. Security has been tightened in the area following these incidents fearing Thanamalvila type attacks in the region.

Another electricity transformer was blown up today at 2.00AM in the Mundalama area. This is the third transformer to be destroyed in the past few weeks. The electricity board is said to have incurred a LKR 15 million loss due to the destruction of these assets. LTTE are seemingly revisiting their terror tactics in the 2nd and 3rd Eelam wars in a bid to disrupt civilian life in the south.

70 comments:

  1. How possible it is to provide police/CDF security for transformers island wide? Destroying transformers is basicaly a financial issue. As it is not black tigers doing this and probably some makkal padai guys I guess it is possible to catch them if we are vigilant.

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  2. Another division? wow...this is crazy. So the total armed personnel will reach 1/2 milllion is that correct? To fight an enemey numbering <10000?
    Won't the resources that would be allocated to these units better spent if we purchased much needed equipment like de-mining gear and armour?

    At this rate SLA will be able to de-mine the LTTE FDL with soldiers (1 soldier per mine).

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  3. i guess the best would be to establish motor patrols....we got plenty of those defender jeeps haha.. all we hafta do is patrol..

    i was jus wonderin..if ww2 heavy bombers..like b-15''s, etc etc.... be usefull in the lankan theatre of war....

    i mean instead of getting expensive stuff why not go for homebuilt cheapers stuff...even couple of mosquitos wud be great..aww those were great machiness *Awed*

    cheers
    vik

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  4. @blackhawk...

    I know....soon ther will be a time when one in every 5 lankan will be in the armed forces...wait are we ther already....

    it aint good on the economy :(...
    its like streching a rubber band to its extremes.. well in lankas case it mite already be broken..... no offence :(

    jus feel bad with all this war going on.. its taking us no wher...

    only if the govt wud invest in massive reconstruction...thus creating employment and starting the cycle of economy :(

    why cant we jus prosper like all the rest of the asian countries.. i wonder sumtimes.. arent both the sides fed up of this war.. its been 60 darn years dammit....:(

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  5. Radha Base seems to be hitted very bad. Ltte is really "enjoying" the war. More to come!.

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  6. Is this 30000 only for SLA? What about for SLN/SLAF?

    We may not need large SLA after the war assuming it ends within next five years. But we need to strengthen the SLN. We are an island having a sea larger than to land but we ignored naval aspect. This happened for 1000+ years and we paid for that mistake.

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  7. ninja,

    Don't expect this war to be fully over in five years. We need a 500,000 military for next 30 years at least. Proportions should be changed between Army, Air Force,and Navy. However, number should not diminish at all. We need to look beyond the current terrorist problem towards future conflicts in times we compete for resources. We also need to have a defence alliance with India to fend off future threats. However, we need to ramp up our military industry to sustain the growth. Hope our CDL is capable of building more OPVs!

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  9. rajarata,

    If you are talking about "Sencholei," take look at the first photo of the following BBC link.

    BBC: LTTE Lies

    The "school girl" seems to be in a LTTE uniform with a pistol holster.

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  10. vikram said...

    i was jus wonderin..if ww2 heavy bombers..like b-15''s, etc etc.... be usefull in the lankan theatre of war....

    Vikram,

    The Mig 27s in the SLAF have a payload of 3000 Kgs of external ordinance, which is almost the same payload as one of the biggest bombers of WW2, the B17 Fly Fortress



    Aircraft: MiG-27K. Take-off mass 18,100kg (max 20,670kg). Combat load mass 4,00kg. Fuel 4,600kg (with extra tanks 6,600kg). Max speed at 11km 1,800km/h (at ground 1,350km/h). Practical ceiling 15,600m. Max overload 7.0. Low altitude range [n/a] (with extra fuel tanks 580km). Max distance 2,500km. Length 17.04m. Wing span 7.78/14.0m Wing area 34.16/37.27m². Heigth 5.0m.

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  11. I totally agree with ninja…SLN should be strengthen to get long lasting protection for the country …I think government must explore the way of developing naval area of the country ..it will help for security and also to use the resources we never touch…as par as I know we build small boats for SLN but there is lot more to do in this area…

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  12. If cost to maintain one SLA is Rs. 40k a month including salary, food, transport, uniforms, support services, etc., 15,000 means about US$ 5-6 million a month; US$60-72 million a year!!

    We can buy 12 brand new Mi-24s for JUST ONE YEAR (subject to forex issues); may be 6 and save the rest or use it for weapons. Its the quality (productivity) that matter not the numbers. And they tell us that the reason for not using Mi-24s for CAS is due to HIGH COST. what bull?

    If the soldier intake can be reduced by 1000, that will save about US$ 5 million more than enough for DAILY Mi-24 CAS on MULTIPLE FRONTS!!!!

    more than two thirds of the HUGE defence budget will be wasted on personnel and it also increases INFLATION which is already a problem. what an idiotic decision is this?

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  13. "So the total armed personnel will reach 1/2 milllion is that correct? To fight an enemey numbering <10000?"

    Comparing the # ratio between terrorists and armed forces is little bit foolish. To save civilians from civilian killing 10000 terrorists we better have an army of million if we can afford.

    Secondly, our three forces+STF+Gramarakshaka do not have half a million people. That's a lie.

    East needs more soldiers. 7000 strong STF can't do everything (in Ampara and Batticloa districts). I saw some degrading remarks made by some people without having any idea about the work load STF is having (May be LTTErs acting proSL).

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  14. Of course MI-24s are useful. But if 15000 men can do the same job we should go for men because it will result 15000 families in the south are being well fed. They will consume local made things mostly, boosting the national economy.

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  15. When a ship is sinking, there is no succession line." Pottu Amman, Prabhakaran's intelligence chief and the man who masterminded Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, is the closest to him and controls access to the LTTE chief. It was apparently a battle for supremacy between Amman and Karuna, which saw the latter leave the outfit in a huff. Of late, there has been talk of Prabhakaran passing the mantle to son Charles Anthony, but Fonseka dismisses him as "fat, lazy and incapable of taking over LTTE".

    Other reports say he is a computer geek and his father is using him to boost LTTE's communications via the Internet. Colonel (retd) G. Hariharan, an Indian military expert, says that after Prabhakaran, Afghan-style warlordism may arise, with LTTE fragmenting.

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  16. From the Island article

    The Sri Lankan Army Headquarters in the heart of Colombo is among the most heavily fortified complexes in the country. To get to the office of Lieutenant-General Sarath Fonseka, commander of the army, one has to go through a confusing maze of security checks.

    For good reason-a year and a half ago, a suicide bomb attack inside the headquarters by a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) saw Fonseka seriously injured and hospitalised for months.

    Yet, that only steeled his resolve to wipe out the world's most ruthless terrorist organisation, whose members parade themselves as freedom fighters for Sri Lanka's minority Tamil population.

    (Tamils form 23 per cent of the 20-million-strong population and LTTE has been waging a 30-year war for a separate homeland for them.) Since then, Fonseka and his 1.6-lakh-strong army have inflicted body blows on LTTE.

    In less than a year-and-a-half, the army has wrested control of seven districts in the east and the west, which LTTE had previously controlled.

    The Tigers now have effective control over only two districts-Killinochchi and Mullaitivu in the north. This is a rump compared to the vast stretches of coastline where their writ once ran.

    The armed forces also recently succeeded in killing two of LTTE's toprung leaders-Tamil Selvam, the political head, and Shanmuganathan Ravishankar alias Charles, the military intelligence chief-in surprise strikes.

    They narrowly missed striking the feared chief Velupillai Prabhakaran in late December, when the Air Force scored a direct hit on a bunker, known as X-ray, that he frequented.

    When he didn't make an appearance at Charles's funeral, they suspected Prabhakaran was injured. Subsequently, intelligence believes that he is alive and in full command of his forces.

    Fonseka and his army are not willing to allow that position to continue for long. With Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse formally putting to an end, on January 16, the tattered Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) that a previous government had entered into with LTTE in 2002, the armed forces have stepped up their campaign to tighten the noose they had thrown around the Tiger's last bastion.

    In a major offensive, Fonseka has lined up five of the 12 divisions of his army to engage Prabhakaran and the LTTE army in a decisive operation to wipe out the organisation.

    The commander, who announced a policy of killing at least 10 Tiger cadres a day, boasts that of late, he has been able to double that number. With the LTTE army reduced to 3,000-5,000, Fonseka calculates that it can be wiped out in less than a year.

    To ensure that he meets the target, Fonseka has brought under siege the dense Wanni jungles that act like a natural fortress to the two remaining districts under LTTE's control.

    He has spent a good deal of time and money in training and equipping his men to fight like the Tigers. Breaking up his battalions into deep penetration units adept at guerrilla warfare, he has surprised LTTE by the capacity of his army to inflict maximum damage with minimum casualties.

    To stretch LTTE's defences, he has launched a four-pronged attack coming in from all directions (see chart). While the Tigers engage in conventional warfare by firing mortar, Fonseka's army moves in small bands of killer units, laying booby traps, gathering intelligence and destroying infrastructure like bridges and communication lines.

    Fonseka, who is not willing to rush in and strike, says, "We are taking the territory inch by inch and foot by foot while inflicting heavy casualties on them. It's only a matter of time before LTTE begins to wilt."

    Part of the army's strategy is to step up attacks on all LTTE leaders, with Prabhakaran being on top of the list. As Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse-the President's younger brother" says, "LTTE, being a monolithic organisation, will collapse if we strike at the head, allowing us to finish it with less casualties and destruction."

    The younger Rajapakse has been instrumental in transforming the way the Sri Lankan armed forces fought. A former lieutenant-colonel, who fought against the Tigers in the late-'80s and the early-'90s, Gotabaya believes "it is not the weapon but the man behind it that matters most".

    To make sure he has the best men, he has not only doubled the salaries of the existing rank and file in the army, but has also put aside money for equipping them with the latest weapons.

    Having the President for a brother helped, as there was no political resistance when he jacked up the defence budget to $1.5 billion (Rs 6,000 crore) in 2007, a 100-per cent increase over the previous year's budget. Most importantly, he let Fonseka and the chiefs of the other two forces have a free hand.

    Fonseka used the unfettered mandate to radically restructure his army.

    With photographs of lions adorning his chamber, the army commander speaks with a quiet confidence as he describes how he went about shaking up a moribund, ineffective and corrupt force into a fierce army that could take on the world's most feared terrorist organisation.

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  17. http://specials.indiatoday.com/specials/LTTE/images/Ltte_05.jpg

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  18. http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/content_mail.php?option=com_content&name=print&id=4354

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  20. - Lets hire more into the public service to eradicate poverty.
    - Lets build 1000 lakes to solve problems with farmers.
    - Lets arm 1000s of villages to counter LTTE picking on soft targets.
    - Lets give everything free to everyone so everyone will vote for me.

    You ask the same people eradicate corruption, they will say its too hard. You ask them to work a bit hard, trade unions complain again. Either we have to go into debt passing the burden onto future generations to maintain this lifestyle hoping money would grow on trees.

    Alas, this is typical Sri Lankan 'problem solving' tradition. You simply cannot win a war like this.

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  21. Majority of defence expenses goes under salaries and this is an income for thousands of families.

    If one really worries about defence expenses only case I can see is shelling. How much it will cost for motar bomb/ artiraly bomb/ MBRL rockets/ SLAF bombs etc and how many we fire per day? We can save money by adopting suitable military srtatergy. It seems it has already happened as SLA mostly use group based attacks.

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  22. Numbers do matter but it's not all about numbers when we come to war/nataional security.

    How did britsh rule half of the world? It's their system and srtergies and not by numbers.

    //Lets hire more into the public service to eradicate poverty.//

    Some people really think this is the way. But in SL as long as you avoid this (and let the private sector run the system) poverty reduces.

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  23. Moshe

    One chopper vs 1000 army personnel is not a sensible equation to discuss in those terms. This is not factory production we are discussing, to equate a capital asset to replace numbers of workers. The skill level and ability of individuals to fight in changing terrain and situations cannot be matched by machines unless they possess superior intelligence. THese machines don't. A realistic match would be a robot from 'terminator'...
    Once the vanni is neutralized, there's going to be a holding cost in the short term. That holding cost and asset requirements are the reason behind the recruitments. The current force levels are adequate to beat the nattamis. It's the day after that's under consideration now.

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  24. TS,

    "The current force levels are adequate to beat the nattamis."

    YES. but we must improve the productivity levels.

    1. CAS must be provided to more operations

    2. gunships and jets need to do more KILLING rounds; the SLA is given a target of 10-a-day; they are doing better. why not give SLAF also a similar target?

    3. shelling must aim at killing more tigers by proper targeting; firefinders is a fantastic choice

    4. snipers, ambushes msut be increased as they have worked extremely well.

    5. SLAF must carry night time bombing as well

    6. you can add many such SIMPLE productivity improvement strategies.

    but these are easy said than implemented. these need more money. but INVESTING in these techniques would be better than COMMITTING in more RECURRENT expenditure that doesn't add proportionate value.

    i agree 15,000 innocent srilankan families will earn enough to feed themselves. that is a noble thing. but that is NOT the way to go both economically and militarily.

    look at the LTTE. their productivity level is EXTREMELY HIGH compared to us in killing the enemy, targeting strategic locations, shelling accuracy, innovation, manning FDLs, etc. we MUST match this.

    on the otherhand, i know the US increased troop deployment in Iraq and now Iraq is MUCH MORE peaceful than before.

    but in the SL context, we have enough numbers to win the war, now its time to improve their productivity which is lowest in the world i guess.

    remember we don't have an open check (i mean cheque in SL). the more we spend on salaries the less we have for weapons!!!

    also arming 15,000 soldeirs costs AN ADDITIONAL approx. US$ 7.5 million!!!!!

    some of you guys may not agree with me; that is because i STRONGLY believe the ONLY way out of this LTTE crap is to KILL the MOST of their 23,000 as QUICKLY and SAFELY as we can. i think it is unfortunate that the govt. has a different (a more humane and pro-Buddhist one i guess) strategy.

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  25. /*
    i STRONGLY believe the ONLY way out of this LTTE crap is to KILL the MOST of their 23,000 as QUICKLY and SAFELY as we can. i think it is unfortunate that the govt. has a different (a more humane and pro-Buddhist one i guess) strategy.
    */

    I would also add 'efficiently' to that sentence meaning - KILL the MOST of their 23,000 as QUICKLY, efficiently and SAFELY as we can. . Efficiency leads to a more sustainable and affordable campaign.

    Pro-Buddhist attitude is all well and good at individual level. Pro-Buddhist at state level has only aggravated the problem with criminals, corrupt politicians and terrorists exploiting innocent majority for their own benefit.

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  26. the greatest machine and computer on earth is the brain, the greatest weapon wisdom and knowledge.

    an soldier can never be replaced with steel or carbon fibre unless we invent the terminator

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  27. saduni,
    The LTTE have been having fun on the "sinhala hamuda gona" for 30 yrs.who are we to deprive the LTTE of more fun.Its an open secret that warner bros is making a film on Vp's life titled "the bata guy"

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  28. Well, well, what have we here today? What is today’s catch? Here it is:

    Catch #1
    House of suspected Tamil Tiger hired killer set on fire in Kegalle

    Feb 19 (CP) Kegalle: A mob this morning has set fire to the house belong to a person who had been allegedly hired by the Tamil Tigers to assassinate Deputy Minster of Finance Ranjith Siyambalpitiya.

    Catch #2
    Tamil Tiger intelligence wing cadre arrested in Wanathavilluwa"

    Feb 19 Colombo: The police at Wanathawilluwa, in Kalapitiya in northwestern Sri Lanka today arrested an intelligence operative of Tamil Tigers. According to the police sources, the suspected identified as Thangarajah Shiwakumar has come to the Karthivu area three days ago. Police suspect the 33 year old Tamil Tiger had come to the area in order to gather information necessary for a terror attack in the Kalpitiya, Wanathavilluwa or Puttlama areas. The suspect was a resident at Olumaduwa, Mannar, police further said

    Catch #3
    Sri Lanka government to open an escape route for civilians fleeing from Wanni

    Feb 19 (CP) Colombo- As heavy fighting continue to escalate in the northern region, the Sri Lankan government said that it would open a 'gateway' for trapped civilians in the Wanni area to crossover to the government controlled areas, media reports said. “We would open an escape rout for civilians in the Wanni area and would give necessary accommodation,” government Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukkwella told media.

    Catch #4
    Sri Lanka takes rebel bases; death toll touches 68

    Feb 19 (GT) COLOMBO- Sri Lankan troops killed 10 Tamil Tiger rebels and captured rebel territory in the island's north yesterday, taking the death toll from three days of fighting 68, the military said. Most of those killed were rebels, the military said.

    And, last but not least…

    Catch #5
    Sri Lanka to enroll Sinhala and Muslim students to Jaffna University

    Feb 19 (CP) Colombo- The University Grant Commission (UGC) in Sri Lanka has decided to enlist Sinhala and Muslim students for the Jaffna University from this year. According to the UGC sources, the students will be admitted for the medical faculty.

    Truly magnificent news…magnificent to the point of being heavenly! Love it!

    OaO Asihri

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  29. As part of strategy, SL Army should certainly increase "Ambush Teams" with a very high fire-power at their disposal.

    There is a huge area of jungle terrain in Vanni that are being utilized by LTTE at their will to come to cleared areas. These areas should be laid with ambush teams with constant support from the rest.

    Another more sensible option is to use Fuel Air Bombs to shell the LTTE bunker lines and jungle hideouts.

    We do not have the luxury of Thermal Imaging to be utilized with a higher concentration. However, Thermal Imgaing can give a very higher edge to the ambush and sniper teams.

    I certainly agree that we should purchase another 50 FACs, 6 -10 frigate or mid range multi-day patrol craft to patrol the seas.

    In the mean-time, we should constantly target the LTTE leadership. Intel and accurate hits through Air and DPU are the best ways to get there.

    The ones who are in FDLs not necessarily to battle-hardened cadres. Therefore, to give SLA lives to take them may not be the most desirable option.

    If our intelligence network is strong, we should be able to nab at least one or two hard-core LTTE terrorists who are based abroad at Katunayake. We should have the mechanisms to nab them as soon as they land in the country. It is unfortunate that many of the security personnel who have been deployed in Katunayake are interested in helping smugglers and other illegal activities, but not national security.

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  30. Mottapala & Attack-is-Best-Defence:

    man o man...you dudes rock & roll I see! Cool!

    Saw earlier posts about LTTE's "chemical warfare" (sic!)in he previous thread and could not help but laugh my bloody ass off!!!

    Yes, I truly LMSSAO!!!

    Keep it up mates...we need to castrate them eela-coolies "with extreme prejudice" as they say in the business!

    :)) :)) :))

    OaO Asithri

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  31. Moshe & TropicalS/Senkadagalaya

    I can see the merit of increasing both men and machine power in a war theatre to elevate your formidability.

    However, in my view, each has its place. In the theatre of the Vanni war, it is incumbent upon our military to kill the least number of civilians (minimize “collateral damage”) as it is not only imperative to do so from avoiding the wrath of India/IC, but basically it is a moral obligation to do so (irrespective of what religious beliefs one adheres to). LTTE has burrowed itself wide and deep amongst the civilians in Vanni and as such, I am not sure how much of a judicious decision making a machine can do in that context of killing the maximum terra MF’s and minimizing the Tamil civilian deaths, to meet our strategic/moral objectives. I say we need enough “men with guns” to win this war, but NOT at the expense of being depleted mechanization wise, for sure. This is a fine balance and I sincerely hope our paid military honchos know the mix – I for one, certainly don’t.

    Greets to all ye cool catz!

    OaO Asithri

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  32. “An animal rights group has urged LTTE supremo Prabhakaran to spare animals during armed attacks, following a grenade explosion at a zoo near here.”

    Wow!

    These bloody western do-gooders will even go to bat for the animals of Sri Lanka, but not the innocent Sinhela/Tamil/Muslim civilians who are getting slaughtered by the “supremo’s” bullets and bombs! I still have to see any DIRECT appeal from any of these western do-gooder kooks to the VP chief-maggot to spare the lives of innocent “Sri Lankans!”

    Stupendous & Mind boggling!

    :( :( :(

    OaO Asithri

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  33. And finally...

    [Senior member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Lieutenant Colonel Thava died at the battlefront on Sunday afternoon, while training battlefront camera crews.]

    Well there goes truly well run enterprise - Thamileelam Porno Industries Inc."

    :(( :(( :((

    OaO Asithri

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  34. DefenceNet

    whats the staus of the last night LTTE attack??? look like its a big bush by the LTTE needa?

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  35. Rasing even the 99th division is not going to change the war:

    checkmate against Lankan government is now imminent.
    (1) Arms export to lanka from Pakistan about to dry up fast. Internal struggle between Mushy and Sharif now to take shape..


    (2) Arms export from Czech republic has already dried up due to EU pressure.

    (3) Hurting stalemate on the battlefront, SLA unable to maintain offensive momentum in the last few weeks. Propaganda gains such as bunkers and few palm/palmyra changing sides implies no significant gains...

    (4) The war has spread to all facets of the island and spread internationally. Human rights organization and word media getting better view of the sinhala government oppression than ever before.

    (5) Tide is turning for the Tigers internationally, independence in Kosovo, democrat surge, downfall of Congress (I) in India imminent....

    SLA is having hard time replenishing artillery shells....

    Credit available for Rajapakse regime in short supply due to subprime collapse in US. While Lanka can borrow more money to stay afloat day by day, it will be at much higher interest rates.

    Already, IMF, worldbank and ADB have folded there hands due to international pressure. The countries faces real isolation, more than ever in its history.

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  36. Apparently Citibank is one of the banks helping lanka secure credit. Citibank is well known for being an institutional loan shark. It has a habit of lending to clients knowing well, the clients will be left in debt traps.. It is absolutely no suprise lanka is trapped in this international spider's web on many fronts. Its unbelievable the locals just don't get the magnitude of this scam... Nevertheless its too late anyways...

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  37. One word of advice when facing imminent financial collapse:

    Take out your life/family savings from state owned banks and convert it to a stable currency. A lot of people lost their money this way in Argentina.

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  38. Rajapakse regime has made major miscalculations regarding current international setting. It had hoped fight against LTTE would be treated as a terrorist problem. Certain neigbouring international players had covertly encouraged lanka's offensive/hardline stance only to wash its hands clean of the whole affair recently. The conduct appears to indicate a trap set by IC against the government.

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  39. I am glad that the MR government is already planning for the post-conflict phase. This war is in its final phase and what the LTTE thinks and what it wants are basically irrelevant at this point.
    The same goes to he International Community. In the next few year, Sri lanka's largest trading partner will become India. Our three largest bi-laterla donors are Japan, China and India. It is far more important to be in the bood books of these countries than to worry about pleasing the U.S., and UK whose sanctimonious human rights concerns don't extend to countries like Iraq or Afghanistan.

    MR has appointed one his brothers, Basil, to handle the re-construction activities. He has offered the Governor position in the interim Provincial Council to Anandasangaree, a very articulate and distinguished Tamil gent who has good relations with India. I assume the Chief Minister position will go to Douglas Devananda. Finally, we have a government that has a plan and and the will power to stick to it.

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  40. Text of V. Anadasangaree's letter to My dear Thamby’ Prabha


    http://www.thebottomline.lk/2008/02/20/B4.htm

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  41. Totally agree with casc on the IC.

    Add to this the zero tolerance of child soldeirs; this is the end of the LTTE.

    The government's management of debt has been good. SL govt. debt reached 105% of GDP by 2004 and it collapsed to 93.6% by 2006/7.

    Anandasangaree, Devananda, etc. eclipse the clincally dead sun goat!! In future the IC will refer to Devananda/Sangaree as Tamil leaders and ask the govt. to talk to them instead of the LTTE and the govt. will happily do so.

    Clinton returned LTTE bloody money after loosing like the LTTE. That is the end of its hopes on the hilly/billy.s

    It is the LTTE that is in DIRE financial crisis. All its finance avenues are now closed. It is left to suffocate to a slow and painful death.

    I can't wait untill SLAF jets start burrying LTTE leaders in their OWN bunkers.

    Parliament will be prorogued in late March/early April. This indicates a major onslaught on terror.

    The govt. is already talking about handing over the fat pig to India or providing him a safe exit.

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  42. Defencenet reported that the LTTE had blasted 3 transformers so far.

    now the LTTE is doing JVP tactics of 1989!!

    a sure sign of desperation and defeat.

    but the JVP was smarter, they didn't need explosives to blast transformers!

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  43. Some LTTE MFs still dreaming of isolating Sri Lanka over its war againt terror. this unspoken Elam War IV started 1 1/2 yrs back. Just tell me how far the GOSL has been isolated. I feel nothing. So the same will be in future.

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  44. I can remember the GOSL was in a position whare whatever the western countries say we simply raise our hands as we were afaid of them like. Now I am happy to see the GOSL have guts to say the Kosovo matter is against the intl law.

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  45. Blackhawk, total sln,sla,slaf is around 200000, not half a million. ltte are fighting a gurilla war so we need around 10 soldiers for each ltte cadre. And we have to defend two provinces.
    Moshe, they blasted more than 3 transformers. 3 during recent weeks.

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  46. There's no King to checkmate against LTTE and apparently LTTE has lost the game and their people as well.

    (1) Arms export to Lanka from countries are going better than before. Any joker can deny this but SLA is to raise 61st division soon with more arms.

    (2) SLA maintain offensive momentum in all time of Eelam war 4 and LTTE terrorists get their asses kicked in 5 fronts everyday that they won't be able to hold up for much long.

    (3) The war has spread to all facets of Wanni, Specifically by regular air raids and from 5 fronts on gradually-but-surely-falling Nazi tiger territory.

    (4) Tide is turning bad for the Tigers Universally, for the one and only fact that LTTE is going to LOSE militarily in this year. That’s more than enough.

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  47. Defencenet,

    "The new division will mostly consist of soldiers recruited during the period of 2007-2008."

    This means that the division will mainly comprise of inexperienced soldiers. Is it wise to make an offensive formation like this?

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  48. Sam Perera may be right about 500000 army. We need to think big, think ahead. Our leaders think only upto next election. What was the strength of SLDF in 1980s? If we had 200000 SLA in 1981 things are different now.

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  49.   ආයුබෝවන් / வனக்கம் / welcome  

    Guys,

    The flow of information has narrowed down to trickle; however, that is not a sign of a static war front.

    Brace yourselves for good news.

    Very soon, General Fonseka will announce the imminent fall of Adampan.

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  50. "Sam Perera may be right about 500000 army. We need to think big, think ahead. Our leaders think only upto next election."

    Expanding the army is good, but it shouldn't be made too big. I mean, what about the costs, and after the war what do we do with them? It's not possible for all of them to find civilian employment, and with their training with weapons they will resort to other methods of earning a living, crimes will go up for sure.

    "What was the strength of SLDF in 1980s? If we had 200000 SLA in 1981 things are different now."
    The LTTE had the support of India then, and the military operations were not carried out so well. I think this was more the reason for the failure than lack of manpower.

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  51. defence.lk reports:
    "Meanwhile, 'Intel' reports from Mannar front said that, Swarnam and Laxman have led the LTTE offensive in two fronts, later forced to withdraw with heavy damages. Terrorist bodies were observed scattered ahead of the battle lines, the sources said. According to reports received, Swarnam and Laxman were blaming each other after withdrawing, leaving numbers dead or seriously injured in the battle front, according to 'Intel' sources."

    Is this the same Swarnam that survived the air force bombing in vakarai?

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  52. I dont know how some of you gentle men can even imagine that SLDF is winning the war.Very soon when warner bros release their masterpiece "the bata slipper guy" AI,Human rights,IC..you see and we see..hmm they see?..wil come to VP's rescue once they see his film of course.. where my non bata slippered sources say..is a top secret captivating scene where vp induces a 12 y.o female to womanhood..pretty rapidly i am told.just wait and see you singhala loosers!!

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  53. DN, YOu have not replied tomy question about the sniper story in the last article (If u have time, pls) post something about this story as well.
    thnx....

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  54. http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080220_05

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  55. 3 SLA shot dead on buttala area ... any related news ....

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  56. It was an dream of LTTE to fight with SLA in 'south' and was a main objective set for post CFA period.

    When LTTE started fighting in NE it was 'defensive' and the logic was "this is our homeland, leave this for us and you leave to south, then no war, peace every where...".

    When LTTE extends attacks to south logic was changed to "if you don't let us live in peace we also don't let you have peace in your areas...".

    If LTTE expect sinhalese to surrender to terrorism by these increased attacks in south LTTE will see exactly opposite results.

    UNP will happily say now MR has moved the war to south, but such propaganda produce negative results for them too I guess.

    [However apart from above two points other obvious things (as discussed earlier) reamin valid.]

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  57. Shyam,

    3 SLA shot dead on buttala area ... any related news ....

    The three self-less human beings have made the transition to heaven; because they had been on a noble mission - protecting the defenceless.

    Can you say the same about the culprits who committed this act at the opposite end? I doubt.......

    This is what you were hoping for, I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  58. LTTE has attacked a security post in Buttala....

    3 SLA casualties....!

    Lanka e news

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  59. Defencenet/guys

    Daily mirror:

    The Army launched a fresh offensive towards the Adampan junction this morning hours after it thwarted a pre-dawn LTTE attack aimed at re-capturing North of Parappakandal area in Mannar.

    any news ??

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  60. Attack is the Best Defence,
    Sorry about that. Well yes snipers have scored kills in the Mannar front and they have been more successful than in national front.

    The move was made when several soldiers of MEC were injured due to LTTE sniper fire (SLA casualties due to snipers were nowhere near what tamilnet reported anyway). Army made the move to counter LTTE's strategy and they have so far done an excellnt job of it. Although we cannot confirm that figure of 50, no of kills should be around that number, definitely not below 35.

    chamal,
    "Is this the same Swarnam that survived the air force bombing in vakarai?"

    He's the one.

    "This means that the division will mainly comprise of inexperienced soldiers. Is it wise to make an offensive formation like this?"

    No although the majority will be inexperienced, veteran soldiers too will be assigned. And the commanders will definitely not be inexperienced. Dont forget the rigorous training (including jungle warfare) they have been undergoing for months.

    Meanwhile LTTE launched a two pronged offensive today dawn to recapture lost areas in Parappakandal. This was successfully beaten back at both fronts by the army.

    ReplyDelete
  61. This is the latest from strategypage..

    http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/srilank/articles/20080220.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  62. Guys,

    I think some media men are bored with lack of news, that includes defencewire and Lanka Guardian. A bored media man is as troublesome as a monkey with a razor blade; at first it cuts itself, and then rubs the blood on others, giving the onlookers an opportunity to brand what it did as, nothing, but a mess.

    Now they draw parallels between Kosovo and hypothetical Eelam, while conveniently turning a blind eye on barbaric events that triggered off this humanitarian catastrophe in the first place: it was pure ethnic cleansing, that grew up to its name, about six years ago with state machinery firmly behind it. We have our own ugly black spot in 83, which was not a managed event like what happened in Kosovo - ours was a spontaneous event, exploited and then spread, by misplaced sentiments.

    In Kosovo, the struggle was for survival, not for independence. UDI became inevitable, because America did not want to commit themselves there any more and Europe were clueless as to how to fill the looming vacuum. So, as always, they followed suit. Nato has lots of internal rifts and Kosovo issue is one early symptom of growing dissension in the alliance.

    The movement behind what they call liberation, was not as brutal as world's most ruthless terrorist outfit that is banned in every civilized nation. As initial euphoria has died down, even the big four of Europe - UK, France, Italy and Germany - are worried about the consequences, that are multiplying by the day. They are going to pay a heavy price for rubbishing the Russian factor. So, in theory a new nation is born, but a lot of things are at stake that may turn it into a stillbirth.

    In these circumstances, some people present the situation in Vanni in the same category as Kosovo was in, while completely ignoring the geo-political realities: LTTE is dubbed as world's most ruthless terrorist organization, not a bunch of freedom fighters, with a global ban that spans across the civilized world; no one, including Mano Ganeshan says there is an organized ethnic cleansing in Sri lanka backed by the state; there is no persecution of people because of their religious beliefs; our big neighbour does not want a separate state on its door step, as foxes at home front are about to grab the slightest opportunity to emulate their counterparts across palk-straits.

    In this context, I wonder why some journalists think that scare-mongering is the best shortcut to fame. It is a dangerous move, for their bewildered readership in the short-run, and themselves in the long-run.

    We already have enough elements to frighten us. Last thing we want is a journalist who directs his pen at us in offensive mode while moonlighting as devil's best disciple.

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  63. SLA thrashes LTTE offensive attempt : scores killed in renewed fighting - Mannar
    (20.02.2008 09:49 AM SLT - defence.lk)

    Sri Lankan Army comprehensively thrashed a pre-dawn LTTE offensive attempt on Wednesday, today (20.02.2008) in general area North of Parappakandal, Mannar.


    According to Wanni military sources, heavy fighting lasted till 5 a.m. when SLA troops successfully counter attacked an LTTE offensive movement towards the newly consolidated defences at Parappakandal.

    The LTTE has suffered heavy casualties, with scores believed killed, security sources said.

    Meanwhile, military sources said that 04 soldiers have sustained injuries during confrontation ahead of LTTE defences, this morning.

    The LTTE terrorists have also engaged 122 mm gun attacks, which were effectively neutralized by the Army artillery batteries, sources further said.

    Meanwhile, 'Intel' reports from Mannar front said that, Swarnam and Laxman have led the LTTE offensive in two fronts, later forced to withdraw with heavy damages. Terrorist bodies were observed scattered ahead of the battle lines, the sources said. According to reports received, Swarnam and Laxman were blaming each other after withdrawing, leaving numbers dead or seriously injured in the battle front, according to 'Intel' sources.

    Exact LTTE casualty figures were not available as troops are now clearing the area, security sources said.

    Meanwhile, troops continued to surge into LTTE territory towards Adampan junction in a fresh offensive launched at 6 a.m., security sources said.

    According to military reports received, at least 23 terrorists were reported killed and 10 wounded in clashes between troops and LTTE at the Wanni and Northern fronts yesterday (19.02.2008).

    Defenecenet can you conform

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  64. Nice pix of some of our existing F-7BS aircraft,after overhaul by the Pakistanis!!..

    http://www.airliners.net/photo/Sri-Lanka--/Chengdu-F-7BS/1237544/L/

    http://www.airliners.net/photo/Sri-Lanka--/Sri-Lanka--/1131808

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  65. V.Interestin post by Mig-29C!!(althoghh relatively out of date)

    http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2006/9/8415_6.html

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  66. qrious,(earlier thread)

    Thats great news!!..so finally we are achieving some matching frequency..anyways,where you based/living at-u said it was quite chilly??

    ReplyDelete
  67. India's Peace and War - TN

    is LTTE trying to prove that India has two faces, because now India supports military solution but then Supported CFA?

    Anyway, what the hell would LTTE gain for publicizing these?

    Would India be shame of what they did and stop involving?

    No.. Not in this decade I think!

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  68. Renegade!, thanks.

    My approximate Coordinates: between latitudes 46°N and 62°N and longitudes 7°W to 2°E.

    You guessed right; I live in northern hemisphere.

    Take care.

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  69. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  70. The India Today article says that one reason the LTTE leadership is not as effective today is because they have become fat portly middle aged men in their 40s and 50s.

    "It hasn’t helped that its top leaders are either in their forties or fifties, making it a middle-aged army— a far cry from the young, battle-hardened guerrilla force that could once strike back with great ferocity and win big battles against the Sri Lankan Army.

    Prabhakaran himself is around 53 years old, has become portly, and is said to be suffering from ailments that possibly include diabetes. An accidental bomb blast left Soosai, the Sea Tiger chief, confined to his wheelchair and also killed his son. Balraj, deputy chief of the military, is also said to be ailing."

    ReplyDelete

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