LTTE’s ability use space technology to spy is pointed out

TERRORISTS OF THE LTTE ARE DANGEROUSLY BECOMING ABLE TO USE SPACE TECHNOLOGY TO SPY AND GATHER INFORMATION

Writing an op-ed piece in the Indian Express newspaper a research fellow of India’s Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis said with commercial satellite networks it is dangerously possible for terrorist organizations like the LTTE to gather at least some information in terms of intelligence and reconnaissance.

“Most modern states do this through their aerospace forces. The real danger is if the LTTE is already making use of all these facilities to augment whatever form of air power it has, then this two-decade-old unresolved conflict is only going to get messier,” said Ajey Lele , the research fellow, commenting about, the terrorist group pirating the services of the communication giant Intelsat.

“Lele said, the possibility of using satellite services under proxy identities makes the task of identification very complex. This Intelsat incidence shows that satellite technology is a complex matter and it is not possible to turn off the services immediately. Unfortunately, the irony is that today terrorist organizations like the LTTE uses that to augment its flying power, he pointed out.

“He said the LTTE is exploring the possibilities of using space assets procured commercially to spread terror.

“This cannot but be an alarming development for not just Sri Lanka but India, given its close proximity to this theatre of conflict,” the writer pointed out.

“The article further pointed out, “Today, terrorist organizations are using various mediums for their ‘information warfare’ through the Internet. So there is nothing particularly unusual for the LTTE to use space as a medium for the same purpose. But when viewed against the backdrop of its recent successes in carrying out airborne attacks, it definitely raises many concerns.”

“Lele further said that, In comparison with any air force of any developing nation, the LTTE’s so-called air power is extremely rudimentary. What is important to note, however, is its intent in investing in such activities. Trained manpower, technology and huge infrastructure are pre-requisites of any air force. But that may not be the case with space technologies. The LTTE has shown that it is possible to use commercially available space technologies for ‘military’ purposes. Today, it is easy to purchase even sub-meter resolution imagery through commercial satellite constellations, use GPS for target identification and transmit both video and voice information on a real-time basis. Also the use of satellite communication for terrorism purposes is found to be common with many terrorist organizations. By Walter Jayawardhana

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People paying for Government’s sins and bungling

UNP Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake at a media briefing today (17th May) at the Opposition media Unit said that the Government is now a bundle of confusion having started from nowhere on a heap of lies is fast getting there in every sphere of its activities.

The Government is making the on-going war (which too has been muddled up) as a handy excuse to defend the economic crises and chaos unleashed since the advent of Rajapakse regime. This war has been there from 1976; weren’t there development and progress in the country during the UNP‘s period in power? Even world fuel prices fluctuated, but UNP did not raise diesel, petrol, gas and kerosene as rapidly and disproportionately high as this Government does, he added.

JVP,s Wimal Weerawansa who said earlier that they would remove the plug of the World Bank has been unable to search the plug under this Government, we presume. This has to be naturally expected because the whole nation knows of the total blindness of the JVP and the Government to the people’s hardships and untold suffering.

The Government knows that only profusion of lies and contradictions can propel them as they have no proper solutions to the country’s problems.

The Minister who said recently that the gas prices will not rise has raised the price by Rs. 38.00 (it is expected to go up to Rs. 160.00 soon.)

It is only a few weeks ago the Govt. boasted that the LTTE attack did not harm the Gas plant , now admits there has been a damage to the tune of over seven lakhs U.S. dollars.

The Government said after the last bus fare hikes just a few months ago that there won’t be another raise has decided to increase it from the 1st of June. Again contradicting their earlier promise that it will be increased only from 1st of July.

The government has dishonored its promises to increase the salaries vis a vis the cost of living which now stands at an unprecedented level based on the inflation rate of 21%. Even in India the inflation rate is only 3.8%. In Singapore it is 1.6 % and Thailand 6%. No country in the region has this high rate as Sri Lanka. The workers are also cheated out on their EPF funds as the Government is giving only a 9% return on their funds while the inflation rate is at 21%, he asserted.

While the people are groaning under the heavy burdens of prices of food and essential items which are increasing daily, the Rajapakse Bros have gone in for another MahinAir Aircraft at a cost of Rs. 110 million even as the fiscal mismanagement, rampant corruption, colossal wastages in Ministries and State Depts., and spectre of uncertainty as to the future of this country has made this Government clinically dead and its coffers totally depleted. It is now existing on the resuscitation and artificial respiration provided by the people, alleged Ravi Karunanayake.

He also made a plea to all sections of the country’ media to co-operate to highlight the doom and gloom facing the people owing to the reckless and callous attitude of the Government to the people’s burning problems and dire straits.

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Players give ICC thumbs-down

The International Cricket Council has lost the confidence of the players and is being urged to launch an immediate review into its “outdated” structure.

 

In a World Cup survey conducted by the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations, 56 per cent of players doubted the ICC’s ability to govern the game.

 

And the same percentage of players polled stated they had lost confidence in the ICC’s ability to organise World Cups, with 89 per cent rating the recent tournament in the West Indies as average or worse.

 

The ICC were seen as being “out of touch” with the rest of the cricketing world and FICA chief executive Tim May called upon them to launch an immediate review.

 

May said: “There has been a growing amount of dissatisfaction amongst a wide variety of cricket stakeholders over the past 24 months, regarding the governance of our game.”An independent review will determine what is the best and most applicable structure for cricket’s international governing body.

 

“We strongly believe that the present structure…is outdated and not in the best interests of the game.”

 

May insists the scrutiny should not fall on chief executive Malcolm Speed but on the decision-making committees.

 

May claimed it is the committees who are responsible for the recent issues which have dogged the game – the length of the World Cup, the Darrell Hair situation, anti-doping issues and Zimbabwe’s status in international cricket.

 

And he believes their self-interest is undermining the ICC’s responsibilities as a governing body.

 

May said: “It is these committees that are ultimately responsible for the performance of the organisation.

 

“These committees are mainly comprised of individual representatives of its full members.

“These committees’ composition are more than likely to deliver outcomes that are decided on party lines and the self interest of its members rather than the overall good of the game.

 

“Affiliation and loyalty to other committee members constituencies must take second place to their duty to the international board and the best interests to the game as a whole.”FICA fully supports a strong and decisive International Cricket Council.”

 

May conceded that if a review was to decide the current structure is the best way forward, then at least it answers those critics who are demanding change.

 

He added: “The review may well decide that the present structure is the most applicable – if so, all well and good, at least crickets’ stakeholders will then know that it is the best structure for our game.

 

“But at the moment we don’t know whether it is and increasingly stakeholders want to know if there is a better structure.”

 

FICA’s World Cup survey showed 64 per cent of players believe the same tournament structure – ie four groups of four and then the Super Eights – should be for the next World Cup.

 

A huge 87 per cent felt the tournament was too long and FICA insist the ICC take on board the players’ general dissatisfaction with the World Cup experience.

 

The survey concludes: “Despite the better than expected playing and venue conditions, the better than expected travel arrangements and other logistical arrangements, the players have returned a less than average rating of the event.

 

“The death of Bob Woolmer, the early exit of India and Pakistan, the long and laborious Super Eights, the lack of exciting matches, the rain-affected final, the unfortunate umpire/referee error at the final, and the long periods that players had at their disposal between matches all affected the players opinion.

 

“The less than average rating for the event is consistent with general viewer experience – small crowds, lack of enthusiasm, one-sided matches are not the recipe for a great report card.”

 

Survey results

 

The survey of the world’s best cricketers revealed most players were underwhelmed by this year’s World Cup and have little faith in the ICC’s ability to govern the game.

 

Most of the 45 elite players surveyed admitted they were not satisfied by the governing body’s ability to organise World Cups or the game.

 

The survey found 56 per cent of players were both not satisfied by the ICC’s ability to deliver World Cups and lacked confidence in the ICC governing cricket.

 

Significant numbers also said they had not been educated properly on matters such as corruption, doping and racism.

 

The survey found 89 per cent of players rated the recent World Cup in the Caribbean as either average (44 per cent), below average (38 per cent) or poor (eight per cent).

 

Only three per cent of respondents said the tournament was excellent, while eight per cent rated it good.

 

Australia’s win over Sri Lanka in the final was also marred by rain and the inability of the umpires and match referee Jeff Crowe to call the match off because of light even though both sides had conceded the game over.Those scenes of chaos made for an anti-climatic finish when the match eventually finished in darkness.

 

Just as alarming for the ICC, significant numbers of players said they were not properly educated on anti-doping, anti-corruption and anti-racism measures.

 

Fourteen per cent of players said they had not been properly educated by the ICC on its anti-doping policy, 16 per cent said they had not been adequately educated in anti-corruption matters and 18 per cent said they were not aware of their obligations under the sport’s anti-racism code.

 

FICA said the players’ responses towards the ICC’s governing the game were “disturbing” and should be of “great concern” to the controlling body.

 

FICA said despite better than expected playing conditions, venues and travel arrangements, the players returned a less than average rating of the World Cup.

 

“The less than average rating for the event is consistent with general viewer experience – small crowds, lack of enthusiasm, one-sided matches are not the recipe for a great report card,” it said.

 

“The ICC should review the format, the length of the tournament and the need to ensure that the longest part of the tournament (Super Eights) consistently produces competitive cricket.”

 

The vast majority of players – 87 per cent – thought this year’s eight-week World Cup was too long. Thirteen per cent thought it was just right and three per cent not long enough. FICA said players wanted the tournament reduced by between 10 and 14 days.

 

Fifty-nine per cent of players thought the World Cup comprised too many matches, 46 per cent said 16 teams were too many and 36 per cent said this year’s format should not be used in future tournaments. -Wijeya Newspapers

DMK wants to facilitate LTTE by demolishing Rama Sethu charges Swami

RULING DMK AND OTHER DRAVIDIAN PARTIES WANT TO DEMOLISH RAMA SETHU TO FACILITATE LTTE BRIGAND BOATS, CHARGES SWAMI 

By Walter Jayawardhana 

Writing in the Organizer magazine India’s Janatha Party leader Subramanian Swami said the Dravidian movement which includes DMK, MDMK, PMK and DK support the demolition of Rama sethu -the bridge between Sri Lanka and India, which the Ramayanaya epic says was built by Hanuman, is to facilitate the illegal boats of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 

“the demolition would facilitate the LTTE brigand boats to move quicker from Tuticorin to Chennai on the Palk Strait, and on international waters,” Swami charged in the article. 

Swami says the Indian government could proceed with the Sethu Samudram Project without demolishing the bridge. 

Describing all reasons why the Dravidian parties of Tamil Nadu are agitating for the demolition of the bridge Swami said, “The Dravida Movement which includes DMK, MDMK, PMK, and DK parties, has turned it’s ire on Bhagwan Shri Ram, the King of Ayodhya, and want the Rama Sethu to be demolished because it is a symbol of “North Indian” domination. Also, the demolition would facilitate the LTTE brigand boats to move quicker from Tuticorin to Chennai on the Palk Strait, and on international waters. At present, the Rama Sethu stands in the way. Hence their vociferous support for the Sethu Samundram Ship Canal Project [SSCP]. Hence the project in the present form must resolutely opposed.” 

While the Hindu scriptures have given vivid and moving description of the construction of the Rama Sethu, it’s existence has now been confirmed by two scientific sources, argued Swami. One source is photographs taken by NASA from space. Other source is India’s own research. 

Swami further said, “The Dravid-ian Kazhagam leader, K. Veeramani, has recently threatened to burn the Ramayana in a public protest against “Aryan Supremacy”. Hence, his idiom is outdated. ‘Aryan’ incidentally is a word popularised by Adolf Hitler, which word has no equivalent in Sanskrit vocabulary. The closest is the word ‘arya’, which is no racial connotation. The Tamil equivalent of ‘arya’ is ‘aiya’. The linguistic root of the word is thus the same-meaning a cultured or noble person, and not a race. 

”Veeramani’s earlier adulation of Ravana in his anti-Brahmin tirade had to come to an embarrassing end because he discovered that the Ravana was actually a Brahmin [‘Aryan’] scholar of the Sama Veda who had meditated in Kailash to get a boon. 

”The Aryan-Dravidian racial divide theory, is a mischievous construct of the British Imperialists and their tutees like Romilla Thapar. Modern research and DNA analysis have now decisively debunked any such racial dichotomy in the Indian profile of ancestry. Time has come therefore to purge the theory from text books.” 

”While the Hindu scriptures have given vivid and moving description of the construction of the Rama Sethu, it’s existence has now been confirmed by two scientific sources. In the first, the present configuration of the Rama Sethu has been photographed by US National Aeronautics and Space Agency [NASA] by their satellites, and colour photos of the same published in these columns earlier. These photos establish the Sethu’s existence as a chain of shoal stones. The Department of Earth Science, of the government of India have in a report to the President of India have stated that shoal stones placement make out that they were “deliberately placed there”. That is, as if it was constructed in the manner described in the Valmiki, Kamban, and Tulsidas, saints who authored the Ramayana Epic. NASA also establishes the age of the shoal stone formation as 1, 750,000 years ago. The bridge formation by placing these stones one by one, according to the Earth Science Department is not less than 9000 years. “ 

”Such independent corroboration therefore cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence and not worthy of notice as the DMK nominee in the Union Ministry of Shipping Shri T.R. Baalu has been saying. At the very minimum it requires a full inquiry as to whether or not the said Rama Sethu is a Hindu heritage site. Millions believe it to be so, and hence the government cannot take a narrow cynical view of such faith. “ 

Calling it a living miracle, Swami said, it should be protected by UNESCO as a World heritage site.

Another militant Tamil group to carry arms against LTTE in Sri Lanka

EROS ANNOUNCES IT WILL CARRY ARMS FOR THEIR OWN PROTECTION AND AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

 

By Walter Jayawardhana

 

EROS, an anti-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) group has announced that section of its members will carry arms  for their own protection and prevent human rights violations like “the intimidation and forceful recruitment of children and adults” .

 

“Our armed wing will remain in operation until the day the LTTE decides to disarm and hand-over all their weapons to the authorities,” the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students said in a press statement published in a website called Tamil affairs .com

 

According to the press statement it will be the second group of militants who will be carrying arms against the LTTE. The TMVP or Karuna faction is already carrying arms against the LTTE.

 

The press statement said, recently, their group prevented, a LTTE connected Non Government Organization called Nectar from operating in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.

 

The press statement said, “We take no pride in obstructing and preventing an NGO from conducting charitable work in our country so long as they are not linked to the LTTE or any other terrorist organisation.”  The press release also revealed the names of the people who are involved with the alleged LTTE NGO.

 

While condemning the recent assasination of the Chief Buddhist priest Handungamuwe Nandaratana Thero the the press statement demanded the government should provide more protection to priests of all religions.

 

The following is the full statement issued by the EROS: “The assassination of Ven. Handungamuwe Nandarathana Thera was unnecessary and has been committed to further ignite racial tensions between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities. Our Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim leaders of other parties representing our communities are reminded that this is the work of a movement that is hell-bound in causing death, more havoc and destruction in our country rather than working towards restoring peace, democracy and renouncing terrorism.

 

 “The EROS humbly requests the Sri Lankan authorities to provide adequate protection to the religious priests of all communities and faiths so that they are not targeted and killed by these pistol wielding terrorists.

 

“We wish to declare that we have a large group of EROS members who are part of our newly formed armed wing based in the East now. This wing comes under the direct command of Mr Sakthikumaran and Mr Rajanadhan Prabaharan under the supervision of our General Committee who include Mr. Nesan Shankar Raji and other appointed senior EROS politburo members.

 

“Our organisation has had no other option but to re-form and re-group this armed wing as a result of threats from the LTTE and the sufferings faced by our community and fellow Sinhalese, Muslim and Christian brethren. This was a tough decision to make as we have no joy in carrying weapons and had no intension of carrying weapons before other than for the protection of our members and senior leaders. We admit that it is may not be right to carry weapons but we have no other option given the circumstances and threats being faced which we believe is justifiable. Furthermore we believe that we are capable of handling our weapons and will only use them for its intentional purpose being protection and the safety of our members and innocent civilians seeking our assistance.

 

“Our armed wing and its members are committed to safeguarding the interests of our people and the Sri Lankan community. Our armed wing will remain in operation until the day the LTTE decides to disarm and hand-over all their weapons to the authorities. Our senior leaders are awaiting instructions and authorisation from the GOSL and the Ministry of Defence in order for us to commence our peace keeping operations in the East and North.

 

“We will not tolerate the human rights of our people being violated and those that target individuals of all our communities to ignite racial tensions amongst ourselves. The people living in the East and North and other areas must be rescued and freed from further human rights violations and the EROS is committed to assisting the Sri Lankan government and its forces in liberating our people”.

 

“Recently we being the EROS have been instrumental in stopping and preventing the pro-LTTE NGO “Nectar” from operating in the East. This NGO was established by pro-LTTE activists Mr Velupillai Kuhanendran, Mr Ravi Sundaralingam and their associates based in the UK and other countries. The reason behind our decision to stop this NGO from operating in the East is purely to do with the NGO’s links with the LTTE and the refusal of the NGO and its members to disassociate itself and its members to severe their links with the LTTE. The TMVP also backs the decision not allow “Nectar” to operate in the East.

 

“The “Nectar” Board of Directors consist of: Prof S. Ganesan,the Chair; V. Kuhanendran, Vice Chair; M. Baladasan, Vice Chair; C.Kaendran, T.Kirupakaran (Kirupa); R. Kanagaretnam (Ganesh); V. Jeyamurugan (Velu); R.S. Rajendra. The organisation is serviced by a team of experienced Consultants: Prof. S. Pathmanathan, Dr.M. Pathinathan, and D. Peiris, H. Fernando, and Miss. Janaki Kuhanendran. “Nectar” banks with HSBC, Colombo 1, and KRESTON MNS and Co., a leading accountancy firm in Sri Lanka, act as its auditors.

 

“We take no pride in obstructing and preventing an NGO from conducting charitable work in our country so long as they are not linked to the LTTE or any other terrorist organisation.”