Sunday Times 2
Sri Lanka attacks:
Sri Lanka is still in a state of shock and confusion, trying to understand how a little-known Islamist group may have unleashed the wave of coordinated suicide bombings that resulted in the Easter Sunday carnage – the worst since the end of the separatists war a decade ago.
The island nation has experience of such attacks – suicide bombers were used by Tamil Tiger terrorists during the 30 year old war. But the ruthlessness of the new atrocities and the refusal to accept responsibility by its Government leaders has stunned the nation anew.
Eventually, the government came out and blamed the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), a home-grown Islamist group, for the suicide bombings. “There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded” ,senior Ministers have mentioned in various addresses to the nation and media. It may be in order to remind these Ministers that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelaam (LTTE) was in fact a terrorist group with a massive international network and named as one of the most ruthless and largest terrorist networks in 2004 by the FBI and mentioned in their report that the LTTE may have inspired other terrorists networks including Al Queda.
The excuse of NTJ being linked to IS or another extremists terrorist organization does not explain or does not provide provision for the government and top officials to shun away or refuse to accept responsibility, how a group that has been blamed for promoting hate speeches over a number of years, destroyed Buddhist statues on a number of occasions and accused by the Buddhist clergy and Opposition party politicians as “Islamic groups” responsible for fueling civil commotions in the past 3 years on many occasions – may have been able to scale up its capacity so monumentally.
Reliable information confirms that two weeks after the Easter Sunday carnage over 40 sleeping Islamic terrorists cadres are still at large in the country. With IS claiming that “their men” carried out these deadly attacks, it is yet to be known how many home grown terrorists were trained and equipped by IS with probably thousands following the ideologies of IS in Sri Lanka. At this point we should also keep in mind that IS was given birth to, by the West.
In no way can the Government and its leaders and top officials cannot in anyway refuse taking responsibility for the Easter Sunday Carnage giving the IS connection as an excuse as strong accusations of an extremist Islamic group or groups blossoming in the country with Sri Lankans engaged in IS activities overseas was made by a senior cabinet Minister of the Wikramasinghe government Prof. Wijedasa Rajapaksha Presidents Council.
This claim was immediately shunned and ridiculed by the Wikramasinghe allies as way back as 2016. Senior Minister Rajitha Senarathna was among them who ridiculed this accusation stating that this was a claim to fuel disharmony in the country.
Buddhist clergy and members of the joint opposition and certain Islamic sectors in the country have time and again indicated the need for the Wikramasinghe government to investigate the possible incidents and actions of suspected extremist Islamic groups including known Schools and Mosques preaching fundamental ideologies. Loyal allies to Wikramasinghe including former President Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaranatunga did not waste time in calling these accusations baseless to create racial tension and hatred among Sri Lankans, instigated by the Rajapaksas.
It is now revealed that over 400 fundamentalist mosques are in existence in Sri Lanka and are or Caliphate cults. Ironically following the Easter Sunday suicide attacks Former President Kumaranatunga accused the Wikramasinghe Government of permitting extremist schools and Mosques to be established in the country following the bombings on Easter Sunday.
Another emerging factor is that the LTTE did not purposely target foreigners and tourist fearing the sympathy they received from the west and the financial support flowing from the Tamil diasporas living in the West would come to a complete halt. The Easter Sunday attacks however specifically targeted hotels and catholic churches drawing western interests into the equation.
Following the Easter Sunday attacks the Archbishop of the Sri Lankan Catholic church Cardinal Malcom Ranjith was joined by the Buddhist Maha Sanga and Hindu and main stream Islamic religious leaders politely accusing the Government and its top officials for failing to protect citizens of the country having been given prior intimation by the local intelligence agencies and 2 other international intelligence agencies of the possible Easter Sunday attacks and fingers were pointed at the Ranil Wikramasinghe government for commencing a witch hunt post 2015 of capable intelligence officials and security forces personnel including senior armed forces officers and relaxing of security measures in the North, East and the South put in place post LTTE era by the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government. This matter was reiterated by President Maithreepala Sirisena and former Army Commander / Government MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka following the attacks on Sunday.
A point to note was the very casual speech made by Ranil Wikramasinghe the PM of Sri Lanka in parliament at a special gathering of parliamentarians following the Easter Sunday carnage. Instead of speaking from his heart to the people of Sri Lanka who depend on its government for security, prosperity and peace his speech robotically constituted of “passing the buck” and was based around an international involvement by the NTJ and the need to obtain assistance from the West. His continued insistence of obtaining international intervention to solve this terrorist issue has been a controversial topic with a majority of politicians, religious leaders of all religions and the nation believing that Sri Lanka has sufficient knowledge and a dedicated force to deal with this terror.
Contrarily the speeches made by the Deputy Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardena and Opposition Leader former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was touching and emotional with both accepting responsibility as politicians of the country for the terror attacks, which they both categorically stated - could have been prevented. One could feel the sincerity and pain they shared with the families killed and wounded in the terror attacks, which was clearly the need of the hour and not an analysis to sneak away from accepting responsibility, which in fact was a failed attempt to prove these attacks were not avoidable because of its suspected international connections and need for international intervention by the Prime Minister.
At this point it is paramount that we understand who or what IS is who are suspected of having hand or is directing these terror attacks or is involved in any other form with the home grown NTJ as claimed by the Wikramasinghe Government. IS or Islamic state is also known as ISIS (Islamic State Iraq and Syria) and ISIL (Islamic State Iraq and Levant) is accused of been formed and being controlled by the USA and MOSAAD. Coincidentally ISIS also stands for Israeli Secret Intelligence Service.
IS is suspected to have been funded and created by the US and Israel. When US wishes to move to a country for economic or political gain, we have seen IS commencing terror operations in those countries to pave a path for US intervention. We have seen this happen in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Sudan and now probably Turkey as well. With failed attempts to establish an extremists government in Syria due to Russia backing the Syrian Government it could be possible that IS under the possible direction of vested interests targeted Sri Lanka, which has been militarily weakened by the Wikramasinghe Government since 2015.
Sri Lanka is a strategic location for the “Road and Belt initiative”. The West specially the US sees the growing Economic co-operation between China and Sri Lanka as a huge advantage to the “Road and Belt Initiative” and a threat to the master plan of the US. Further the possibility of Petroleum in the Mannar basin and the possible deposits of natural minerals in the sea basins of Sri Lanka coupled with the strategic positions of the main ports around the Island makes it vital for the US that China is halted in any further investments or partnerships in the economic and infrastructure development of Sri Lanka,
The high level of corruptions and state frauds which have been prominent since 2015, the lowest ever GDP in the country resulting in severe economic hardships, a divided government, betrayal and weakening of the Military machine and mistrust among communities is thought to bring a change in Government and leadership in the next election and when this change happens China and Russia along with India is geared to gain most.
In this context, the Wikramasinghe Government should be aware that as claimed by them if any IS connections are proven it could backfire on the ruling United National Party as this will justify the claims by the opposition and intellectuals that Wikramasinghe who is known to be West savvy, is a party to a possible coup plotted by the US, which includes
- Pressuring its western allies to show the need to penetrate Sri Lanka to stop an international terror network.
- Convince American tax payers of the need to have US boots on ground level in Sri Lanka
- Silence any UN debates and bypass any UN approvals.
- Fulfill the strategic need to have a US base in SL.
We have already seen international agencies arriving within a few hours on the grouse of helping the Island Nation. As indicated before, Sri Lankas security was weakened by the Wikramasinghe government including “visa on arrival’ for over 40 countries making Sri Lanka easily accessible to all and sundry including terrorists. It is learnt that among those who have entered under the Visa on arrival status are trainers from Arabic countries, Syria, Turkey and Pakistan as ‘teachers’.
Any possible US and Western “help” would ultimately result in the control of elections and appointment of leaders who would support the US led ‘new world order masters’. For the Western savvy Wikramasinghe who is now being pressured to step down as party leader by his own party members, outside support to change the inevitable at this stage could be seen as a blessing in disguise. It is also strange that USA has granted USD 480M to the Wikramasinghe Government within 48 hours of the tragedy.
As investigations continue, it is now clear that the Easter Sunday debacle was totally avoidable had the government and its leaders paid more attention to the country’ needs than bickering among themselves to retain power in the parliament and continue governing the country with the help of Tamil, Muslim and certain Sinhalese political parties (JVP)., which by 2017 was already battered with economic woes and massive financial frauds.
The witch hunt of intelligence officials and forces personnel and top officers including the Brother of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa – Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the defense secretary up to 2014 and relaxing of strategic security measures by the Wikramasignhe Government inspired by a hand full of his political allies is widely thought to be for the purpose of pleasing the minority Tamil and Muslim politicians in anticipation of the Tamil and Muslim votes in Sri Lanka and to carry favor with the western countries and UNHRC under the guise of “up holding democracy and human rights” in Sri Lanka. In order to justify this statement lets journey back to post 2005 – the start of the end of the 30 year old war against the LTTE terrorists and separatism in the country.
Between the years of 2001 and 2004, Sri Lanka had a joint party government with Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaranatunga as its Executive President and Ranil Wikramasingha led United National Party holding cabinet positions. We see similarities in the actions of the Wikramasinghe government in which a “peace accord” was signed between the LTTE and the Wikramasainghe government under the mediation of the West and weakening of the military machine in Sri Lanka. This led to a collapse in moral and betrayal of the security forces and a majority of citizens showing displeasure. This “peace accord” led to not just weakening of the security machine in the country but provided a window for the LTTE to strengthen themselves and expand their network locally and Internationally.
Chandrika Kumaranatunga subsequently realizing the precarious situation the country had been dragged into with Wikramasinghe as its PM, dissolved the Government which led to Rajapaksa becoming the fifth Executive President of the country. This same course of action was followed by current President, Maithreepala Sirisena in October 2018 wherein he took the bold but failed decision of sacking Wikramasinghe as the PM in the volatile joint government and has been openly critical of Wikramasinghes’ management of the economy and security of the country. Ironically Kumaranatunga played a major role in bringing Wikramasinghe back into power in 2015.
High ranking officers of the armed forces (now retired) I spoke to, said that the moral of the forces and police by 2005 was at its lowest. The LTTE given 3 years of battle free breathing pace had strengthened themselves and the LTTE leader even stated that the LTTE is so strong that they could take Colombo the capital city in a battle if needed.
When Rajapaksa took over in 2005 the moral of the armed forces and police was at its lowest point with forces personnel willing to sacrifice their lives during a LTTE attack instead of fighting or firing back, knowing well that they would be strongly reprimanded by if they retaliated with the “peace accord” in effect. One wonders if the witch hunt of the armed forces commenced by the Wikramasinghe government in 2015 led to the lethargy and doubt among the defense mechanism in the country to take the required counter measures that could have prevented the Easter Sunday carnage.
One of the first and crucial steps taken by President Rakapaksa and his brother Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was to change the security culture in existence prior to making any battle plans against the LTTE. A nationwide national culture was created where the Soldier and policeman became a proud guardian of the nation and the entire nation started to support and stood behind the armed forces. The sentiments were so strong that the armed forces and police became the ‘Nations Pride’.
The nation which felt the genuine determination of the Rajapaksa government to eradicate the LTTE, understood that National Security is the responsibility of the entire nation and the entire nation went to war against the LTTE following the Mavilaru incident. The ruthless and Internationally spread LTTE was defeated in 2009, because the Government and the entire nation took over the wellbeing of the forces and their families. This national culture was kept alive by the Rajapaksa government until 2015.
The defeating of the LTTE terrorists which had led havoc and chaos in Sri Lanka for over 25 years was no cake walk. It took the toll of over 30,000 Sri Lankan lives and the capability, unbreakable spirit and will of the 3 forces and the police wholeheartedly supported by the entire Nation under the defiant and unshakable leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the commanders and senior officers of the 3 forces and police backed by a number of intelligence unit second to none who gave their lives and limbs to completely rid the country from the LTTE and bring secured peace to the Island nation.
While the country rejoiced and was given a new lease of life of – hope and prosperity in 2009, I was among the many along with the then Rajapaksa Government and security forces that understood – “we only defeated a ruthless terrorist organization, the threat of terrorism remains unless precautions and steps are taken to curtail such possible terrorist activity from commencing or gaining momentum once again.”
Following the complete eradication of the LTTE in Sri Lanka, the Rajapaksa government and security forces put in place an unseen security blanket covering the entire Island and its citizens. Islamic fundamentalists were monitored and as a result there was no room for extreme fundamentalism to escalate. Cyber security systems were put in place and were carefully monitored by Intelligence units. Ethnic Muslim enclaves in the coastal belt was monitored. The Rajapaksa government and the security forces, police and intelligence units were aware of the extent fundamentalists are ‘brain washed’ in giving up their lives for heavenly pleasures.
Unfortunately many, including the present government did not care or were not capable to understand or realize that the war we won, was against a ‘terrorist organization known as the LTTE’ and not against terrorism. Had the Wikramasinghe government taken a cue from Singapore who have the regions’ largest defense budget despite known as the most secured and lawful country for the past 30 years in S/E Asia, they would have understood the imperative need to have an unseen and un-noticed, strategic security blanket in place in all parts of the country during peaceful times in order to ensure secured peace to its people and visitors. “it is no secret that terrorists strike when one is at its weakest and when least expected”.
It is very unfortunate and sad that these officers who monitored these extremists which enabled the Rajapksa government to keep these fundamentalists in check have been taken in to custody by the Wikramasinghe government under the guise of “upholding democracy” and more importantly to please the Tamil and Muslim politicians allied with the Wikramasinghe government, the West and the UNHRC. It is now obvious that the result of these actions and the bickering and the split government which has weakened the government machinery and the intentional weakening of the Military caused the death and suffering of the helpless and innocent on Easter Sunday.
The country can breathe a sigh of relief that President Maithreepala Sirisena has now declared emergency rule giving powers to the armed forces and police. The appointment of a proven and battle hardened General Shantha Kottegoda as the Defense Secretary a relief to a nation that is still in shock and yet unsure about their safety. President Sirisena, the new Defense Secretary have to now take direct and take action to eradicate these Islamic fundamentalists speedily if the shocked nation is to get back to normalcy.
Regardless of position or power all known persons who have in any form supported extremists and fundamentalists need to be taken to task. As long as persons holding position and power in the Government known to have supported or had affiliations with these extremists are at large due to political gain, the Nation will remain skeptical. This has been reiterated by religious leaders and politicians over and over.
There is no doubt the newly appointed and capable defense secretary General Shantha Kottegoda along with the experienced and battle hardened armed forces and police can eradicate these fundamentalists and extremists speedily provided there is no political intervention and interference in them discharging their duties. It is also to be seen how President Sirisena will curtail and limit the developing involvement and meddling in this matter by the West, specially the USA in the coming weeks.
It will be also interesting to see if the Wikramasinghe government will “democratically” join other political parties to uphold the democratic right of the nation by facilitating pending and forthcoming elections. The Election Commissioner has categorically stated the terror attack on Easter Sunday or terrorism in Sri Lanka is no excuse to delay any elections being conducted.
The Nation hopes and prays that President Sirisena will call upon all political parties to unite under one intention of eradicating the Islamic extremists and fundamentalists and fundamental ideologies with limited intervention and with NO interference by the US and the West.
“The writer is former Director at Maharajas and former Director/CEO at EAP networks)