Real heroes and mock
heroics
- Galle Navy Commanders transferred after Wednesday's
attack by LTTE
- Habarana horror could have been avoided if
warnings were heeded
- Super heroes make media scapegoat for their
blunders
By Iqbal Athas
Hardly had the nation recovered from the devastating
debacle in the battlefields of Muhamalai on October 11. From the
puny and the poor to the high and the mighty in the land reacted
with shock and awe at the deaths of more than 138 brave officers
and men of the Army.
If their supreme sacrifice came as a sad loss
to their families and friends, they were pained by those injured.
The latest computation of figures placed the injured at over 600.
And, last Monday, just four days after this debacle,
the nation was numbed by another. Unbelievable but true. At least
116 Navy sailors were killed. The bodies of 90 were identified.
More than 130 were injured. Of this number, 110 are still in hospital.
This was at Boraluwala, Digampathana near Dambulla. Such a heavy
death toll and casualty count would have been impossible if Tiger
guerrillas were to fight ten different sea battles. But it came
on land. It took only one suicide cadre and a truck load of explosives
to cause that devastation. That too in a Government-controlled area
considered safe and secure.
A nation prepared for more funerals or the last
rites of those who died. It was in all parts of the country. Now
it was more than 253 in the Army and the Navy. Just a day later,
Tiger guerrilla suicide cadres launched an attack on the Navy's
SLNS Dakshina, their detachment in Galle.
![](../images/col7.jpg) |
All that remains of the explosive laden Isuzu
truck at Digampathana near Dambulla. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara |
It came in broad daylight, despite credible warnings
the previous night. Ironic enough such warnings had been initiated
by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief
of the Armed Forces. He received a tip-off. Thirteeen sailors and
eight civilians were injured. A sailor and a civilian died later.
An Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC), a coastal patrol boat, a Dvora Fast
Attack Craft (FAC) and the non operational sub chaser SLNS Parakrama
were damaged. Two oil tanks and two buildings were also damaged.
The Navy claimed they had killed 15 guerrillas. Only three bodies
of suspected guerrillas washed ashore near the naval establishment.
Even if the attackers failed to cause heavy casualties or damage,
the LTTE delivered a message - it still retained the military capability
to reach the south. That message raised some concerns worldwide,
particularly in foreign offices in countries where their nationals
travelled to Sri Lanka, the tourism and travel trade. It also led
to the cancellation of a US Marines-Sri Lankan Security Forces joint
training exercise in the southern coast stretching from Hambantota
to Tangalle. There were worries about force protection levels.
This was at a time when small, ill-informed sections
of the military establishment had, like in the past, continued to
under estimate the enemy capability. They had concluded that the
guerrillas have been almost defeated. Saying this is by no means
to boost the morale of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
as some misguided men in uniform think or want Sri Lankans and the
outside world to believe. They accuse the media when this harsh
ground reality is repeatedly pointed out only to hide their omissions
and commissions.
When an enemy is underestimated, one need not
be a Lieutenant General to say that the response to them is also
an underestimated one.
![](../images/col8.jpg) |
A civilian injured after the guerrilla attack
on SLNS Dakshina in Galle being rushed to hospital. |
Those pen pushers, anchor persons, those sitting
in front of TV consoles or microphones at broadcast stations do
not prosecute a war. They are not even allowed nearer the battlefield
except on conducted tours. They only report, some on the basis of
information dished out to them by spokespersons in Colombo and others
from sources they deem credible.
But there are those who hide their military blunders
that not only boost the morale of their enemy, but also embarrass
a Government and the people who look to them with great confidence.
They are found out only when the media exposes such blunders in
the national interest. They cannot be brushed under the carpet.
Carl von Clausewitz in his treatise On War (1832) says "war
is not merely a political act, but also a real political instrument,
a continuation of political commerce, a carrying out of the same
by other means…."
During more than two decades of separatist War,
there have been occasions when The Sunday Times exposed military
blunders that cost lives and led to the loss of millions of rupees
worth of equipment. This helped political leaders to understand
realities. When they were told that artillery guns were destroyed
(together with huge quantities of ammunition), it came to light
the enemy had seized them. When they were told that battle tanks
were destroyed, it came to light they were not.
In the past at least one tank fell into the hands
of the guerrillas. In Muhamalai five were lost. Besides the two
destroyed, what happened to the other three? It is known that one
is already in guerrilla hands. What has been paid for with the tax
payer's money came to be used against the troops defending the nation's
sovereignty and territorial integrity. Can anyone say this is the
result of good planning?
![](../images/col9.jpg) |
President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the chief
guest at the General Convocation of the Kotalawala Defence Academy
on Thursday.
Seen in the picture are Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa,
Chancellor Lt. Gen. Denis Perera , Vice Chancellor and Commandant
of the KDA, Rear Admiral C.N. Thuduwewatte among others. |
One such blunder revealed exclusively by The Sunday
Times (Situation Report) was the Army's debacle in Pooneryn on November
11, 1993. Consequent to a string of exposures thereafter, on December
31, 1993, then Commander of the Army Lt. Gen. Cecil Waidyaratne
resigned. In his letter to late President J.R. Jayewardene he said
"I sacrificed a very prestigious and distinguished appointment
as Commander of the Army for the failure and negligence of others,
in keeping with the highest traditions and ethics of a good soldier.
I hope all this would not be in vain for if those officers found
guilty are not removed and disciplined, it is the brave soldiers
who are facing the brunt of the battle in the frontlines who could
be deprived of leadership at this critical hour of our nation."
Sri Lanka, with a one of the highest literacy
rates in Asia, is perhaps one country in the world where the word
"accountability" is increasingly getting confined to the
dictionary. The media, among all others, are blamed. Not those who
cause it, hide behind spokespersons and press releases to accuse
others of treachery and boosting the morale of the LTTE to cover
up their battlefield reversals. More comments on that later.
Sailors boarding 12 buses at the Navy's Eastern
Naval Area Headquarters in Trincomalee were unaware of what was
awaiting them. Around 10.30 a.m. the convoy set out. Each bus kept
a distance of 100 metres from the other. Armed sailors in Double
Cabs were escorting them. Motor cycle outriders travelling ahead
ordered traffic along the road to move to a side as the lengthy
convoy whizzed past at some 60 miles per hour.
![](../images/col10.jpg) |
How The Sunday Times reported the warning |
Before boarding the buses, the Navy personnel
who were returning to their homes on leave, surrendered their National
Identity Cards to obtain a weapon, body armour and helmet. This
is to be on the ready if they encountered a surprise attack before
they reached their transit point. They hand them over to their colleagues
returning after leave. On the same day, around 7.30 a.m. sailors
in three buses left the SLNS Rangala base in Colombo. Along the
way, they stopped at various points to pick colleagues who were
returning after leave.
The naval troops travelling from the two directions
met at three different pre-arranged locations. The most used was
the transit point at Boraluwala, Digampathana, near Habarana. It
was past 12.30 p.m. when the parties arrived. It was routine for
them to converge to listen to a briefing by an officer. This was
to keep the men who were going towards Trincomalee alert. Those
travelling on leave were also told of procedures. It was only thereafter
that the ritual of surrendering their weapon, body armour and helmet
began. Only then, would they secure their identity cards and board
another bus to return to their abodes.
Just after 1.30 p.m. before all this could happen,
disaster struck. The truck coming from the direction of Dambulla
drove towards the transit point. As it neared, the driver, a suicide
bomber in a black T-shirt shouted, "break nehe, brake nehe
(no brakes, no brakes), rammed on to a bus and crashed into the
crowd. A thundering explosion rent the air. Sailors dropped dead
or were injured. Only the chassis and the engine of the lorry remained.
The Isuzu half lorry has been registered in the name of a person
living in Meetotamulla, Wellampitiya. The area came to be called
Boraluwala after contractors removed gravel from this area to fill
land.
Within minutes, the news spread countrywide. That
was to lead to emotional scenes at Boraluwala as villagers rushed
in to help. Mobile phones strewn all over began to ring. None was
answered and soon the chorus of ringing tones grew. There were also
several that recorded short messages. One had 47, all asking a sailor
whether he was safe. He lay dead. Twenty buses and a lorry were
damaged. Bodies lay strewn all over. Identification became difficult
since many did not possess their National Indentity Cards.
Shocking enough, the subject of a possible attack
on the transit camp was known, known well ahead, since there were
warnings just days earlier. Yet, the precious lives of those men,
who were not in battle, but were either going to see their loved
ones or returning after seeing them, had to die.
The tragic irony of this was underscored once
more a day later. On Wednesday morning, Tiger guerrillas attacked
SLNS Dakshina in Galle. It was only on Tuesday night that both the
Police and the Navy were warned of guerrilla boat movements. Reports
spoke of boats leaving Panama, south of Pottuvil, heading towards
Galle that night. The attackers came in as fishermen mingling with
other boats around. Though an alert was in place, it had been lifted
by morning. Four boatloads of guerrillas were involved in the attack.
On October 8, 2006 The Sunday Times (Situation
Report) revealed exclusively how Navy Headquarters issued a warning
to all its establishments. It said, "Reliable info revealed
LTTE planning a major offensive/destruction before mid October to
inflict damage to SF (Security Forces).
"Targeting SLN (Sri Lanka Navy) convoys,
coastal deployment and harbours through sea borne attempts are likely
course of enemy action.
"Warn all units to continue to maintain higher
state of preparedness and vigilance and ensure every movement /
deployment properly executed after going through all possible aspects
as per checklist."
This warning from Navy Headquarters to their establishments
countrywide was sent on October 3, just 11 days before the Habarana
incident and 13 days before Galle. Were they, like other intelligence
warnings, ignored? What is the purpose of providing a checklist
if it is not followed? Didn't such neglect lead to the deaths of
116 sailors and injuries to others? Like the Muhamalai blunder,
who are accountable for this?
Navy Headquarters is conducting a top level investigation
into the two incidents. In respect of Galle, the Southern Naval
Area Commander and the Commanding Officer of the SLNS Dakshina have
already been moved out of their stations.
With regard to the Muhamalai debacle, members
of the National Security Council on Thursday heard three Brigade
Commanders explain what happened. They were inducted to the NSC
by a top Army official. Their revelations left no doubt in the minds
of participants that the military action was not only ill planned
but poorly co-ordinated.
Yet, some Army top brass are taking exception
to some of the issues raised in The Sunday Times. Efforts have been
made by them to suggest through Rupavahini, the national television
network in their Sinhala news bulletin on Friday night that the
action was not ill planned and that some of the media reportage
was boosting the morale of the LTTE. Though The Sunday Times (Situation
Report) was not mentioned the references were to its contents. This
report was, however, stopped by top Government leaders from being
broadcast in the English news bulletin later that night. Evidently,
it was not the Government's official view.
Now an inquiry is under way to ascertain how it
originated. It was only some three weeks ago, Chief of Defence Staff
Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera thanked the Sri Lankan media for
the full support given to the Security Forces in their counter terrorism
efforts. In the national interest and for the benefit of thousands
of dedicated troops in the battlefront, who are courageously risking
their life and limb, the issues raised merit answer. It will thus
show that some are trying to hide behind the truth and hurl abuse
only to cover their own misdeeds. Here are a few instances:
The offensive, or "confrontation" at
Muhamalai, as they prefer to call it, they insist, was not "ill
planned." How come more than 138 brave officers and soldiers
paid the supreme sacrifice with their lives? How come more than
483 other officers and men were injured? These were figures disclosed
by the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS). Of the injured,
it was pointed out that 283 were P 1 or P 2 cases. They were of
a serious nature.
Ask any one of the injured who are on their sick
beds whether it was "ill planned" or "well planned."
They will provide the answers to what some want to hide. Even the
most dim witted would concede that the loss of a large number of
lives not to mention battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers and
other military hardware, was not well planned.
I spoke with some officers engaged in the offensive.
They said there was a lack of understanding of enemy positions,
their defences or battle plans. There were no plans to deal with
casualties, as a high rate was not anticipated. The battle tanks
got bogged down due to soggy terrain caused by rains. Thus, the
infantry found it difficult to hold their ground and in fact they
were trapped. Could all this happen if there was good planning?
It is claimed that the contents of The Sunday
Times (Situation Report) account could be a move to cause rift and
tarnish the image of senior officers. It is a public secret, known
by both Sri Lankans and those abroad, widely reported and editorialized
in the local media, that some senior officers had developed serious
rifts with others over their greed in claiming greater shares of
military successes. This has reached worrisome proportions that
dialogue between some at the highest levels has ceased. This was
the rationale, though ill conceived, behind the Ministry of Defence
move to ask the media to verify all their reports with the MCNS.
They sought to strike a balance.
The claim that the account boosted the morale
of the LTTE and tended to lower the morale of the Security Forces
is laughable. It is no secret that the morale of the soldier is
very often affected when battlefield debacles occur. This is when
they are ill planned and lead to heavy casualties. It is they who
come to know it first.
The news of such debacles soon spread among officers
and men. They speak of someone somewhere having blundered, and blundered
colossally. And such actions no doubt boost the morale of the LTTE.
That is without question. It also deprives a Government the position
of strength it had developed during one military success after another.
It also places the Government in bad light in the eyes of the international
community. Equally importantly, it demoralizes the public. To blame
it on the media is one thing. But it is much worse when the truth
is kept away and accusations are made on those who want to reveal
them in the national interest. This is why some "super heroes,"
propelled by the unbridled power they wield, choose to call them
traitors. This is nothing new. The truth hurts them. Such reportage
is not in line with accounts they doctor and engineer with "friendly"
media outlets. All this boils down to a question of leadership.
Last Thursday, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who
addressed the convocation of the Kotalawala Defence Academy quoted
the Austrian author of management related literature, Peter Ferdinand
Drucker's words. He said, "Effective leadership is not about
making speeches or being liked. Leadership is defined by results
not attributes." How true.
These developments come in the backdrop of both
the Government and the LTTE agreeing to resume peace talks on October
28 and 29. Yet, there is a hurdle to clear before the two sides
meet in Geneva. That is the all important question of how the LTTE
delegation will travel to Geneva. They have told the Norwegian facilitators
of the need for special arrangements in the aftermath of what they
call humiliating treatment received when they passed through Colombo
on the last occasion. That was when they were returning from Geneva
after refusing to meet a Sri Lankan delegation at peace talks.
Their request was conveyed to Norway's special
envoy for the peace process Jon Hanssen Bauer and Ambassador Hans
Brattskar when they were in Kilinochchi last Thursday. The duo drove
by road from Kilinochchi to Vavuniya to board an Air Force helicopter
after their talks. During the flight the rotor blade hit a bird
causing vibration. The pilot landed in Anuradhapura. Though a fixed
wing aircraft was later lined up, there was bad weather. This forced
the Norwegian duo to travel by road. It later turned out to be a
diplomatic motorcade with Japan's special envoy Yasushi Akashi and
the Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Ms. Ruth Slint, joining in. They
happened to be in the sacred city.
They arrived in Colombo close upon midnight. That
led to the cancellation of a dinner planned by Government leaders
for Mr. Hanssen Bauer on Thursday night. It was re-scheduled for
Friday after Mr. Bauer and Mr. Brattskar delayed their departure.
Though Mr. Bauer left early yesterday, Mr. Brattskar is still in
Sri Lanka. He is expected to leave for Oslo after finalising with
the Government the travel formalities for the LTTE delegation. Government
leaders are learnt to be still locked in discussion over the issues
connected with LTTE travel.
The Government team is expected to leave on Wednesday
while the LTTE group will travel on Tuesday.
General Norman Schwarzkopf, who completed two
tours of duty in Vietnam and gave leadership to the American troops
in the Gulf War of 1991 once declared in his autobiography 'IT DOESN'T
TAKE A HERO' that:
"It doesn't take a hero to order men into
battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle."
The remarks reflect the humanity and humility
of a five star General who commanded millions of troops and earned
their respect.
In Sri Lanka, the real heroes are those who paid
with their lives and those who are now fighting to heal the wounds
inflicted by the enemy. There is no doubt the nation salutes these
true heroes for their sacrifice. Those men in the Army, Navy, Air
Force, and Police (including the Special Task Force) have done their
nation proud. |