Cracks within the ‘dream-team’ that achieved the unprecedented military victory over the Tamil Tigers, emerged just days after the end of the war, C.A. Chandraperuma discloses in his book, "Gota's War" which was launched last Monday.
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| Brothers in deep thought listen to speeches at the launch |
"At the first Security Council meeting after the death of Prabhakaran, Sarath Fonseka wanted a doubling of the size of the Army. The President responded that the war was now over and that, he had to develop the country now, for which, resources allocated for the war had now to be directed towards development, and hence, expanding the Army was out of the question," the book said.
It also details a clash at the same meeting between Fonseka and then Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda, about who should get more credit for defeating the LTTE. "In addition to all the problems that the President and Gota had to handle, the international pressures, the financial headaches, the coordination of operations between all the forces, the media front, there was the running battle between Sarath Fonseka and Wasantha Karannagdoa to contend with," the book says.
The book also gives details of the last four days of the war in the chapter titled "The end at Nandikadal Lagoon", which began on May 16, 2009, with the dramatic link up of the 58 and 59 Divisions. During the next four days, the Army encountered stiff resistance, losing men and material, as the trapped group of LTTE cadres comprising of the most senior leaders, did their utmost to break out of the area.
The book says that troops recovered the body of Prabhakaran on the morning of May 19, when they went into the last uncleared patch of land, a belt of mangroves by the banks of the Nandikadal lagoon around 800 metres long and 20 metres wide.
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| At the launch: President Rajapakse leafs throught the book |
Here, there had been a confrontation during which three individuals were captured and who indicated to the troops that Prabhakaran was in the mangroves with around 30 men. Troops had then fired into the mangroves until there was no return fire, and sent in a search team, where Prabhakaran's body was found by a team leader.
"His body was still warm when found, indicating that he had just been killed." the book revealed.
Senior Minister Sarath Amunugama who spoke at the launch of "Gota's War", said that, the architect of the military victory against the Tamil Tigers is Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, calling him a 'soldier's soldier.'
"No military force in the world has undertaken this type of a dramatic humanitarian operation ever, and achieved complete victory," Minister Amunugama said, adding that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had provided dynamic leadership to end LTTE terrorism.
Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga who also spoke at the book launch, referred to the intense discussion contained in it on the role India played during different phases of the war in Sri Lanka.
He made particular reference to Indian pressure exerted on the Government of President J.R. Jayewardene when the Vadamarachchi operation began in 1987.
Mr. Weeratunga said that, had the Vadamarachchi operation continued, it was strongly believed the country would have been rid of terrorism, but for the 'high-handed interference’ of J.N. Dixit, then Indian envoy in Sri Lanka .
Quoting from the book, Mr. Weeratunga said that, when the Vadamarachchi operation began, Indian envoy Dixit met President Jayewardene and bluntly told him that India will not stand by idly and allow Jaffna to fall into the hands of the Army, and warned that, if the military operations continued, there would be 'unforeseen consequences' .
"Let me tell you bluntly that Mr. Dixit is lucky that it was not to President Rajapaksa that he threw this threat, " Mr. Weeratunga added.
The book was published by the General Ranjan Wijeratne Foundation.
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