Jungle Telegraph

3rd May 1998

Who was at the party?

Sleuths have been detailed to find out the identities of some senior men in uniform who attended a lavish party at a star class hotel.

It's not because they are debarred from attending parties.

But this one was quite different. It was thrown by a leading arms dealer group which had made billions in military procurement deals.

A few names that would raise eye brows have already surfaced. The food and drinks served would not just raise eye brows but send one into a trance. Some of the few places in Asia where such things happen.

Warning

Military Intelli gence last Thursday sent out a warning to security forces establishments in the Wanni.

A highlight was reports that the LTTE is planning to attack a helicopter giving close air support to ground troops. The areas where such an attack would be possible have also been identified.

Among the other warnings are a Tiger guerrilla plan to attack naval craft between Pulmoddai and Mullaitivu.

Another said that five armed Tiger guerrillas had infiltrated Talgahawela- Kebettigollawa areas to attack selected targets. It is not clear whether they included civilian settlements in the area.

New LTTE industry

Reports from the Batticaloa district speak about a new "industry" the LTTE has set up.

A large quantity of vacuum flasks are being improvised as explosive devices.

This is by filling a small quantity of explosives between the casing of the flash and the mercury coated container. A self triggering mechanism had been introduced.

That is not all. Another item that is being converted into improvised explosive devices are hand held push cycle pumps.

Why are they making them in substantial quantities ? The answer was not clear last week.

Menacing bovine breed

This will undoubt edly be an addition to tales about Humour in Uniform.

A young officer somewhere in the battle area overheard his boss speaking to a colleague not far away from his camp in a jungle area.

He asked him to send a "consignment of Keboos."

What is Keboos ? The young officer wondered whether that was the latest code word for some secret military hardware.

It turned out that it was not.

Keboos simply meant Wild Boar flesh !!

The menacing bovine breed, they say, have to be dealt with. Prowling along defence lines sometimes makes sentries wonder whether they are guerrillas.

Editorial/Opinion Contents