Jungle Telegraph

6th June 1999

Probe

Army Headquarters have sent a team to Jaffna to probe the recent death of a young lieutenant (posthumously promoted to the rank of Captain).

The move followed reports that the officer died under suspicious circumstances and not due to any enemy action.

Two not three

Snags over a protracted deal to purchase three C 130 Hercules aircraft from Britain's Royal Air Force have now been resolved.

The SLAF will now buy two instead of three in terms of an agreement concluded this week. The fully re- conditioned tanking variants converted to transport version are due to arrive in six months.

Help to helpful man

In what was dubbed as a 'weeding out' process, the top runger in a service, widely travelled and well conversant with procurement, was transferred out to a troubled area. The task assigned to him was different from his original job.

He decided to call it quits and sent in his papers. It seemed a foreign firm had given him a top job with a handsome pay of US $ 3,000 per month. Or so a letter submitted to the bosses said.

It has now transpired that the letter did not come from the firm in question.

Their local agents gave one to help the helpful man.

Rs.52,000 deal

Alia earned the wrath of an anonymous caller over last week's report that Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Srilal Weerasooriya, had asked that curtains at General's House (where he moved in) be put back after he learnt it would cost Rs 55,000 to dry clean them. 'Check your facts before you write such things,' the caller exhorted in a stentorian voice that was reminiscent of orders shouted at a military parade.

Alia did check and the caller was right. The curtains had in fact been dry cleaned at a cost of some Rs 22,000. A further sum of Rs 30,000 had been paid to a firm to fix them. So it was a Rs 52,000 deal. Well, Alia had erred !!!

Guns on wheels

Amidst reports of LTTE raising a civilian militia in the Wanni comes the news that guns mounted on wheels were being moved to some locations.

Residents arriving in controlled areas from Tiger guerrilla dominated Wanni say they have spotted at least three such large guns. However, they are unable to identify what they are except to add that they were mounted on wheeled platforms. Further evidence that the LTTE is now acquiring stand off weapons in a bid to avoid casualties to its depleting cadres.

Special Assignment

Editorial/Opinion Contents