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Sri Lankans Prepare to get their War on
By Charlie
KILONOCHCHI, Sri Lanka -- In this Tamil rebel stronghold, hundreds of people stood in long lines over the weekend, stocking up on food and fuel and preparing for war.Across much of the rest of Sri Lanka, there were long lines too - but lines of revelers taking part in celebrations marking one of the year's most important Buddhist festivals.
Spiraling violence has rocked a shaky 2002 cease-fire between the Tamil Tigers and the government, sparking fears the island nation could be plunged back into civil war.
The Sri Lankan air force launched airstrikes on guerrilla-held territory Thursday after Tamil suicide boats rammed and sank a navy patrol craft. The attack and subsequent sea battle killed dozens of people.Many in Kilinochchi believe it is just a matter of time before the war resumes - some even welcome it.
"I want to fight and I am ready to go to war at any time when my commander orders," said Shankar, a young rebel soldier manning a checkpoint in the town.
I hope, but doubt, this can be resolved by diplomacy. Since 1983, 60,000 people have been killed in this conflict, and it looks like it is about to begin anew after a major naval engagement with the Sri Lankan government forces.
Why is this important? It's just one of the many "small wars" that are heating up across the globe, and it contributes to rampant instability throughout the third world. Will there be an international -or an American- intervention? Probably not, barring a massive humanitarian crisis, which is not atypical in these low-level conflicts.
It is something to keep an eye on in order to study the tactics, techniques, and procedures of irregular forces.
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Comments
singhalse hve no heart
The international community must step in to stop the LTTE (the tamil tiger terrorist) from recruiting young children, some as young as 12 and from killing innocent sinhala, tamil and muslim civilians through bombs placed in buses, trains etc.
it should also stop LTTE from obtaining funds through fake charities, extortion, credit card fraud, money laundering etc.
sinhalese are dumb, ragapakese is the worst man like , have a heart there just drifferent by lauguage, and land..
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The first "war" between the Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lankan govt and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(Tigers) took place around '83 or '84. Then, after a year or so the Indian Govt sent in I ndian troops to "keep the peace", except the Tigers started a war against the Indian Peace-Keeping Force. It was a no-holds barred guerilla war, with both sides committing all manner of abuses. Despit a few years of fighting, it ended in a stalemate, and the indians withdrew.
The Tigers, according to Prof Pape of Univ of Chicago, in his book, pioneered suicide bombing and other such tactics.
It probably would be interesting if one could study and analyse the strategy and tactics used by both the Indian Army and the Tigers in that conflict.
The US war planners, would probably learn a lot about fighting a totally committed, and fanatical group of i nsurgents, who have no concern for either the rules and conventions of war fighting, or for their own lives or for the lives of the people they supposedly are fighting for. Those lessons might help in understanding and in designing tactics and strategy against al-Qaeda, Taliban and other Islamic terrorist groups.
Just thoughts from a non-military guy, who wants the US and other western democracies win the war against the scourge of global Islamic terrorism.
keep up the great work on the blog.