Plot to attack Israelis backed by a foreign power
The Police have averted what would otherwise have turned out to be a massacre of Israelis in a synagogue in Arugam Bay on the southeast coast.
The attacks had been planned for a day between October 19 and 24 during a largely attended religious event that was taking place, according to intelligence sources. They said investigations were underway to ascertain to what extent a foreign power was backing the plot to carry out the attack, including money spent, any possible training and other support they may have given.
The reason behind the planned attack was to protest Israeli Defence Forces military offensives in Gaza and Lebanon where thousands of civilians including children are being slaughtered. The war began after Hamas militants carried out an attack inside Israel where 1,200, mostly civilians were killed and 250 more were taken hostage on October 7, last year.
A dangerous outcome of such an attack would have been the adverse impact on Muslim villages that are near Arugam Bay. The closest town is Pottuvil where half the population are Muslims. It is five kilometres or 3.8 miles from this popular coastal resort. The blame would have been placed on the Muslims there and the perpetrators or their masterminds going unnoticed, at least for some time. Similarly, there were fears that attacks were possible in the southern towns of Ahangama, Ahungalla and other coastal areas frequented by Israelis.
Sri Lankan agencies uncovered information on a plot to attack the Arugam Bay synagogue (the house of worship and communal centre for Jewish congregation), in early October. However, the information they had at that time was very sketchy and they were not clear on the details of the plot. Hence, a group of suspected persons had been placed under surveillance. Thereafter two Sri Lankans, one from a Colombo suburb, another from the north, and a Maldivian were arrested. The latter is the son of a Maldivian father and Sri Lankan mother. They are now being held on detention orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Maldivian national, a Sinhala speaker, is said to have possessed two mobile phones and held several addresses. Police are on the lookout for two more people who are known to be abroad. They have travelled on many occasions to Sri Lanka. All these people are said to have been serving prison sentences in a local jail for varied offences. Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, this week had a meeting with Maldivian High Commissioner Masood Imad on matters related to the suspect from his country. No details were immediately available. A resident of Mawanella has been arrested separately after he was found loitering around the house of the Israeli Consul General at Nedimale, Dehiwala. He is being questioned.
Arugam Bay has remained a popular destination for tourists who are attracted by the seas known to be the best for surfing. More than half the tourists are said to be Israelis. In recent years, synagogues have sprung up in the area and restaurants serving kosher food (or food fit or proper as it relates to Jewish dietary law) are not only serving their needs, but some are also receiving payment in foreign currency. One synagogue is now ending construction not far away from a Muslim Mosque. Television footage screened by local channels this week showed Arugam Bay scenes which were reminiscent of the separatist war days with a heavy presence of Police Special Task Force commandos and their armoured patrol vehicles. In other areas where attacks were feared, heavy military security has also been placed in addition to the presence of armed police.
The arrests by the Police on October 7 and the investigations thereafter had remained secret. The reason was the absence of a full picture of the plot by the relevant authorities. Resultantly, the parties concerned, particularly Israel and the United States, have not been apprised of the development. Rather unfortunately, with a new government in office only for a month, there had been an unprecedented element of amateurism that had crept in. Otherwise, an early appraisal would have resulted in a twofold benefit—One: valuable intelligence inputs from those countries, known to be the best in the world, would have been immensely useful. Two: A joint investigation below the radar until the plot was completely unravelled. That would not only have saved much embarrassment for Sri Lanka worldwide but most importantly avoided a bad fallout on the tourism industry. Now, they are all fully geared to receive tourists for the winter season.
The United States Embassy in Colombo posted on its website the threats faced by their nationals visiting Sri Lanka. It said, “The Embassy received credible information warning of an attack targeting popular tourist locations in the Arugam Bay area. Due to the serious risk posed by this threat, the Embassy imposed a travel restriction on Embassy personnel for Arugam Bay effective immediately and until further notice.
“U.S. citizens are strongly urged to avoid the Arugam Bay area until further notice.
“Actions to Take:
- Report all suspicious activity and emergencies to local authorities (119).
- Always maintain vigilance and be aware of your surroundings. Trust your gut, if a situation doesn’t feel right, get out of it.
- Always have some form of communication on you (i.e. cell phone).
- Monitor local media for news and updates.“
The US Embassy warning received worldwide publicity. This was followed immediately by other members of the so-called Five Eyes, besides the US – the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Even their adversary Russia joined in the task. Immediately thereafter, the Reuters news agency reported: “JERUSALEM/COLOMBO, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Israel’s national security council called on Israelis on Wednesday to immediately leave some tourist areas in southern Sri Lanka over the threat of a possible terrorist attack. The agency said the warning pertained to the area of Arugam Bay and beaches in the south and west of Sri Lanka, and stemmed from “current information about a terrorist threat focused on tourist areas and beaches.
“The security council did not specify the exact nature of the threat and called on Israelis in the rest of Sri Lanka to be cautious and refrain from holding large gatherings in public areas.
“The Israeli security establishment … is in close contact with the security authorities in Sri Lanka and is following the developments.”
It is against this backdrop that the government went into action. Cabinet spokesperson Vijitha Herath held a special news briefing from the office of the Ministry of Public Security on October 24. He holds that portfolio. He said that on Tuesday, foreign intelligence agencies had warned of a potential threat. The matter was taken up at the National Security Council (NSC) which has been meeting periodically. Security have been strengthened in Arugam Bay and other tourist areas like Bandarawela, Ella, Matara, Weligama and Ahungalla. Warning that people should not use this situation to “intimidate others for political gain,” the Minister said foreign countries were “already satisfied with the measures we have taken.”
He claimed they have gained confidence on their part to send their citizens to Sri Lanka and justified their travel advisories since they were mandatory “by a diplomatic mission in any country.” However, there has been no stoppage of tourists, he said. He asserted that “we have already brought the situation under control. Hence, there is no need for foreign tourists to panic.” He also declared that the picture the government had at the beginning was sketchy. Herath denied media reports that an Indian intelligence agency had provided the government reports warning of an attack. “This is false,” he said. Despite Minister Herath’s assertions, the warnings from the US as well as their four allies remain on their websites. So does the one from Russia.
The threats to the tourism industry from the advisories of the United States and Israel and their allies cannot be taken lightly. Those wanting to avenge Israeli atrocities on civilians will continue to look out for soft targets. It is noteworthy that Minister Herath has set the record right from the government’s position. However, that seems only the tip of the iceberg. No effort has still been made to meet those key players in the local tourism industry to obtain their views on how best the situation could be neutralized. Thus the views of their foreign principals are also not known. Sri Lanka diplomatic missions overseas have also not known how to react since no instructions have gone out. Nor has there been a formal official government statement. This is particularly in the light of the wide publicity worldwide the travel warnings from the two countries and their allies have received. That an adverse impact on the tourism industry would by extension affect the country’s economy is no secret. It comes at a time when the new government is engaged in an exercise to change Sri Lanka still being classified as “bankrupt.”
One is reminded of the events that played out as results of the presidential election kept coming in during the early hours of September 22. When the news spread that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People’s Power (NPP) was on the road to victory, reports circulated that Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe was preparing his letter of resignation. One of those who heard this was a former United National Party (UNP) stalwart. He telephoned two NPP leaders, Vijitha Herath and Bimal Ratnayake. Both responded to him within an hour. They sought his good offices to urge Governor Weerasinghe not to leave. “What about the Treasury Secretary?” asked Weerasinghe. The stalwart said he would phone him as well. There was another round of calls. Both said they were staying behind. Last week, the duo was in the Sri Lanka delegation to Washington DC for talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Its Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that they were encouraged by the commitment of Sri Lankan authorities to continue the reforms to safeguard the hard-won gains under the IMF programme. An IMF team is due in Colombo for talks on another tranche of its Extended Fund Facility (EFF)⍐.
No comments:
Post a Comment