Sri Lanka News Debrief 06 - 10 - 2010

55 NATO fuel tankers set on fire in Pakistan

US says sorry for Pakistan deaths

US ambassador in Islamabad says helicopter pilots mistook Pakistani soldiers for Taliban fighters they were pursuing.

Last Modified: 06 Oct 2010 21:53 GMT

Scores of Nato lorries have been torched since Pakistan closed a key border crossing into Afghanistan [AFP]
The US apologised for a recent helicopter attack that killed two Pakistani soldiers at an outpost near the Afghan border, saying the American pilots mistook the soldiers for Taliban fighters they were pursuing.
Wednesday's apology, which came after a joint investigation with Pakistan, could pave the way for Islamabad to reopen a key border crossing that Nato uses to ship goods into landlocked Afghanistan.
Pakistan closed the crossing in apparent reaction to the September 30 incident.
Taliban fighters have taken advantage of the impasse to launch attacks against stranded or rerouted lorries, including two on Wednesday. A driver was killed and at least 55 fuel tankers were set on fire in the attacks.
"We extend our deepest apology to Pakistan and the families of the Frontier Scouts who were killed and injured," Anne Patterson, the US ambassador to Pakistan, said.
Pakistan initially reported that three soldiers were killed and three wounded in the attack, but one of the soldiers who was critically injured and initially reported dead ended up surviving, Major Fazlur Rehman, a spokesman for the Frontier Corps said.
'Warning shots'
Pakistani soldiers fired at the two US helicopters prior to the attack, a move the investigation team said was likely meant to notify the aircraft of their presence after they passed into Pakistani airspace several times.
"We believe the Pakistani border guard was simply firing warning shots after hearing the nearby engagement and hearing the helicopters flying nearby," Tim Zadalis, Nato's director for air plans in Afghanistan who led the investigation, said.
"This tragic event could have been avoided with better coalition force co-ordination with the Pakistan military."
Nato officials have insisted that neither the attacks on lorries nor the border closure have caused supply problems for Nato troops as hundreds of lorries still cross into Afghanistan each day through the Chaman crossing in southwestern Pakistan and via Central Asian states.
But reopening Torkham is definitely a priority for Nato because it is the main crossing in Pakistan, the country through which Nato ships the majority of its supplies into Afghanistan. Other routes are more expensive and logistically difficult.
Both US and Pakistani officials have predicted Torkham would reopen soon, and the apologies issued on Wednesday could provide Pakistan with a face-saving way to back down.
Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, said "it is very unusual that the US says sorry for such a strike".
"The US air strikes are not a small matter anymore in Pakistan.
"Many people believe there is a tacit agreement between the US and the Pakistan government about these air strikes. It will be interesting to see how the government in Islamabad will handle the pressure over the matter," he said.
Tense relations
Even if the border is reopened, underlying tensions will remain in the US-Pakistan relationship, especially over Pakistan's unwillingness to go after Afghan Taliban fighters on its territory.
In an assessment of operations in Pakistan's tribal areas, a White House report to congress said that Pakistani forces were avoiding "direct conflict" with the Afghan Taliban annd al-Qaeda.
It also said that the Pakistani military has moved against fighters in South Waziristan, but that soldiers stayed close to roads and operations were progressing "slowly".
"In my mind, there's no question that the Pakistanis walk both sides of the street," Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
The US has dramatically increasing the number of CIA drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal belt, including two on Wednesday that killed 11 fighters in North Waziristan, according to Pakistani intelligence officials.
In the first attack, a US drone fired two missiles at a house near Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan, killing six fighters, said the officials.
About two hours later, missiles struck a house near Mir Ali, another major town in North Waziristan, killing five fighters, they said.
The US does not publicly acknowledge the drone strikes in Pakistan, but US officials have said privately that they have killed several senior Taliban and al-Qaida commanders.
Pakistani authorities reported 24 attacks since September 3 which have killed more than 140 people.

Source: AL JAZEERA

தலைமைகளா? கழுதைகளா?

வடக்கு, கிழக்கு மாகாணங்களை இணைத்து பொலிஸ், காணி அதிகாரங்களை வழங்குங்கள் நாடாளுமன்றில் மாவை கோரிக்கை
யாழ்- உதயன் கொழும்பு, ஒக். 6

வடக்கு கிழக்கு மாகாணங்கள் இணைந்திருப்பதுடன் அவற்றுக்கு பொலிஸ், காணி அதிகாரங்கள் வழங்கப்பட வேண்டியது மிக அவசியம். வடக்கு கிழக்கு பிரிந்திருப் பதால்
இனப்பிரச்சினைக்குத் தீர்வு காண்பதில் சிக்கல் நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இப்படி தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் மாவை சேனாதிராஜா நேற்று நாடாளுமன்றில்
கூறினார். நாடாளுமன்றில் இடம்பெற்ற மாகாணசபை திருத்தச்சட்டமூலம் மீதான விவாதத்தில் கலந்துகொண்டு உரையாற்றிய அவர் இது தொடர்பாக மேலும் கூறியவை வருமாறு:இலங்கை இந்திய ஒப்பந்தத்தின்படி வடக்கு கிழக்கு மாகாணங்கள் இணைக்கப்பட்டு அவை 18வருடங்களாக இணைந்த மாகாணங்களாக நிர்வகிக்கப்பட்டு வந்தன.வடக்கு கிழக்கு மாகாணங்கள் இணைக்கப்பட்ட முறைமை பிழை என்று நீதிமன்றம் கூறியது. ஆனால் அவற்றைப் பிரிக்குமாறு கூறவில்லை. இருப்பினும், அரசு வடக்கு கிழக்கைப்
பிரித்துவிட்டது. அதை மீண்டும் இணைக்க சட்டமூலம் கொண்டுவந்தால் நாம் அதற்கு ஆதரவு வழங்குவோம் என்று ஐ.தே.க. அப்போது கூறியது. ஆனால், எதுவும் நடக்கவில்லை.வடக்கு கிழக்கு மாகாணங்கள் இணைந்திருப்பது இப்போது மிகவும் அவசியமாகின்றது. அவை பிரிந்திருப்பதால் இனப்பிரச்சினைக்குத் தீர்வு காண்பதில் சிக்கல் நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.காணி, சட்ட ஒழுங்கு அதிகாரங்கள் இப்போது மாகாணசபையில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டுவிட்டன. நில அதிகாரம் இருப்பது யாரிடமென்று தெரியவில்லை. அது இருப்பது இராணுவத்திடமா அல்லது அரசிடமா?வடக்கு கிழக்கில் சுமார் 50 வருடங்களாக வாழ்ந்து யுத்தத்தால் இடம்பெயர்ந்த மக்களின் நிலங்கள் இராணுவத்தால் கைப்பற்றப்பட்டு அங்கு இராணுவ முகாம்கள் அமைக்கப்படுகின்றன.வடக்கு கிழக்கு மாகாண சபைக்கு அதிகாரம் இல்லாததால் அங்கு இந்த நில ஆக்கிரமிப்பு இடம்பெறுகின்றது. அம்மாகாணங்களில் உள்ள தமிழ், முஸ்லிம்களின் கைகளில் அதிகாரம் இருந்தால் மாத்திரமே இந்த நிலங்களைப் பாதுகாக்க முடியும் என்றார் =====================================

இந்தத் 'தலைமைகள்' தங்கள் உடனடி துன்பத்தைக் குறைக்க அதிகாரப் பரவலாக்கத்தை சுமக்கின்றன!

இது தமிழ் மக்களின் எதிர்கால சுதந்திர வாழ்வின் முன்னேற்றத்துக்கு எவ்வகையிலும் உதவப் போவதில்லை!

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ஸ்ரீ லங்கா செய்திகள்: வாரம் ஒன்று ஒக்ரோபர்

பயங்கரவாத ஆராய்ச்சியாளன் ரோஹான் குணரத்தின பக்ச பாசிசத்தின் ஊது குழலே!

">

பக்ச பாசிசம்

""
இரத்தம்
செக்கச் சிவந்த இரத்தம்,
முத்து முத்தான இரத்தம்,
நித்தமும் நினைவில் இருக்கும் இரத்தம்,
நாம் தமிழர் எல்லோரும் முத்தமிடும் இரத்தம்!
இது தான் சிங்களம் தமிழனுக்கு வழங்கும் சமாதானம்!
இது சர்வதேச சமூகம் தமிழனுக்கு இழைத்த அநியாயம், அவமானம்!

இதனால் தமிழீழமே தமிழருக்குத் தீர்வாகும்.
முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் வீரகாவியம் மே 18

படியுங்கள்! பரப்புங்கள்!!

நேற்றோ துருப்புக்களின் 25 இராணுவ வாகனங்கள் பாகிஷ்தானில் தீக்கிரை!

எரியும் ஒபாமா!

Nato lorries set ablaze in Pakistan
Attack on tankers carrying supplies to troops in Afghanistan follows deaths of Pakistani soldiers in Nato strikes.
Last Modified: 01 Oct 2010 09:05 GMT
Officials said up to 25 lorries were set on fire but there were no injuries or deaths [AFP]
Tankers carrying supplies for Nato troops in Afghanistan have been set on fire by unidentified assailants in the Pakistani town of Shikarpur in Sindh province, officials say.
The incident on Friday came a day after Pakistani authorities blocked a supply route for Nato troops, angered by the killing of three Pakistani soldiers in airstrikes by Nato helicopters.
"The attackers fired with small arms on tankers and fled away. No one was hurt," an official of the paramilitary Rangers force told the Reuters news agency.
The official, who declined to be named, said about 10 assailants attacked up to 25 to 30 tankers early in the morning. Efforts were underway to put out the fire, a police official, Mir Hazar Chandio, said.The supply route remained blocked on Friday and lorry was allowed to enter Afghanistan for the second consecutive day, an administrative official said.
"Trucks carrying fuel and other goods for NATO are still not allowed to enter Afghanistan," the official, speaking from Torkham, the main crossing border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, told the AFP news agency by telephone.Aviation fuel The three Pakistani soldiers were killed on Thursday in two cross-border strikes as Nato troops were chasing anti-government fighters in Pakistan's northwestern Kurram region. Hours later, Pakistani authorities halted tankers carrying supplies for the Nato forces passing through the Khyber tribal region on the Afghan border.Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from the the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, said the blocked route is a "very crucial part of the supply chain because most of the aviation fuel [for Nato aircraft] goes through Pakistan"."It's that aviation fuel that's used in combat missions inside Afghanistan," he said. Our correspondent said previous attacks on Nato convoys have taken place in Balochestan or the province of the North-West Frontier and that Friday's attack in the southern province of Sindh was a rare occurence. Pakistan is a key ally for the United States in its efforts to stabilise Afghanistan, but analysts say border incursions and disruptions in Nato supplies underline growing tensions in the relationship. The bulk of supplies for the troops in Afghanistan goes through Pakistan.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

பயங்கரவாதத்தை தோற்கடித்த ஜெனரலுக்கு பக்சபாசிஸ்டுக்களின் இராணுவ விசாரணை மன்றம் இரண்டரை ஆண்டு சிறைவிதிப்பு!

'பயங்கரவாதத்தை' தோற்கடித்த ஜெனரலுக்கு பக்சபாசிஸ்டுக்களின் இராணுவ விசாரணை மன்றம் இரண்டரை ஆண்டு சிறைவிதிப்பு!

குட்டிமணி, தங்கத்துரை கொல்லப்பட்ட வெலிகடையில் ஜெனரல் சரத் பொன்சேகா சிறை வைப்பு!!

Sri Lanka's ex-army chief begins jail sentence
by Amal Jayasinghe Amal Jayasinghe
Thu Sep 30, 1:37 pm ET COLOMBO (AFP) –
Sri Lanka's ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka, who led troops to victory over Tamil rebels to end a decades-long civil war, on Thursday began 30 months in jail after the president
confirmed the sentence.
Troops escorted the former four-star general to the island's main Welikada prison, hours after the government announced that President Mahinda Rajapakse had approved Fonseka's conviction by a military court.
"He was taken from military custody and handed over to prison authorities to start his sentence," an army officer said.
Fonseka fell out with Rajapakse over who should take credit for defeating the Tamil Tigers in May last year and unsuccessfully tried to unseat him in a January election.
Fonseka was found guilty at a court martial on four counts of making irregular purchases for the military when he was its commander at the height of fighting in the island's northeast.
Rajapakse approved the sentence of two-and-a-half years "rigorous imprisonment" on Wednesday after returning from addressing the United Nations in New York, Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.
"The president, as commander-in-chief, has confirmed the court martial decision," Rambukwella told reporters. "The sentence begins from today."
A senior official who declined to be named said Fonseka could appeal to a civilian court and could also seek bail pending a hearing.
"The court martial recommended up to three years in jail, but the president has decided he will be in prison for 30 months," the official said.
Fonseka's Democratic National Alliance (DNA) party said they would appeal the sentence and accused Rajapakse of leading a political vendetta.
"It is not the court martial which is responsible for jailing General Fonseka," DNA lawmaker Tiran Alles told AFP. "It is the president who today jailed his main political opponent."
Alles said Rajapakse had ordered the imprisonment of Fonseka despite requests from the island's influential Buddhist clergy as well as other religious leaders.
Fonseka was hailed as a hero after soldiers under his command crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last year. Tamil separatist leaders were killed while pinned down on the coast after a massive military offensive.
The Tigers' defeat ended nearly 40 years of separatist conflict in Sri Lanka, but rights groups say thousands of civilians were also killed in the final onslaught and that Tamils remain badly discriminated against.
The conviction of Fonseka on September 17 came after he was stripped of his rank and pension following another court martial that found him guilty last month of dabbling in politics while in uniform.
Fonseka was arrested two weeks after his defeat in the elections and has remained in military custody since. However, he won a seat in parliamentary elections in April, allowing him to attend the legislature.
The ex-army chief has said the government is seeking revenge for his decision to stand against the president and wants to keep him from speaking in parliament, which is controlled by Rajapakse loyalists.
"The court martial was just a puppet show with the government holding the strings," his wife Anoma told reporters in Colombo Thursday. "We knew that he will be jailed so this announcement from the government today does not come as a surprise to us."
Fonseka also faces civilian charges of employing army deserters and revealing state secrets -- offences that carry a 20-year jail term.
He has angered the government by publicly declaring that he was ready to go before any international tribunal to answer charges of alleged war crimes while crushing the Tamil Tigers.
The United Nations estimates that at least 7,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the final months of fighting between government troops and the Tamil Tigers, but Colombo has said no civilians were killed and refused to allow any independent probe.

Former SLA commander Fonseka in Welikada Prison
[TamilNet, Friday, 01 October 2010, 09:03 GMT]
Sarath Fonseka, former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, was transferred to Welikada Prison
Thursday around 10:30 p.m to serve his 30 months’ rigorous imprisonment following the ratification of the recommendation of the Second Court Martial. Sri Lanka President’s ratification endorsed that Fonseka should serve thirty months in prison and not 36 months as recommended by the Second Court Martial for violating tender procedures in purchasing arms to the Sri Lanka Army.
Fonseka is being held separately in the prison and not with other prisoners, prison sources said.
Fonseka was brought to Welikada prison from the Navy Headquarters where he was kept in detention since February 8.
The transfer took place after photographers and television video crews ended a 12-hour watch outside the prison complex located adjoining the Baseline road, Borella expecting Fonseka’s arrival.
However, the media personnel left the place following heavy rainfall.

Sri Lanka: Beyond Lawful Constraints: Sri Lanka´s mass detention of LTTE suspects

Sri Lanka: Beyond Lawful Constraints: Sri Lanka´s mass detention of LTTE suspects
Although the conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended in May 2009, the GoSL continues to detain approximately eight thousand individuals under administrative detention without charge or trial. “Beyond Lawful Constraints: Sri Lanka’s Mass Detention of LTTE Suspects” addresses the human rights concerns arising from the world’s largest mass detention of persons held in connection with an internal armed conflict. The ICJ is concerned that the GoSL’s “surrendee” and “rehabilitation” regime fails to adhere to international law and standards, amounting to an arbitrary deprivation of liberty and denial of the right to a fair trial.
http://www.icj.org/dwn/database/BeyondLawfulConstraints-SLreport-Sept2010.pdf

குமுறி நின்றதோர் புயல் படுத்தது

சாவு தின்னுதே சாவு தின்னுதே

தங்க மேனியை சாவு தின்னுதே

வந்து பாரடா வந்து பாரடா

நொந்த மேனியை வந்து பாரடா

குரல் எடுத்ததோர் குயில் படுத்தது

குமுறி நின்றதோர் புயல் படுத்தது

தரமறுத்திடும் உரிமை பெற்றிட
தன் வயிற்றிலே போர் தொடுத்தது

- திலீபன் நினைவாக கவிஞர் புதுவை இரத்தினதுரை வரைந்தது. நினைவில் நின்ற வரிகள் மட்டுமே இங்கே. எங்கு தேடியும் கிடைக்கவில்லை. பதிவு: புதிதாய் பிறப்போம் நன்றி தமிழரசி