First of all. congratulations on your blog. We need independent journalist of your caliber to spread your thoughts, and keep people informed. Thanks for creating a space for people to share ideas and opinions.

Second, please ignore the hate mongers, who accuse you of being the agent of LTTE or the GOSL depending on the topic of each story. That’s an honor as it shows you are doing your job as a true journalist.

When will all this be over. I am a Sri Lankan Tamil born in Malaysia. My parents are from Jaffna. I have been keeping abreast with events unfolding in Jaffna and bleed when i think about my people suffering over there

At first, I was angry and approved the military stand that we took as rebels against the sl govt. But later i realised that that stand has totally cost us so much for the past six decades. If we sit back and think, we will realise that our people at this current generation has lossed out in everything from education to economy due to the war. The only thing we have gained is pride and anhilation of our people.

Here I would hope that peace will soon envelope our people and the regeneration of a new and strong society beguns where wars are fought and won with the power of economics, intellectuality and wealth.

This is my hope.

GOD bless

With reluctance, I do agree with your comparison to the “Operation Dynamo” and the subsequent events of WWII. I lived almost 20 good years in the area that is the focus of the current phase. And very familiar with the evacuation route that was used by the tigers. November to July is the worst period of time to use this path between Kandawalai to Puthukudiruppu. A single missed step would have trapped the LTTE fighters and their armaments in the Jaffna sector.

“Tigers are down not out” for the following reasons:

1. The well planned and executed withdrawal itself shows that the LTTE is not in a dissary as the governmment trying to show to the world.
2. LTTE’s strength predictions are competely wrong: the number of fighters remaining are much higher than the SL government predictions.
3. Continuous shelling and bombardent have helped LTTE in increasing the strength of their auxilary forces.
4. Heay weapons (i.e.: artillary, heavy mortors, tanks), naval assets, and air assets of the LTTE have not been distroyed.
5. LTTE’s senior commanders (“Colonel” or above) have not been killed.
6. Contrary to the common believe, VP is not the one who plans the operations. LTTE has a highly trained (not at WestPoint, Of course) and experienced military planning and team. In the past, this “Team” had planned several successful operations – including the one against Karuna. This team is still available for LTTE.
7. Finally, the territory LTTE has been cornered (or withdrawn into) into still provide number of options for coutner offensive.

Previous goverenments, India, and former generals, have regretted well into their retiremment for underestiating the strength of “few thousand boys”. It is very true that LTTE has suffered a heavy and humiliating loss during this phase of the Eelam war.

We will have to wait and see to find out whehter LTTE has been cornered by SLA or strategically withdarwan for a counter offensive. Only time will tell…….it is too early to light the fire crackers……….

I was tring to make the point that By withdrwing LTTE Might be forcing Sl to allowcate some of the resources in defence of this areas hence less troops for them in the offensive. I see you might be 22 ,at yourage when i just came to the states and I really understood the abilities of Vp.Indian forces just invaded Sl and I thought LTTE IS done India had a Much larger force and Vp used similar tactices basically beat them badly.

Whether You Like Ltte Or not DO Not UNder Estimate The VP’s Military mind .

If Sri Lanka is winning the war why does Mahindha need to take over the media ministry and knock off two off his rivals. The facts is Sri Lanka is collapsing on many fronts.

Her economy is as good as collapsed. Her human rights and other records have been so pitiful that another nation interfering in declaring support like the communist in India is getting so much closer.

The LTTE is a rebel group. Hence unfortunately it does need to take out its rivals. India wanted to mimic what the US doing in Afghanistan. Hence for the LTTE to prevail it had to eliminate her rivals. Whether that was fair, well the relentless bormbarment on German and Japanese or now in Gaza never seems to feature so prominetly in telling of world war stories. The victor always writes HIS- story.

SL Government should’t not take singalees kid’s life for granted there are reports of 3000 to 5000 troops dead just in these five months vs LTTE cadres 2200 in whole of 08. Tamils should appreciate the hardships these singalees kids went through to open the hiway so tamils have access to Jaffna.

Why don’t you just take out personal attacks and put them on a separate blog under the heading ‘attacking the messenger’ and only activate comments relevant to a particular column, which either counters the points raised or adds to them?

After all we all know your past history.

These personal attacks simply clutters up the page and reduces the quality of debate. But of course it also shows the depth of the problem.

We as easterners are wondering about what is going on between Karuna and Pillayan. We are receiving various media reports such as:

1. Pillayan controls a big portion of TMVP cadres
2. No, Karuna has the majority support from the lower level cadres.
3. High level members are with Pillayan
4. Eastern Muslims feel more comfortable with Pillayan
5. Karuna has the backing of Govt.
6. Ragu was gunned down by Govt. on the request/advise of Karuna

Can you pls throw some lights on this subject? Who will be the winner at last?