A week ago the security forces had received an intelligence report suggesting the LTTE was planning an attack on a VVIP convoy in the city of Colombo. Intelligence had been very specific that the attackers would attempt to drag their target out of the VVIP vehicle and then shoot him. It is now being questioned whether the attempt on Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksas life on Friday was this particular attack detailed by the intelligence sources. In fact, during a conversation between Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa recently, Fonseka had warned Rajapaksa, that the Secretary is most probably the target of this plot. Since there was specific information to the effect that the attackers intended to shoot at the VVIP convoy after an initial explosion, Rajapaksa was told by the Army Commander to wear his bullet proof jacket even while being inside his car. In light of this threat the Army Commander proposed that several key roads in the heart of Colombo be made one way, giving an extra lane for VVIP vehicles. The proposal was to make Thurstan Road and Reid Avenue one way. This plan was to be tested once the schools closed for holidays.
Meeting
On Friday Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was on his way to Temple Trees for a Security Council meeting. He was to go there early to inform the President that a couple of service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff were due to arrive for the meeting late. All three commanders of the security forces were out of Colombo with the Army Chief currently in the United States. The IGP and Defence Secretary were the only Security Council members available that morning. The Navy and Air Force Commanders were due in Colombo to attend the meeting. The fact that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was going to Temple Trees that day was known to very few. The Security Council meeting, which is usually held on Wednesdays, was postponed to Friday since the President was in India on Wednesday. Even though the Security Council meeting had been postponed for Friday and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was arriving at an unscheduled time, the attackers knew the exact movements of the Defence Secretary. Several VIP convoys had passed the same spot only a few minutes before the blast, carrying Mrs Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. A dummy convoy has also gone before the Defence Secretarys actual motorcade. A mobile phone found in the vicinity of the explosion had received a call 20 minutes prior to the attack originating form a mobile tower in Havelock Town. Police suspect that this call was given to the attacker to inform him that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had left his residence.
While on his way to Temple Trees, the Defence Secretary was caught up in a massive explosion at the Pittala junction. The Secretary escaped the explosion thanks to his bullet and ballistic proof BMW. According to eye witnesses, the convoy carrying the Defence Secretary had been moving towards Colpetty around 10.40 on Friday morning when he was targeted by a suspected LTTE suicide bomber in a three-wheeler. At the junction the convoy had got on to the right side of the road to avoid the congested traffic. At this moment, a three-wheeler which was on the left of the road along with the rest of the vehicles, had attempted to move towards the opposite side. This was prevented by a driver who was irritated by the three-wheelers sudden movement. The car which came in between the convoy and the suicide vehicle had taken much of the force of the explosion. However, the BMW carrying Rajapaksa, the two escort vehicles and the outriders were also hit by the explosion. The interior of the Defence Secretarys car was unharmed and he was immediately transferred to one of the escort vehicles, shielded by his security officers led by Captain Herath. The Secretary later proceeded to see his brother, President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees. The security personnel in the Defender vehicle fired their guns into the air to clear the way, suspecting there might be a secondary attack. This action however, made people panic and assume that there was a fire fight going on after the bomb explosion.
Police investigations in to the incident have revealed that the three wheeler used in the suicide attack was registered under the name of Anthony Bernard Christopher. This person had sold his three wheeler to a Tamil trader at Grandpass, one and a half months ago, for two hundred thousand rupees. The traders brother in turn had sold the vehicle recently to another person. Police have questioned over 35 people so far and are also looking in to the phone records of the cellular phone found in the vicinity of the incident. According to police sources a drivers license belonging to a Tamil individual was found at the site of the explosion. Police are looking in to the possibility whether this person, named Suriyakumaran from Rambukkana, had anything to do with the attack.
Violence
Since the escalation of violence, the LTTE has attempted to assassinate the two men at the very helm of the campaign against them. Both Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa are widely believed to be the two individuals spearheading the military campaign against the LTTE in an uncompromising manner. On April 25 this year, Army Commander Lt. Gen .Sarath Fonseka made a narrow escape after a female suicide bomber attempted to assassinate him inside Army Headquarters. On that occasion, however, the Army chief was not using the bullet proof vehicle he had at his disposal and as a result suffered severe injuries.
The warning issued by Army intelligence recently was not the first warning of an impending attack of this nature. On September 22, DIG Pujitha Jayasundera sent a letter with reference No. 2006/9/25/OW/1392/6 to high-ranking Police and Army officers warning them of an impending attack by the LTTE on a VVIP. Jayasundera in that letter has said that an LTTE intelligence wing cadre by the name of Kirthi had managed to bring a van and two three-wheelers to Colombo to be used in attacks. According to the intelligence received, the LTTE has concluded that a three-wheeler was the most effective mode of attack against a VVIP convoy. The colours of the van and the two three- wheelers had also been changed once they were brought to Colombo.
Meanwhile, Basil Rajapaksa is also reported to have said that he received specific information that within the course of this week, either he, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, or the Army Commander will be targeted by the LTTE for assassination. The Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign affairs, Siri Palihakkara, former Secretary to the Treasury, Charita Ratwatte and the UNP Kalutara District MP, Lakshman Wijemana, were among those who witnessed the explosion on Friday morning. None of them were seriously hurt but Ratwattes Jeep was reportedly damaged in the explosion. A Jaguar car belonging to the son of businessman E.W Balasuriya was also caught in the explosion.
Enemy within
The seriousness of the LTTE infiltration of the Army is becoming shockingly obvious with at least three Majors now in custody for providing information to the Tigers. Seven military personnel were produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate, Kusala Sarojini Weerawardene who ordered their detention. Among them is the Army officer who was the deputy of the intelligence unit in charge of Colombo.
Last week the Army arrested a Major attached to the artillery regiment suspected to have been involved in the killing of Lt. Gen. Parami Kulatunge. Major Manamendra Dissanayake is now in custody and is being interrogated by the CID. He allegedly obtained money from the LTTE to provide information regarding the movements of Lt. Gen. Parami Kulatunge and Colonel Tuwan Muthalif. In a twist to the story his elder brother committed suicide by jumping into the Bolgoda Lake with his daughter on November 28. Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Dharmathilake residing at Kandalanda, Panagoda Army housing scheme, had met his younger brother now in Police custody. There Major Manamendra had told his brother that there was no way out for him. Dharmathilake had been depressed over Manamendras plight, and had committed suicide while on a pleasure boat ride on the Bolgoda Lake. He had suddenly jumped into the lake holding his daughter. The child was later rescued. The wife of the deceased, giving evidence to police, said that her husband was worried about his brother and the alleged claims that he had been involved in the assassination of Gen. Parami Kulatunge. Major Manamendra had also resided at Panagoda, where Lt. Gen. Parami Kulatunge was living at the time of his death.
Another Major, Perera, has been arrested by intelligence sleuths plotting to assassinate a very high ranking Army officer involved in the security of the Colombo city. This Major had gone to LTTE controlled areas on several occasions and met up with Tiger intelligence wing leaders. It is said that he met Charles, a deputy to LTTE intelligence wing leader Pottu Amman, on three occasions. The Major had agreed to assist a suicide cadre to kill the senior officer. This particular senior Army officer has been instrumental in raiding several LTTE safe houses and carrying out undercover operations against LTTE cadres who had infiltrated Colombo.
However, the suicide cadre who was sent to Colombo on the mission had surrendered to the Army and revealed the Majors involvement in the plot. Later an undercover intelligence officer who pretended to be the suicide bomber had arranged a meeting with Major Perera at the Buhari Hotel in Maradana. Unknown to the Major the whole meeting was filmed by Army Intelligence. In this tape the Major haf agreed to take another suicide bomber in to a high ranking Defence officers meeting. Perera had proposed to do so by providing the suicide bomber an Army uniform and pretending that the Tiger cadre was his buddy. At the end of the discussion when the disguised intelligence officer was about to leave on what was supposed to be a mission to assassinate a top military officer, the Major had said, Dont fail this time like you fellows did with the Army Commander.This Major who is now in custody has also passed information to the LTTE regarding the Stanley Powerhouse in Kollonawa and several military housing schemes. Army sources say he is to be court-martialled. However, it is reliably learned that the Major has secured the services of several top lawyers to defend him.
A third Major by the name of Peiris, has also been arrested by Army intelligence for allegedly providing information to the LTTE. He is now being interrogated.
Going on the information received by the LTTE suicide cadre and those already taken in to custody, the Army and Police have managed to arrest several others for colluding with the LTTE. Now the hunt is on for a suspected Army Sergeant who was under the command of Major Perera. When the police searched the sergeants Kalutara house they found nearly 50 computers in his possession. It was also revealed that this Army Sergeant had built a three-storeyed house in Colombo and had given a car as a dowry to his sister. The Sergeant is now missing.
Suicide cadre nabbed
The security forces arrested an LTTE woman suicide cadre who was closely associated with a Tamil woman journalist. During an investigation, the suicide cadres brother , a student of Mattakkuliya Technical Education Institute was arrested on Thursday (23) at a lodge in Mutwal. He agreed with the investigators to give a telephone call to his sister who was staying at the Wellawatta Ramakrishna Mission, for the last two months, to meet him at the Savoy Theatre. The intelligence personnel were to lay in ambush to apprehend his sister when she came to meet him.
When the suicide cadre came in a trishaw to meet her brother with her journalist friend as planned, the young man who recognized his sister at a distance, pointed her out to the security personnel. The journalist who intervened promptly produced her press identity card and said that she personally knew several senior police officials whose names she revealed and that she herself had applied to join the police as a Sub Inspector. She also mentioned the names of several prominent Sinhalese. The security forces officers were however, undeterred by her protests and arrested both of them. It was revealed that the journalist was in close association with the LTTE cadre and provided her accommodation at a boarding house at Ramakrishna road, Wellawatta.
The suicide cadre and the journalistare now being interrogated by the Terrorist Investigation Division and on information elicited from them the security forces recovered seven claymore mines and 10 kilos of high powered C4 explosives from an estate in the Mirigama area. A Sinhala resident of the area who is alleged to be in collusion with LTTE cadres was also arrested during the raid.
That sinking feeling
The Nation, last week, exclusively reported findings of an interim report presented by a Presidential Commission looking into the misappropriation of defence funds, to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The report called for the court martial of several top ranking military officers, some retired and others still in service. One of the controversial deals the Commission was tasked with looking into was the attempt made by the Navy to upgrade its main weapons system in the Fast Attack Craft fleet.
The FACs form the main strike group of the Navy and are involved in an array of duties from patrolling the seas to providing escort to larger vessels. The lack of a distinct advantage over the LTTE has cost the Navy, and in particular, the FACs dearly, during last year.
The Sri Lanka Navy operates FACs developed both in Israel and Sri Lanka. The cost is somewhat the same with a single craft costing around US $ 5 million or Rs. 500 million. As early as 2001, the Navy realised that it needs to upgrade the main cannon in the FACs to give it an advantage over the LTTEs dreaded Sea Tigers. Shockingly, the upgrade is yet to take place even though over five years have elapsed since it was first recommended.
Currently, the FACs are mounted with 23mm cannon which have a maximum range of 1600 metres. The Sea Tigers are also in possession of similar calibre guns which make them a formidable foe in battle. However, the Navy craft are at a disadvantage due to their size. Being larger in size the Navy craft are spotted by the Sea Tiger craft well before they are sighted by their adversary. Also with the LTTE craft attacking in a cluster formation, the Navys FACs have a formidable challenge at hand when confronted. During last year alone, six FACs have been completely destroyed during confrontations with the Sea Tigers. The initial recommendation to upgrade the cannon on the FACs to a 30mm calibre gun was made in 2001. Since then the issue has been dragging on with the government and the Navy oscillating between two options for years and eventually ending up with nothing. The options for the upgrade were minimised to two with one offer from the United Sates and the other from Israel. The Ministry of Defence in 2002 forwarded these two proposals to the Navy for evaluation.
The Bushmaster cannon offered by the United Sates were deemed to be unsuitable for the Fast Attack Craft since it were too heavy. Also, this particular cannon had been originally designed for a tank and not as a maritime weapon. Irrespective of these technical problems, there was pressure from certain high officials in the Ministry of Defence to pursue this deal. Though diplomatic reasons were sighted at that time since the USA was playing a more proactive role in Sri Lanka, there were also other interested parties who wanted the Navy to buy this weapon for their own reasons. Meanwhile, the technical evaluation committee looking in to Israeli option concluded that the KCB 30mm cannon offered by the firm Rafael was technically more sound than the Bushmaster gun. The firm promised to provide brand new guns and therefore, the green light was given to pay 20% as deposit for the US $ 10.7 million deal. However, when it came to the point of delivery the Navy team found out that Rafael was offering a weapon which was more than 20 years old. The deal was cancelled and according to informed sources the deposited money recovered.
Though the presidential commission is now looking into whether any misappropriation of funds has taken place in this and other controversial deals, the FAC fleet is yet to get an update to its main weapon. However, with the whole fiasco drawing the Navy back to square one, the FAC fleet is currently operational with a far less powerful 23mm cannon, denying them the advantage the 30mm cannon would have offered. The latter has a maximum range of 3000 meters with a strike probability of 6% at that distance. That would have given the Navy vessels an advantage over the LTTE craft which are known to have guns with a maximum range of 1600 meters.
Six Dovra lost
In the past year alone, the Navy had lost six Dovra fast attack crafts in action. Of this number, two were destroyed in two separate incidents, when they were lured into a trap. In both these incidents at Kalpitiya and Trincomalee, the FACs were destroyed when they tried to inspect a trawler. It is doubtful whether a superior weapon on the craft could have prevented these two incidents. However, in the sinking of the other four FACs, it is clear that the outcome of these battles could have been very much different if those craft had the advantage of the 30mm cannon on board. Also, the cost of four FACs (only considering the ones destroyed in sea battles) is over Rs. 2 billion. That is of course without considering the invaluable human costs of these losses and the colossal costs incurred to train officers and men who were lost. The woes for the Navys FAC fleet continue, with latest reports indicating that the 10 FACs purchased from the Colombo Dockyard needing to be fitted with a proper weapons system.
The Navys problems do not end with this controversial 30mm cannon deal. The much hyped Fast Missile Boats purchased from Israel at a colossal cost of US $ 27.2 million or nearly Rs. 3 billion have now ended up becoming non-functional. The SLNS Nandimittra and SLNS Suranimala were bought from Israel in August 2000. It was later revealed that the vessels were over 30 years old. Both these craft had developed engine trouble and SLNS Nandimittra in fact broke down on June 14, 2003, while on pursuit of an LTTE weapons ship, which eventually got away. Later naval officers cannibalisedone of the vessels to obtain spares for the other, but eventually both these expensive vessels ended up dysfunctional. They join a long list of such white elephants purchased by the Navy. A Hovercraft and a sub-chaser on which billions were spent have not seen action. The sub- chaser, SLNS Parakramabahu, was completely destroyed in the Tsunami while being anchored at Galle. By that time it was not going out to sea anyway.
Where blame lies for this pathetic state of affairs will most probably come to light once the Presidential Commission looking into the matter hands in its full report. However, that does not answer the Navys current problems with the Sea Tigers. It is hoped that due action will be taken for the sake of the courageous men going out to sea, taking on a determined and equal foe. The Defence establishment needs to stop their witch hunts and take immediate remedies to rectify the shortcomings in the Navys fleet.
Meeting
On Friday Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was on his way to Temple Trees for a Security Council meeting. He was to go there early to inform the President that a couple of service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff were due to arrive for the meeting late. All three commanders of the security forces were out of Colombo with the Army Chief currently in the United States. The IGP and Defence Secretary were the only Security Council members available that morning. The Navy and Air Force Commanders were due in Colombo to attend the meeting. The fact that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was going to Temple Trees that day was known to very few. The Security Council meeting, which is usually held on Wednesdays, was postponed to Friday since the President was in India on Wednesday. Even though the Security Council meeting had been postponed for Friday and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was arriving at an unscheduled time, the attackers knew the exact movements of the Defence Secretary. Several VIP convoys had passed the same spot only a few minutes before the blast, carrying Mrs Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. A dummy convoy has also gone before the Defence Secretarys actual motorcade. A mobile phone found in the vicinity of the explosion had received a call 20 minutes prior to the attack originating form a mobile tower in Havelock Town. Police suspect that this call was given to the attacker to inform him that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had left his residence.
While on his way to Temple Trees, the Defence Secretary was caught up in a massive explosion at the Pittala junction. The Secretary escaped the explosion thanks to his bullet and ballistic proof BMW. According to eye witnesses, the convoy carrying the Defence Secretary had been moving towards Colpetty around 10.40 on Friday morning when he was targeted by a suspected LTTE suicide bomber in a three-wheeler. At the junction the convoy had got on to the right side of the road to avoid the congested traffic. At this moment, a three-wheeler which was on the left of the road along with the rest of the vehicles, had attempted to move towards the opposite side. This was prevented by a driver who was irritated by the three-wheelers sudden movement. The car which came in between the convoy and the suicide vehicle had taken much of the force of the explosion. However, the BMW carrying Rajapaksa, the two escort vehicles and the outriders were also hit by the explosion. The interior of the Defence Secretarys car was unharmed and he was immediately transferred to one of the escort vehicles, shielded by his security officers led by Captain Herath. The Secretary later proceeded to see his brother, President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees. The security personnel in the Defender vehicle fired their guns into the air to clear the way, suspecting there might be a secondary attack. This action however, made people panic and assume that there was a fire fight going on after the bomb explosion.
Police investigations in to the incident have revealed that the three wheeler used in the suicide attack was registered under the name of Anthony Bernard Christopher. This person had sold his three wheeler to a Tamil trader at Grandpass, one and a half months ago, for two hundred thousand rupees. The traders brother in turn had sold the vehicle recently to another person. Police have questioned over 35 people so far and are also looking in to the phone records of the cellular phone found in the vicinity of the incident. According to police sources a drivers license belonging to a Tamil individual was found at the site of the explosion. Police are looking in to the possibility whether this person, named Suriyakumaran from Rambukkana, had anything to do with the attack.
Violence
Since the escalation of violence, the LTTE has attempted to assassinate the two men at the very helm of the campaign against them. Both Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa are widely believed to be the two individuals spearheading the military campaign against the LTTE in an uncompromising manner. On April 25 this year, Army Commander Lt. Gen .Sarath Fonseka made a narrow escape after a female suicide bomber attempted to assassinate him inside Army Headquarters. On that occasion, however, the Army chief was not using the bullet proof vehicle he had at his disposal and as a result suffered severe injuries.
The warning issued by Army intelligence recently was not the first warning of an impending attack of this nature. On September 22, DIG Pujitha Jayasundera sent a letter with reference No. 2006/9/25/OW/1392/6 to high-ranking Police and Army officers warning them of an impending attack by the LTTE on a VVIP. Jayasundera in that letter has said that an LTTE intelligence wing cadre by the name of Kirthi had managed to bring a van and two three-wheelers to Colombo to be used in attacks. According to the intelligence received, the LTTE has concluded that a three-wheeler was the most effective mode of attack against a VVIP convoy. The colours of the van and the two three- wheelers had also been changed once they were brought to Colombo.
Meanwhile, Basil Rajapaksa is also reported to have said that he received specific information that within the course of this week, either he, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, or the Army Commander will be targeted by the LTTE for assassination. The Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign affairs, Siri Palihakkara, former Secretary to the Treasury, Charita Ratwatte and the UNP Kalutara District MP, Lakshman Wijemana, were among those who witnessed the explosion on Friday morning. None of them were seriously hurt but Ratwattes Jeep was reportedly damaged in the explosion. A Jaguar car belonging to the son of businessman E.W Balasuriya was also caught in the explosion.
Enemy within
The seriousness of the LTTE infiltration of the Army is becoming shockingly obvious with at least three Majors now in custody for providing information to the Tigers. Seven military personnel were produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate, Kusala Sarojini Weerawardene who ordered their detention. Among them is the Army officer who was the deputy of the intelligence unit in charge of Colombo.
Last week the Army arrested a Major attached to the artillery regiment suspected to have been involved in the killing of Lt. Gen. Parami Kulatunge. Major Manamendra Dissanayake is now in custody and is being interrogated by the CID. He allegedly obtained money from the LTTE to provide information regarding the movements of Lt. Gen. Parami Kulatunge and Colonel Tuwan Muthalif. In a twist to the story his elder brother committed suicide by jumping into the Bolgoda Lake with his daughter on November 28. Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Dharmathilake residing at Kandalanda, Panagoda Army housing scheme, had met his younger brother now in Police custody. There Major Manamendra had told his brother that there was no way out for him. Dharmathilake had been depressed over Manamendras plight, and had committed suicide while on a pleasure boat ride on the Bolgoda Lake. He had suddenly jumped into the lake holding his daughter. The child was later rescued. The wife of the deceased, giving evidence to police, said that her husband was worried about his brother and the alleged claims that he had been involved in the assassination of Gen. Parami Kulatunge. Major Manamendra had also resided at Panagoda, where Lt. Gen. Parami Kulatunge was living at the time of his death.
Another Major, Perera, has been arrested by intelligence sleuths plotting to assassinate a very high ranking Army officer involved in the security of the Colombo city. This Major had gone to LTTE controlled areas on several occasions and met up with Tiger intelligence wing leaders. It is said that he met Charles, a deputy to LTTE intelligence wing leader Pottu Amman, on three occasions. The Major had agreed to assist a suicide cadre to kill the senior officer. This particular senior Army officer has been instrumental in raiding several LTTE safe houses and carrying out undercover operations against LTTE cadres who had infiltrated Colombo.
However, the suicide cadre who was sent to Colombo on the mission had surrendered to the Army and revealed the Majors involvement in the plot. Later an undercover intelligence officer who pretended to be the suicide bomber had arranged a meeting with Major Perera at the Buhari Hotel in Maradana. Unknown to the Major the whole meeting was filmed by Army Intelligence. In this tape the Major haf agreed to take another suicide bomber in to a high ranking Defence officers meeting. Perera had proposed to do so by providing the suicide bomber an Army uniform and pretending that the Tiger cadre was his buddy. At the end of the discussion when the disguised intelligence officer was about to leave on what was supposed to be a mission to assassinate a top military officer, the Major had said, Dont fail this time like you fellows did with the Army Commander.This Major who is now in custody has also passed information to the LTTE regarding the Stanley Powerhouse in Kollonawa and several military housing schemes. Army sources say he is to be court-martialled. However, it is reliably learned that the Major has secured the services of several top lawyers to defend him.
A third Major by the name of Peiris, has also been arrested by Army intelligence for allegedly providing information to the LTTE. He is now being interrogated.
Going on the information received by the LTTE suicide cadre and those already taken in to custody, the Army and Police have managed to arrest several others for colluding with the LTTE. Now the hunt is on for a suspected Army Sergeant who was under the command of Major Perera. When the police searched the sergeants Kalutara house they found nearly 50 computers in his possession. It was also revealed that this Army Sergeant had built a three-storeyed house in Colombo and had given a car as a dowry to his sister. The Sergeant is now missing.
Suicide cadre nabbed
The security forces arrested an LTTE woman suicide cadre who was closely associated with a Tamil woman journalist. During an investigation, the suicide cadres brother , a student of Mattakkuliya Technical Education Institute was arrested on Thursday (23) at a lodge in Mutwal. He agreed with the investigators to give a telephone call to his sister who was staying at the Wellawatta Ramakrishna Mission, for the last two months, to meet him at the Savoy Theatre. The intelligence personnel were to lay in ambush to apprehend his sister when she came to meet him.
When the suicide cadre came in a trishaw to meet her brother with her journalist friend as planned, the young man who recognized his sister at a distance, pointed her out to the security personnel. The journalist who intervened promptly produced her press identity card and said that she personally knew several senior police officials whose names she revealed and that she herself had applied to join the police as a Sub Inspector. She also mentioned the names of several prominent Sinhalese. The security forces officers were however, undeterred by her protests and arrested both of them. It was revealed that the journalist was in close association with the LTTE cadre and provided her accommodation at a boarding house at Ramakrishna road, Wellawatta.
The suicide cadre and the journalistare now being interrogated by the Terrorist Investigation Division and on information elicited from them the security forces recovered seven claymore mines and 10 kilos of high powered C4 explosives from an estate in the Mirigama area. A Sinhala resident of the area who is alleged to be in collusion with LTTE cadres was also arrested during the raid.
That sinking feeling
The Nation, last week, exclusively reported findings of an interim report presented by a Presidential Commission looking into the misappropriation of defence funds, to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The report called for the court martial of several top ranking military officers, some retired and others still in service. One of the controversial deals the Commission was tasked with looking into was the attempt made by the Navy to upgrade its main weapons system in the Fast Attack Craft fleet.
The FACs form the main strike group of the Navy and are involved in an array of duties from patrolling the seas to providing escort to larger vessels. The lack of a distinct advantage over the LTTE has cost the Navy, and in particular, the FACs dearly, during last year.
The Sri Lanka Navy operates FACs developed both in Israel and Sri Lanka. The cost is somewhat the same with a single craft costing around US $ 5 million or Rs. 500 million. As early as 2001, the Navy realised that it needs to upgrade the main cannon in the FACs to give it an advantage over the LTTEs dreaded Sea Tigers. Shockingly, the upgrade is yet to take place even though over five years have elapsed since it was first recommended.
Currently, the FACs are mounted with 23mm cannon which have a maximum range of 1600 metres. The Sea Tigers are also in possession of similar calibre guns which make them a formidable foe in battle. However, the Navy craft are at a disadvantage due to their size. Being larger in size the Navy craft are spotted by the Sea Tiger craft well before they are sighted by their adversary. Also with the LTTE craft attacking in a cluster formation, the Navys FACs have a formidable challenge at hand when confronted. During last year alone, six FACs have been completely destroyed during confrontations with the Sea Tigers. The initial recommendation to upgrade the cannon on the FACs to a 30mm calibre gun was made in 2001. Since then the issue has been dragging on with the government and the Navy oscillating between two options for years and eventually ending up with nothing. The options for the upgrade were minimised to two with one offer from the United Sates and the other from Israel. The Ministry of Defence in 2002 forwarded these two proposals to the Navy for evaluation.
The Bushmaster cannon offered by the United Sates were deemed to be unsuitable for the Fast Attack Craft since it were too heavy. Also, this particular cannon had been originally designed for a tank and not as a maritime weapon. Irrespective of these technical problems, there was pressure from certain high officials in the Ministry of Defence to pursue this deal. Though diplomatic reasons were sighted at that time since the USA was playing a more proactive role in Sri Lanka, there were also other interested parties who wanted the Navy to buy this weapon for their own reasons. Meanwhile, the technical evaluation committee looking in to Israeli option concluded that the KCB 30mm cannon offered by the firm Rafael was technically more sound than the Bushmaster gun. The firm promised to provide brand new guns and therefore, the green light was given to pay 20% as deposit for the US $ 10.7 million deal. However, when it came to the point of delivery the Navy team found out that Rafael was offering a weapon which was more than 20 years old. The deal was cancelled and according to informed sources the deposited money recovered.
Though the presidential commission is now looking into whether any misappropriation of funds has taken place in this and other controversial deals, the FAC fleet is yet to get an update to its main weapon. However, with the whole fiasco drawing the Navy back to square one, the FAC fleet is currently operational with a far less powerful 23mm cannon, denying them the advantage the 30mm cannon would have offered. The latter has a maximum range of 3000 meters with a strike probability of 6% at that distance. That would have given the Navy vessels an advantage over the LTTE craft which are known to have guns with a maximum range of 1600 meters.
Six Dovra lost
In the past year alone, the Navy had lost six Dovra fast attack crafts in action. Of this number, two were destroyed in two separate incidents, when they were lured into a trap. In both these incidents at Kalpitiya and Trincomalee, the FACs were destroyed when they tried to inspect a trawler. It is doubtful whether a superior weapon on the craft could have prevented these two incidents. However, in the sinking of the other four FACs, it is clear that the outcome of these battles could have been very much different if those craft had the advantage of the 30mm cannon on board. Also, the cost of four FACs (only considering the ones destroyed in sea battles) is over Rs. 2 billion. That is of course without considering the invaluable human costs of these losses and the colossal costs incurred to train officers and men who were lost. The woes for the Navys FAC fleet continue, with latest reports indicating that the 10 FACs purchased from the Colombo Dockyard needing to be fitted with a proper weapons system.
The Navys problems do not end with this controversial 30mm cannon deal. The much hyped Fast Missile Boats purchased from Israel at a colossal cost of US $ 27.2 million or nearly Rs. 3 billion have now ended up becoming non-functional. The SLNS Nandimittra and SLNS Suranimala were bought from Israel in August 2000. It was later revealed that the vessels were over 30 years old. Both these craft had developed engine trouble and SLNS Nandimittra in fact broke down on June 14, 2003, while on pursuit of an LTTE weapons ship, which eventually got away. Later naval officers cannibalisedone of the vessels to obtain spares for the other, but eventually both these expensive vessels ended up dysfunctional. They join a long list of such white elephants purchased by the Navy. A Hovercraft and a sub-chaser on which billions were spent have not seen action. The sub- chaser, SLNS Parakramabahu, was completely destroyed in the Tsunami while being anchored at Galle. By that time it was not going out to sea anyway.
Where blame lies for this pathetic state of affairs will most probably come to light once the Presidential Commission looking into the matter hands in its full report. However, that does not answer the Navys current problems with the Sea Tigers. It is hoped that due action will be taken for the sake of the courageous men going out to sea, taking on a determined and equal foe. The Defence establishment needs to stop their witch hunts and take immediate remedies to rectify the shortcomings in the Navys fleet.
