Obama will address the country from a rally in Chicago, Illinois, later Tuesday night.
As news broke, supporters cried and cheered, "Yes, we can."
Obama will become the first African-American to win the presidency.
The Illinois senator is projected to pick up a big win in Virginia, a state that hasn't voted for a Democratic president since 1964.
Obama also is projected to beat Sen. John McCain in Ohio, a battleground state that was considered a must-win for the Republican candidate. Watch more on Obama's Ohio win »
Earlier in the evening, senior McCain aides were growing pessimistic about the Arizona senator's chances.
Going into the election, national polls showed Obama with an 8-point lead.
In addition to the presidential contest, voters were making choices in a number of key House and Senate races that could determine whether the Democrats strengthen their hold on Congress.
Former Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat, will win a Senate seat in Virginia, CNN projects. He will replace retiring Republican Sen. John Warner.
Incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Republican, is projected to lose her North Carolina seat to Democratic challenger Kay Hagan. Watch Dole concede defeat »
Dole is the wife of 1996 Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Turning Point of World War II
With a force like the 6th army, I could storm the heavens” Adolf Hitler As the surprise Soviet counter-offensive of the winter of 1941 petered out in the freezing snows of the Russian wilderness the minds of the German war planners began to turn to the inevitable summer campaign ahead, their successive offensive against a bloodied but defiant enemy.
Six months before on the 22nd of June 1941 the awesome German war machine, seemingly unstoppable had launched itself at Russia, the largest country in the world, with a sudden and devastating ferocity.
For this unparalleled attack the Germans had divided their four million strong striking force into three large army groups. Army Group North was to dash up to Leningrad, while bringing the Baltic area under its heel.
The task of the exceptionally strong Army Group Centre was to thrust into the Russia heartland with Moscow as the desired long stop. The Donnets River was the ambitious summer target for the Army Group South, with Ukraine and Crimea as the rich prizes(News-Dailynews)
Six months before on the 22nd of June 1941 the awesome German war machine, seemingly unstoppable had launched itself at Russia, the largest country in the world, with a sudden and devastating ferocity.
For this unparalleled attack the Germans had divided their four million strong striking force into three large army groups. Army Group North was to dash up to Leningrad, while bringing the Baltic area under its heel.
The task of the exceptionally strong Army Group Centre was to thrust into the Russia heartland with Moscow as the desired long stop. The Donnets River was the ambitious summer target for the Army Group South, with Ukraine and Crimea as the rich prizes(News-Dailynews)
Woman carrying infant nabbed with explosives Rafik Jalaldeen
A woman carrying an infant was nabbed with explosives and detonators at Irattaperiyakulam, Vavuniya on Monday evening, police said.
Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said Ravichandran Vijitha of Mannar was in the bus plying from Vavuniya to Medawachchiya which was checked at the Irattaperiyakulam checkpoint around 6.15 p.m.
Police recovered 500g of C4 explosives, two detonators, a timing device and two 9V batteries from the woman’s briefcase. “She was carrying a one-year-old baby with the explosives in the briefcase meant for the LTTE,” SSP Gunasekera told the Daily News.(News-Dailynews)
Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said Ravichandran Vijitha of Mannar was in the bus plying from Vavuniya to Medawachchiya which was checked at the Irattaperiyakulam checkpoint around 6.15 p.m.
Police recovered 500g of C4 explosives, two detonators, a timing device and two 9V batteries from the woman’s briefcase. “She was carrying a one-year-old baby with the explosives in the briefcase meant for the LTTE,” SSP Gunasekera told the Daily News.(News-Dailynews)
India-Lanka undersea power project on course
INDIA: The Sri Lankan and Indian Governments are going ahead with the implementation of the Rs. 1,000-crore under sea transmission link project between the two countries.
As reported by Financial Express on April 13, both Governments have given top priority to this project and are expected to sign an MoU soon, which will pave for an appointment of an agency to carry out a comprehensive under sea/marine survey.
The proposed survey is likely to be completed in six months and thereafter, a detail project report will be prepared.
The proposed under sea/marine survey is necessary, prior to the laying of the undersea/submarine cables.
The cable survey will look into the traffic of movements of ships in the area, depth of sea, earthquake zones and volcanic activities as well as the presence of sharks in that area of sea.
The link is likely to connect Madurai in Tamil Nadu and Anuradhapura.
The transmission line is expected to be 400 KV HVDC overhead lines from Madurai to the Indian coast (near Rameshwaram (139 km), a 400 KV HVDC cable from the Indian sea coast to the Sri Lankan sea coast (39 km), a 400 KV HVDC overhead line from the Sri Lankan coast to Anuradhapura/Puttalam (125km).
PowerGrid Corporation, which is India's central transmission utility, will be the project implementation agency.
PowerGrid Corporation, which is India's central transmission utility, will be the project implementation agency.
PowerGrid Corporation sources said on Monday that both Governments will decide on sharing expenditure even on carrying out under sea survey and thereafter for the entire project. "Initially, it was discussed to share the cost of the undersea/marine survey equally. However, after signing the MoU, the actual sharing pattern will be finalised. The sharing of the project cost will also be decided," sources said.
Financial Express, India
As reported by Financial Express on April 13, both Governments have given top priority to this project and are expected to sign an MoU soon, which will pave for an appointment of an agency to carry out a comprehensive under sea/marine survey.
The proposed survey is likely to be completed in six months and thereafter, a detail project report will be prepared.
The proposed under sea/marine survey is necessary, prior to the laying of the undersea/submarine cables.
The cable survey will look into the traffic of movements of ships in the area, depth of sea, earthquake zones and volcanic activities as well as the presence of sharks in that area of sea.
The link is likely to connect Madurai in Tamil Nadu and Anuradhapura.
The transmission line is expected to be 400 KV HVDC overhead lines from Madurai to the Indian coast (near Rameshwaram (139 km), a 400 KV HVDC cable from the Indian sea coast to the Sri Lankan sea coast (39 km), a 400 KV HVDC overhead line from the Sri Lankan coast to Anuradhapura/Puttalam (125km).
PowerGrid Corporation, which is India's central transmission utility, will be the project implementation agency.
PowerGrid Corporation, which is India's central transmission utility, will be the project implementation agency.
PowerGrid Corporation sources said on Monday that both Governments will decide on sharing expenditure even on carrying out under sea survey and thereafter for the entire project. "Initially, it was discussed to share the cost of the undersea/marine survey equally. However, after signing the MoU, the actual sharing pattern will be finalised. The sharing of the project cost will also be decided," sources said.
Financial Express, India
Obama leads in earliest vote
US: Buoyed by a surge in support from young voters, Barack Obama could become the first Democrat to capture traditionally Republican Virginia in more than four decades Tuesday, helping him clinch the White House.
With more than five million Virginians registered to vote statewide, including 500,000 mostly young new voters, election officials reported heavy turnout as polling stations opened earlier than much of the rest of the country. Callers to a national voter hotline reported experiencing long lines and voting machine problems but despite the technical problems, Obama supporters were optimistic.
“This is the right time for the pendulum to swing in favor of the Democrats and Virginia will set the stage for an Obama victory,” said Richard McClevey, an ex-State Department employee campaigning in the southwestern town of Blacksburg for the 47-year-old Illinois senator.
Obama came up a big winner in the presidential race in Dixville Notch and Hart’s Location, New Hampshire, where a tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on.
Democrat Obama defeated Republican John McCain by a count of 15 to 6 in Dixville Notch, where a loud whoop accompanied the announcement. It was the first time Dixville Notch chose the Democratic candidate since 1968.
At least four independent polls over the last week showed Obama has an edge by up to nine percentage points over Republican Senator John McCain in traditionally conservative Virginia, which last voted for a Democrat for president in 1964.
had agreed on one thing during the longest presidential campaign in US history - their promise to slam the door on the era of George W. Bush.
But they were deeply at odds over how to fix the nation’s crumbling economy and end the 5 1/2-year war in Iraq, the issues that sent Bush’s job approval plummeting to a record low at the end of his eight-year presidency.
Record numbers of Americans were expected at polling stations across the US adding their ballots to 29 million citizens who had already voted in 30 states. The early vote tally suggested an advantage for Obama, with official statistics showing that Democrats voted in larger numbers than Republicans in North Carolina, Colorado, Florida and Iowa. All four states voted for Bush in 2004.
Sad news overshadowed the campaign on Monday when Obama announced the death of his grandmother, whose personality and bearing shaped him deeply. Madelyn Payne Dunham was 86 when she died of cancer late Sunday in Hawaii.
“She’s gone home,” Obama said, tears running down both cheeks as tens of thousands of rowdy supporters at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte grew silent as he announced Dunham’s death. The family said a private ceremony would be held later.
He explained to the North Carolina audience how Dunham inspired his campaign by her lifetime of hard work and sacrifice.
“In just one more day we have the opportunity to honour all those quiet heroes all across America,” Obama said. “We can bring change to America to make sure their work and their sacrifice is honoured. That’s what we’re fighting for.” Obama wrapped up his campaign by speaking to a crowd estimated at more than 70,000 people in Manassas, Virginia, near the site of the first major battle of the American Civil War that ended slavery, before heading home to Chicago to await the election returns.
McCain, a 72-year-old four-term Arizona senator, ended the contest on Monday with a frantic and grueling dash through several traditionally Republican states still not securely in his camp or even leaning to Obama.
McCain stopped in Florida, Virginia, Indiana, New Mexico and Nevada. And he again passed through Pennsylvania, the only state that voted Democratic in 2004 where he still hoped for a win.
He was closing out the endurance test past midnight at a home-state rally in Prescott, Arizona, a state where Obama has been running television commercials in the campaign’s final days after polls showed a tightening race.
On election eve, the 47-year-old Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, was favoured to win all the states Democrats captured in 2004, when Bush defeated Democratic Sen. John Kerry. That would give him 251 electoral votes.
He was leading or tied in several states won by Bush, giving him several paths to the 270 vote threshold - such as victories in Ohio or Florida, or in a combination of smaller states.
McCain, meanwhile, must hold as many Bush states as possible while trying to capture a Democratic stronghold, such as Pennsylvania.
While no battleground state was ignored, Virginia, where no Democrat has won in 40 years, and Ohio, where no Republican president has ever lost, seemed most coveted. Together, they account for 33 electoral votes that McCain must win.
Obama sprinted into the lead after economic concerns overwhelmed the war in Iraq, as the primary concern among voters. Even though Republican experts argued the race was tightening, several polls suggested Obama’s lead was growing.
A USA Today/Gallup poll published on Monday found likely voters nationwide favouring Obama by 11 points over McCain, 53-42 per cent, with a margin of error of two percentage points. Other polls showed Obama with a seven or eight percentage-point lead.
Polls conducted by Quinnipiac University showed Obama with significant leads in two critical swing states, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and tied with McCain in Florida, where the prize is 27 electoral votes. A win for Obama in any of these three states would be hard for McCain to overcome.
The American presidential election amounts to separate contests in the 50 US states plus the District of Columbia, home to the capital city. At stake are 538 electors, with the winning candidate needing to capture at least half plus one. Electors are apportioned to the states roughly according to population.
Agencies
With more than five million Virginians registered to vote statewide, including 500,000 mostly young new voters, election officials reported heavy turnout as polling stations opened earlier than much of the rest of the country. Callers to a national voter hotline reported experiencing long lines and voting machine problems but despite the technical problems, Obama supporters were optimistic.
“This is the right time for the pendulum to swing in favor of the Democrats and Virginia will set the stage for an Obama victory,” said Richard McClevey, an ex-State Department employee campaigning in the southwestern town of Blacksburg for the 47-year-old Illinois senator.
Obama came up a big winner in the presidential race in Dixville Notch and Hart’s Location, New Hampshire, where a tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on.
Democrat Obama defeated Republican John McCain by a count of 15 to 6 in Dixville Notch, where a loud whoop accompanied the announcement. It was the first time Dixville Notch chose the Democratic candidate since 1968.
At least four independent polls over the last week showed Obama has an edge by up to nine percentage points over Republican Senator John McCain in traditionally conservative Virginia, which last voted for a Democrat for president in 1964.
had agreed on one thing during the longest presidential campaign in US history - their promise to slam the door on the era of George W. Bush.
But they were deeply at odds over how to fix the nation’s crumbling economy and end the 5 1/2-year war in Iraq, the issues that sent Bush’s job approval plummeting to a record low at the end of his eight-year presidency.
Record numbers of Americans were expected at polling stations across the US adding their ballots to 29 million citizens who had already voted in 30 states. The early vote tally suggested an advantage for Obama, with official statistics showing that Democrats voted in larger numbers than Republicans in North Carolina, Colorado, Florida and Iowa. All four states voted for Bush in 2004.
Sad news overshadowed the campaign on Monday when Obama announced the death of his grandmother, whose personality and bearing shaped him deeply. Madelyn Payne Dunham was 86 when she died of cancer late Sunday in Hawaii.
“She’s gone home,” Obama said, tears running down both cheeks as tens of thousands of rowdy supporters at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte grew silent as he announced Dunham’s death. The family said a private ceremony would be held later.
He explained to the North Carolina audience how Dunham inspired his campaign by her lifetime of hard work and sacrifice.
“In just one more day we have the opportunity to honour all those quiet heroes all across America,” Obama said. “We can bring change to America to make sure their work and their sacrifice is honoured. That’s what we’re fighting for.” Obama wrapped up his campaign by speaking to a crowd estimated at more than 70,000 people in Manassas, Virginia, near the site of the first major battle of the American Civil War that ended slavery, before heading home to Chicago to await the election returns.
McCain, a 72-year-old four-term Arizona senator, ended the contest on Monday with a frantic and grueling dash through several traditionally Republican states still not securely in his camp or even leaning to Obama.
McCain stopped in Florida, Virginia, Indiana, New Mexico and Nevada. And he again passed through Pennsylvania, the only state that voted Democratic in 2004 where he still hoped for a win.
He was closing out the endurance test past midnight at a home-state rally in Prescott, Arizona, a state where Obama has been running television commercials in the campaign’s final days after polls showed a tightening race.
On election eve, the 47-year-old Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, was favoured to win all the states Democrats captured in 2004, when Bush defeated Democratic Sen. John Kerry. That would give him 251 electoral votes.
He was leading or tied in several states won by Bush, giving him several paths to the 270 vote threshold - such as victories in Ohio or Florida, or in a combination of smaller states.
McCain, meanwhile, must hold as many Bush states as possible while trying to capture a Democratic stronghold, such as Pennsylvania.
While no battleground state was ignored, Virginia, where no Democrat has won in 40 years, and Ohio, where no Republican president has ever lost, seemed most coveted. Together, they account for 33 electoral votes that McCain must win.
Obama sprinted into the lead after economic concerns overwhelmed the war in Iraq, as the primary concern among voters. Even though Republican experts argued the race was tightening, several polls suggested Obama’s lead was growing.
A USA Today/Gallup poll published on Monday found likely voters nationwide favouring Obama by 11 points over McCain, 53-42 per cent, with a margin of error of two percentage points. Other polls showed Obama with a seven or eight percentage-point lead.
Polls conducted by Quinnipiac University showed Obama with significant leads in two critical swing states, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and tied with McCain in Florida, where the prize is 27 electoral votes. A win for Obama in any of these three states would be hard for McCain to overcome.
The American presidential election amounts to separate contests in the 50 US states plus the District of Columbia, home to the capital city. At stake are 538 electors, with the winning candidate needing to capture at least half plus one. Electors are apportioned to the states roughly according to population.
Agencies
Troops at a decisive stage: Colombo
COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan military on Tuesday claimed that troops operating in the western half of the Kilinochchi battle front reached a decisive stage in their mission and successfully sealed off over 90 per cent of the 80-km long northwestern coast of the island.
Following the recent liberation of Nachchikuda, the Task Force 1 now has continuous domination over 70 km stretch of the strategically vital Mannar- Pooneryn [A-32] road. According to the battlefield reports received so far, the Task Force 1 is now on an accelerated march towards Poonaryn, crushing remaining terrorist footholds on the northwestern coast, said the Defence Ministry.
It said heavy confrontations were reported from the Palayilkulam area throughout Monday as the Tiger cadres were making a desperate attempt to slowdown the advancing soldiers.
During the morning hours, Army Commandos attacked a group of LTTE cadres in the Ponnaveli area inflicting heavy damages to the terrorists. Meanwhile, Army Special Forces soldiers ambushed a group of LTTE cadres travelling on a tractor in the Uruthirapuram area in the afternoon hours, causing heavy damages to the terrorists. Separate clashes were also reported from the Mukkamvillu area during the day.
The Ministry said intercepted LTTE radio transmissions had revealed that senior terrorist leader Ilakoon was killed during the confrontation in the Navalladi area, on Sunday. He was a self-styled Lieutenant Colonel of the LTTE and a member of the ground fighters of the Sea Tigers.
It said, According to ground troops, LTTE terrorists have put-on stiff resistance initially and later abandoned its defences after receiving heavy beating in the duel.
The military said troops were moving inside the LTTE territory amid desperate attempts by the outfit to hold the strategically important terrain in Wanni. Terrorists are expected to receive a double blow at the Eastern Kilinochchi battlefront, west of the A-9 trunk road with the fall of Akkarayankulam Northern built-up and Terumurikandy.
The Defence Ministry alleged that faced with the intense multi-pronged military assaults LTTE has drawn in hundreds of underage fighters, sparing senior cadres to defend its Kilinochchi heartland.(News-The Hindu)
Following the recent liberation of Nachchikuda, the Task Force 1 now has continuous domination over 70 km stretch of the strategically vital Mannar- Pooneryn [A-32] road. According to the battlefield reports received so far, the Task Force 1 is now on an accelerated march towards Poonaryn, crushing remaining terrorist footholds on the northwestern coast, said the Defence Ministry.
It said heavy confrontations were reported from the Palayilkulam area throughout Monday as the Tiger cadres were making a desperate attempt to slowdown the advancing soldiers.
During the morning hours, Army Commandos attacked a group of LTTE cadres in the Ponnaveli area inflicting heavy damages to the terrorists. Meanwhile, Army Special Forces soldiers ambushed a group of LTTE cadres travelling on a tractor in the Uruthirapuram area in the afternoon hours, causing heavy damages to the terrorists. Separate clashes were also reported from the Mukkamvillu area during the day.
The Ministry said intercepted LTTE radio transmissions had revealed that senior terrorist leader Ilakoon was killed during the confrontation in the Navalladi area, on Sunday. He was a self-styled Lieutenant Colonel of the LTTE and a member of the ground fighters of the Sea Tigers.
It said, According to ground troops, LTTE terrorists have put-on stiff resistance initially and later abandoned its defences after receiving heavy beating in the duel.
The military said troops were moving inside the LTTE territory amid desperate attempts by the outfit to hold the strategically important terrain in Wanni. Terrorists are expected to receive a double blow at the Eastern Kilinochchi battlefront, west of the A-9 trunk road with the fall of Akkarayankulam Northern built-up and Terumurikandy.
The Defence Ministry alleged that faced with the intense multi-pronged military assaults LTTE has drawn in hundreds of underage fighters, sparing senior cadres to defend its Kilinochchi heartland.(News-The Hindu)
India’s assistance is a goodwill gesture, says Sri Lanka
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Tuesday refuted media speculation on a secret deal with India, and asserted that there was a clear understanding between New Delhi and Colombo on its efforts to defeat terrorism and restore democracy in the north. His remarks came even as the United Nations dispatched a convoy of 29 trucks with 438 tonnes of food to people displaced in the war zone.
In response to a question by Joseph Michael Perera (UNP) in Parliament on the recent visit of Basil Rajapaksa, MP, Senior Advisor to the President, as the Special Envoy of the President to New Delhi, Mr. Bogollagama gave details of the understanding between the two governments on various issues related to the humanitarian crisis triggered by the fighting between the forces and the LTTE in the north.
The Minister characterised “the strong bonds of friendship and trust that the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa hasforged with the political leadership of India as a manifestation of the longstanding historical ties” between the two countries.
He told the House that the successful outcome of Mr. Rajapaksa’s visit was reassuring to the people of both countries and to friends and well-wishers who desired lasting peace in Sri Lanka.
He tabled the two official communiqués issued jointly by India and Sri Lanka on October 26 in New Delhi, at the conclusion of Mr. Rajapaksa’s visit: the India-Sri Lanka Joint Press Release and the India-Sri Lanka Joint Statement on Fishing Arrangements.
Implicitly criticising interested parties who were attempting to impute an ulterior motive to the Indian government’s offer of 800 tonnes of relief materials for civilians caught up in the conflict in the North, the Minister emphasised that India had come forward with humanitarian assistance as a goodwill gesture, which reflected the friendship and spirit of good neighbourliness between the two countries.
He cautioned the general public not to be misguided by the mischievous construction given to the noble gesture of goodwill by India and recalled the financial grants that Sri Lanka had given to Myanmar and Nepal in recent times, when the two countries had experienced natural disasters. “Similarly, Sri Lanka had also made a cash donation of US$50,000 as humanitarian relief for victims of the severe floods which inundated large parts of the Indian State of Bihar in September this year,” he said.
“We are open to receiving humanitarian assistance and relief from any other friendly country, which wishes to contribute towards the government’s efforts to keep an uninterrupted supply of goods and essential services to the civilians in the conflict-affected areas of the Wanni,” the Minister said.
Mr. Bogollagama maintained that for any political solution to be feasible, disarmament of the LTTE was an essential pre-requisite. “As long as the LTTE remains armed and possessing the capacity to kill innocent civilians and destabilise public order, whatever political solution that may be proposed will simply not be viable.”
Separately, the U.N. office in Sri Lanka in a statement here said it had dispatched another major food convoy into the Wanni region of northern Sri Lanka. The 29-truck World Food Programme convoy carrying 438 tonnes of food is part of a continuing humanitarian aid effort to reach the estimated 2,30,000 civilians displaced behind the lines of confrontation in the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullathivu.
This is the fourth U.N. convoy since the U.N. was forced to temporarily withdraw from the Wanni in mid-September because of fighting. The convoy will deliver food to three locations before returning to government-controlled territory on Wednesday. The U.N. said it had delivered 2,300 tonnes of food to the Wanni since the beginning of October.
In response to a question by Joseph Michael Perera (UNP) in Parliament on the recent visit of Basil Rajapaksa, MP, Senior Advisor to the President, as the Special Envoy of the President to New Delhi, Mr. Bogollagama gave details of the understanding between the two governments on various issues related to the humanitarian crisis triggered by the fighting between the forces and the LTTE in the north.
The Minister characterised “the strong bonds of friendship and trust that the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa hasforged with the political leadership of India as a manifestation of the longstanding historical ties” between the two countries.
He told the House that the successful outcome of Mr. Rajapaksa’s visit was reassuring to the people of both countries and to friends and well-wishers who desired lasting peace in Sri Lanka.
He tabled the two official communiqués issued jointly by India and Sri Lanka on October 26 in New Delhi, at the conclusion of Mr. Rajapaksa’s visit: the India-Sri Lanka Joint Press Release and the India-Sri Lanka Joint Statement on Fishing Arrangements.
Implicitly criticising interested parties who were attempting to impute an ulterior motive to the Indian government’s offer of 800 tonnes of relief materials for civilians caught up in the conflict in the North, the Minister emphasised that India had come forward with humanitarian assistance as a goodwill gesture, which reflected the friendship and spirit of good neighbourliness between the two countries.
He cautioned the general public not to be misguided by the mischievous construction given to the noble gesture of goodwill by India and recalled the financial grants that Sri Lanka had given to Myanmar and Nepal in recent times, when the two countries had experienced natural disasters. “Similarly, Sri Lanka had also made a cash donation of US$50,000 as humanitarian relief for victims of the severe floods which inundated large parts of the Indian State of Bihar in September this year,” he said.
“We are open to receiving humanitarian assistance and relief from any other friendly country, which wishes to contribute towards the government’s efforts to keep an uninterrupted supply of goods and essential services to the civilians in the conflict-affected areas of the Wanni,” the Minister said.
Mr. Bogollagama maintained that for any political solution to be feasible, disarmament of the LTTE was an essential pre-requisite. “As long as the LTTE remains armed and possessing the capacity to kill innocent civilians and destabilise public order, whatever political solution that may be proposed will simply not be viable.”
Separately, the U.N. office in Sri Lanka in a statement here said it had dispatched another major food convoy into the Wanni region of northern Sri Lanka. The 29-truck World Food Programme convoy carrying 438 tonnes of food is part of a continuing humanitarian aid effort to reach the estimated 2,30,000 civilians displaced behind the lines of confrontation in the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullathivu.
This is the fourth U.N. convoy since the U.N. was forced to temporarily withdraw from the Wanni in mid-September because of fighting. The convoy will deliver food to three locations before returning to government-controlled territory on Wednesday. The U.N. said it had delivered 2,300 tonnes of food to the Wanni since the beginning of October.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Policing the Police
The tough stand taken by the National Police Commission against errant police officers who violate the fundamental rights of citizens should be lauded particularly given the recent reports on such acts that has brought a bad name to the Department.
According to our weekend newspaper the Sunday Observer the NPC has decided to summon the DIG of the Western Province to answer for the conduct of one of his charges who had coerced a complainant in a bribery case against him (the officer) to withdraw the complaint.
The complainant was later found shot dead. The NPC is aghast as to why this police officer was not transferred elsewhere while the case was pending and what action had been taken against this officer for threatening the complainant. Today some senior police officers are known to be indulgent towards their charges.
It is also no secret that certain superiors are known to go soft on complaints against their subordinates while in some instances even act in collusion to share in the spoils from illegal activity.
This turning a Nelsonian eye to the shenanigans of junior officers has encouraged callous disregard towards discipline that was once the hallmark of the Police Service. The same report says that the NPC has urged the IGP to take action against an OIC who turned abusive against an attorney-at-law. This is another characteristic of present day policemen who abuse their rank.
This is particularly seen among some traffic policemen who delight in abusing motorists. Such behaviour on the part of Police officers can only invite the contempt of the public.
It is evident that some Officers-in-charge of Police stations act as lords of all they survey in their precincts. Rude behaviour is not uncommon among certain police officers.
IGP Jayantha Wickremaratne who has pledged to clean up the Augean stables should first of all build the fallen image of the Police Department in the eyes of the public. He should ensure the police act as friends of the public and remove those bad eggs.
Time was when Sri Lanka had an exemplary police Department where personnel were picked after careful screening. We still read and come across accounts of the deeds of those legendary men in Khaki not only for acts of bravery and valour but also as gentlemen who brought honour to the service and won public esteem. True, times have changed and the service has to confront new challenges that were not there in those bygone days.
Today the duties of the Police have extended to several fronts and it is no longer confined to maintaining law and order. The decades long terrorist problem has redefined the role of the police with emphasis shifted from tackling local crime to engagement in anti-terror operations.
While the change in the role of the policeman should be appreciated in the present context the main function of the police as the guardians of the law should not be lost sight of.
It is therefore incumbent on the IGP to revert the police to its main function of being keepers of the peace while lending all support to the military in the anti-terrorist drive.
There is also the need for emphasising discipline in the Police Department which had taken a nosedive in recent times as evident from many an episode. There is also a need to rid the service of the bad eggs in order to send a clear message that Policemen cannot act with impunity.
The number of police officers involved in the Sakvithi scam is a clear example of the extent to which the cancer of bribery and corruption had eaten into the Department.
The astronomical sums deposited in the bogus finance company by ordinary policemen is a clear indication of the decay that is manifest in the Police Department.
The IGP who is making a genuine effort to stem the rot should receive the full backing of the authorities in his endeavour to bring the Police Department to its former glory as a public oriented State agency. (News-Dailynews Editorial)
According to our weekend newspaper the Sunday Observer the NPC has decided to summon the DIG of the Western Province to answer for the conduct of one of his charges who had coerced a complainant in a bribery case against him (the officer) to withdraw the complaint.
The complainant was later found shot dead. The NPC is aghast as to why this police officer was not transferred elsewhere while the case was pending and what action had been taken against this officer for threatening the complainant. Today some senior police officers are known to be indulgent towards their charges.
It is also no secret that certain superiors are known to go soft on complaints against their subordinates while in some instances even act in collusion to share in the spoils from illegal activity.
This turning a Nelsonian eye to the shenanigans of junior officers has encouraged callous disregard towards discipline that was once the hallmark of the Police Service. The same report says that the NPC has urged the IGP to take action against an OIC who turned abusive against an attorney-at-law. This is another characteristic of present day policemen who abuse their rank.
This is particularly seen among some traffic policemen who delight in abusing motorists. Such behaviour on the part of Police officers can only invite the contempt of the public.
It is evident that some Officers-in-charge of Police stations act as lords of all they survey in their precincts. Rude behaviour is not uncommon among certain police officers.
IGP Jayantha Wickremaratne who has pledged to clean up the Augean stables should first of all build the fallen image of the Police Department in the eyes of the public. He should ensure the police act as friends of the public and remove those bad eggs.
Time was when Sri Lanka had an exemplary police Department where personnel were picked after careful screening. We still read and come across accounts of the deeds of those legendary men in Khaki not only for acts of bravery and valour but also as gentlemen who brought honour to the service and won public esteem. True, times have changed and the service has to confront new challenges that were not there in those bygone days.
Today the duties of the Police have extended to several fronts and it is no longer confined to maintaining law and order. The decades long terrorist problem has redefined the role of the police with emphasis shifted from tackling local crime to engagement in anti-terror operations.
While the change in the role of the policeman should be appreciated in the present context the main function of the police as the guardians of the law should not be lost sight of.
It is therefore incumbent on the IGP to revert the police to its main function of being keepers of the peace while lending all support to the military in the anti-terrorist drive.
There is also the need for emphasising discipline in the Police Department which had taken a nosedive in recent times as evident from many an episode. There is also a need to rid the service of the bad eggs in order to send a clear message that Policemen cannot act with impunity.
The number of police officers involved in the Sakvithi scam is a clear example of the extent to which the cancer of bribery and corruption had eaten into the Department.
The astronomical sums deposited in the bogus finance company by ordinary policemen is a clear indication of the decay that is manifest in the Police Department.
The IGP who is making a genuine effort to stem the rot should receive the full backing of the authorities in his endeavour to bring the Police Department to its former glory as a public oriented State agency. (News-Dailynews Editorial)
LTTE air attacks response to Govt victories in North Deputy Minister
Air attacks on last Tuesday are “a last ditch effort” by the LTTE, Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila said.
Speaking to RFI during a visit to Paris, Bhaila said the LTTE wanted to show they have the capacity to keep fighting.
“We have captured most Tiger strongholds in the North,” Bhaila said. The military has claimed that it is close to capturing Kilinochchi, the Minister said adding that humanitarian concerns are responsible for the delay.
“That was to allow the civilian population of Kilinochchi to leave for safer ground,” he said, adding that the Government has a “zero tolerance policy on civilian casualties”.
He accused the LTTE of using civilians as human shields.
Bhaila said “we are doing our utmost on the humanitarian ground”, including sending about 1,000 tonnes of food and medical supplies to conflict-hit areas. “I think we may be the only Government in the world which feeds the terrorists” he said.
Bhaila said elections will be held in the North.
“We want to have elections in the north, hand over power to the people so that it’ll be the Tamil people, who will decide their future,” he said.
Bhaila also hoped that about 100,000 Muslims will be able to return to the North.
“They were expelled from the North 19 years ago because the LTTE feared that they would back Colombo against the call for a Tamil homeland. They are still living in IDP camps,” Bhaila said. “But they want to go to the North.
They are not able to go because of this terrorist problem and we are eagerly awaiting the day when the Forces will be able to clear the North. The Muslims will then be able to go back.”The Minister said, development in the formerly conflict-torn region is now the envy of other Sri Lankans. (News-Dailynews)
Speaking to RFI during a visit to Paris, Bhaila said the LTTE wanted to show they have the capacity to keep fighting.
“We have captured most Tiger strongholds in the North,” Bhaila said. The military has claimed that it is close to capturing Kilinochchi, the Minister said adding that humanitarian concerns are responsible for the delay.
“That was to allow the civilian population of Kilinochchi to leave for safer ground,” he said, adding that the Government has a “zero tolerance policy on civilian casualties”.
He accused the LTTE of using civilians as human shields.
Bhaila said “we are doing our utmost on the humanitarian ground”, including sending about 1,000 tonnes of food and medical supplies to conflict-hit areas. “I think we may be the only Government in the world which feeds the terrorists” he said.
Bhaila said elections will be held in the North.
“We want to have elections in the north, hand over power to the people so that it’ll be the Tamil people, who will decide their future,” he said.
Bhaila also hoped that about 100,000 Muslims will be able to return to the North.
“They were expelled from the North 19 years ago because the LTTE feared that they would back Colombo against the call for a Tamil homeland. They are still living in IDP camps,” Bhaila said. “But they want to go to the North.
They are not able to go because of this terrorist problem and we are eagerly awaiting the day when the Forces will be able to clear the North. The Muslims will then be able to go back.”The Minister said, development in the formerly conflict-torn region is now the envy of other Sri Lankans. (News-Dailynews)
LTTE on verge of losing key supply line: Sri Lanka
COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on Sunday claimed to have pounded “an LTTE training and logistic base” located in the Iranamadu area in Mullathivu district.
Spokesperson Janaka Nanayakkara said the base is located north of Iranamadu jungle and “fighter jets accurately hit the target.”
The military claimed soldiers met with “less resistance” from the LTTE on the Wanni battlefront as they continued to consolidate defences in the newly-captured territory east and west of Kilinochchi. A Defence Ministry statement said sporadic fighting was reported close to the 12th mile post along the A-32 Mannar-Pooneryn Main Road on the western Kilinochchi battlefront. “Fighting was reported between troops and LTTE at Kovilkoduttavil, Podimuruppukulama and Urutirapurankulama. This phase of the military surge has forced the LTTE to retreat with heavy casualties. The LTTE is on the verge of losing its ‘supply line’ along the western coast,” it said.
The military claimed the LTTE had to relocate its artillery batteries — used to target civilian and military positions in Jaffna — on the outskirts of Pooneryn. “The military surge will force the LTTE to relocate its main guns towards Mullathivu, where the final stages of battles are expected.
Troops of the 57th Division, continuing their advances towards Kilinochchi, are now positioned north of the Akkarayankulama built-up area after weeks of intense fighting. The terrorists are faced with fierce multi-pronged attacks from the military, which has left scores of terrorists killed and many bunkers abandoned,” said the Defence Ministry.Indian aid
India and Sri Lanka are working out the modalities to deliver the 800 metric tones of food pledged by New Delhi. A meeting presided over by the President’s senior advisor, Basil Rajapaksa, was held here to discuss the logistics. Representatives of the Indian High Commission attended the meeting.
India made the commitment to supply food to the stranded citizens in the north over a week ago when Mr. Rajapaksa visited New Delhi to discuss the humanitarian crisis triggered by the war. (News-The Hindu)
Spokesperson Janaka Nanayakkara said the base is located north of Iranamadu jungle and “fighter jets accurately hit the target.”
The military claimed soldiers met with “less resistance” from the LTTE on the Wanni battlefront as they continued to consolidate defences in the newly-captured territory east and west of Kilinochchi. A Defence Ministry statement said sporadic fighting was reported close to the 12th mile post along the A-32 Mannar-Pooneryn Main Road on the western Kilinochchi battlefront. “Fighting was reported between troops and LTTE at Kovilkoduttavil, Podimuruppukulama and Urutirapurankulama. This phase of the military surge has forced the LTTE to retreat with heavy casualties. The LTTE is on the verge of losing its ‘supply line’ along the western coast,” it said.
The military claimed the LTTE had to relocate its artillery batteries — used to target civilian and military positions in Jaffna — on the outskirts of Pooneryn. “The military surge will force the LTTE to relocate its main guns towards Mullathivu, where the final stages of battles are expected.
Troops of the 57th Division, continuing their advances towards Kilinochchi, are now positioned north of the Akkarayankulama built-up area after weeks of intense fighting. The terrorists are faced with fierce multi-pronged attacks from the military, which has left scores of terrorists killed and many bunkers abandoned,” said the Defence Ministry.Indian aid
India and Sri Lanka are working out the modalities to deliver the 800 metric tones of food pledged by New Delhi. A meeting presided over by the President’s senior advisor, Basil Rajapaksa, was held here to discuss the logistics. Representatives of the Indian High Commission attended the meeting.
India made the commitment to supply food to the stranded citizens in the north over a week ago when Mr. Rajapaksa visited New Delhi to discuss the humanitarian crisis triggered by the war. (News-The Hindu)
Jayalalithaa fears funds, relief may be diverted to LTTE
CHENNAI: There is an apprehension among the people of Tamil Nadu that the money and relief materials will be diverted to the LTTE which has been using Tamils as a shield in the war against the Sri Lankan Army, AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa said on Sunday.
“It is a genuine apprehension and I share it,” she said in a statement.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said petrol and other things were being smuggled to the LTTE from Tamil Nadu regularly and the relief materials would also eventually reach them.
“The funds and relief materials will never go the Tamils. People fear that the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils would increase,” she added.Demonstration
In a separate statement she said the Madurai City unit of the Jayalalithaa Peravai would hold demonstrations to protest against the power crisis.
“There are around 6 thousand small scale industries in Jaihindpuram, Puthoor, Anuppanadi, Chellu and Krishnapuram. These industries and textile units are facing a threat of closure because of power crisis,” she said.(News-The Hindu)
“It is a genuine apprehension and I share it,” she said in a statement.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said petrol and other things were being smuggled to the LTTE from Tamil Nadu regularly and the relief materials would also eventually reach them.
“The funds and relief materials will never go the Tamils. People fear that the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils would increase,” she added.Demonstration
In a separate statement she said the Madurai City unit of the Jayalalithaa Peravai would hold demonstrations to protest against the power crisis.
“There are around 6 thousand small scale industries in Jaihindpuram, Puthoor, Anuppanadi, Chellu and Krishnapuram. These industries and textile units are facing a threat of closure because of power crisis,” she said.(News-The Hindu)
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