Astrology holds sway over Sri Lanka

"President Rajapaksa's horoscope is powerful...He will defeat the enemies and terrorists" - Sumanadasa Abeygunawardene, Astrologer

People in many countries believe in astrology, but horoscopes have a particularly enthusiastic following in Sri Lanka.

Many consult astrologers when choosing marriage partners, on when to start new jobs, or even to find out the auspicious time to leave their house in the morning. And politicians are said to be heavily influenced by the stars too.

At a wedding hall in Colombo, a bride and groom are sitting on a stage brightly decorated with paintings of Hindu gods. At their feet, several Hindu priests are breaking coconuts and lighting oil lamps, performing rituals to invoke blessings on the couple. The invitation was very precise, the ceremony would take place at what was described as the auspicious time of 1109 local time, as set by astrologers.

It was an arranged marriage, and astrology had been a key factor in deciding whether Vijayaruban and Umaranjini should wed. Their horoscopes had been examined to see if they were compatible. "It matched 85% or something," said Vijayaruban. "So it is a good thing. Both sets of parents are happy and we are happy." If the horoscopes had not been so attuned, he added, the family would have tried to find another girl for him to marry.

Astrological passport

Astrologers play a significant role in the lives of Sri Lankan people from the Tamil and Sinhala communities.

Eshwaran Kurukkal is the sixth generation in his family to perform the task, which is combined with priestly duties such as officiating at weddings. He is a member of the Brahmin caste. Every day, but especially on auspicious days, people come to visit him in his consulting rooms in his suburban Colombo house.

The astrologer wears traditional dress - a white sarong with a purple and gold border. He is bare-chested, with gold necklaces and diamond stud earrings. His long hair is pulled back, and his wrists, elbows, shoulders and forehead have three white stripes, marked with powder.

Mr Eshwaran is examining a client's horoscope, a printed book about the size of a passport. Inside there are sections for name, names of parents, and the positions of the stars and planets at the date and precise time of birth.

Many people keep the documents throughout their lives.

"We think if we didn't write a horoscope for a child when the child was born, it would be a very big sin," says Mr Eshwaran. "That is important, more important than a birth certificate."

Political star gazers

Belief in the stars is widespread in Sri Lanka where people routinely sit down to start work on the first day of a new job at auspicious times set by astrologers.

Even many politicians follow astrology, right up to heads of state.

"[Former president Ranasinghe] Premadasa was very much aware of astrological predictions for him, and would very often make his actions commensurate with that," says Bradman Weerakoon, who served as secretary or advisor to nine Sri Lankan leaders.

Mr Weerakoon says he is sure that Sri Lanka's first woman prime minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was astrologically inclined and that current President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also "perhaps moved that way".

"I am sure elections, dates of elections and so on are very often set on politicians getting their horoscopes read and finding out what is the best time for them."

Of the leaders he has encountered, Mr Weerakoon says only opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe does not seem to be inclined towards astrology.

'Hero king'

It is to astrologer Sumanadasa Abeygunawardene that many politicians have turned.

He says he even advised President Rajapaksa on the auspicious time to leave his house in the deep south to vote in the 2005 elections in which he became Sri Lanka's leader.

"Twenty-five years back, I said there would be a hero king from Ruhuna, Matara, now he's the one, we believe, President Mahinda Rajapaksa," said Mr Abeygunawardene.

"So President Rajapaksa's horoscope is a powerful one. He is the one who will bring development to the country. He will defeat the enemies and terrorists."

Mr Abeygunawardene said he had seen the horoscope of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Tamil Tigers.

He said the rebel's horoscope was more powerful than those of previous Sri Lankan presidents, but Mahinda Rajapaksa's was stronger still.

Back in the wedding hall, Vijayaruban and Umaranjini were just hoping their marriage would be successful.

Even though they did not know each other very well, they were confident they will have a happy life together.

It was, after all, written in the stars.

(By Roland Buerk, BBC News)

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Palestinians unhappy with Abbas' frequent absences

The foreign trips have paid off, he said, even to Sri Lanka, which is not a major player in Mideast politics.

"The president's visit to Sri Lanka was very important," Hamad said. "This is a friendly country, and Abbas' photo is still in the airport of Sri Lanka."

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — In four years as Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas has traveled to the far corners of the Earth, but never set foot in the West Bank's largest city, Hebron.

Ordinary Palestinians have long grumbled about their leader's travels abroad, despite ongoing crises at home. Those include trips to France and several Arab countries immediately after the Islamic militant group Hamas routed forces loyal to Abbas' Fatah party to take over the Gaza Strip in June 2007.

Abbas aides say he's helping the Palestinian cause by rallying international support. They say the day-to-day government is the prime minister's job and Abbas, who was in Chechnya on Sunday, is continuing a pattern set by his predecessor, frequent flier Yasser Arafat.

"The world is still supporting us ... simply because of our efforts, the efforts of President Abbas and before that the late president, Yasser Arafat," said Abbas aide Nimr Hamad.

But the globetrotting Abbas was reminded recently by Fatah district leaders that he had never been to Hebron as president. Abbas, who also hasn't been to the nearby towns of Jenin, Qalqiliya and Tulkarem as president either, told the Fatah chiefs he'd get out more often. On Monday, his office said he would visit Hebron later this week, after attending Christmas festivities in Bethlehem.

The president's leadership style is becoming more of an issue now that he must win a new mandate. His opponents say his four-year term ends in early January, and he has said he'll call new elections. But there's also a possibility he will simply stay on as president, over Hamas' objections.

Either way, his performance, including the loss of Gaza and his failure to reach a peace deal with Israel, will come under more scrutiny as he struggles for renewed political legitimacy.

Commentator Hani al-Masri said Abbas has little to show for his years in office and, instead, will be remembered as the leader on whose watch Palestinian territories were torn in half.

Al-Masri said he believes Abbas tries to go abroad often, in part, to avoid dealing with the burning domestic issues. "We have very complicated problems that he couldn't handle, the split, the corruption, the occupation," said al-Masri, a writer for the pro-government Al Ayyam daily.

Since 2005, Abbas has visited dozens of countries — several of them repeatedly.

The list includes many Arab and European countries, as well as Chile, Mauritania, India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Brazil, New Zealand, Pakistan, Senegal, Malta, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali and Brunei.

On Friday, he met President George W. Bush in Washington. He then headed to Moscow, but first stopped in Chechnya.

Since the West Bank doesn't have an airport, Abbas must cross into neighboring Jordan, where he often spends extra time at his villa there. He takes his private plane on short trips, but the United Arab Emirates lends him a larger plane for longer hauls.

When he's in the West Bank, he usually stays in the city of Ramallah, shuttling between his home there and his nearby government compound. The only other West Bank towns he's visited in his official capacity are Nablus, Jericho and Bethlehem.

Last month, Fatah district leaders met with Abbas to discuss the future of the movement, which lost parliament elections to Hamas in 2006 and has been unable to reform itself or regain its popularity.

Participants, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of angering Abbas, said they urged him to visit their districts and help boost Fatah support. They noted that even foreign leaders seem to be getting around the West Bank more than Abbas.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and international Mideast envoy Tony Blair have all visited the West Bank town of Jenin, held up as a model of Abbas' law-and-order reforms, while Abbas has not.

"We are dissatisfied with President Abbas for not visiting Jenin," said Mansour al-Saadi, a Fatah spokesman from the area. "People are asking why, and we have no answer."

Abbas needs to be more involved, said Jenin resident Ziyad Shalbak, 48. "We understand that he is conveying our message to the globe, but to do so, he has to meet us first and listen to our voice," Shalbak said.

Abbas is a reticent leader, more comfortable working with associates than facing large crowds. He was a reluctant campaigner during his 2005 presidential run. According to recent polls, he'd defeat a Hamas rival in presidential elections, but jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti of Fatah would do better.

Hamad, the Abbas aide, said the president is simply following procedure by allowing Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and district governors to do their jobs.

The foreign trips have paid off, he said, even to Sri Lanka, which is not a major player in Mideast politics.

"The president's visit to Sri Lanka was very important," Hamad said. "This is a friendly country, and Abbas' photo is still in the airport of Sri Lanka."

Sri Lanka expects 8 per cent GNP growth

The Government expects to bring Sri Lanka to middle income level by raising the annual per capita income to Rs. 485,000 by 2016 by increasing the Gross National Product with a minimum annual growth rate of eight per cent under the 10-year development program, said Labour Relations and Manpower Minister Athauda Seneviratne.

The Minister said it is necessary to increase productivity as well as investment to ensure a higher rate of development. Even by international standards, Sri Lanka’s productivity both in the public and private sector is at a low level.

“We want to increase the Gross National Product at least with a 30 per cent investment level and also by maintaining productivity level between four and five per cent right throughout,” the Minister added.

Sri Lanka rupee hits a new 14-month low

Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR) and the US Dollar (USD) between 1994 and 2004


Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR) and the US Dollar (USD) between 6/26/2008 and 12/22/2008

The Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) fell 0.3 percent in early trading on Tuesday to 112.30/112.50 per dollar, its lowest level in 14-months, dealers said, predicting more selling pressure for the currency in weeks ahead. The rupee hit its weakest since level on Oct. 24, 2007, Reuters data showed. At 0606 GMT the currency was trading at 112.60/80, down 0.6 percent.

Currency dealers from two foreign banks and three local banks said that a state bank, which usually represents the central bank bought dollars at 112.15 soon after trading started.

"This state bank is seen buying dollars between 112.15/25 levels and the rupee fell to 112.30 level after this," one dealer said.

Traders said that with the gradual rupee depreciation allowed by the central bank since Dec. 8 the currency was likely to slide further to around 113.50 by the end of the year.

The rupee has fallen over 2.1 percent since Dec. 8 and 3.9 percent since Oct. 30, when the central bank permitted limited depreciation of the rupee to help improve the competitiveness of the country's exports and abandoned its defence of the 108 level.

The rupee hit its life low of 113.45/65 per dollar on Sept. 19, 2007.

Many analysts say the central bank allowed the rupee to depreciate to meet one of the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund for possible funding.

The IMF warned Sri Lanka of a risk of a balance of payment crisis and recommended a more flexible exchange rate regime to avoid disruptive flows of short-term speculative capital.

The central bank has said, however, the country would not seek IMF funding if it required changes in its economic policies.

Cricket-Sri Lanka dissolve Ranatunga-led cricket board

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's government-appointed cricket board headed by Arjuna Rantunga was dissolved on Tuesday, Sri Lanka Cricket said.

"Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge has dissolved the Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee with immediate effect," a media statement said.

Ranatunga, Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup-winning captain, was appointed chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket in January.

Sports ministry secretary S. Liyanagama has been appointed to oversee the day-to-day affairs of the cricket administration until a new management committee is installed.

Lokuge has the option of calling board elections or appointing a fresh government-controlled interim committee.

"We will take a decision within a week," Lokuge said.

Troops capture Sinnaparanthan

KILINOCHCHI: Troops of the 58 Division successfully consolidated their position in the SINNAPARANTHAN area located 6km west of PARANTHAN this morning (23). Massive offences were launched by the troops of the 58 Division inflicting heavy damages on the LTTE terrorists. During subsequent search operations troops recovered the body of one LTTE terrorist along with a T-56 assault rifle.

Swarnavahini "Rana Bimen" - Wanni Operation - 21 Dec 2008

Free Tamil civilians or face ban, Rajapaksa warns LTTE

Following the address, the President was having a friendly discussion with the Chief Minister of Eastern Province Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and MP Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Monday threatened to outlaw the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist group if it did not allow Tamils living in its control to move to government-held areas.

Rajapaksa, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the defence minister, made the statement while addressing officials, groups of clergy, professionals and several others here.

'Rajapaksa called on the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) that with the dawn of 2009 it should release all innocent Tamil people it is holding hostage and in bondage using them as human shields and allow them to come to safe areas provided by the government and security forces,' the president's office said.

'Failure to do this would lead the government proscribing the LTTE and they (rebels) will face all its consequences as a terrorist organisation thereafter,' Rajapaksa was quoted as saying.

The LTTE has already been listed as a terrorist group in various countries including India, the US and the 27-member European Union.

The LTTE was first banned in Sri Lanka in 1983 following the introduction of the emergency regulation. The ban was revoked when the regulation was withdrawn in 1987.

The ban was re-imposed in January 1998 after a suspected LTTE attack on the Buddhist tooth-relic temple in Kandy. It was revoked in 2002 after the signing of the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Rajapaksa's remarks came as heavy fighting raged in the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, the last of the strongholds of the LTTE in the island's north.

The LTTE has been fighting to carve out a separate state for Tamils in the north and east of the island for a quarter century.

Human Rights Watch Report “Trapped & Mistreated” - At last...

by Malin Abeyatunge

Human Rights Watch latest 17 page reports titled “Trapped and Mistreated” (as per extract reproduced by print media) shows at last they now see LTTE terrorist outfit in its true colors. It is pleased to learn that HRW has at last made some endeavour to see the LTTE’s human rights violation in its true perspective. If one peruses HRW’s previous Media Releases or reports, there was tendency of showing complacency on LTTE’s gross human rights violation but was only critical of the operations of GoSL against LTTE. GoSL. It became a norm to place LTTE Tamil Tiger Terrorists on par with GoSL when it reported the terrorist conflict in Sri Lanka. Certain HRW reports were targeted in tarnishing the image of Sri Lanka whilst totaling ignoring the atrocities and human rights violations committed by LTTE. There had been instances that HRW was very critical of GoSL when one or two civilians getting called in cross fires (collateral damage) but dumb founded when 74 innocent Afghan civilians who were having a wedding ceremony were killed by the Allied forces. That was HRW’s stance up to most recent times.

This is what HRW said in their last annual report “says thus re Sri Lanka “More than 1100 new disappearances or abductions were reported in Sri Lanka between January 2006 and 2007 with the vast majority of victims being Tamils. In the continuing conflict between the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) both sides show little regard for the safety and well being of civilians”.

And this is what HRW reports today in their 17 page report titled “Trapped and Mistreated”.

"In the report "Trapped and Mistreated," the HRW called upon the LTTE to allow civilians leave areas under its control; to respect the right to freedom of movement and the right to move to government-controlled territory for safety; Stop all forced recruitment; end all abductions and coercion; end all recruitment of children under the age of 18; cease the use of children in military operations; release all its child combatants including those recruited when children but were now over the age of 18; to stop all abusive or unpaid forced labor, including what it characterizes as voluntary; cease demanding that all families provide labor to the LTTE; stop forcing civilians to engage in labor directly related to the conduct of military operations, such as constructing trenches and bunkers; Provide humanitarian agencies and UN agencies safe and unhindered access to areas under its control, and guarantee the security of all humanitarian and UN workers, including Wanni residents working as humanitarian or UN staff."

The recent trend in seeing things in its true perspective is pleasing and most welcome and hope that HRW will continue to issue balanced reports in future without just quoting crap information extracted from Tamil NET or other LTTE propaganda websites.

There were hundreds of letters, articles, media releases by various organizations and individuals both in Sri Lanka and outside, continuous editorials in local papers (not all) have been written about the atrocities and human rights violations committed by LTTE over the last 25 years but the so called humanitarian monitors and observers never paid any attention to them but instead relied only on false propaganda disseminated by LTTE ‘s global propaganda network in preparing their reports.

The atrocities and human rights violations committed by LTTE were brought to the notice of the HRW, Amnesty International, UN Bodies and other humanitarian organizations in the world, heads of countries not once but umpteen number of times by the above mentioned groups and thro various government sources. It’s heartening to note that almost the same human rights violations committed over the years by LTTE and brought to the notice of the International Community have finally come to the light of HRW’s latest report “Trapped and Mistreated” report appearing to look like their newest findings...

Prof Rajiva Wijesinghe, Secretary General, Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process, comments in Daily News (17/12/2008) in respect of HRW’s report:

"Human Rights Watch, though it had been critical of the LTTE previously, had seemed over the last twelve months to aim for some sort of spurious balance in soft-pedalling its criticism of the LTTE whilst engaging in emotional and sometimes totally fraudulent attacks on the Sri Lankan Forces.

Now however the suffering to which the LTTE is subjecting Tamils seems to have got the better even of HRW’s ambiguities. The latest pronouncement on Sri Lanka says ‘Sri Lanka’s separatist Tamil Tigers are subjecting ethnic Tamils in their northern stronghold, the Vanni, to forced recruitment, abusive forced labour, and restrictions on movement that place their lives at risk... The LTTE has a long history of forced recruitment."

It is also pleasing to note that the latest HRW reports emphasized the latest human rights violation by LTTE on the trapped innocent Tamil civilians in the Wanni by holding them back forcibly and placing restrictions on their free movement into government-held territory. However HRW has also missed one point here that LTTE is using older men as human shield by forcibly conscripting them and prohibiting their move to safer areas under government control. Whether HRW has mentioned in their 17 page report of LTTE’s looting of essential foods, medicines and other basic material meant for the IDP’s I don’t know.

However, it’s never too late than never. HRW has finally come to learn the true nature of LTTE and its brutal human rights violations and it will be appreciated if HRW continues to report balanced view on the whole issue in future.

Civilians coming to cleared areas - Wanni Operation - 20 Dec 2008

Bruce Fein US Attorney for the terrorists, at the Bar

By Charles.S.Perera

Bruce Fein the Attorney for the LTTE terrorist Front Group called the US Tamil Group, says that he has selected Sarath Fonseka and Gotabhaya Rajapkse, one as a citizen and the other as a permanent resident alien for whom USA is responsible as moral, and legal matters, for genocide prosecution under the United State Genocide Accountability Act of 2007.

But the hitch is that the Act requires that the offense is committed in whole or in part within the United States, and if the genocide had been committed outside USA, conduct required for the offence should have occurred.

Let us first examine what is, genocide. Genocide is a word made up to mean "race killing", introduced by a Polish scholar Rafael Lemkin, who thought it inacceptable that there is no law to punish as a criminal offence, the violence aimed to obliterate a human community not because for something they have done but because of who they are in belonging to a religious community, ethnic clan, or a racial group.

Lemkin carried out a campaign to make "genocide" a punishable offence in International Law. It resulted in it being accepted by the UN General Assembly in 1948
as a Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It all began as a result of the holocaust in which millions of Jews, and Gypsies were systematically massacred in gas chamber, by the German Nazi Regime under Hitler, whose intention was to eliminate the Jewish race .

Nevertheless, it took forty years for the US Congress to ratify the UN Convention, enacting in 1988,the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987, known as the Proxmire Act, after Senator William Proxmire. The length of time taken by USA to make the enactment shows that the accusation for genocide is fraught with danger, and the holocaust was only one of its kind. And an atrocious one at that, which we wish with all our hearts will never repeat itself.

Therefore, Bruce Fein's attempt to accuse Army Commander Mr. Sarath Fonseka and Defence Secretary Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakse for genocide and bring them before an American Court of Justice is a fanciful idea put out to fool the terrorist Front Group, which has engaged him at a substantial retainer.

Just because the United States has its Genocide Accountability Act of 2007, does not mean that Attorneys like Bruce Fein could accuse any one for this offence and bring him before an American Court of Justice under the GAA.

There are certain requirements to accuse someone for genocide, which under the Act are called the conduct required for the acts to become genocide under the GAA.

There are in fact five acts constituting genocide when committed with genocidal intent. They are:

1. Killing members of a religious community, an ethnic clan or a racial group;

2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of a religious community, an ethnic clan or a racial group

3. Deliberately inflicting on members of a religious community, an ethnic clan or a racial group, conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction;

4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within members of a religious community, an ethnic clan or a racial group

5. Forcibly transferring children of members of a religious community, an ethnic clan or a racial group, to another religious community, an ethnic clan or a racial group.

The Commander of the Army Mr. Sarath Fonseka, and the Defence Secretary Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapakse, have been engaged by the President of Sri Lanka, to take military action against a group of terrorists in the North and East of the Country, who kill, maim, kidnap, torture, massacre Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala civilians, kill their opponents, and murder politician using suicide bombs, and claymore explosives , with a view to end terrorism in Sri Lanka.

The terrorist are of Tamil Origin. But they live apart from the Tamil Civilian Communities in the North using them as their resource for forced "recruitment" of children, and conscript the physically able elders , for their fighting cadre, and keep the rest as a protective shield.

The Tamil population is quite apart from the terrorists, not accepting them as their representatives, or hold voluntary allegiance to them. Therefore, in removing the terrorists from their occupied territories in military action, the Government Armed Forces are not removing the Tamil people who are the rightful citizens of Sri Lanka. The Tamil Community enjoys freedom and all the privileges common to all citizens of Sri Lanka of whatever Community.

The Tamil Community is not restricted to the North and East. Well over 50 percent of them live in the South with the Sinhala, the Muslim, and the other Communities. Therefore, there is no war or intimidation against the Tamil population for their ethnicity, religion or race.

If Bruce Fein has to indict any one on his false notion of "genocide", it has to be the President of Sri Lanka, and not the Army Commander and the Defence Secretary of the Government, because, they act on the orders of the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

If Bruce Fein dares indict the President of the Government of Sri Lanka, for "Genocide" , then he has to indict the people of Sri Lanka as a whole including those Tamils, Muslims, Sinhala and others, who voted to elect democratically the President, going on his election manifesto, where he has promised the people to put and end to three decades of terrorism.

But, that being a mere argument to show the absurdity of Bruce Fein's pretentious , " I have prepared an approximately 400+ page model indictment etc.", it has to be pointed out to him, that the length of his model indictment has nothing to do with the fact of genocide he claims fall within the GAA.

Bruce Fein is challenged to answer how military action, which had been proceeded by several attempts for peace negotiation with the world's most ruthless terrorist group, banned by 33 countries of the International Community, could be "genocide" in terms of the GAA, if this group of terrorists does not fall within the definition of the Act, as constituting genocide committed with genecidal intent, on members of a religious community, an ethnic clan or a racial group. They are terrorists and therefore, not members of a religious community, an ethnic clan, or a racial group.

Bruce Fein in making out a group of ruthless terrorist for his purposes as an " ethnic clan or a racial group" is attempting to make travesty of the law that Polish Scholar Rafael Lemkin and the U.S.Senator William Proxmire fought so hard, first to integrate into a UN Convention and, then to have it ratified as a US Legislative Act.

Al-Queida, and the Talibans are groups of terrorists moved by religious fervour. Therefore, does Bruce Fein consider, that the American war against terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan in which according to Opinion Research Business Survey in 2007, a total of 1,033,000 Iraqis alone had met with violent death, genocide under the Genocide Accountability Act ?

Bruce Fein, may perhaps have heard the quotation attributed to Abraham Lincoln, that you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time. Well if you know it, please apply it to your self.

With your 400+ page Model Indictment, you can fool your retainers the US Tamil Group, but not the honourable Justices of the United States Courts of Justice . They will see through your plea for justice for a group of terrorists, as an Attorney's brief to earn his retention fee, as the devil's advocate.

In fact tables may be turned on Bruce Fein, being accused by the US Court of Justice under US Patriotic Act against terrorism, for aiding and abetting a terrorist group in Sri Lankan which has been banned in USA, by taking a brief from the terrorist proxy US Tamil Group , and for false accusation with a view to hinder the execution of its lawful duties of providing defence and security , and to bring disrepute to a Sovereign State for its just war against terrorism.

It is not worth even writing to meet Bruce Fein's arguments, stuffed with incoherent reference to Mahavamasa, Buddhism and Dharmapala, which may have come strait from Narapalasinghams rigmaroles dished out to pro terrorist websites.

Fein's Model Indictment may have been good material for Molière, who was a French playwright considered as one of the greatest masters of comedy, to write a play such as Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur, (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), L'Avare ou l'École du mensonge (The Miser or the School of falsehood), or Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The Middle Class Gentleman). It would be a great success on a French stage.

Other than that there seems to be no great interest in Fein's Model Indictment of 400+ pages. Meeting him for a debate will only be giving credence to a lopsided brief of an Attorney, which is best left to whither on the imaginary branch where it began to grow.

Navy shatters LTTE logistics vessel off Mullaitivu - 20 Dec 2008

Sunanda Deshapriya resigns from the CPA amid financial fraud allegations