Two key Tamil Tiger officials surrendered Wednesday as Sri Lankan troops pressed a final offensive against the rebels despite an international outcry over the fate of trapped civilians.
Among the top rebels who turned themselves in was the Tigers' main mouthpiece to the outside world, their chief spokesman Velayudam Dayanidi, better known as Daya Master.
Another official, who was an aide to the late head of the Tigers' political wing, S.P. Thamilselvan, also surrendered.
The government's defence spokesman said more than 80,000 people had fled the shrinking patch of territory still controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), saying troops were "rescuing" and not harming civilians caught up in the war.
"Our operations to rescue civilians is continuing," Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters, describing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a spent force with just 12 square kilometres (five square miles) of land left.
"The LTTE has lost all its military capabilities. They are fighting a losing battle," he said, adding the government also "strongly believes" that Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, 54, was still in the area.
The defence ministry gave Prabhakaran and his fighters until Tuesday to surrender, but the rebels ignored the deadline and have continued to fight.
The LTTE, who have been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland since 1972, has acknowledged losing ground. But the group has accused the government of killing 1,000 civilians in recent days.
The military insists it has aided the escape of 81,420 men, women and children this week. It said those fleeing were fired on by the rebels, who are alleged to have kept villagers to use as human shields.
The rival claims are hard to verify as independent reporters are not allowed near the conflict zone, but aid agencies have painted a grim picture.
"The situation is nothing short of catastrophic," said Pierre Kraehenbuehl, operations director for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"What we are seeing is intense fighting in a very small area overcrowded with civilians who have fled there," he said.
He estimated there could be tens of thousands more people still inside rebel-held territory, while facilities for those who had reached relative safety were overstretched.
The United States and other nations have urged both Sri Lankan troops and Tiger rebels not to fire indiscriminately, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked that UN staff be allowed to enter the area for relief operations.
"The casualties are certainly in the thousands and have been fairly consistently high running throughout the last couple of months, as the patch of (LTTE) territory has narrowed and really diminished," said Gordon Weiss, the UN spokesman in Colombo.
The apparent endgame in Sri Lanka has triggered protests around the world, with up to 30,000 Tamil demonstrators clogging the Canadian capital Ottawa to press for mediation.
Similar rallies have been held in London and Paris.
The LTTE were once considered as one of the world's most efficient guerrilla outfits, lording over a third of Sri Lanka's territory and running a de facto mini-state.
A Norwegian-brokered truce between the government and the rebels began falling apart in December 2005, and fighting since then has seen the progressive collapse of the rebel army.
Last month the UN's human rights chief said both sides in the conflict may be guilty of war crimes.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
'Nearly 100 terrorists sneak into Jammu and Kashmir'
Nearly 100 militants belonging to Lashker-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen have managed to slip into Jammu and Kashmir in recent weeks, after which the authorities beefed up security around key installations in the state.
The Line of Control in Kupwara and Baramulla along North Kashmir and along Rajouri in Jammu region had witnessed over a dozen infiltration bids in the past three weeks.
Official sources said despite engaging terrorists at various places, nearly 80 ultras managed to enter through Shamasbari range into Bandipore area in North Kashmir and hills of Rajouri in Jammu division.
The number of nearly 100 was arrived after various teams ascertained the number of infiltrations that have taken place since March 20 in Gurez, Tangdhar and Kupwara belts of North Kashmir and Rajouri, the sources said, adding, security around important places had been beefed up.
One of the terrorists belonging to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) was picked up and questioned by a multi-agency team to understand the new strategy of Pakistan's ISI and other terror groups located in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), the sources said, adding, the arrested terrorist hails from North West Frontier Province of Pakistan(NWFP).
The Army has come in for criticism and was given evidence of infiltration, the sources said.
The Line of Control in Kupwara and Baramulla along North Kashmir and along Rajouri in Jammu region had witnessed over a dozen infiltration bids in the past three weeks.
Official sources said despite engaging terrorists at various places, nearly 80 ultras managed to enter through Shamasbari range into Bandipore area in North Kashmir and hills of Rajouri in Jammu division.
The number of nearly 100 was arrived after various teams ascertained the number of infiltrations that have taken place since March 20 in Gurez, Tangdhar and Kupwara belts of North Kashmir and Rajouri, the sources said, adding, security around important places had been beefed up.
One of the terrorists belonging to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) was picked up and questioned by a multi-agency team to understand the new strategy of Pakistan's ISI and other terror groups located in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), the sources said, adding, the arrested terrorist hails from North West Frontier Province of Pakistan(NWFP).
The Army has come in for criticism and was given evidence of infiltration, the sources said.
Acupuncture eases radiation-induced dry mouth in cancer patients
Acupuncture twice a week relieves debilitating symptoms of xerostomia or severe dry mouth among patients treated with radiation for head and neck cancer.
Xerostomia develops after the salivary glands have been exposed to repeated doses of therapeutic radiation.
People who have cancers of the head and neck typically receive large cumulative doses, rendering salivary glands incapable of producing adequate saliva, said Mark S. Chambers, professor of dental oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre of the University of Texas.
"Symptoms can include altered taste acuity, dental decay, infections of the tissues of the mouth, and difficulty with speaking, eating and swallowing. Conventional treatments have been less than optimal, providing short-term response at best," said Chambers, the study's senior author.
Saliva substitutes, lozenges and chewing gum bring only temporary relief, and the commonly prescribed medication, pilocarpine, has short-lived benefits and bothersome side effects of its own.
M. Kay Garcia, clinical nurse specialist and acupuncturist in MD Anderson's Integrative Medicine Program and the study's first author, noted that patients with xerostomia may also develop nutritional deficits that can become irreversible.
Garcia, Chambers and their team of researchers conducted a pilot study to determine whether acupuncture could reverse xerostomia.
Acupuncture therapy is based on the ancient Chinese practice of inserting and manipulating very thin needles at precise points on the body to relieve pain or otherwise restore health, said a University of Texas release.
The study included 19 patients with xerostomia who had completed radiation therapy at least four weeks earlier. The patients were given two acupuncture treatments each week for four weeks. They produced highly statistically significant improvements in symptoms.
These findings were published in the current online issue of Head & Neck.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xerostomia develops after the salivary glands have been exposed to repeated doses of therapeutic radiation.
People who have cancers of the head and neck typically receive large cumulative doses, rendering salivary glands incapable of producing adequate saliva, said Mark S. Chambers, professor of dental oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre of the University of Texas.
"Symptoms can include altered taste acuity, dental decay, infections of the tissues of the mouth, and difficulty with speaking, eating and swallowing. Conventional treatments have been less than optimal, providing short-term response at best," said Chambers, the study's senior author.
Saliva substitutes, lozenges and chewing gum bring only temporary relief, and the commonly prescribed medication, pilocarpine, has short-lived benefits and bothersome side effects of its own.
M. Kay Garcia, clinical nurse specialist and acupuncturist in MD Anderson's Integrative Medicine Program and the study's first author, noted that patients with xerostomia may also develop nutritional deficits that can become irreversible.
Garcia, Chambers and their team of researchers conducted a pilot study to determine whether acupuncture could reverse xerostomia.
Acupuncture therapy is based on the ancient Chinese practice of inserting and manipulating very thin needles at precise points on the body to relieve pain or otherwise restore health, said a University of Texas release.
The study included 19 patients with xerostomia who had completed radiation therapy at least four weeks earlier. The patients were given two acupuncture treatments each week for four weeks. They produced highly statistically significant improvements in symptoms.
These findings were published in the current online issue of Head & Neck.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obama to invite Middle East leaders to White House
US President Barack Obama will invite the Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian leaders to the White House in the coming weeks for separate talks on moving forward with the Middle East peace process, the White House said on Tuesday.
Spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president was issuing the invitations in hopes of building on talks he held earlier in the day with Jordan's King Abdullah II, a steadfast Arab ally in the Middle East, which has made peace with Israel, as has Egypt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will be asked to sit down with the president in the coming weeks, Mr. Gibbs said. No dates were set. Abbas runs the Palestinian controlled West Bank, but faces a strong challenge for overall authority from the increasingly powerful and militant Hamas faction that runs the Gaza Strip and is relentless in calling for the destruction of Israel.
After meeting the Jordanian monarch, Mr. Obama said he expected Israelis and Palestinians to make "gestures of good faith" within months to revive the languishing Mideast peace process.
Spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president was issuing the invitations in hopes of building on talks he held earlier in the day with Jordan's King Abdullah II, a steadfast Arab ally in the Middle East, which has made peace with Israel, as has Egypt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will be asked to sit down with the president in the coming weeks, Mr. Gibbs said. No dates were set. Abbas runs the Palestinian controlled West Bank, but faces a strong challenge for overall authority from the increasingly powerful and militant Hamas faction that runs the Gaza Strip and is relentless in calling for the destruction of Israel.
After meeting the Jordanian monarch, Mr. Obama said he expected Israelis and Palestinians to make "gestures of good faith" within months to revive the languishing Mideast peace process.
Brother Osama welcome in Swat: Taliban
Pakistan was trying to end bloodshed when it let the idyllic Swat Valley fall under Islamic law last week. Instead, it has emboldened the Taliban and prompted an invitation — however improbable — for Osama bin Laden.
The local spokesman for the Taliban, which control the valley, said he'd welcome militants bent on battling US troops and their Arab allies if they want to settle there.
“Osama can come here. Sure, like a brother they can stay anywhere they want,” Muslim Khan said in an interview, his first with a foreign journalist since Islamic law was imposed. “Yes, we will help them and protect them.”
Khan spoke in halting English he learned during four years painting houses in the US before returning to Swat in 2002. He averted his eyes as he spoke to a female journalist, in line with his strict understanding of Islam.
Pakistan reacted with alarm to his comments, saying it would never let him shelter the likes of bin Laden.
“We would have to go for the military operation. We would have to apply force again," said Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira. “We simply condemn this. We are fighting this war against al-Qaida and the Taliban.”
But it is far from clear that the government has the means to do much of anything in the Swat Valley. It agreed to Islamic law in the region — drawing international condemnation — after trying and failing to defeat the Taliban in fighting marked by brutal beheadings that killed more than 850 people over two years.
“We lost the war. We negotiated from a position of weakness,” said Afrasiab Khattak, a leader of the Awami National Party,
which governs the province that includes Swat. He said the region's police force is too underpaid, undertrained and underequipped to take on the militants.
On Friday, Taliban fighters in pickup trucks with black flags rumbled through the rutted streets of the valley's main city of Mingora, demanding over loudspeakers that shops shutter their windows and prepare for prayers.
In the city center, a district police station lay in ruins, destroyed by a suicide bomber. The only music blaring praised the Taliban and extolled the young to fight holy war.
Aftab Alam, president of the district court lawyers,whispered: “They are more than beasts. Our government is impotent, stupid and corrupt. We are helpless (facing) this militancy,” he said, calling the Taliban “barbaric” and “illiterate.”
The local spokesman for the Taliban, which control the valley, said he'd welcome militants bent on battling US troops and their Arab allies if they want to settle there.
“Osama can come here. Sure, like a brother they can stay anywhere they want,” Muslim Khan said in an interview, his first with a foreign journalist since Islamic law was imposed. “Yes, we will help them and protect them.”
Khan spoke in halting English he learned during four years painting houses in the US before returning to Swat in 2002. He averted his eyes as he spoke to a female journalist, in line with his strict understanding of Islam.
Pakistan reacted with alarm to his comments, saying it would never let him shelter the likes of bin Laden.
“We would have to go for the military operation. We would have to apply force again," said Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira. “We simply condemn this. We are fighting this war against al-Qaida and the Taliban.”
But it is far from clear that the government has the means to do much of anything in the Swat Valley. It agreed to Islamic law in the region — drawing international condemnation — after trying and failing to defeat the Taliban in fighting marked by brutal beheadings that killed more than 850 people over two years.
“We lost the war. We negotiated from a position of weakness,” said Afrasiab Khattak, a leader of the Awami National Party,
which governs the province that includes Swat. He said the region's police force is too underpaid, undertrained and underequipped to take on the militants.
On Friday, Taliban fighters in pickup trucks with black flags rumbled through the rutted streets of the valley's main city of Mingora, demanding over loudspeakers that shops shutter their windows and prepare for prayers.
In the city center, a district police station lay in ruins, destroyed by a suicide bomber. The only music blaring praised the Taliban and extolled the young to fight holy war.
Aftab Alam, president of the district court lawyers,whispered: “They are more than beasts. Our government is impotent, stupid and corrupt. We are helpless (facing) this militancy,” he said, calling the Taliban “barbaric” and “illiterate.”
Poll star divides astrologers over violence, winners and losers
Even the stars are split wide open. If pollsters predict no clear majority in the Lok Sabha polls, astrologers are no different. If one soothsayer foresees an eruption of violence during the polls, another thinks to the contrary.
Militancy could rock the country between April 22 and June 22, says 86-year-old astrologer Lachhman Das Madan. But Ashutosh Ojha (66) has the opposite take: “there may be isolated incidents, but no major threat”.
Both psephologists and astrologers are offering more analysis than prediction.
“We are in the midst of the most vulgar show of piety, lies, bluffs, false assurances, mean opportunism,” says K.N. Rao (78) on his site. The prediction: “UPA will form the government with regional parties or the Third Front will triumph with Congress support.”
Madan predicts the NDA will form the government. “In BJP’s horoscope, Venus is helping the party,” he says. Ojha gives the NDA 222 seats, Congress 140 and BSP 23.
Ajai Bhambi (57) foresees a hung verdict. “Advani or Manmohan may not be PM, Sonia will get a jolt. Maya will create fear for others.”
Madan and Bhambi say Sharad Pawar will emerge stronger. No consensus! The stars hide more than they tell.
Militancy could rock the country between April 22 and June 22, says 86-year-old astrologer Lachhman Das Madan. But Ashutosh Ojha (66) has the opposite take: “there may be isolated incidents, but no major threat”.
Both psephologists and astrologers are offering more analysis than prediction.
“We are in the midst of the most vulgar show of piety, lies, bluffs, false assurances, mean opportunism,” says K.N. Rao (78) on his site. The prediction: “UPA will form the government with regional parties or the Third Front will triumph with Congress support.”
Madan predicts the NDA will form the government. “In BJP’s horoscope, Venus is helping the party,” he says. Ojha gives the NDA 222 seats, Congress 140 and BSP 23.
Ajai Bhambi (57) foresees a hung verdict. “Advani or Manmohan may not be PM, Sonia will get a jolt. Maya will create fear for others.”
Madan and Bhambi say Sharad Pawar will emerge stronger. No consensus! The stars hide more than they tell.
Prabhakaran takes charge of Tamil Tigers’ last stand
The SRI Lankan army (SLA) continued to push into the LTTE-dominated “no fire zone” (NFZ) on Tuesday as Tamil militants vowed never to surrender and held Colombo responsible for civilian casualties.
By evening, more than 62,000 civilians had crossed over to government-controlled areas. Television footage showed emaciated and tired men, women and children walking towards military-controlled areas with little or no belongings.
At noon on Tuesday, the 24-hour deadline given by the government to the LTTE to surrender expired without the Tamil Tigers showing any signs of responding.
Within hours of the deadline expiring, the LTTE leader S. Pulveedan told Reuters, “LTTE will never surrender and we will fight and we have the confidence that we will win with the help of the Tamil people.”
“He (Prabhakaran) is with us and he is directing the war against the Sri Lankan armed forces and providing a lot of support and assistance to the people,’’ Puleedevan said.
“The LTTE has not responded to the government’s call to surrender, so we will continue our offensive to rescue the civilians,’’ military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told reporters.
LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran was inside the NFZ, a top Tiger leader was quoted as saying. The rebels continued to put stiff resistance from the NFZ with skirmishes reported from across its 12 km-long border.
A Sri Lankan official, meanwhile, said that Colombo was preparing to send a special envoy to New Delhi to address India’s demand that Sri Lanka halt military operations.
In a second media statement, Puleedevan claimed that SLA troops were using civilians who were sandwiched between the army and the LTTE as “human shields.”
The LTTE further alleged that more than 1,000 civilians have been killed and at least 2,300 were wounded since Monday.
Amid rapid internal developments, Colombo continued to resist international appeals for a ceasefire with President Mahinda Rajapaksa snubbing British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
“The request by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for a pause in military action was deemed as unnecessary by President Mahinda Rajapaksa considering the unexpected exodus of 35,000 civilians to the cleared areas from the NFZ,’’ a statement from the Presidential secretariat said.
According to the UN, the figure of civilians in the NFZ would be more than 60,000.
The US on Tuesday expressed its deep concern over humanitarian situation in the conflict zone. Aid agencies like the International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC) issued a warning.
“The ICRC is extremely worried about tens of thousands of civilians who are trapped in the rapidly shrinking NFZ,” it said.
By evening, more than 62,000 civilians had crossed over to government-controlled areas. Television footage showed emaciated and tired men, women and children walking towards military-controlled areas with little or no belongings.
At noon on Tuesday, the 24-hour deadline given by the government to the LTTE to surrender expired without the Tamil Tigers showing any signs of responding.
Within hours of the deadline expiring, the LTTE leader S. Pulveedan told Reuters, “LTTE will never surrender and we will fight and we have the confidence that we will win with the help of the Tamil people.”
“He (Prabhakaran) is with us and he is directing the war against the Sri Lankan armed forces and providing a lot of support and assistance to the people,’’ Puleedevan said.
“The LTTE has not responded to the government’s call to surrender, so we will continue our offensive to rescue the civilians,’’ military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told reporters.
LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran was inside the NFZ, a top Tiger leader was quoted as saying. The rebels continued to put stiff resistance from the NFZ with skirmishes reported from across its 12 km-long border.
A Sri Lankan official, meanwhile, said that Colombo was preparing to send a special envoy to New Delhi to address India’s demand that Sri Lanka halt military operations.
In a second media statement, Puleedevan claimed that SLA troops were using civilians who were sandwiched between the army and the LTTE as “human shields.”
The LTTE further alleged that more than 1,000 civilians have been killed and at least 2,300 were wounded since Monday.
Amid rapid internal developments, Colombo continued to resist international appeals for a ceasefire with President Mahinda Rajapaksa snubbing British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
“The request by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for a pause in military action was deemed as unnecessary by President Mahinda Rajapaksa considering the unexpected exodus of 35,000 civilians to the cleared areas from the NFZ,’’ a statement from the Presidential secretariat said.
According to the UN, the figure of civilians in the NFZ would be more than 60,000.
The US on Tuesday expressed its deep concern over humanitarian situation in the conflict zone. Aid agencies like the International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC) issued a warning.
“The ICRC is extremely worried about tens of thousands of civilians who are trapped in the rapidly shrinking NFZ,” it said.
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