THE FBI of USA says:
Perfected the use of suicide bombers;
Invented the suicide belt;
Murdered some 4,000 people in the past two years alone; and
Assassinated two world leaders—the only terrorist organisation to do so.
No, it’s not al Qaeda or Hezbollah or even HAMAS. The group is called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or the Tamil Tigers for short.
Needless to say, the Tamil Tigers are among the most dangerous and deadly extremists in the world. For more than three decades, the group has launched a campaign of violence and bloodshed in Sri Lanka, the island republic off the southern coast of India.
Its ultimate goal: To seize control of the country from the Sinhalese ethnic majority and create an independent Tamil state. Along the way, it has launched suicide attacks, assassinated politicians (including a government minister this week and even the Sri Lankan President), taken hostages and committed all of kinds of crimes to finance its operations. The resulting civil war has taken the lives of nearly 70,000 Sri Lankans on both sides of the conflict since 1983 alone.
Why should you care? Certainly because of the suffering and bloodshed that the Tamil Tigers have caused. And because its ruthless tactics have inspired terrorist networks worldwide, including al Qaeda in Iraq. But also because the group has placed operatives right here in our own backyard, discreetly raising money to fund its bloody terrorist campaign overseas, including purchases of weapons and explosives.
The US government has designated the Tigers a foreign terrorist organisation, so their activities here are illegal. And we’re determined to stop them, using the full range of our investigative and intelligence capabilities."
The LTTE was founded in 1976 and uses illegal methods to raise money, acquire weapons and technology, and publicise its cause of establishing an independent Tamil state in northern Sri Lanka. The LTTE began its armed conflict against the Sri Lankan government in 1983, and utilises a guerrilla strategy that often includes acts of terrorism. With an army of several thousand combatants, the LTTE has, until recently, controlled most of the northern and eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka. Over the past 17 years, the LTTE has conducted approximately 200 suicide bombings, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of victims and carried out numerous political assassinations, including the May 1991 assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the 1993 assassination of the President of Sri Lanka, Ranasinghe Premadasa, the July 1999 assassination of Neelan Thiruchelvam, a member of the Sri Lankan parliament, the June 2000 assassination of C.V. Goonaratne, the Sri Lankan Industry Minister, the August 2006 assassination of the Sri Lankan government’s peace secretariat, Ketheshwaran Loganathan, the January 2008 assassination of Sri Lankan Minister for Nation Building, DM Dassanayake and the April 2008 assassination of Sri Lankan Highways Minister, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. Beginning in 2002, the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government operated under a tenuous cease-fire agreement but that agreement has essentially ended and since April 2006, thousands of people have been killed in the escalating conflict, including over 300 civilians.
In 1997, the LTTE was designated by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and therefore may not legally raise money or procure equipment or materials in the United States.
The LTTE relies on sympathetic Tamil expatriates residing in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France and several other countries to raise and launder money; smuggle arms, explosives, equipment and technology into LTTE-controlled territory; obtain intelligence about the Sri Lankan government and spread propaganda. To coordinate these activities, the LTTE has established 'branches' in at least 12 countries, including the United States.
LTTE's Military Capability
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam generally do not publicly release the strength and capability of their army. However, based on information that has been released by the LTTE, the breakaway Karuna para-military group, and the government of Sri Lanka the strength of the LTTE can be estimated as follows. tamiltigers.net has done extensive research to gather information based on Eelam War I, Eelam War II, Eelam War III and Eelam War IV.
By far the largest percentage of the LTTE weaponry has come from international procurement on the arms black market. The LTTE has eleven freighters, which procure weapons and supplies for the organisation. Arms are purchased from arms dealers from Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and the Ukraine. The LTTE still purchases from traditional small arms dealers in Cyprus, Hong Kong, Lebanon and Singapore.
The rest of the weaponry came from the Sri Lankan government. These are weapons that were captured from the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The LTTE still has some of the older weapons that were provided to the organisation by India during when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister.
The LTTE infantry consists of approximately 8,700 military cadres. It also has a force of 15,000 non-combatant and auxiliary cadres called the Eelapadai Civilian Militia. The main force of 8,700 military cadres consist of 4,500 Regular Infantry. This includes the Air Tigers and Eelam Police and Military Administrators. 2,000 Elite Infantry consisting of the Victor Anti-Armour Regiment, Charles Anthony Brigade and Leopard Commandos. 2,000 Sea Tigers and 200 Black Tigers. The Black Tigers are members of infantry units or navy units who have volunteered for suicide missions. They serve as members of their regular units until called upon.
Infantry
15,000 Eelapadai Civilian Militia Non-combatants / Auxiliaries
4,500 Regular Infantry Including Air Tigers, Police, Administration
2,000 Elite Infantry Victor Anti-armour Regiment, Charles Anthony Brigade, Leopard Commandos
2,000 Sea Tigers Naval Unit
Most members of the LTTE are Sri Lankan Tamils. There is however some members of the LTTE who are not Sri Lankan Tamils. There are 200 Indian Tamils, 100 South African Tamils and 50 Sinhalese. Most of them are incorporated into the regular infantry of the LTTE. However some of the Sinhalese members of the LTTE are in artillery, and espionage operations. Though from varying nationalities, these soldiers are deployed in Sri Lanka. The LTTE deploys less than 10 cadres outside the island, mostly in India and Thailand, for the procurement of weapons and supplies.
LTTE Army Equipment
9 T-55 Main Battle Tank Includes 1 Radar-Guided Unit
18 Armored Personnel Carrier / Infantry Fighting Vehicle Light Includes BMP, Unicorn Mk.VI, Buffel Units
12 Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher Mostly 107mm Katyusha Units, Possibly 1 127mm Unit)
8 Bulldozer Some Modified into AFV's
50 Truck/Bus
3 152mm Artillery
3 130/133mm Artillery
10 122mm Artillery
1 85mm Artillery
19 120mm Mortar
31 81mm Mortar Includes Self-propelled Units
62 60mm Mortar
94 40mm Grenade Launcher
6 50mm Cannon
1 25mm Cannon
2 23mm Cannon
2 Flame Thrower
100 Night Vision Goggle
300 High-Frequency Radio Transmitter
600 Walkie-Talkie
434 RPG Launcher
15,000 Assault Rifle
9,000 Hand Grenade
10,000 Land-Mine
8,000 152mm Artillery Shell
5,000 LTTE Battle Fatigue Uniform
The LTTE is currently believed to have the capacity to manufacture at least four types of maritime attack craft-all of which have been built from war-related equipment purchased in the West and Asia.
Sea Tigers Equipment
1 Midget-Sub Unconventional Indigenous Design/Construction with Sonar
11 Naval Freighter Most Equipped with Latest Radar and Inmarsat Communication Technology
3 Dvora FAC
4 High-Speed Water Jet FAC
6 Mirage Class Boat
8 Stealth Boat 2-Seater
500 Fibreglass Boat
50 Frogman Kit
5 Air Compressor
5 Underwater Scooter
2 Human Torpedo Unit Indigenous Design with Independent Propulsion
Models of Sea Tigers Crafts
Muraj A 10 crew, 45 knot, petrol engine vessel equipped with 3 machine guns (2 x 23mm) and used for attacks against naval craft and for landing. Possibly equipped with as many as 4 outboard motors (unverified reports). Surface search radars are being standardized on some "blue water" versions. Also equipped with portable SAM unit. Said to be large (enough cargo capacity to carry ~12 petrol barrels). It is also faster than the Israeli Super Dvora Mk.II boats (though much less sophisticated in terms of range/electronics) of the same class employed by the Sri Lankan Navy. Prompting the latter to purchase missile armed warships.
Thrikka A 4 crew, 45 knot, petrol engine vessel equipped with 1 machine gun and normally used by frogmen for debussing.
Sudai A 6 crew, 10 knot, petrol engine vessel equipped with 1 machine gun and used for attacks against naval craft.
Idayan A 2 crew, 45 knot fast attack vessel that can also be converted for suicide operations. With 200 horsepower outboard engines.
Unknown Name A 2 crew stealth boat resembling a stealth fighter, possibly armour plated, light-weight and capable of travelling at approximately 35 knots. First seen in LTTE video footage. Used effectively in Trincomalee harbour attack in late 2000.
LTTE Air Force Equipment
2 Helicopter R44 Astro/Clipper Model and Possibly Bell 212/414
1 Mini-Helicopter
2 Light Plane Includes 1 Single-Seater Sports Plane
5 Microlight French Commercial Design
2 Ultralight Invisible to Radar
8 AA Machine Gun
4 SA-7 SAM
2 SA-14 SAM
4 Stinger SAM
Miscellaneous Equipment
LTTE equipment/capabilities that cannot be accurately tallied:
Night Vision Equipment
Satellite Communication Equipment
Mobile Road-Building Equipment
Anti-Tank Wire Guided Missile Launchers
Bangalore Torpedoes for Mine-Field Clearing
Surface-Search Coastal Radar Facilit(ies)
Underwater Decompression Unit(s)
Indigenously Developed Cypher-Code for Communications
Dedicated Tow-Vehicles Including "Iron-Horses"for Heavy Artillery Pieces and most 120mm Field Guns
At Least 1 Midget-Submarine (2 have been destroyed, another one was captured half-complete, capable of holding 2-3 people for mine-laying, underwater sabotage, commando raids) of "indigenous" design
Large Multi-Purpose Speedboats (both outboard & water jet propulsion) some with Sonars, GPS, Radars, Cannons
Range Rovers
Long-Range (Trans-Oceanic) Sea Lift Capability (All Sea-Lift Transports are escorted by Fast Attack Crafts)
Some Frontline Units, since mid-2000, have been seen with Bullet-Proof Vests.
GPS Receivers/Navigational Aids integrated into Tactics
Karl Gustav 84mm Rocket Launchers
Indigenous Short Range Missiles: The Pasilan 2000, a sophisticated weapon that is capable of carrying a 25kg gelignite warhead over a distance of 1km
From the above, it is clear that LTTE indeed is one of the most deadly terrorist organisation.
The organisation is banned in India, USA and thirty other countries. However, the Tamil Nadu based parties like DMK, MDMK, PMK, AIADMK, etc. have their sympathies with this deadly organisation perhaps because these parties want to woo Tamil voters.
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