Solheim's Ceasefire Agreement blown up by a Tamil suicide

LTTE claims, it has taken its eastern commanders to Wanni and returned back to the East [b]undetected[/b] using sea tigers.

Looks like LTTE has mastered the teleport travel which was only a fiction in star trek movie until now.

Imagine the combination of teleport travel and the suicide bombing can inflict max. damage on the [b]enemy.[/b]

Rosh wrote:

[quote]You are smart enough to realise that this is essentially just one part of the story, and I am itching to learn the results/outcome of all these involvement! Perhaps a comparison of the figures of your weapon sales vs no of involvement.[/quote]

If you expect me to research and compose a lengthy treatise on this topic, I must disappoint you. I don't have neither the time nor the interest for that. Why don't you do it yourself, since you are so keen on making this sort of allegation, and obviously seem to think you know what you are talking about?

However, I have looked up the figures for Norwegian arms export. Surprise, surprise (not!) it was not true that, as claimed by someone here, Norway is the world's fifth largest weapons exporter. It ranked as the 21st biggest exporter of major conventional weapons in 2004, and a substantial portion of this was deliveries to the manufacture of frigates for the Norwegian navy in Spain.

The vast majority of Norwegian exports of military equipment goes to NATO members of or other Nordic countries. This is especially true for so-called Category A equipment, defined as actual weapons plus "material that may significantly affect the military balance in the region [of the recipient country]". This category includes anti-tank missiles; rifles; explosives; and ammunition.

In 2004, by proportion of export value, 84 per cent of Category A material went to NATO members; 15 per cent went to non-NATO Europe, Australia and New Zealand; and only one per cent of total export value was destined for all other countries (which were located in Asia, Africa, and Latin America). Most of all other equipment also goes to NATO and Nordic countries, and there is a long list of countries to which applications for export licences have been refused even for such: Algeria, Belize, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Moldova, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan and Turkmenistan.

These are official data from the Stortingsmelding (annual report to Parliament) on Norwegian arms export, 2005.

I hope you can see that the hypothesis that Norwegian peace efforts are connected to arms trade is not exactly very strong, to put it mildly.

[quote]Does these so call "humanitarian idealism" include selling of Passports to criminals and known terrorists outfits? Or are you going to simply rubbish these claims also (the easy way out?) and by the way I need your opinion on the reports that your Foreign Ministry deliberately hiding the previous serious claim of the PP issue![/quote]

I have briefly looked into this and what transpires is that a Norwegian police officer stole nine blank "emergency passports" from his employer and sold these to a criminal immigrant from Sri Lanka (of whatever ethnicity), who used them for human trafficking to Norway. Apparently the policeman owed money to the Sri Lankan due to gambling. The latter has been sentenced to two years and nine points for human trafficking and the former has been fired and indicted for theft and organized crime.

Here is a source in Norwegian:

[url]http://pub.tv2.no/nettavisen/innenriks/article490418.ece[/url]

There is nothing to indicate any official involvement here, nor a cover-up as you allege; but if you disagree then please provide credible sources.

[quote]Since these reports are published on international media and since it is about your country, I leave it for you to investigate the correctness of these reports. (I sincerely hope it's just a story!)[/quote]

I have done all the investigating I have time for today (actually more). Since you are the one who is interested in these accusations, why don't you do it yourself?

[quote]Perhaps you could shed some light here, care to explain (a) Whether the LTTE delegation was welcome on a RED Carpet? (b) What they did during there stay in your country?[/quote]

I don't know if they were welcomed on a red carpet. If they were, it was almost certainly in order to preserve equal treatment among the parties, given that GOSL representatives would also receive such welcome. As to what they did in the country, they had talks in the Foreign Ministry. If you wish to claim that something illegitimate went on, kindly provide some credible sources from Norwegian or international media.

[quote]And lastly, I need to question what bloody right Norway has to entertain and give official welcome to a ruthless terrorist group who has been proscribed by many countries in the world (superpowers included)?[/quote]

First, Norway as a sovereign state has the "bloody right" to welcome whomever it likes. Second, the reason why it exercizes this right with respect to the LTTE is [i]because it has been asked by the GOSL to serve as a go-between with said organization. [/i] Although it isn't rocket science, it seems to be very hard for some people to comprehend that Norway can't carry out that function and at the same time boycott the LTTE. It's either one or the other.

Much as I pity Sri Lanka, I increasingly regret that my country agreed to try and help your troubled island. So you and I agree that you people should be left to deal with your own mess, though we probably disagree about why.

[quote]Good day pal![/quote]

I am not your "pal," sir.

If you have other questions/accusations, please direct these to the Norwegian embassy in Colombo, which has staff that, unlike me, is paid to answer them.

Dear My Otrwas

You wrote,

[img]Write me please,with whom as a "facilitator" would be the majority
of SriLankans comfortable? I am not sure you know.
It seems the time is running out,so there is not a lot of chances
to find a better one; only with accusations is nothing done. [/img]

At this juncture, I don't think any SriLankan would feel comfortable with any one, there is a nice proverb in my country that " the person who got beaten by a torch of fire is even afraid of a bug who reminiscing light" that's the scope of the damage the Norwegians have inflicted on Srilankans’ mind by way of their siding with LTTE quite openly!

[img]There is no all out war and I hope it will not come.
I fear but,you understimate Tamil tigers.
Since last Sunday they transport troops from North to East and East to North and I am very surprise- SriLankan Navy seems not be able
to intercept them. I hope I am wrong.[/img]

Are you reading Tamilnet ?

I am sure I am more qualified to estimate Tigers than you are, did you stop to wonder how these terrorists became so powerful and have the ways and means of inflicting heavy damages in a lawful country? The simple answer would be..with the help of great race of westerners!

First they arm, fund and support terrorists and then they want to facilitate! What a joke!

Mr Anonymouse

Well dear friend, being a great optimist I am, I cannot salute your laid-backness on human/inhuman history of the world! You got to know there are still human beings out there who wish things could have been different and want things to be different!!

Mr Norwegian,

[img]If you want a serious discussion, allow me to suggest dropping the puns on my country's name. Would you be interested in talking to someone who repeatedly called your nation "Silly Lanka", say? [/img]

Well, Sorry to have hurt your feelings, please take it as a reflection/effect of your country's bias policies and conduct on Srilankan conflict! How ever much you try to argue or justify theses actions, you must not forget that majority of my countrymen feels and think like me and it is up to your government to address this issue and explain the correct situation. I am sure no government with all the said positive intends will want to see their efforts are paid back in this manner!

May be there is something seriously wrong here! May be we are actually "Silly Lankans" not to have done anything about this so far?

[img]Presumably it was selected because of its lack of direct interests on Sri Lanka, but even more due to broad experience with such undertakings in the following locations among others:[/img]

You are smart enough to realise that this is essentially just one part of the story, and I am itching to learn the results/outcome of all these involvement! Perhaps a comparison of the figures of your weapon sales vs no of involvement.

[img]As to why Norway has been willing to mediate in all these conflicts, the answer is a mix of genuine humanitarian idealism (yes, there is such a thing) and the good will it affords in the international community[/img].

Does these so call "humanitarian idealism" include selling of Passports to criminals and known terrorists outfits? Or are you going to simply rubbish these claims also (the easy way out?) and by the way I need your opinion on the reports that your Foreign Ministry deliberately hiding the previous serious claim of the PP issue!

[img]That said, Norway is certainly not selling arms to the LTTE through third parties. I would like to see your evidence for this accusation. I've noticed that few people around this forum are in the habit of backing up their sometimes wild claims with credible sources.[/img]

Since these reports are published on international media and since it is about your country, I leave it for you to investigate the correctness of these reports. (I sincerely hope it's just a story!)

[img]I include in this category your unsupported allegation that Norway is working for the Tigers, and that, as you claim in another post (as usual without sourcing) showed them around an arms factory in Oslo. [/img]

Perhaps you could shed some light here, care to explain (a) Whether the LTTE delegation was welcome on a RED Carpet? (b) What they did during there stay in your country?

And lastly, I need to question what bloody right Norway has to entertain and give official welcome to a ruthless terrorist group who has been proscribed by many countries in the world (superpowers included)?

May be Norway knows something that we do not know of LTTE?

Good day pal!

[quote]Since you seems to be well versed on the topic of SriLanka and it's internal conflict (I always wonder why? The reason for a person like you who is from the other corner of the globe, has got such an interest in my country, which is not even visibale on the map!) I wish you would give your expert comments on the following qusetions,
[/quote]

Truth to tell I have no great or particular interest in Sri Lanka, nor do I profess to know a lot about it. Such interest as I have is mainly due to the sporadic coverage in our media, itself due to the Norwegian peace efforts.

[quote]- Why is it No-Way so much interested in involving itself in SL issues?[/quote]

If you want a serious discussion, allow me to suggest dropping the puns on my country's name. Would you be interested in talking to someone who repeatedly called your nation "Silly Lanka", say?

As to your question, Norway was approached by representatives of the Sri Lankan government and asked to help facilitate negotiations with the LTTE as a third party.

Presumably it was selected because of its lack of direct interests on Sri Lanka, but even more due to broad experience with such undertakings in the following locations among others:

Guatemala

Haiti/Dominican Republic

Israel/Palestine

Sudan (North/South and currently, Darfur)

Aceh

Burundi

Ethiopia/Eritrea

Cyprus

Ex-Yugoslavia

The Phillipines

Colombia

Uganda

It has also had to turn down a number of requests for involvement, including Kashmir, Liberia, and Sierre Leone.

As to why Norway has been willing to mediate in all these conflicts, the answer is a mix of genuine humanitarian idealism (yes, there is such a thing) and the good will it affords in the international community.

Norway also leads the world international aid per capita, both in public donations and the total of public and private such. Peace mediation is a sort of extended aid, as nothing is more detrimental to development than war.

[quote]- If the answer is "Peace" - what the heck your country doing manufaturing arms (the 5th biggest arms manufaturer in world! impressive) and selling them through 3rd parties to terrorists like LTTE?[/quote]

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with exporting arms, just as there is nothing wrong with having a defense. It all depends on use.

It is forbidden by law to sell weapons "to areas where there is war or a threat of war or civil war," and the Foreign Ministry must approve all sales. Furthermore, all non-NATO or non-Nordic countries must sign an end-user agreement guaranteeing that the arms will not be resold.

I personally think there should be a stricter system for controlling where the arms (mostly ammo) end up.

That said, Norway is certainly not selling arms to the LTTE through third parties. I would like to see your evidence for this accusation. I've noticed that few people around this forum are in the habit of backing up their sometimes wild claims with credible sources.

[quote]- What is your opinion on Erick Solihem? Do you think he has no job in your country for him to be shuttling back and forth to SL? (your tax payers money?)[/quote]

His name is Erik Solheim. He is now the Minister of International Development, so yes, he very much has a job. Most of the shuttling back and forth is has been delegated to the new envoy, Jon Hansen-Bauer.

My opinion of him? I never voted for him or his party and don't know him personally. What I do know is that he is a genuine idealist who sincerely wants peace on Sri Lanka (and elsewhere). The allegation that he sides with the Tigers is patently absurd.[quote]

- Lastly, what do you think No-way get out of this once the conflict is resolved? (apparently your country seems to be interested in getting this resolved in favor of the LTTE thugs?)[/quote]

I answered the question about motivation above, and I can add that most Norwegians have no particular interest in Lanka. Indeed, to the extent they follow the press coverage, most of them are probably fed up with the whole intractable mess and not least the constant insults, smears, and pictures of monks burning the Norwegian flag that is what they get back for their tax money going to your island. I include in this category your unsupported allegation that Norway is working for the Tigers, and that, as you claim in another post (as usual without sourcing) showed them around an arms factory in Oslo.

Don't believe everything you read, and have a nice day.

dear Mr Rosh,

from your profil&comment I assumed that you are a Citizen of SriLanka,
who is living and probably working( not important what kind of job)
in Dubai.
In case I would work e.g. 5 months in Dubai as German
I would have to pay income-tax in Germany,because we have here
such a financial law.
I don't know financial law of SriLanka, so I wrote in my comment:
"I hope you stay in Dubai not like a tourist and-
""you pay your tax correct""
----------------------------------
It is not important where, in Dubai or in SriLanka,I hope you pay.

To your answer:

Write me please,with whom as a "facilitator" would be the majority
of SriLankans comfortable? I am not sure you know.
It seems the time is running out,so there is not a lot of chances
to find a better one; only with accusations is nothing done.

Mr.Solheim is the best man as peacemaker.
You write: "inhuman recruitment of child soldier" I think it is not
a weighty topic if you want truly to solve problems in SriLanka now.
In Second World War Sowietunion took everyone who was older than 15 years old to RedArmy and what?
No one of so-called Human&Child Right Defenders said one word against,
in opposite- all was all right.
Everybody knows it, "inhuman recruitment of child soldier" is a very useful
topic for own advantage-we speak about it or we behave as we don't know
anything about according to our gaining.
After the conflict in SriLanka will be solved "recuitment of child soldier"
will disappear from itself.
Than it will be necessary to stop abuses of children in SriLanka-
also very grave problem in your country,which is known in all the world.
I am sure,you don't judge Mr.Solheim well.

There is no all out war and I hope it will not come.
I fear but,you understimate Tamil tigers.
Since last Sunday they transport troops from North to East and East to North and I am very surprise- SriLankan Navy seems not be able
to intercept them. I hope I am wrong.
It is against CFA and you should do something against.
It looks new boats of Sea Tigers are very sophisticated equal to
famous "Dvora" Fast attack Crafts.
I can't believe, how the situation develops.

Do you really think the best way is to cancel CFA ?
I don't think so.

[quote="Rosh"]
But it is also hypercritical to preach peace and welcome a group of terrorists such as LTTE on red carpet and without stopping there [b]take them on a field trip at a Arm manufacturing plant![/b] What is the purpose of that? A confidence building excise? I think not!!
[/quote]
[b]Perhaps, Norwegians are helping the tigers to bulid an arms manufacturing plant in Wanni and start the mass production of weapons.[/b]
Then it will be an economic development aid rather than helping the terrorism.

Few days ago when the Norway's role of peace facilitation was uncertain due to the pregnant suicide bomber, a forum member under 'A Norwegian' wrote, "Due to the ban of LTTE in Canada, the LTTE delegation was unable vist province of Quebec to study or learn how the Federal system works."

Now you can understand why Norway lay down the red carpet to the tigers and take them to the arms factory.

[b]Every trade has its specific tools.
But the peace facilitator should be the role modle to set the standard, what tools to use and how to use them.
Because all the eyes are on the peace facilitator.[/b]

It certainly looks like Norway has other interests in SriLanka, than the peace facilitation.

Dear Mr Rosh,

your indirect attack against Mr.Norwegian impressed me much.

By the way-I hope you stay in Dubai not like a tourist and you pay your tax correct.

Always when I read on this message board an interesting,
on good level and objective comment I see a lot of agressive answers
to this comment afterthat.

From your comment I learn that Norway is an unmoral country,because produces and sells weapons; conclusion of it- Norway is not qualified to be a peacemaker. I learn also that Mr. Solheim is a suspect person,because he tries to understand Tamils(LTTE) too.

In my opinion ,it is luck for SriLanka that Mr Solheim (Norway)
is a peacemaker. There is no all out war and maybe it comes peace.

Dear Mr Norwegian,

As a SriLankan who paid even closer attention at the English Class I admire your writing skills.

Since you seems to be well versed on the topic of SriLanka and it's internal conflict (I always wonder why? The reason for a person like you who is from the other corner of the globe, has got such an interest in my country, which is not even visibale on the map!) I wish you would give your expert comments on the following qusetions,

- Why is it No-Way so much interested in involving itself in SL issues?
- If the answer is "Peace" - what the heck your country doing manufaturing arms (the 5th biggest arms manufaturer in world! impressive) and selling them through 3rd parties to terrorists like LTTE?
- What is your opinion on Erick Solihem? Do you think he has no job in your country for him to be shuttling back and forth to SL? (your tax payers money?)
- Lastly, what do you think No-way get out of this once the conflict is resolved? (apparently your country seems to be interested in getting this resolved in favor of the LTTE thugs?)

[quote="A Norwegian"]Oh, I forgot:

[quote]In any case if you are here to articulate some vested interests, then you are on a wrong footing.[/quote]

This insinuation is itself both unsubstantiated and baseless: I am a private citizen of Norway and speak only for myself.

It is also irrelevant. I don't know what exactly is meant by "articulate vested interests"; but are all the users who tout the viewpoints of various extremist Sri Lanka parties also "on a wrong footing"?[/quote]

[quote="A Norwegian"]

[quote]Similar thing happened to the LTTE recently when it was told "NO" to the SLA chopper rides. They were out of disbelief, protested against GOSL and then killed so many soldiers just for that.

Everything has a cost, specially a loose canon.[/quote]

Just to get this straight: are you comparing my writing to terrorism?
[/quote]

loose cannon
n : a person who is expected to perform a particular task but
who is out of control and dangerous
___________________________________________________________
No, absolutely not.

Since the issues are on LTTE terrorism, I just brought an easy analogy. And it also bring to the surface, how easy it is for the terrorists to have a legitimate government on ransom.
___________________________________________________________
The world is Free. I even like to see it without borders.

But it is NOT Free enough to a point to have unrealistic expectations!!!

Nowhere in the posting regulations does it say that criticism of the Asian Tribune is prohibited. Nor does any serious publication I am aware of prohibit this in its discussion section.

Furthermore I did so in a context where it was very much to the point. If every sentence of every post must exclusively address the news item opening the thread, then obviously a high proportion of posts on this board need to be edited too, including the one to which I was responding.

As to the accusation of posting "baseless and unsubstantiated allegations," it is a little rich coming from a publication which unabashedly publishes the following (and worse):

[quote]Was the recent spate of attacks by the LTTE on soldiers manoeuvred by Norway to get them back into the peace process? Rumours and basic logic points to this being so. [/quote]

http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=16895

That is exactly the sort of thing I was criticizing in the course of a substantive discussion of the topic at hand.

Finally, for the moderator to insert his own opinions on factual matters into someone's post (the remark "[b]baseless[/b]" was added after paragraph that did not even comment on the Asian Tribune) is unheard of on every other message board I am aware of.

[quote="A Norwegian"]I note with bemusement that the moderator of this forum has been deleting passages in one of my posts, presumably because they were critical of the Asian Tribune.

S/he has also taken the liberty to impose his own opinion ("baseless") on one of my observations -- a perfectly reasonable one referencing one of the LTTE delegation's stated reasons for wishing to visit Canada.

To cap it off, s/he has also closed the topic for posting, denying me the opportunity to comment on this censorship there.

Ironically, this frankly comical display of insecurity and intolerance provides further evidence that the Asian Tribune is a propaganda outlet rather than, as it boasts, a serious news publication.

[/quote]
[b]Looks like you are begining to understand who is in charge here in Asian Tribune.

Similar thing happened to the LTTE recently when it was told "NO" to the SLA chopper rides. They were out of disbelief, protested against GOSL and then killed so many soldiers just for that.

Everything has a cost, specially a loose canon.[/b]

I note with bemusement that the moderator of this forum has been deleting passages in one of my posts, presumably because they were critical of the Asian Tribune.

S/he has also taken the liberty to impose his own opinion ("baseless") on one of my observations -- a perfectly reasonable one referencing one of the LTTE delegation's stated reasons for wishing to visit Canada.

To cap it off, s/he has also closed the topic for posting, denying me the opportunity to comment on this censorship there.

Ironically, this frankly comical display of insecurity and intolerance provides further evidence that the Asian Tribune is a propaganda outlet rather than, as it boasts, a serious news publication.

If the present comment is also censored, that will naturally even further demonstrate what values the Asian Tribune really stands for.

The topic in question is this one:

http://www.asiantribune.com/node/43883t=15

The 'waiting game' is officially not over yet!

'the best' is yet to come!

await...