Associated Press,  Thu Jan 22 13:21:30 EST 2009

    RAVI NESSMAN  -   Associated Press Writer  -              COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -   The Sri Lankan military shelled a hospital and a village inside a government-declared ``safe zone'' for displaced families Thursday, killing at least 30 civilians, health officials said.

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- The Academic

Who are they?

"health officials said. "


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"What is left when honor is lost?"

perl wrote:

Who are they?

"health officials said. "

Are they supposed to be 'blind and pseudo' patriots?

Remember Killinochchi Hospital? LTTE said SLA bombed this hospital and it was a blatant lie. When SLA captured Killinochchi, they were able to prove hospital was not damaged except LTTE had used it as a bunker and all the hospital equipment had been removed. LTTE is desperate and will resort to any despicable acts including the killing of their human shield and blame SLA to bring International attention.

1. It could be one more LTTE proganda ploy. They shot civilians trying to escape towards the GOSL.
2.  IT could be an accidental incident, in which case it is a tragedy.  It is still upto the LTTE not to deliberately use civilians as shields and they do. Look at how the UN has protested today.
3. an incident like this can be set up by the Tigers if they fire from these zone compelling the Army to retaliate.
4. No matter what LTTE will soon be a spent hulang force. But the Govt. must take meaningful power sharing political measures or 25 years from now we will again have to fight and also fight moslems. We cannot use a racially superior attitude and go back the status quo ante.
5. Israel, US, Britain and Germany call such unfortunate accidental incidents collateral damage. This could be one such tragedy.. It can all stop if the LTTE stops fighting and using human shields.  The SLA is t aking a lot of casualties because of President MR's strict no civilian casualty policy. Be fair to them. They could have flattened Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu by now. They are having to take a lot more casualties than the LTTE because of this humanitarian zero civilian casualty policy imposed on them.  The US Army and Israelis did not have such restrictions.

Is this "safe zone" accessible to authorities to verify this incident?

Whatever may have happened, this is a terrible tragedy if it is true.

'health officials' from Palestine is also making noise now saying they are trapped and need assistance.

Don't forget, NGO is a business for some.  
'health officials'  usually draws a first class salary.

This is the last trump card by LTTE diaspora.  Civilians are gold mines for recruiting when winning and 'causalities' when loosing.


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"What is left when honor is lost?"

If it is true, it is a terrible tragedy. But let us be wary of Tiger propaganda.  If it is true, please note whether they be Palestinians or Tamils we Sinhalese should not succumb to prejudices and gloss over it.   I doubt if the Army did this but it could be an accident. In Israel, the IAF deliberately targeted civilian centres. SLA has never done it and why would they start now?  This could be a way to get international sympathy. If they fired Mortars at the Army from these sites and the Army retaliated, then it is the fault of the devious Tigers.

What is the point of the GoSL setting up a "safe zone" and then bombing it...

Let's use our brain and think about it. What does the GoSL get from bombing the "safe zone"? Nothing, but bad press... if they wanted to target civilians, then they could have just carpet bombed the whole area without even declaring a safe zone...

Now, what does the LTTE get from bombing a safe zone? They can install fear into the fleeing civilians and stop them from leaving and then blame it on the GoSL for some bad press and genocide talk.

Why do LTTE supporters still have a hard time understanding basic logic?

Wow! now doctors have become ballistic experts! This medical doctor has learnt to calculate the exact location of the source of an artillery fire, a challenging task even for experts. Or, he has become a poor mouth-piece.

LTTE terrorists always fire at the armed forces from civilian areas, hospitals, schools, refugee camps.

In 1995, the terrorists fired at SLAF crafts from the Navaly church in Jaffna, and the SLAF dropped bombs on the church killing several civilians who sought refuge in the church.

During IPKF period, ltte terrorists fired at the advacing indian soldiers from inside the Jaffna hospital (from the doctors living quarters), and the Indians went in and shot and killed cvilians inside the hospital.

Time and again, LTTE terrorists fire from the civilian areas, knowing very well the armed forces will retaliate, and they can score political points from the attack.

Fortunately, the terror regime is coming to an end.  Hope the armed forces do not take any prisoners when it come to the ltte leaders.
I dont want to see anything but dead bodies of the ltte leaders....