The Strategic Mistakes of the LTTE
This is the text of an article I wrote for India Today Online on 19 May 2009, shortly after the death of Prabhakaran and the bitter culmination of the battle between the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE. The end has arrived. The LTTE appears to have been annihilated. At least temporarily. But could a phoenix arise from the ashes? This is a distinct possibility should the Sri Lankan Government not address the aspirations of the Sri Lankan Tamil people, a fundamental cause of the struggle. Having been the Brigade Major of an infantry brigade of the IPKF in Sri Lanka from 1988 to 1990 I had a ring side seat to some of the most severe fighting seen at that time. I operated in and around Mullaitivu, which, as events have shown, has always been the hotbed of the LTTE and their reaction to military operations here have always been very severe. Due to my personal involvement then, I have since closely followed events in this civil war and what follows are my personal observations on wh...