Airport Attacks Itself
The LTTE is the most efficient terrorist organization ever. They don’t even hit anything, they just take off or hit something nearby, the government panics, and it gets reported as an attack on the airport. More important, it gets perceived as an attack at the airport. Tonight the government fired guns in the air as a ‘precautionary measure’ near the airport. To quote LBO “Passengers were ordered to the ground floor after we heard gun fire and some blasts,” a woman passenger at the airport said by telephone. “It was a panic situation, but no one was hurt. “I’m sitting at Bistro Latino, in that commercial vein between Colpetty and Bambla. Then the lights go out and the heat and rumour take over. Now, a year ago I would have gone straight home and investigated, but this time I sit and have a beer. What to do. That’s the motto of a lot of people in this country now. What to do, no?
The airport wasn’t bombed. The airport hasn’t been bombed. There was an attack on the adjacent (why?) military airport, and some deeply contradictory and seemingly entirely bullshit attack in Jaffna. Cause the LTTE has a fucking air force, a Mihin Air style air force of like two planes. Which reminds me, why the shit did Mahinda start an airline named after himself when he can’t even keep the airport safe? Fool me once, shame on … shame on … fool me… can’t get fooled again.
For all the chest-beating and journalist threatening of Gotabaya Rajapakse, he’s doing a shit job as defense minister secretary. The LTTE maneuvered Mahinda into power (by banning voting in the N/E) to isolate a bumbling SL internationally and remove whatever leverage we had. Now they’re playing the media like a violin – getting credit for 3 attacks when there may have been just one, none on the commercial airport. Also, I get a fucked up sleep every other night cause my dad tells me the ‘airport’s been attacked’ . They’re not even fighting anymore, they’re just beating us over the head with rumour, bluster and innuendo. Cause that’s all the LTTE has. They have no political content, their military strength is weakened, but as long as they make symbolic strikes, they still grow.
The LTTE has never been about military victory, it’s been about the jujitsu of using GoSL’s weight against itself. They killed Premadasa, almost killed Chandrika and have had a direct and bloody hand in Sri Lankan elections for decades. Now they elect Mahinda, who displaces Tamils, allies himself with child-abducting extortionists like Karuna, allows abduction in Colombo and generally tramples on human rights and media/political opposition. Basically, they select someone who will polarize Sri Lanka into with us/against us or peacenik/chauvinist and that someone plays along. It is our own weight flung against us, our own freedoms, our own fear, and our own elections, and our own airport which these johnnies still need to bring their kids back from foreign universities. They haven’t hit the airport once, but they’ve made us smack ourselves in the head a couple times.
This is highly dubious. Miss Travel is a travel/social networking site that connects ‘Generous’ and ‘Attractive’ travelers. To, like, travel together, I guess. It all seems a bit like arranged prostitution and trafficking. This is part of a broader online trend to connect rich men to younger, attractive women. Sites like 
Sri Lankan domestics never say anything, they just stop coming. My maid just stopped coming and when I finally pressed her she said I needed to get a washing machine. I was hoping to ride this one out, but I’ve run out of underwear and I have no choice. I finally caved and bought a washing machine, from 
There’s nothing wrong with pornography, but there’s a lot wrong with porn. Nothing wrong with watching people have sex, but too often that sex is brutal, senseless and coerced. I mean how many couples are coming on each others faces every day? Hence, philosopher king Alain de Botton – after calling for a 
Sri Lanka is going to start offer 
Great post Indi. Mahinda is doing the job to perfection for LTTE. I must say, Prabakaran is a visionary.
Well i think this was a tactical thing done by the tigers to calculate the response time upon the breach of security in air space and also to see what our military guys will do upon receiving the alert. Power cuts at that time will ease the tigers to move in from the ground. Basically there are many poor points in this so called “contingency plan” . Right now they attack mostly in the dark so its much more dangerous than it use to. There ain’t a 100% secure “security plan” but you could do a lot more by creating formal protocols that are both practical and also minimizes the risk.
All that was needed was a rumour in Puttalam. No TAF aircraft had to take off. No fuel wasted. We have to be prudent you know.
Indi :- “Also, I get a fucked up sleep every other night cause my dad tells me the ‘airport’s been attacked’ .
This is what happens when you occupy someone elses land and subjugate the people.
Good post though Indi. You are getting close to the nail. However some misinterpretation of the facts here.
You say “Cause that’s all the LTTE has. They have no political content, their military strength is weakened, but as long as they make symbolic strikes, they still grow.”
Indi are you really asking for a bloodbath?
The LTTE are warning the South not to follow the military path.
p.s The title reminds me of another incident that happened in Colombo on 1 December 2006.
I hear the pilots have filed a complaint with the OSHA regarding the quality of the airplanes. Corrosion and air leakage being the highest risks at that altitude. Yet they have no worries about the bombs laden because they’re upto standard, as they were received from older sri lankan air craft ammo collections that were stated to be obsolete.
before you get hammered for it by someone or the other, Gotabhaya is the Defense Secretary not Minister.
brilliant title.
Truer words were never spoken…Great post man
The emergency telephone line policy of encouraging ” general public” to report “suspicious” aircraft flying, could be a potential recipe for disaster. Are the public trained trained to differentiate and identify aircraft and/or the noise of “light aircraft engines” from those of a larger commerical or cargo craft!
Furthermore, given the skies in the vicinity of the airport normally encompass aircraft in various stages of approach, take off or landing, if such uncomfirmed reports occasion indescriminate firing of missiles or other weapons by the SLAF, it does not require much thought to deduce what serious event could easily occur!.
It only requires the transponder on board one aircraft to malfunction, where it’s identity cannot be transmitted to the tower or the primary/secondary ground radar to fail, (as in the past), or be subject to sea/heavy rain clutter, for the ensuing panic to cause an aircraft containing International passengers to be shot down. Likewise, blackouts cause further panic and do nothing, particularly since many buildings and tall structures, including the airport have automatic emergency power generators, and I particularly noticed last night that all “aircraft Obs lights” around the city were blazing merrily!
On the subject of closing down the airport a friend in the travel agency business was woken at 01:00 hrs and verbally abused by one of his customers because his aircraft might be delayed. He demanded to know what the travel agency intended to do about the situation! This “educated” and wealthy citizen seemed to be little molified by the news that the Presidential flight would take off on time!
All the more reason to get rid of the incompetent, racist Sri Lankan armed forces!
Funniest shit is, he’s out watching the match while the country’s burning at the stake. Reminds me of the Roman emperor who played the fidle while Rome burnt.
For a fairly emotional post Indi this is good. Emotion, and its inherent departure from the cold reasoning of logic, lends soemthing to your writing. Not that it’s something to be followed all the time but stuff like this from you is refreshing. And accurate.
Hi indi,
“Now they elect Mahinda, who displaces Tamils, allies himself with child-abducting extortionists like Karuna, allows abduction in Colombo and generally tramples on human rights and media/political opposition.”
whatever the ltte might have done to prevent the people in the north from voting it was still the SOUTH which elected the current administration. you should not not gloss over that. it is not the fault of the ltte that the sinhalese electorate is unwilling to give the tamils a decent settlement but instead prefers to elect a administration that is bent on displacing hundreds of thousands of people, is it?
“They have no political content…”
sorry?
“their military strength is weakened”
remember that they lost jaffna and came back stronger than ever before. just wait some few years until war-weariness grips sri lankan soldiers and international opinion turns against gosl. for the tigers, i believe, the war is a marathon not a sprint
I still do not understand why they have not invested in surface-to-air missiles. they have known about this threat for some time and these are little more than Cessnas. the ltte were using this technolgy back in 2000/2001 and shortly it our turn to return the favour.
i liked the post too.
FYI
Check out the ‘Example of ZLIN customers’list.
Talk about a marketing opportunity from hell.
Well thoseZlins are cheaper than a Cessna. Chances of the Sri Lankan market opening is pretty slim these day though.. Check out the “Example of ZLIN customers” on the website.
Talk about a marketing opportunity from hell.
Or the start of a niche market.
Meanwhile down here its time to start a Ministry of Civil Aviation Defence (Western Province). Use the defense budget for more Pajaros for friends. With the left over cash someone will by some African MiGs as intercepters.
Interesting post Indi, like it!
Just concerned about the deteriorating situation.
‘Look’ has a point, I don’t want to argue about LTTE not letting the Tamils in the NE to vote, but my point is that Tamils had lost trust in Sinhala politicians, it is the majority Sinhala votes & the sinhala leders who has always making decisions. Whether is is Ranil/ Chintanaya….they are not going to make any tamils life better, so don’t really see the point in Tamils voting. Sri Lanka is your country, you voted for Mahinda.
Like I said, whether it is Ranil / Mahinda, don’t make much difference to tamils (as Sinhala politicaial always been anti-tamil). If it was Ranil, he would have been fu£king up Tamils while pleasing Sinhala. This is Mahinda(and his brothers)….fu£king up both the tamils and the sinhalas for a change ;o) sorry guys!
ooh and I hope no one in the south don’t spot, those so called flying scooters tomorrow, cos that would cut out the electricity supply to the capital & thousands won’t be able to watch the finals.
Good luck to Lankan team for tomorrow, best of luck, make Tamil proud!
oops I meant….Good luck to Lankan team for tomorrow, best of luck Murali, make Tamil proud!
[...] Indi.ca explains LTTE’s strategy. “The LTTE is the most efficient terrorist organization ever. They don’t even hit anything, they just take off or hit something nearby, the government panics, and it gets reported as an attack on the airport. More important, it gets perceived as an attack at the airport.” Share This [...]
Stop the Bombs, Thambi’s Bowling (The View From Victory Blvd)
http://www.passtheroti.com/?p=459
“In South Asia, it seems, cricket can do what the tattered remains of a five year old ceasefire cannot.
But like Sri Lanka’s now-defunct 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), without a consistent political process, it’s a stop-gap measure. And as we should be well-aware by now, the island doesn’t take too kindly to damming.
On Tuesday, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, otherwise known as Tamil Tigers) carried out a second air attack against a Sri Lankan military installation in Palaly, Jaffna, following last month’s bombing of Katunayake military airport. The bombing, 16 km from the country’s only International airport, was claimed to be a “preemptive†strike, and unprecedented in the ongoing conflict, although rumors persisted throughout the CFA period that the Tigers were building up these capabilities. Unsurprising, given that both parties to the agreement showed little commitment, saving face with donor countries and the international community in periodic talks while stockpiling arms in the meantime………………….”
——————-
Just read this. Worth reading the rest of the article.
Worth reading? The guy thinks Palaly is 16km from Katu! And he conveniently fails to mention that the Tiger aircraft never reached Palaly anyway.
It’s still unclear if the explosions at Myliddy even were aerial bombs. It’s possible that it was arty, and the Tigers flew an aircraft around to give the impression of an attack. It’s good propogaanda — all they need to do is lob a few shells, fly around out of range of the defences, and claim a successful airstrike. The Tamil diaspora then digs deeper into its pockets.
sorry…this is supposed to go under the discussion on
Amnesty and Cricket. I reposted it there. Its worth reading for that…and provides food for thought.
Maybe he dropped off a zero? Anyway, he makes some interesting points re cricket and human rights. Its not about who bombed whom with what and where.
Concentrating on those errors would be like Indi being pedantic about a reporter stating tigers use arsenic instead of cyanide. The guy probably needs chemistry lessons…but he made important points in that article.
http://www.indi.ca/2007/04/international-bullshit/
Noticed blogs with wordpress take time to make comments visible and sometimes the comments don’t appear at all. Bit confusing.
I’m pretty sure that kettikili was talking about the first bombing and referring to the distance between Katunayake military airport and the international airport, not the distance from Palaly.
Maybe the sentence was phrased somewhat ambiguously, but even if it was an error, I hardly think it discounts the rest of piece. Did you read it? It really is quite good…
ok…well…he has dropped off more than just a zero….maybe a 2 or 3 in the front. :-)
vivek is correct, i was referring to the distance between Katunayake and BIA. I will change the phrasing to make it clearer.
David Blacker, even if I were to have made such an egregious error– which is a ridiculous thing to assume, given that the rest of the post does show familiarity with Lanka’s geography, including the peninsula — that doesn’t have anything to do with the point of the post. But given your comments and history here, I doubt you actually bothered to read it, let alone followed the point.
Comment, thanks for posting about the piece here– or, rather, in the Amnesty and cricket thread. (Will clarify there too.) I meant to post a trackback to Indi’s post and the ongoing commentary. (There, I’ve outed myself.)
Alright, time to shower and find my friends at the pub…!
Kettikili, the BIA is located at Katunayake, not 16km AWAY from Katunayake, the airbase is divided from the airport by about 800m, and Katu is about 30kn from Colombo. So what exactly do you refer to by 16km??? Being in the US is no excuse, yoou could just look at a map!
For you info, I did read the article when the link was first provided, and I just reread it. Nothing really new there, but I did comment on what I thought you’d got wrong. You still give the impression that the bombing raid on the peninsula was aimed at Myliddy (and therefore successful). It was in fact aimed at Palaly, but repulsed. The aircraft then ditched their ordnance over Myliddy. There waas nothing at Myliddy worth risking aircraft for.
If you’d bothered to read posts of mine on other blogs you’d perhaps have gathered what my position is on the situ. This site has lately had its readers rather polarised by certain elements who use it for juvenile taunts and high fives whenever there’s bloodshed, and has forced moderates (amongst whom I include myself) from both sides of the fence to take defensive stands. If you read sites such as Groundviews, Moju, DBS Jeyaraj’s site, and some others on Kottu, perhapss you’ll get a better picture of the people who comment on all those sites.
Look at the story tha goes arround.. sad.. really sad…
Sri Lanka ‘s military has adopted a near fool-proof system to ensure that the main air force base and the adjoining International Airport are protected against possible Tiger aerial strikes, a top defence source said today.
The green canopy of coconut trees surrounding the Katunayake air base and the Bandaranaike International Airport will provide the foundation for the new early warning system against an air attack, the source said.
He said the move was prompted by the attack carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) using two low-flying aircraft which were in the air for well over two hours and had returned to a secret location unchallenged!
“We will send airmen to man coconut tree tops and look out for any enemy aircraft,” the source said adding that the failure of the Indian-installed radar made the military look closer home.
“This is a fool proof system. There are built-in safeguards against an airman sleeping on the job. If he does, he will fall off the tree like a coconut,” he said.
The network linking the trees will help airmen swap positions and kill boredom, he added. The same network can be used to pass on any information literally ‘on-line’. They could also use ropes to swing from tree to tree in a hurry like in the TARZAN movies – the source added.
The broadband connection will help quick downloads of the sweet coconut sap before it ferments and turns to toddy, a favourite local drink.
Analysts noted that the new air defence system had the added bonus of ensuring that airmen would be cheerful and morale could be maintained at a high level at all times.
The Tigers had no immediate comment, but a rebel spokesman privately admitted that the new air defence system posed a serious threat to their fleet of Czech-built “ZLIN Z 143 LSi” aircraft.
“We were counting on the military buying a high tech thermal imaging system to track aircraft,” the rebel official who declined to be named told the Associated Press. “We could have fooled that, but not toddy-tappers disguised as airmen.”
A squadron of high-flying toddy-tappers have been recruited to train the airmen. However, unlike regular toddy tappers, the tree top look outs will not be allowed to carry pots, smoke pot or resort to any potty aerobatics.
They will, instead, be encouraged to pluck coconuts that will be handed over to the trade minister to help bring down prices during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season.
Once the airmen have mastered the art of their “on-line” skills, they will be trained in throwing “dashing crackers,” better known as Cheena-patas, at low flying objects.
Since “five-zero” anti-aircraft guns proved ineffective on Monday, it was decided to use the expertise of the nearby Kimbulapitiya village, famed as the capital of fireworks, and provide sky-rockets and dashing crackers to the airmen so that they can use such tried and tested resources against light aircraft.
China has already been approached to help improve the local fireworks industry which is emerging as a “duel service” facility providing both entertainment and valuable inputs for the defence establishment.
Meanwhile, coconut growers in Katunayake have staged a protest against airmen reaching new heights, arguing that the move has made any coconut tree a legitimate military target for Tigers.
The air force dismissed the claim saying that trees were always a top target for the Tigers because of the huge revenue the state collected from toddy rentals, excise tax and other levies.
Class!!! My sides hurt.