Soosai, Tiger naval chief, “refusing to fight” – TNA MPs worried

"The rivalry between Soosai and Pottu Amman too has been simmering for a long time. The rift between the two reached a climax when a bomb exploded at a time when Soosai and his son were on a tour of Tiger naval sites. Soosai’s son died but Soosai escaped with injuries."

by H. L. D. Mahindapala

(December 28, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) Cracks in the ranks of the Tamil Tigers are widening causing more problems to the Tigers on the run, according to information circulating in the Tamil Diaspora. The TNA MPs are most concerned about this new development coming at a time when the Tigers are on their last legs, according to inside information..

Latest reports indicate that Soosai, the head of the Tiger navy, is refusing to send naval units under his command to fight. According to these sources, the units that are trying to steal their way, carrying supplies to the besieged Tigers, are the breakaway group loyal to Prabhakaran. This also accounts for the heavy losses of the Tiger naval units at sea to the Sri Lankan Navy.

Earlier it was reported that Pottu Amman, the spy chief and the likely successor to Prabhakaran, was demoted and sent away due to his failure to carry out successful attacks on targets like the Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka and the Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The rivalry between Soosai and Pottu Amman too has been simmering for a long time. The rift between the two reached a climax when a bomb exploded at a time when Soosai and his son were on a tour of Tiger naval sites. Soosai’s son died but Soosai escaped with injuries.

Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Tiger Chief, is also beset with problems of leadership in the battle fronts. Their failures have forced him to change several times command structures retreating under the superior forces of the government.

He is also cornered with reduced manpower and firepower. He is forced to recruit more and more schoolboys, most of whom have just sat for the GCE levels. But this is not going to save the day for Prabhakaran as his punching power has weakened considerably.

Military analysts point out that the counter-attacks launched by the Tigers have failed to halt the advance of the Security Forces. Though the Security Forces have suffered heavy losses in the battlefield they have been successful in thwarting all counter-attacks which have failed to cause a dent in the ranks of the advancing forces.

Analysts agree that the options available to Prabhakaran are closing down one by one. The last hope was India. But even with the blessings of Karunanidhi – helped by Ranil Wickremesinghe of the UNP – they have not been able to send Pranab Mukerhjee, the Indian Foreign Minister to Sri Lanka to put additional pressure to stop the advance of the forces. India has a bigger problem on its hands with Pakistan sending its forces to the Indo-Pakistan border. Indian focus is on the escalating tensions between Pakistan. The cross-border attack on Mumbai came on the day Prabhakaran was making his annual speech diverting Indian attention away from Sri Lanka. His fellow-terrorists from Pakistan have dealt him a severe blow, cutting off the last life-line available to him.


However, Tiger money firing the Tamil Nadu politicians did cause some problems initially. But even that has waned now with Karunanidi issuing a stern warning against the pro-Tigers activists for helping a banned terrorist organization. Neither Karunanidhi nor Wickremesinghe have been able so far to get the Indian Foreign Minister to Sri Lanka. Both were on a mission to save the Tigers trough Indian intervention. But India, apart from the pressing needs of meeting any challenges from Pakistan, cannot ask Sri Lanka to stop its war against Tiger terrorists when it is getting ready to go to war against terrorists from across it border.

Ever since 9/11 Prabhakaran had to face the backlash of terrorist attacks in any part of the globe. Some of the terrorist attacks overseas were seen as copy cat violence of the Tamil Tigers. The worst is the terrorist attack on Mumbai. It not only took away the rationale for Tiger violence in Sri Lanka but also the need for any international body to come to the aid of Prabhakaran. B. Nadesan, the Tiger Police Chief, had told the media that the Tigers would focus their attention on economic targets after the fall of Killinochchi. This may temporarily boost the morale of the Tiger diaspora to keep the fires of terrorism burning in Sri Lanka with their funding. But as these economic targets are bound to hit the civilians every blast will boomerang on the Tigers and condemn them in te eyes of the international community. - Sri Lanka Guardian