Tamil Tigers Remain Terrorists

US says LTTE transitional government not recognized, Tigers

listed again,State Department insists not blocking IMF loan

By Easwaran Rutnam

The United States says it does not recognize the provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam announced by the LTTE head of international relations S. Pathmanathan and once again listed the Tigers as a terrorist outfit following its latest review.

Speaking during a live web chat last night from the US State Department, senior U.S. State Department official Gregg Sullivan said that although the US welcomed reports that the LTTE has renounced violence and will now pursue its objectives through peaceful means there is a long way to go before the Tigers can be considered a reliable entity.

“Towards the end of the conflict, their (LTTE) efforts to keep civilians in the war zone, block their departure from war-ravaged areas and their firing from civilian areas put civilians at risk.  They’re going to have to demonstrate clearly that the tactics they’ve used for the last 30 years really are in the past.  Aside from the passage of time and a clear record of constructive engagement, I’m not sure I have any other advice for how the LTTE shows a different face to the world.  But, the case of Libya illustrates how a nation or organization can change its terrorist path and chart a new course.  All I can say is we’ll be watching for clear signs of such a change,” he said in response to a question posed by Daily Mirror.The U.S has designated the LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997 and that designation remains in effect because of their consistent use of methods that both deliberately and indirectly target civilians.