All round R Anil's defence

Defence Secretaries may come and they may go but R. Anil is lost for ever :

Maj. Gen. Lalin Fernando, retd

Teamwork: Sri Lanka is doing well at the WCC showing flair, class, maturity and excellent teamwork.

The SL forces given inspiring leadership and wanting nothing in weapons, equipment and supplies for the first time ever, are tightening their grip of the east and probing successfully into the Wanni, spurred on by the tremendous support and hopes of the people. Our paratroops wait in the wings.

To this scenario comes a usurper, a seething loner of a spreading mutiny within his own ranks. The scattered remnants of his forces have been prodding him to do something spectacular before they too bug out.

He has gambled again on his fanciful theories without noticing the terrorists (referred to by the soldiers as 'kotiyas' and also 'terras') flanking him, issuing threats to visit mayhem on the state in the New Year.

Crafty plan

The usurper made bold on TV gratuitously to recommend to the State to appoint Maj Gen Janaka Perera, the well known, highly decorated war veteran and now an envoy, as Defence Secretary.

The idea was to cash in on the people's emotions at a time when their support for the forces' battlefield heroes has reached great heights. It was a total rejection of his tactical and cunning peace overtures. Was he hoping that his choice would finally be a Trojan Horse who would when battle field victory was announced, open the gates to the elusive President's house to him?

Unfortunately for the usurper, but as usual, his crafty plan failed as no one including Gen. Perera went along with him. Further the vast majority of people of all communities, for whom he has little sincere time, back the national leadership and its decision to bring peace by facing rather than dodging terrorist violence.

The terrorists who have rejected every peace overture seek to win through conflict that which it cannot get otherwise. This by now should be clear to the meanest imagination.

The usurper had posed for many years as a reformed angel of peace and votary of the CFA. By his proposal he has now confounded those international and local wimps he had mesmerised earlier. They had forgotten he was at first an unapologetic supporter of the chaotic war making machine from 1977 to 1994 during which he served as Minister and Prime Minister.

Due entirely to the recurring mistakes made by the State in his time and after and the unbridled corruption it permitted nay indulged in, a motley group of about 5 cut throat ruffians developed into what became a most formidable terrorist force.

Meanwhile SL was almost declared a pariah state in the years following 1983, something decidedly worse than a failed one that is so gleefully anticipated by the reflective and leading media. Regretfully but not surprisingly politically backed military officers following the lead set by the corrupt politicians made their contribution to this sorry state of affairs.

The usurpers gambit was probably also a Machiavellian ploy to showcase Gen Perera, who was once reviled by the same firm for accepting diplomatic appointments from Chandrika, as a political mercenary. The present aim was to out flank any government appointment for Gen Perera and make it hesitate to make use of his experience and various talents any further.

That would leave the General for dead in the political battle field. If he survived he would be a political prisoner dependant on the tender mercies of those who 'cashiered" him earlier.

Especially as they have choked themselves on the elixir of a self serving servile offer of truce. Gen Perera on the other hand would like to be seen as Sapumal Kumaraya II, and end his second career honourably rather than die by slow poisoning.

His 'promoter' seeing the change of mood of the people towards the resolution of the problem which he wished would disappear if he fell on his knees, now wishes to hedge his bets and stand up for a military man.

Is this then not another ploy to win peace through war? If it is, he would be doing something similar to what his uncle did to the Tamils who believed him up to 1983? Our man has also dreamed, believing soothsayers, of storming the Presidential gates in April 2007 in true American cavalry style like a SL George Bush.

It would have to be on the backs of his highly vocal subordinates like Johnston who has some breathing difficulty while in SL to 'inhale democracy' and wants to get it cured by the UN. This must be the WHO.

There was mention of a coming dictatorship. The only two presidents who were accused of trying to be dictators were his mentors JR and Prema so who can deny that this man has to be an aficionado of human rights. There was some personal worry about foreign diplomats being threatened. Shades of Prema again and that British man he sent packing in 1989. Thought you forgot.

The promoter has seen defence secretaries come and go especially the trio of army Generals who served during his days of abused pomp and glory. He couldn't be unaware of the despicable deeds that occurred. Did he concur? He should take a leaf from his single partner in the CFA. That guy certainly knows how to deal with treason. It ends suddenly with a firing squad.

Prove sincerity

Foremost amongst the deeds of those defence secretaries was the heinous deed to gift weapons, ammo and cash to the 'terras'. (When this conflict ends all this will be out in the open so who wants the conflict to end?).

The despicable and treacherous arrangements to arm the enemies of the state ended in the murder of the men in the Security Forces with these very same weapons and ammo and the inveigling of a few to the terra's cause with the cash.

Those responsible under some spell or drug collaborated to order the forces and the police in the east to surrender to the tender mercies of the 'terras' in 1990. Six hundred (600) guileless policemen believing the criminally ridiculous reasons given by their superiors about the need to preserve the peace at all costs and the guarantee of safe conduct by the LTTE, foolishly accepted these orders.

They were lined up beside freshly dug graves and mowed down. Shades of Nazi genocide. The army despite being disoriented by fraternization instructions from the delirious powers that were, with man power strength depleted to prove their sincerity if not their utter naivety, had seen through it all.

They, knowing the 'terras' too well and the particular spineless and soulless officers responsible for passing down these abject orders, disobeyed them, fought back and survived.

Upright officers like the late Maj Gen Stanley de Silva (late SL Engineers) the divisional commander of the troops was however under no delusion both as to the intentions of the terrorists and the duty of the soldiers. He urged the troops never to surrender and thereby gave them great heart.

In several gallant actions the out numbered troops, short of rations, running out of water, bereft of support or heavy weapons, treating their casualties with basic medical support, beat back the well armed and equipped 'terras' who had surrounded them.

In the triangle of Kiran (Kumburumullai) the gateway from Thoppigala, Kalkudha and Vallaichchenai, three rifle companies of the First Battalion of the Gemunu Watch (1GW) under Lt Col Hiran Halangoda were completely cut off.

They fought heroically for three weeks until the relief columns under Maj Gen AMU Seneviratne arrived. At nearby Vellavadai, south of Kalkudah, Lt Ranawera (1GW) fought off the terrorists for an equal length of time with his depleted platoon of 22 men including Sgt Anton Silva and three experienced corporals. They saved 350 Sinhala fishermen and themselves from annihilation until they were rescued by the SL Navy.

All over the east similar actions were fought and won by the troops there. No detachment was over run. Had they surrendered as ordered there could have been a disastrous outcome to the entire conflict.

The army and especially these gallant men thereafter never trusted those responsible for their predicament. From that day those responsible for giving these orders were looked on with abhorrence, contempt and hatred.

The politicians responsible may wish to forget their part in it but it will never be forgotten especially in the barracks and the canteens of the army. Not only the military but all patriots of the nation will remember. No amount of white washing and facile explanations as to orders from above (the army calls it bulls s-) will erase the horror of what happened or the memories of these acts of perfidy.

They will be recorded indelibly in history

Weaker and unscrupulous officers and soldiers then followed the example of their superiors as none of this was secret any longer. They believed that they too could get away with assorted crimes mainly making money on contracts be it soldiers' rations, ammo, weapons, uniforms, their welfare issues such as cigarettes and most tragically even the widows' pensions.

Some made contact with the enemy recently but were fortunately apprehended and await trial unlike before. While the big fish got away, some on technicalities, the smaller ones faced some of the music.

The conflict had become a lucrative one for an unpunished, protected and crafty few. No wonder then that the debacles of Pooneryn, Mullativu, Mankulam and Elephant Pass followed and to date very few have had to answer for the thousands of lives lost.

The morale of the army kept dipping yet the soldiers fought on as they knew they had a duty to their comrades, the regiment and the country. That is why we survived. The enemy however was as much within as without the Ministry of Defence then.

No nation in their time of peril had produced so many boot licking, fawning cowards and soulless traitors from the defence establishment as ours did. Despite this background, this political operator thought it fit to criticise the incumbent defence secretary and try to embarrass him with a cry not only for a replacement but also cunningly with a nominee that would evoke a emotive response to his name. This was the last throw of the dice for a losing man.

He is the last person who could be a referee for the appointment of a defence secretary (Def Sec) He can rest assured that the present Def Sec who served in the redoubtable Gajaba Regiment will neither betray his country as some of his predecessors did nor blame the President for any mistakes he makes. Nor will he supply the President with fictitious accounts of the conflict. He completely unlike the other Def Secs the usurper knew too well has seen battle at the sharp end.

He served with the infantry which has taken 98% of the casualties in our battles and belongs to a brotherhood that comes from a different breed and remains unique.

No politician, not even his brother the President and most certainly the usurper can enter it, far less understand the ethos that binds fighting men. Was it this he saw and aimed to cripple with his shrewd request? Did he see his chances of surviving politically self destructing while the present Def Sec remained in charge?

To be continued