Another Sri Lankan First!!
"Long associated with sectarian violence in the Middle East, the suicide attack has been refined by Sri Lanka's secularist Tamil Tiger rebels into a sophisticated weapon of war.
Analysts generally agree that the Tigers pioneered the use of the concealed suicide bomb vest -- a technology now used to deadly effect across the world.
'There is no doubt about it, they have perfected the art of the suicide bomb,' said one Western diplomat.
'Security experts say the Tamils have adapted the strategy to battles on land and, most
n
otably, at sea, where suicide "swarm tactics" against the Sri Lankan navy have been highly effective.A survey of suicide attacks worldwide between 1980 and 2003 found that 24 percent were the work of the Tigers, outpacing such Middle Eastern armed movements as Hamas and Islamic Jihad." (My emphasis)
Another Sri Lankan FIRST!!
Painting:
The Scream,
Edvard Munch
11 comments:
I'm aware I've taken Munch's Scream out of the context he meant it in (agoraphobia I believe? Not sure though!), but this was exactly my face (and emotional) expression when I woke up to this article this bright & sunny morning! ;o(
that was my face when i woke up to a bright and sunny morning :)
I distinctly remember an American official (could have been Condi) saying that of all documented suicide bombings in the recent past before 2001, the LTTE accounted for 2/3rds. 24% sounds like a more realistic figure and is certainly not something to be surprised about.
You really were not aware that there had been lots of suicide bombs in Sri Lanka? lol
Well, it'd have been pretty hard not to be aware of the suicide bombings in SL ;o(
My point was that considering there are/ have been so many conflicts in the world, esp Middle East area, I would never have thought the LTTE accounted for such a high number of them on a 'world list'.
That's probably because the LTTE uses suicide attacks as part of its conventional warfare in addition to pregnant women and others exploding themselves in civilian populated areas/vehicles which is the only sort of suicide bombings you see in the middle east.
This article mentions swarm tactics, which are very similar to Kamikaze attacks on oncoming US vessels by Japanese pilots at the dawn of Japan's defeat. Basically they are little boats filled with explosives and driven by a black sea tiger who crashes into a Navy Ship and explodes his boat. A very cost effective way of bringing down a ship. There also many instances of tigers sacrificing their lives to put a grenade or something through a tank etc.
LTTE is not secularist imo. Their worship of the sun god is quite religious.
here is the study,
http://www.danieldrezner.com/research/guest/Pape1.pdf
here is a copy of his articl from the ny timeshttp://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/38/11187/printer
enjoy it, or take a bike ride down the yarra
Out of the topic
I know Munch's Scream got stolen last year. But never heard or any news about finding it back? Any one knows what happened to it?
Norwegians ~ Lost the painting. Like other things :-)
to nitpick
Tiger sources put their number of suicide "martyrs" in the many thousands since the early 1980s, and morale among Black Tigers, who wear a cyanide vial around their neck to guard against being taken alive, is said to be strong.
in fact most cadres, not just black pussies, have a cyanide vial. though the percentage using it has gone down.
and i think the 'offically' admitted figure of suicide bombers is 200something as mentioned in last july 5 black pussy day.
Hey Sam,
I think the painting was never recovered though there were some arrests made sometime last year (or beginning of this year)!
finally they found the scream today. I was wondering why it took two years to find a piece of art, when they are able to solve a murder even before investigation finish.
apologies for deconstructing again: from a military viewpoint, the chief advantage of a suicide attack is that it offers the combination of intelligence and destruction in a single package. gruesome but true..
so for any suicide attack to be successful, the chief criterion should be an overwhelming disregard for one's own life on the part of the attacker.
but this in itself isnt sufficient most times. the secret ingredient of a successful suicide is the LACK of overwhelming disregard for one's own life on the part of the defenders, isnt it? thats why there's not stopping it. no soldier is going to stick his neck out to that extent. thats understood. accepted.
i know that theyre brainwashed. i know that they have their reasons. but for all that, they HAVE to be either bloody brave or bloody stoopid..
..but as far as the supportive diaspora are concerend, theyre just bloody brave, and the SLA soldiers are chicken, and that deserves great recognition. great reward.
so, to conclude, you could say that the suicide bomber has got to be one of the best moneymaking stunts that the LTTE ever dreamed up!
heroism is big bucks. why else do burial-style graveyards get erected for a race that practices cremation? http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/002097.html
ps. maybe munch knew what his norsemen were going to end with one fine day :)
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