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President Kumaratunga ruled out the withdrawal of around 30,000 troops from the Jaffna peninsula, on Friday, sources reveal. Speaking to an India’s NDTV network, the President said that despite India’s offer to help evacuate troops, the government, she did not think would have to resort to such a move. “ The humanitarian assistance they have offered is for evacuation and that kind of thing, but that comes in only if we lost the war and that is a last resort which we would certainly use if the need arises, but we hope we won’t”, she told the network. The President also added that there could be talks with the LTTE through Norwegian facilitation, but the Tigers must agree to conclude negotiations within three to six months. “We can’t withdraw the troops. Why should we withdraw the troops because we are asked to by the LTTE? Why should we? Let the LTTE withdraw its troops before we begin talking”, she said. Talking about the request made to the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the President said that they have already told him to “ Give up your terrorism, give up your ghoulish politics of murder and terror, and come into the democratic mainstream.”
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