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Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka says that the Security Forces will always protect the nation, and bombs and threats will not prevent the Forces from protecting the people of Sri Lanka. Speaking exclusively to the Daily News at his residence yesterday, three months after a failed assassination attempt by a pregnant LTTE suicide bomber which injured him severely, Fonseka said: "I will try to forget the incident as fast as possible and start from where I stopped on April 25. This incident will not hinder my commitment to the country." When questioned whether he would transfer his commitment and spirit to his forces having returned to the country, the General said: "Yes. They already have that commitment. But, I will ensure that it's maintained." The General who was in good spirits and his usual self said that the LTTE once again proved its cowardice as in the past by trying to assassinate him. "They have done it in the past when they could not face the Security Forces and when they are not recognised by the Tamil people. This was one such case. That too, they did by using a pregnant woman capitalising on her innocence and immaturity." The Commander said that the LTTE cannot claim to be the sole representative of Sri Lankan Tamils. "The country recognises the democratic Tamils. Our Sri Lankan Tamil people must realise that they have lost more than what they have achieved due to the activities of the LTTE. Because of the LTTE, the sufferings of the Tamil people have gone from bad to worse. The LTTE only tries to mislead the Tamil people," said General Fonseka. When questioned what the Army would do to encourage more Tamils to join them, the Commander said: "The only way we could do that is to behave in a manner that we are not biased and perform our duties to ensure the safety and the security of all our people be it Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Malays and others. All are Sri Lankans. That is exactly what we want to be". The Army Commander said finding a solution to the current problem is something the politicians have to do and if there were any genuine grievances it must be addressed. "However, maintaining law and order and defeating the terrorist is our job. These two must go hand in hand," the Commander pointed out. General Fonseka also said that the Army had done much to boost the morale of the soldiers by taking several steps relating to their welfare, transport and leave issues and more importantly to ensure that they maintain the initiative and don't become the victims. "We will formulate our future strategies accordingly. We know what the terrorists are contemplating now," said the Commander. He also admitted that there have been lapses and drawbacks in certain areas and he would pay immediate attention to rectify those shortcomings and see that the system continues uninterrupted. "Any operational failures will be streamlined to ensure success all the way," he emphasized.
Courtesy- Daily News (July 28, 2006)
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