US Ambassador expresses unwavering support against terror  
[Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 5.30 GMT]    

The United States has been a strong and unwavering supporter of Sri Lanka’s fight to defend itself against terrorist attacks from the LTTE, said US Ambassador Blake in his remarks to the American Chamber of Commerce Lunch - October 9, 2007 at Cinnamon Grand, Colombo.
  
“That support takes many forms from military, to law enforcement cooperation, to efforts to help Sri Lanka stop financial flows to the LTTE, to our contributions to enhancing the security of the Colombo Port through the Container Security Initiative of the US Department of Homeland Security and the Megaports Initiative of the Department of Energy,” he added.

Noting that the Sri Lankan military has achieved important victories in the past year, including the defeat of the LTTE in the east, and the sinking of many LTTE tankers used to deliver military and other supplies to the Tamil Tigers. Such victories and U.S. support for Sri Lanka should demonstrate to the LTTE that they cannot hope to win this conflict,” he added. However, “without equal and parallel progress on the political track, there cannot be an end to the violence,” he cautioned.
  
Speaking about the defeat of the LTTE in the East, he said “the government now has a major opportunity to lay the groundwork for a democratic, participatory, multi-ethnic governance structure in the East.  The U.S. and other members of the international community are looking for ways to support financially such an outcome.”
  
A successful and participatory stabilization and reconstruction effort in the east could serve as a template and confidence builder for a future solution in the north, he predicted.
  
In conclusion he said “with leadership, and a focus on the national interest above all else, Sri Lanka, like the ancient Egyptian phoenix, has the capacity to rise from the ashes of conflict and create a new era of opportunity and unprecedented prosperity for all Sri Lankans.”