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War on terror

The United States has re-designated the Liberation Tamils of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist Organization.

It was in 1997 that the US designated the LTTE as a terrorist Organization. It was subsequently reviewed and re-designated in 1999.

The present re-designation takes a further significance in view of the War on Terror declared by Washington and the UN Security Council resolution on fighting terrorism in the world.

As has been stressed earlier, we have to look at funding of terrorist organizations and their front organizations, if terrorism is to be effectively curbed.

The LTTE commands vast funds obtained through extortion of Tamil communities in foreign lands including the United States, through devious means such as the drug trade and through donations from gullible public in Western countries.

President Bush is reported to have said that the war on terror will not be confined to Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The war on terror, of necessity, should include war on all terrorist groups including the LTTE.

The United States froze funds of several terrorist organizations a few weeks ago. We hope the US will extend the freeze to those organization re-designated last weekend.

Terrorist groups do not operate in isolation. There is a growing interconnection among terrorist groups, organizations and individuals. The collaboration of terrorist groups operating in different countries is distinctly visible in the ramified networks for terrorist funding.

As Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar told the UN General Assembly at the beginning of this month, fund collection for terrorist activities" is carried out abroad through international criminal networks, of course, and also, as in all criminal enterprises, through knowing or unknowing front organizations or other entities that now proliferate in many forms, in many countries - often in the guise, sadly, of charitable groups or groups ostensibly concerned wit human rights, ethnic, cultural or social matters."

Terrorism is a global phenomenon. It needs a global response. Global action to curb terrorist funding is one aspect of the response.

For complete success, a global understanding of the causes and roots of terrorism is a necessity. We hope the world community will address these issues too in a practical and pragmatic manner, as soon as possible.

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