Army Chief rejects false allegations

Rafik Jalaldeen

Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya addressing Army officers and troops at a ceremony to handover tokens of honour to troops from all Army regiments yesterday vehemently rejected false allegations made by certain elements against the victory of war heroes.

“The Army had faced its greatest betrayal a few hours ago,” he said at the ceremony at the Army Headquarters. The Army Commander said the Army has the honour of achieving victory over terrorism. The honour does not belong to only troops who fought in the battlefield but also to troops which provided their support and duties to carry out different tasks in other parts of the country and those engaged in providing logistics during humanitarian operations to the final success, he said.

“We all are the real heirs of the victory achieved by destroying the so called Eelam during the humanitarian operations. It is important to note, particularly about the political leadership given for this success.

The war against terrorism continued for three decades since there was no correct political leadership, even though the Army was well trained and their morale high.

The President and the Defence Secretary had the right vision and leadership that enabled the Army to eradicate terrorism in a short span,” he added.

The Army faced its greatest ever betrayal a few hours ago by those making totally erroneous comments against the victory of war heroes.

“I vehemently reject such allegations against the Security Forces, made by certain elements,” the Army Commander remarked.

He requested the troops not to despair by such remarks, but asked them to be conscious of the betrayal. “You all should be conscious about such statements damaging the achievement of the war hero. I will not allow anyone to damage the victory achieved by the valiant soldiers,” he added.

He asserted that all former Army Commanders were compelled to cease successful operations due to mounting pressure from the political leadership. Some talented officers were transferred due to pressure from foreign envoys. Army officers and soldiers were killed during the CFA.

“Those sinister forces had done everything possible to stop the humanitarian operation. The correct leadership brought everyone under one flag by defeating terrorism,” he said.

The Army Commander also noted that according to the Constitution, the legal power to declare war or peace rests with the Commander in Chief, the President. With the correct political leadership, people’s power and strength of the Army, the entire effort ended in victory.

The Security Forces defeated terrorism by destroying the most dreaded terrorist in the world- Prabhakaran and his leaders. The foreign powers can take from Sri Lanka as a model to defeat Al- Qaeda.