Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara speaking to defence.lk said that 22 LTTE suicide bombers (Black Tigers ) were killed in the air raid carried out this morning (July 22) at the Uddayarkattukulam LTTE camp.

by: Dayan Jayatilleka

Sri Lanka’s main strength is on the internal front, its main vulnerability is external. The LTTE’s main weakness is on the internal front, its main strength is increasingly on the external front. This is evident when one contrasts the progress of the Sri Lankan armed forces with the success of the Pongu Thamil demonstrations in the West. Paradoxically, the democratic Sri Lankan state is doing better than the terrorist militarist Tigers in the domain of "hard power", while the militarist Tigers are doing well in that of "soft power".

Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse has referred to the many programmes launched by the Defense Ministry on behalf of the welfare of war heroes and their families. He said they are providing these scholarships to children of members of the Armed Forces and the Police killed, disappeared or disabled in action.

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has pointed out that the entire East is reaping benefits of democracy and development since its liberation from the terrorist a year ago. Expressing views to the media today, the Minister said it is pertinent to look back at the achievements since the liberation of the East.

by: Qadri Ismail

The university is the basis of the intellectual life of a country. Its influence is meant to percolate through its graduates to the wider public domain that a critical consciousness might be maintained in the greater interests of the nation. The last thing a university is meant to do is conform. That eventuality would be an indication of a lack of freedom in the society which gave it birth; it would also mean that the university had reneged on its duty to that same society.

by Udara Soysa and Nilantha Illangamuwa, Mirusuvil - Jaffna

"The answer is simple. An ambulance can usually carry around 2 patients. Lets say if you have fifty wounded from these battles, they will be airlifted to Colombo since they are no land routs. They would need around 25 ambulances. 25 ambulances with sirens can will drag a lot of attention of the public. But in war, the reality is that you will get causalities."

In his ‘Final Response’, Mr. Gunasekara returns to his theme of the provocative character of the TULF’s separatist political stance and propaganda. This takes nothing away from my point that this does not constitute a legitimate reason for the vicious, murderous violence of July 1983. No political position or pronouncement, however objectionable, if expressed peacefully, can justifiably be met with violence, leave alone lethal violence. I have already referred to Quebec and Scotland, but let us look closer home.

Freedom rays dawned to the East on July 19th 2007 due to the priceless services of the gallant soldiers who embarked on a humanitarian operation.The soldiers undertook this effort at a time when the Eastern polity under the grip of the brutal LTTE terrorists for more than two decades, were yearning for rays of freedom.

Extracts from the speech delivered by Cyril Mathew, Minister of Indus­tries & Scientific Affairs, on June 9th 1981, after the Jaffna Library was burnt and the Jaffna MP’s house attacked

Mr Deputy Speaker, at the outset I like to express to the Member of Parliament for Jaffna (Mr V Yoges­waran) our deepest regret at the damage done to his property. At the same time I am happy that he is not altogether destitute in that his parents have had the foresight to leave him more than Rs. 5 million worth of pro­perty in Colombo City.

Army Commandos in pursuit of the withdrawing terrorists along the Mannar- Pooneryn (A-32) road attacked a group of terrorists detected in the Murunkalyadippudi area 3 Km North of Iluppaikkaddavai around 12.10 this afternoon.