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LTTE re-designated terrorist group by U.S.

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington OCT. 3. The United States has re-designated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) along with others such as the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, the Al-Qaeda and the Hamas.

The State Department on Thursday re-designated 25 terror outfits in the list of FTOs and kept 11 previously designated groups for a total of 36 in the category. Groups such as the Lakshar-e-Taiba and the Lakshar-e-Jhangvi continue to be on the list.

The initial designations of the 25 groups were done in 1997 and 1999 and were due to expire on October 3, 2003.

Under the amended provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, it is illegal for persons in the U.S. or within U.S. jurisdiction to provide material support to the designated terror outfits; mandates American financial institutions to block assets; and visas are denied to representatives of these groups.

Separately, the State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher, has said that although the LTTE is engaged in a peace process with the Sri Lankan Government, one which is supported by the U.S., Washington has determined that the group "continues to engage in terrorist activities" and hence the re-designation.

Mr. Boucher said that in his September 29 meeting with the visiting Sri Lankan Minister, Milinda Moragoda, the Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, had taken the position that the U.S. could "revoke" the designation on the LTTE "at any time provided we are satisfied that the organisation no longer meets the statutory criteria for designation" as a foreign terrorist organisation.

"The Deputy Secretary told Minister Moragoda that the United States will consider revoking the LTTE designation as an FTO and will be prepared to deal with the group as a legitimate political entity in Sri Lanka only after the organisation renounces terrorism and ceases terrorist acts," he said.

"The United States looks forward to a timely resumption of peace talks in Sri Lanka and hopes that proposals by the LTTE for an interim administration in the North and East of the country will be reasonable and practical enough to form the basis for resuming talks," Mr. Boucher said.

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