The Hindu : International : LTTE to remain on U.S. terror list

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 24, 2004

International

International

LTTE to remain on U.S. terror list

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, JUNE 22. The designation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organisation will remain in the book and Washington is looking forward to the day when the LTTE will take the "necessary steps" to get off the list, says the United States Assistant Secretary for South Asia, Christina Rocca.

"At the moment there are no plans to take them off. They continue to recruit child soldiers. They continue to conduct extra-judicial assassination of politicians who disagree with them. They are continuing to stockpile weapons ... they will need to renounce terrorism in word and deed in order to be taken off that list. And we look forward to the day when they can do that," Ms. Rocca told the lawmakers of the Asia Pacific sub-committee of the House Panel on International Relations yesterday. She also spoke about the status of the peace process saying there was disagreement on how exactly the process should start. On the Sri Lankan Government's position, Ms. Rocca said though it was willing to negotiate "they don't want to create a de facto separate state going into the negotiations."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International