FBI seeks support to crackdown LTTE network

by our political correspondent

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), USA's foremost intelligence agency which celebrates its centenary this year has rated the LTTE among the most dangerous and deadliest extremists in the world and has made a global request via its website to coordinate with the agency in cracking down the outfit's covert activities.

The FBI website titled 'Taming the Tamil Tigers' has urged US citizens as well as the international community to be extremely vigilant over the LTTE's fund-raising activities.

The FBI website said that the LTTE had swindled the monetary assistance that flowed from various countries to support the tsunami victims in 2004.

The FBI issuing its warning over LTTE fund-raising said that like other terrorist organisations the LTTE has raised funds under various cover organisations often by posing as charity institutions.

The FBI said that due to the LTTE discreetly raising money to fund its bloody terrorist campaign overseas, including the purchase of weapons and explosives, the US Government has designated the Tigers as a foreign terrorist organisation and their activities here are illegal.

Therefore, the FBI is determined to stop them, using the full range of its investigative and intelligence capabilities. TRO, the LTTE's fund-raising organisation in the name of humanitarian and rehabilitation activities was recently prohibited in the USA and in Sri Lanka following confirmation that the organisation used its funds to procure lethal weapons to support the terrorist war in Sri Lanka.

The Web site of the FBI www.fbi.gov