President's efforts crowned with success:

An impossible feat turns into a reality

By Dinesh Weerawansa

President Mahinda Rajapaksa with Special Forces personnel in Vakarai

Miracles don't happen all the time. Nevertheless, the goals that we consider almost impossible could be reached with dedication, devotion and leadership. The Herculean efforts of Sri Lanka's valiant Security Forces in eradicating terrorism is one such achievement in the annals of the country's history.

Nobody ever dreamt that Sri Lanka could overcome the scourge of terrorism that devastated the country for nearly three decades. The Security Forces' dedication alone was not sufficient to annihilate the LTTE, which was notorious as the world's most ruthless terror outfit due to its barbaric acts.

Many previous attempts to crush LTTE terrorism had to be abandoned due to international pressure, the most notable being the operation by General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, the most dynamic military officer that Sri Lanka had ever produced.

The country's political leadership during those operations succumbed to international pressure, compelling the Security Forces to abandon their advancements halfway through.

It was in this backdrop that there was a strong belief among people in the country that LTTE could not be defeated militarily and achieve peace. Such beliefs provided the LTTE enormous bargaining power and successive Governments were taken for a ride at every round of peace talks from the Thimpu conference in 1985.

LTTE terrorism was at its peak when President Mahinda Rajapaksa first took office as the Head of State on November 18, 2005. Velupillai Prabhakaran was seemingly confident that he could take the new leader too, for a ride as he had done with all previous Presidents.

This is where Prabhakaran made the only miscalculation as a terrorist leader, who otherwise looked highly successful in inflicting untold misery on millions of people. He never for a moment thought this colossal blunder would not only claim his life, but also his leaders' and put a full stop to the LTTE's inhuman acts.

Like his predecessors, President Rajapaksa too gave the LTTE an opportunity for a couple of rounds of peace talks. Yet, in his heart of hearts, he knew exactly where to draw the line and not fall prey to Prabhakaran's trap. When the LTTE walked out of the peace talks and deprived farmers of water, their basic need, by closing the Mavil Aru anicut, he felt that he should answer the Tigers in the language they best understood.

This led to the country's successful battle against terrorism which eventually turned out to be the world's largest human rescue mission which liberated over half a million people from the clutches of LTTE terror. In just over three years, the Security Forces liberated the entire country and created a peaceful environment for all communities to live in peace and harmony. Today, we celebrate the fourth anniversary of that landmark victory which not only opened a new chapter in Sri Lanka's history, but also set new world standards of becoming the first country to eradicate terrorism, a feat that even the so-called superpowers have failed to achieve!

The path to victory was not that easy and the true sons of our soil sacrificed their life and limb to provide one and all a secure future. Despite mounting international pressure, President Rajapaksa's political sagacity and unmatched leadership led to that great victory by the Security Forces.

His firm resolve to take on terrorism inspired the Security Forces, the true sons of our soil, to achieve that cherished goal which seemed impossible for three decades. Having liberated those hapless civilians from the jaws of LTTE terror, Sri Lanka set another world-first by resettling the displaced persons in double quick time.

People in the North and the East today enjoy a new lease of life with better living conditions and the two provinces are developing fast with mega development projects seeing the light of day. Resettled people are now making a tangible contribution to the national economy as the entire nation is enjoying the rich dividends of peace.

However, a few countries which still harp on the human rights of terrorists killed in action are totally blind to the true ground situation and the peaceful coexistence among people of different ethnicities. The President's unmatched political leadership would enable Sri Lanka to beat all overwhelming odds and become the Wonder of Asia soon.