03-16-2004, 07:01 PM
United States denies it backed renegade Sri Lankan rebel commander
Associated Press, Tue March 16, 2004 05:42 EST . - - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) The United States denied reports Tuesday that it supported a Sri Lankan renegade rebel commander who broke away from the main Tamil Tiger army taking with him nearly half of its fighters. The split is unprecedented in the monolithic rebel organization headed by reclusive leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, and has reawakened fears that Sri Lanka - may slide back into war.
The Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers signed a Norwegian-brokered cease-fire in February 2002 ending 19 years of war that killed nearly 65,000 people.
The division in Tamil rebel ranks comes at a crucial time in Sri Lankan politics.
An ongoing power struggle between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and her political rival Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe culminated last month when the president, accusing Wickremesinghe of being too soft on the rebels, dismissed his government and called April 2 parliamentary elections.
Associated Press, Tue March 16, 2004 05:42 EST . - - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) The United States denied reports Tuesday that it supported a Sri Lankan renegade rebel commander who broke away from the main Tamil Tiger army taking with him nearly half of its fighters. The split is unprecedented in the monolithic rebel organization headed by reclusive leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, and has reawakened fears that Sri Lanka - may slide back into war.
The Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers signed a Norwegian-brokered cease-fire in February 2002 ending 19 years of war that killed nearly 65,000 people.
The division in Tamil rebel ranks comes at a crucial time in Sri Lankan politics.
An ongoing power struggle between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and her political rival Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe culminated last month when the president, accusing Wickremesinghe of being too soft on the rebels, dismissed his government and called April 2 parliamentary elections.
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