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[Blwe_torch]

Tiger leader Prabhakaran killed: Lanka army sources
18 May 2009, 1317 hrs IST, REUTERS
 
COLOMBO: Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran's body has been recovered from an ambulance troops destroyed as it sped out of the war zone early on Monday, military sources said.

"It was confirmed Prabhakaran was killed when trying to flee in an ambulance before dawn. We are waiting for the official announcement by the president," a military source said on condition of anonymity. Four others sources confirmed the account.

There was no immediate official comment from the military. State TV also broadcast images of the corpse of Prabhakaran's son and heir apparent, Charles Anthony, for the first time.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/LTTE-chief-Prabhakaran-killed-Reports/articleshow/4546294.cms

[broadbat]

Right this was the news that all were waiting for, if true.

[ganavk]

Some great photographs of this dreaded terrorist/militant/soldier!
http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/may/18/slide-show-1-prabhakaran-shot-dead-says-lanka.htm

[broadbat]

How I wonder are the SL Govt saying that Prabhakaran is dead, but have been unable to recover his body?

[keep-it-cool]

The LTTE claims that Prabhakaran is alive and well!

[broadbat]

Yes I read that.

[LosingNow]

Pardon my ignorance.. but who were these "wealthy" worldwide Tamilians financing this movement. Sustaining an army like this takes a lot of money. Also, what kind of support are Indian Tamils providing ?

[dextrous]

Pardon my ignorance.. but who were these "wealthy" worldwide Tamilians financing this movement. Sustaining an army like this takes a lot of money. Also, what kind of support are Indian Tamils providing ?

infousa.com provides a list of wealthy individuals...thereupon we can narrow it down to indians..then tamils...and turn it over to the cia

[RicePlateReddy]

Pardon my ignorance.. but who were these "wealthy" worldwide Tamilians financing this movement. Sustaining an army like this takes a lot of money. Also, what kind of support are Indian Tamils providing ?

Expat Sri Lankan Tamils the world over. Canada, England and the Scandinavian countries form the bulk. Pirapaharan (that is how his name is to be pronounced!) sent many from his family to Denmark.

[dhruvdeepak]

Pardon my ignorance.. but who were these "wealthy" worldwide Tamilians financing this movement. Sustaining an army like this takes a lot of money. Also, what kind of support are Indian Tamils providing ?

people from bloody canada mostly. i dont know if youve been to toronto, but theres a place called scarborough inundated with these goons, who act all gangsta and whatnot

[RicePlateReddy]

Pardon my ignorance.. but who were these "wealthy" worldwide Tamilians financing this movement. Sustaining an army like this takes a lot of money. Also, what kind of support are Indian Tamils providing ?

people from bloody canada mostly. i dont know if youve been to toronto, but theres a place called scarborough inundated with these goons, who act all gangsta and whatnot

Ajantha Mendis will blend right in ....

[LosingNow]

Pardon my ignorance.. but who were these "wealthy" worldwide Tamilians financing this movement. Sustaining an army like this takes a lot of money. Also, what kind of support are Indian Tamils providing ?

people from bloody canada mostly. i dont know if youve been to toronto, but theres a place called scarborough inundated with these goons, who act all gangsta and whatnot

Just heard on NPR .. there was a huge protest today with 200K people in Toronto and they interviewed a 21-yr old "girl/woman" - she said "the struggle for Eelam is alive and will continue". Man, all these movements have to become a cult to have any impact. interesting.

still, I would think to maintain an army they would need billions of $s.. how can a diaspora population of <500K support this movement... something is fishy!

[broadbat]

They have received funds from various terrorist groups and Govts including India from time to time. The funds from India were of course during the early days.

[RicePlateReddy]

Just heard on NPR .. there was a huge protest today with 200K people in Toronto and they interviewed a 21-yr old "girl/woman" - she said "the struggle for Eelam is alive and will continue". Man, all these movements have to become a cult to have any impact. interesting.

still, I would think to maintain an army they would need billions of $s.. how can a diaspora population of <500K support this movement... something is fishy!

I don't know about their finances being anywhere close to $1 billion - that seems too much. A few hundred million over all these years, perhaps.

This was mostly guerilla warfare in areas with surrounding friendly population where the recruits were no mercenaries and often forced from the local population. The planes that the LTTE had were kit planes, not sophisticated fighter aircraft. They had no anti-radar equipment and some of their planes were shot down. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zlin_Z-143

During this final showdown, I read that the LTTE had owned banks in the Tamil areas. There were suggestions that the big explosions last week within the rapidly diminishing tiger held territory was an attempt to blame the SL army on blowing up their cash holdings - which had been pillaged by the LTTE. These guys probably extorted money from the Tamil population in the area over the last 33 years.

[LosingNow]

Just heard on NPR .. there was a huge protest today with 200K people in Toronto and they interviewed a 21-yr old "girl/woman" - she said "the struggle for Eelam is alive and will continue". Man, all these movements have to become a cult to have any impact. interesting.

still, I would think to maintain an army they would need billions of $s.. how can a diaspora population of <500K support this movement... something is fishy!

I don't know about their finances being anywhere close to $1 billion - that seems too much. A few hundred million over all these years, perhaps.

This was mostly guerilla warfare in areas with surrounding friendly population where the recruits were no mercenaries and often forced from the local population. The planes that the LTTE had were kit planes, not sophisticated fighter aircraft. They had no anti-radar equipment and some of their planes were shot down. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zlin_Z-143

During this final showdown, I read that the LTTE had owned banks in the Tamil areas. There were suggestions that the big explosions last week within the rapidly diminishing tiger held territory was an attempt to blame the SL army on blowing up their cash holdings - which had been pillaged by the LTTE. These guys probably extorted money from the Tamil population in the area over the last 33 years.

Must say ..fighting for close to 30 years.. giving the SL and even the Indian armies tough time .. with such meager resources .. sounds impressive (obviously for the wrong means to whatever cause).

[dhruvdeepak]

Pardon my ignorance.. but who were these "wealthy" worldwide Tamilians financing this movement. Sustaining an army like this takes a lot of money. Also, what kind of support are Indian Tamils providing ?

people from bloody canada mostly. i dont know if youve been to toronto, but theres a place called scarborough inundated with these goons, who act all gangsta and whatnot

Just heard on NPR .. there was a huge protest today with 200K people in Toronto and they interviewed a 21-yr old "girl/woman" - she said "the struggle for Eelam is alive and will continue". Man, all these movements have to become a cult to have any impact. interesting.

still, I would think to maintain an army they would need billions of $s.. how can a diaspora population of <500K support this movement... something is fishy!

just search for "eelam toronto" and see the number of societies that come up. they fly eelam flags and everything there.
there are easily 100s of thousands of them - minimum conservative estimate.

im sorry to stereotype and if i sound racist or something, but those guys were scary. there wd be regular shootings in scarborough, and they'd act like rowdies on the metro, there'd be eelam graffiti on the walls. it is really intimidating.

[RicePlateReddy]

Just heard on NPR .. there was a huge protest today with 200K people in Toronto and they interviewed a 21-yr old "girl/woman" - she said "the struggle for Eelam is alive and will continue". Man, all these movements have to become a cult to have any impact. interesting.

still, I would think to maintain an army they would need billions of $s.. how can a diaspora population of <500K support this movement... something is fishy!

I don't know about their finances being anywhere close to $1 billion - that seems too much. A few hundred million over all these years, perhaps.

This was mostly guerilla warfare in areas with surrounding friendly population where the recruits were no mercenaries and often forced from the local population. The planes that the LTTE had were kit planes, not sophisticated fighter aircraft. They had no anti-radar equipment and some of their planes were shot down. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zlin_Z-143

During this final showdown, I read that the LTTE had owned banks in the Tamil areas. There were suggestions that the big explosions last week within the rapidly diminishing tiger held territory was an attempt to blame the SL army on blowing up their cash holdings - which had been pillaged by the LTTE. These guys probably extorted money from the Tamil population in the area over the last 33 years.

Must say ..fighting for close to 30 years.. giving the SL and even the Indian armies tough time .. with such meager resources .. sounds impressive (obviously for the wrong means to whatever cause).

Agreed, it is 'darkly' impressive. As you know, India, fueled by purely vote-bank related TN politicians, funded and guided their insurgency during the formative years, that even spilled over the IPKF deployment decision. That surely helped them get started and established.

Once established, they more than bit the hand that fed them! I think a bulk of their financial needs would be weaponry, armory and communication equipment related. $20M/year would have got them quite a bit. When you hold up the local economy at gun point and with the supportive elements of the SL Tamil diaspora,  the finances can be covered.

They were already well entrenched with the local population that either supported them or were bullied into subservience at the cost of their lives. With the dense jungle that they were adept at surviving in, and already positioned in, it became possible for them to effectively battle the much larger SL army.

It is very similar to how one despicable criminal like Veerappan wrought so much havoc and embarrassed the paramilitary forces for years, also using some supportive local population / dire threats to entrench himself well. He had shady financial dealing with politicians and I wouldn't discount a similar angle with the LTTE.