For three decades, Sri Lanka has suffered the social, psychological, physical and economical consequences of terrorism, which has taken the lives of countless innocent civilians, who have become victims of war. Terrorism is a challenge that affects not just Sri Lanka and the USA, but the whole international community. It is a threat to our democratic way of life. Sri Lanka and the USA are both countries that are very active in the multilateral sphere, where we cooperate closely. The two countries have been in the forefront of efforts to formulate international measures to combat terrorism.

US assistance has been pivotal in Sri Lanka’s fight against the LTTE. The USA was the first western country to recognize the potential threat posed by the LTTE and proscribed them in 1997. The US proscribed the TRO – an LTTE front organization in 2007.

Taking legal action against the LTTE in the USA – in particular a sting operation launched by the FBI in August 2006 not only nabbed a number of key LTTE activists, it has also unearthed a wealth of information regarding the modus operandi of the organization in the USA.

Now in an important development, U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has sentenced Haniffa Bin Osman, a citizen of the Republic of Singapore, to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to provide material support to the LTTE, a designated foreign terrorist organization and for money laundering.

It may be noted that United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein has noted in this case that the US Government will use all available legal tools to prevent terrorism, including undercover operations targeting people who attempt to obtain military weapons in violation of American law.

Embassy of Sri Lanka
Washington DC
USA

31 October 2008