The multi-pronged 9/11 attacks by Al Qaeda on the US in 2001 turned world opinion against armed insurgencies across the world including the LTTE, leading eventually to its decimation, a top Tamil Tiger leader has said.
Currently the senior-most Tiger leader in custody, TS Pathmanathan,
widely known as KP, also said that he was in touch with the United Nations during the last days of the war in May, 2009 to work out an arrangement — probably either a surrender or cessation of hostilities — but nothing could be done as chief V Prabhakaran failed to make his move earlier.
But the rot had set in eight years earlier right after the after the 9/11 attacks. “Within 24 hours, the international community led by western powers moved against all armed groups causing immense damage to our operations….the primary reason is nothing but the rapid rise of Al Qaeda, which prompted the west to change its attitude… Circumstances made propagation of separatist sentiments extremely difficult in many parts of the world,’’ KP told The Island newspaper on Thursday.
KP succeeded Prabhakaran as LTTE chief after the latter was killed in May, 2009. Earlier, he was the LTTE’s key international operator. Based out of a south-asian country, KP controlled the group’s international operations like arms procurement and fund raising. He was arrested and brought to Colombo in August last year and has been in custody since. Once Prabhakaran’s close aide, KP blamed him for failing to understand the post-9/11 world order and changing LTTE’s strategy.