Patients killed in cluster bomb attack on Sri Lankan hospital

[Mr Crowley]

Wednesday 04 February 2009 10:11

Patients killed in cluster bomb attack on Sri Lankan hospital

More than 50 civilians were killed in fighting yesterday between Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan army that saw cluster bombs dropped on the last functioning hospital in the north of the country, aid agencies said.

The United Nations said 52 civilians were killed and 80 wounded both inside and outside a "safe zone" the government had promised not to attack.

Gordon Weiss, a spokesman for the UN, said the region's only remaining hospital in Puthukkudiyiruppu was evacuated early this morning after 16 hours of shelling that included a cluster bomb attack.

A dozen patients were killed in the shelling, which both sides deny came from them, although reports suggest air strikes were used against the hospital. Only the Sri Lankan army has such capability. Almost all the remaining wards have been evacuated.

A quarter of a million civilians may be trapped in the combat zone, according to the UN. The Tamil Tigers, or LTTE, have been fighting for a separate state for the Tamil minority since 1983 but the army claims they have been reduced to just 600 "armed combatants".

The attacks happened on the day the country marked its 61st anniversary of independence with a show of military strength in the capital, Colombo. In an address to the nation, the president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the army had been able to "nearly destroy terror".

"Our heroic forces today have given us an opportunity to celebrate independence in a country nearly free from terrorism," he said in a speech from a heavily guarded promenade, before watching a military parade.

The Tamil Tigers, who had for three years built a mini-state covering 15,000 square kilometres, are cornered in a small area of the country's north-east.

There can be no independent verification of the military's claims as journalists are not allowed to travel to the war zone nor allowed free access to "liberated areas". The government sponsors tours with limited access for certain news organisations.

Foreign governments called for a temporary ceasefire to allow casualties out and aid into the war zone. The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, and her British counterpart, David Miliband, said "both sides need to allow civilians and wounded to leave the conflict area and to grant access for humanitarian agencies".

The joint US-British announcement yesterday came after a quartet of Sri Lanka's prominent foreign backers – the US, Japan, EU, and Norway – called on the rebels to negotiate terms of surrender to avoid further killing.

The quartet, which sponsored the now defunct Oslo-led peace process, has considerable sway on the island. Five years ago the group raised $4.5bn as a peace incentive. It said yesterday: "There remains probably only a short period of time before the LTTE loses control of all areas in the north. The LTTE and the government should recognise that further loss of life of civilians and combatants will serve no cause."

Journalists in Colombo, speaking on condition of anonymity, doubted whether the LTTE had been defeated. "Unless [LTTE leader Velupillai] Prabhakaran's body turns up and the top leadership give up, we don't see it. The LTTE are a guerrilla outfit, they melt away and will come back with terrorism. It's not over. It's probably just begun."

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media 2009
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American supplied cluster bombs being used in war crimes and it's the victims' fault. I think I've hear that somewhere before lately.

[dsmythy]

There is a distinct and deafening silence and lack of interest for Sri Lankans' plight over the last few weeks from Ireland's usual suspects on such issues around the world. It's cool to talk about civilian deaths in Gaza and the struggle of Tibet but seemingly talk of Sri Lanka isn't so "cool".

[Truth.ie]

There is a distinct and deafening silence and lack of interest for Sri Lankans' plight over the last few weeks from Ireland's usual suspects on such issues around the world. It's cool to talk about civilian deaths in Gaza and the struggle of Tibet but seemingly talk of Sri Lanka isn't so "cool".

I condemn this deliberate attack on a hospital. The weapons used I imagine come from the U.S or Europe.
Did the Sri Lankans ban civilians from fleeing the warzone?
My reading of the situation was that they called on civilians to leave the entire area before they attacked. A huge difference from Israel's approach.

[Thac0man]

I condemn this deliberate attack on a hospital. The weapons used I imagine come from the U.S or Europe.
Did the Sri Lankans ban civilians from fleeing the warzone?
My reading of the situation was that they called on civilians to leave the entire area before they attacked. A huge difference from Israel's approach.

Imagine all you want. The Sri Lanken army could not afford Western made ordinance and indeed its planes are not equipped to carry them any way.

But I am glad you have found yet another reservoir of innocent blood to smear yourself with in your campaign to bewail the US. Any chance though you might actualy give a fig for the dead and dying?

[Truth.ie]

Imagine all you want. The Sri Lanken army could not afford Western made ordinance and indeed its planes are not equipped to carry them any way.

But I am glad you have found yet another reservoir of innocent blood to smear yourself with in your campaign to bewail the US. Any chance though you might actualy give a fig for the dead and dying?

Israel could not afford Western made ordanance either. It's a gift to them. Military Aid. Don't you see?
They are currently considering "donating" arms to tribal groups involved in the opium trade in Afghanistan. so long as they turn them on the Taliban of course.

[Andrew49]

dmythy wrote:

There is a distinct and deafening silence and lack of interest for Sri Lankans' plight over the last few weeks from Ireland's usual suspects on such issues around the world. It's cool to talk about civilian deaths in Gaza and the struggle of Tibet but seemingly talk of Sri Lanka isn't so "cool".

AL-Jazeera

Genocidal Atrocities

[Mr Crowley]

Imagine all you want. The Sri Lanken army could not afford Western made ordinance and indeed its planes are not equipped to carry them any way.

Oh ok, Santy gave the Sri Lankan army the cluster bombs and dropped them out of his sleigh for them.
At least we know what he gets up to the rest of the year now.
Either that or you are talking through your thoin.
Maybe the Guardian and UTV news are lying to try and discredit the Americans, yeah that must be it.
Confused much?

[conservative green]

So, where is JC Skinner and the rest of the merry gang?

Ah, I forgot. No Juden in Sri Lanka.

[Mr Crowley]

So, where is JC Skinner and the rest of the merry gang?

Ah, I forgot. No Juden in Sri Lanka.

Troll much?
Dead brown people aren't that important to you I suppose.
Some trees were probably destroyed during the bombardment, who knows maybe even some kittens and puppies as well.

[JCSkinner]

So, where is JC Skinner and the rest of the merry gang?

Ah, I forgot. No Juden in Sri Lanka.

You called, I'm here.
This is a clear case of attempted genocide, as far as I can see. Of course, we're unlikely to see much about it in this part of the world, dead brown people being of little import to those in the Western media who have their own agenda in the region which involves endorsing their quiet eradication, or 'cleansing' to use the popular term.