Is Barak Obama declining....?

"The magic is gone....." the Americans say, having one year experience of Obama rule. Is that the reason why Scott Brown won the Senate Race..? Or, has the magic, that evoked in 2008 for the victory of Obama, now turned upside down...???

After one year in office, the fall of Obama from grace is obviously steep. His promises seemed boundless on January 20, 2009, when the young president moved into the White House. As he took office, nearly 70 per cent of Americans approved of his performance, now it's less than 50 per cent as polls show.

However, on key issues, Obama has moved the ball forward, but obviously less than the Americans would have been pleased. President Obama's stance towards the banks and financial reform has been especially disappointing. Although he has supported the Employee Free Choice Act, which will make it easier for workers to gain union representation, this has also taken a back seat on the administration's agenda. The proposal faces serious opposition in the Senate. His stimulus package was an important first step towards stemming the downturn and getting the economy growing. But the economy having performed worse than projected, the package looks even more inadequate. Obama pushed cap and trade legislation as a step to limit greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to including some green elements in his stimulus package. At this point, the cap and trade proposals being considered in Congress have already been substantially weakened, with health care being given top priority by the administration and congressional leadership.

President Obama put forward pretty much the health care program that he had run on during the campaign. But Scott Brown's Senate win puts Health Care Reform at risk. He conducted his campaign opposing Obama's Health Care Program and now he seems to be extremely in hurry to go to Washington. The opposing fronts in American politics are bitter and harsh.

When Obama came to power, US and the world were wrestling with the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of 1929. The solutions seemed possible and immediate: close Guantanamo, end the Iraq war, stretch a hand to Iran, North Korea and Cuba, stem climate change, and, of course, health reform, education and jobs. But how is it in the reality? Though closing Guantanamo is in progress, the detainees returned to Yeman have re-organized for new wave of terrorist attacks targeting America. The end of the Iraq war is uncertain. Iran and North Korea remain always trouble makers. Not only the US but also the whole world has been suffering due to the global climate change. The jobless rate is getting higher and higher day by day. At last but not least Obama's health reform is supposed to face new obstacles.

After a crisis-ridden first year, reality has laid its claim on Barack Obama's face. The ever-ready infectious smile has given way to sober creases of concentration. "We will change America, and we will change the world!": boastful expressions of Obama slowly fading away. America as well as the rest of the world has been changing but certainly not in the manner that Americans expected to see it. The Great Depression of 1929 gave the impulse to the outbreak of the fossil fuel dependant new era of the human civilization that ultimately led the isolated nations of the world to the agenda of the concept of Globalization. The long term effect of the current economic recession too might spur the world toward a new era of civilization.

Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize just days after announcing the massive escalation of the war in Afghanistan. Although Obama spoke less of peace than of the justifiable use of force in his acceptance speech in Oslo, the audience was fervently supportive. This is the ultimate political edge where Obama has been pushed by the invisible super powers which stand behind him.

As Nobel committee Chairman defended the Obama choice, awarding Nobel Peace Prize for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.", in fact so called "Obama qualities" are supposed to be used in order to achieve the political and military targets at which the "Cowboy style politics" of Bush failed. Obama mastered large gestures, big speeches, enormous crowds. He offered to meet with leaders in Tehran, without conditions; he travelled to Cairo to speak to the Islamic world and visited Saudi King too. When Obama bowed deeply before Emperor Akihito, Queen Elizabeth and King of Saudi Arabia many chided him. Despite of the fact that without support from Moscow, Beijing and Europe, the "most powerful country in the world" is helpless, perhaps America is thirsty of an emergence of a powerful king.

"Make no mistake" is one of Obama's verbal twitches, and it's as much a prayer as a preface. Of cause there is no room for mistakes especially when America is involved in a war that has been spread in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. Since the political goals of America and the future of Obama deeply depend on the war-related achievements, America should be ready to show more generosity and flexibility when dealing with new friends of the world. We are confident "Yes you can!!".

Will the problem be solved only by killing Bin Laden...?

This was the title of one of my newspaper articles published on 6th October 2001(Divaina). Terrorism related issues have inspired me so much since this has become the most prominent threat of the human civilization after the Second World War. Along with the life experience, I've got the feeling that my life is interlinked with riots and terrorism in a manner of unknown possibilities. Perhaps this may be just a thought I've got either owing to my birth-place or after writing some newspaper articles and a book on the current subject. Anyhow, as I remember, when I had my first personal experience on a terrorist riot, I was just six years old. As a child then, I had heard so many stories of how young rioters had been killed and I had seen how the dead bodies had been floating on the calm waters of the river "Kalani" that flew nearby my home town.

Although I had the idea during the secondary school, a few months later having the A/L exam results in hand, I was intensively considering for leaving the country (even the migration) for higher studies, when suddenly thirteen SL government soldiers deployed in the north were killed by terrorists led by Prabhakaran. This was the impulse for outbreak of the first civil unrest (terrorism related) in the island called later as "the Black July" at the time of which I saw people hammering innocent Tamils on streets while looting shops. Dead bodies were lying on narrow streets of Colombo and I had to jump over them to find a way back home. Meanwhile, the civilians, at different locations of Colombo, had caught and handed over to the Police some suspicious Tamil males arrived from north wearing blue T-shirts and black trousers.

During the six-year long period of my university education in Europe, I experienced the thoughts of my friends who had suffered due to the tough rule of the communist government. Just one year before the completion of my higher studies at the university, I could happily participate at the outbreak of the anti-communist riots that sprung all over the former European communist block. However the political power transmission in Czechoslovakia was too gentle (this is the only revolution I involved) and later it was called "the Velvet Revolution". At the same time in Sri Lanka, outbreak of the riot of the J.V.P. against the government, opposing the presence of the Indian Army in north, was militarily suppressed. This time corpses could not be seen on waters of the rivers, instead of that the "Tayar Seya" or the method of cremation on tyre had been introduced.

Thus the Indian Army returned home but Prabhakaran became stronger and stronger killing innocent people day by day. At the dawn of the new millennium my first book was launched pointing out the challenge of terrorism and the urgency of defeating it by identifying the common enemy. Except the Sri Lankans no one else felt the real danger of the terrorism until America became a victim of Islamic-terror on 11 September 2001.

As it was stated in my article "Will the problem be solved only by killing Bin Laden..?"; addressing the congress on 20th September, George W. Bush requested America to get ready for the war. Then he threatened the other countries of the world asking "Are you with us or with the enemy?".

This was followed up by sending over hundred of B-1 and B-2 fighter aircrafts to the Arabian Gulf while F-15 and F-16 aircrafts had been stationed in Kuwait, Bahrain etc. Despite of this fifteen war-ships and three large aircraft-troop carriers were kept standby in the waters of the Gulf. Everything described in my newspaper article happened in the past. Now we are well aware of the result of the Afghan war and in spite of out-throwing of the Taliban government in Afghanistan what is the achievement that America and it's alliance have proved to have grabbed after 8 years of war....? What is the impact of the Afghan war on neighbouring Pakistan...? By whom ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto was killed in order to place her husband Zardari on throne...? These are some of the questions which have emerged after eight years of war in Afghanistan.

When I look back at the first decade of the new millennium, while referring the above article, there is a particular chapter that always attracts my attention. Now this chapter is capable of creating an odd feeling in my mind, whether I have misjudged something important while writing this article eight years ago.
In the article I have stated that it could be a day-dream to expect the help of America and it's alliance to eliminate the terrorism in Sri Lanka. What do you think..? Am I correct in this...? Could Sri Lanka alone do this by handling all international obligations emerged under different circumstances...? Didn't America and alliance help us in eradicating terrorism from the country...? Or instead of helping did they do it for us...???

In case, if the death of Prabhakaran could be considered as the end of terrorism as well as the re-establishment of long lasting peace in Sri Lanka, one may argue why not this principle be applied in Afghanistan too.

So great is Rajasingha the first


Dedicated to Warrior King of Sri Lanka, after the victory over Tiger Terrorists in May 2009


By
Neil Ranawake

All human blood ...... red
But victory over Tigers ..... unique

Never gained by cowardice
Victory comes to those who're blest

Lives and death are futile
For those not for glory of motherland

After decades of fighting and explosions
People lived exhausted

Great king, your skills are renowned
And be when needed....., our immortal hero and leader

Roaming in Europe and although ever
My superior, yet luck helped you not

Fought on solely with all your might
To fill the emptiness of the darkness with light

Exposed your eyes to storms of dust
But no pain, just staring at desert

As horses by their riders ruled
Attention required suddenly appeared

Never concerns you, anything else
But the land that belonged to your majesty once

I present to Great Warrior the happy news of victory
Being grateful for your being ahead of military

Oh, your highness ...... you're the one who fought at battle
Your gifts, your glory enduring

Gratitude for you on the hearts engraved
May ever retain your consciousness greater than universe

May your soul, by it's pledge committed
Lead us to the spring, fresh

Did the Sri Lankan Government KILL Prabhakaran and his family mistakenly..?

No one else knows what actually happened during the final days of the war against LTTE, except the top level of the government, some of the SL forces and perhaps a few outsiders. Everyone is well aware of the UN convention on war related humanitarian issues. Wounded fighters or people surrendering with white flags cannot be killed even within the battle field.

Either the president Mahinda Rajapaksha or the army commander Sarath Fonseka were not physically present in Sri Lanka during the final days of war. Then naturally, the main question emerges; who has led the government forces at the last moment of war, being physically available in the island? Assuming that Sarath Fonseka's statement, as reported by the newspaper "Sunday Leader", is correct, perhaps the defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksha could be the one who had given orders to the troops.

At the end, when the president returned from Jordan, he knelt down at the Airport saying that he was entering a country free of terrorists. Which means, at the time of his arrival, he was well aware of the death of terrorist leaders. But the question is, whose order the president had to wait for, another few days to issue the official statement and who had really made the deliberate declaration of the end of war on 19th May 2009 and why the private TV channel "Swarnavahini" was chosen for showing the corpse of Prabhakaran for the first time in the public media....?

In fact, the ex-terrorist leaders from the East are in the government and currently KP (the person who was supposed to be the new leader of LTTE after Prabhakaran) has been kept in custody in Colombo. When considering these facts we are in doubt whether it was certainly the intention of the government of Sri Lanka to kill the top leaders of the LTTE. Then the final questions arise, mostly for whose reputation the statements of Prabhakaran would have affected at the court hearings.....? What is the invisible hand behind the scenario....???

The Seitawake Rajasingha Foundation had requested the government in April 2009 not to kill Prabhakaran foreseeing the danger of foreign intervention using this as a point of interference ........


The Official Media Announcement of the Seitawake Rajasingha Foundation

Date Issued: 28/04/ 2009

To whom Prabhakaran should surrender

No doubt everyone who's suffered due to cruel terrorist acts salutes the SL troops for it's
victory over LTTE. As per the SL Government resources already the war against LTTE
is over and currently the final phase of freeing of so called hostages being conducted.
Although it is not very clear how the trapped civilians in the war-affected areas could be
considered as hostages, both the local and international communities really bother about
the assessments of their numbers. Because as it was well noticed the actual numbers of
the trapped civilians were always far higher than the assessments of the SL Government
and we believe still there is a considerable amount of civilians trapped in the no-fire
zone. Under these circumstances the LTTE has declared an unilateral ceasefire as a
quick first stage response to the request made by the UNO.

As far as the Seitawake Rajasingha Foundation is concerned the proposal made by the
UNO is highly appreciated. In accordance with the UNO's vision, leaving arms the
LTTE must surrender to a third party. The Rajasingha Foundation was the first
organization in Sri Lanka which undoubtedly confirmed that the LTTE could be
militarily defeated, by publishing the book “The Territorial Disintegration of
Czechoslovakia and Tamil Eelam” in the year 2002. The SL army forces are fully
capable of completely destroying the unauthorized armed groups anywhere of the
Island, although unfortunately it has not ever been achieved up to an acceptable level
even outside the war-affected regions.

Irrespective of that this foundation supports the above UN proposal owing to two major
facts which can not be underestimated due to any circumstances. The first issue is a
human and/or policy factor. As far as everyone is well aware of the LTTE leaders of the
Eastern Province willingly agreed to corporate with the Colombo Government. The
Governments changed but still it works. The current government has proudly accepted
the fact that by using the former LTTE leaders in the government (and even in higher
positions of the ruling political party), it is capable of controlling the Eastern Province
in a much comfortable manner. But with regard to the LTTE leader this issue seems to
be more complicated. Prabhakaran shows neither corporation nor surrender to the
current government. Out of the two available options he can select either to die on the
battle ground or escape and live in a hide-out.

As a country situated in South Asia Sri Lanka has obtained plenty of previous
experience in similar situations throughout the history. Among them the stories of the
King Dutugemunu and the King Parakum the Sixth are well known. On one hand
Dutugemunu has been over praised by ancient Buddhist writers. Meanwhile, on the
other hand, his successor was disqualified for the throne by chief Monks pointing out a
famous love affair of the king's son with a low-cast beauty. This is contradictory. The
king killed the Tamil ruler Elara on battle field in order to establish the Buddhism which
denies the Hindu cast system. One can argue, had the King Dutugemunu been aware of
The Official Media Announcement of the Seitawake Rajasingha Foundation
such an unfortunate future, he would have been thinking twice before killing Elara.

The founder of the Kotte Kingdom launched a long-term warfare against the Tamil ruler
of Jaffna on revenge of one of his ancestors. The historians confirm the escape of the
Tamil King and record nearly one decade reign of Kotte Kings in Jaffna. This is the
second issue that must be taken into higher recognition. Nor the death of Tamil ruler
neither his escape from the Island have assured the long-lasting peace in the country.

There are many examples of the past long-term conflicts which had occurred in
surrounding regions between Buddhists and Hindus. At some occasions it can be clearly
seen the fall of both of these cultures leaving a new arrival successful. Whether we like
it or not the History repeats and the Universe evolves. As the intelligent people of the
21st century, we are not supposed to do the same mistakes again and again. Therefore
this situation must be considered as highly critical and all the necessary steps must be
taken in order to achieve the final target of the both local and international communities,
the long-lasting peace.

Finally the question of to whom Prabhakaran should surrender remains unsolved. When
we take into account the fact that has been strongly impressed by the current sri lankan
president with his recent official visits to Iran and Libya, it is certainly very hard to
guess the countries, he is ready to agree with. Unless the president's choice would not be
North Korea or Venezuela, we would like to propose the former Czechoslovakia
(currently the Czech Republic and Slovakia) to deal with in this regard. After all
Czechoslovakia had been contributing a lot to this warfare by forming a leader through
education and also by providing armed tanks and other military equipments for the SL
troops. Although the LTTE too had been using air crafts made in Czechoslovakia for the
bombardment, the attitude of the LTTE is yet uncertain towards this issue. Despite of
these facts we strongly recommend that Prabhakaran must surrender in the name of
Rajasingha the first, the last legal King of Sri Lanka, and the Government must exert it's
maximum efforts to achieve this target.