The Jaffna peninsula is seen by the rebels as the centre of a future Tamil homeland, but they have held it only intermittently in the past and it is now under government control, albeit surrounded by Tiger territory.

"Jaffna is their main focus," said Janes Defence Weekly analyst Iqbal Athas, referring to the Tamil Tigers.

"Certainly attacks will intensify. If you are looking at conventional warfare, they cannot take it (Jaffna) but we are also talking about guerrilla warfare."

A truce between the rebels and the government has halted major attacks for almost four years, but the peace has been severely strained in recent weeks. More...

Discuss this story Published: Tue Jan 10 20:13:29 EST 2006

``If the LTTE chooses to abandon peace, however, we want it to be clear, they will face a stronger, more capable and more determined Sri Lankan military,'' U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka Jeffrey Lunstead said in a speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, according to an embassy statement.

He was referring to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam by the initials of the group's official name.

``We want the cost of a return to war to be high,'' Lunstead said.

The Tigers began fighting in 1983 for a homeland for Sri Lanka's 3.2 million ethnic minority Tamils, claiming discrimination by the island's 14 million Sinhalese.

The war claimed more than 65,000 lives before a Norway-brokered cease-fire in 2002. Subsequent peace talks have collapsed over rebel demands for broad autonomy in the island nation's northeast, and the government has blamed deadly attacks on the military in recent months on the Tigers, who deny involvement.

Lunstead said the U.S. is helping _ through military training and assistance programs, including counterterrorism measures and blocking rebel funding _ to ``shape the ability of the Sri Lankan government to protect its people and defend its interests.''

He urged the Tigers to abandon violence and return to negotiations.

``There can be a role for the LTTE in future development of Sri Lanka, but only if it returns to the peace table, renounces terrorism in word and deed and become a responsible participant in Sri Lanka's future,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission said Tuesday it has received complaints that 16 Tamil civilians disappeared after being arrested by government security forces in the northern Jaffna peninsula.

``Our Jaffna coordinator has informed us that relatives have complained that they do not have any information regarding 16 civilians arrested by the forces,'' said commission spokesman Mahinda Hattaka.

He said retired High Court Judge T. Suntheralingam will investigate the complaints.

Military and police have stepped up security operations and door-to-door searches amid the recent escalation of violence.

``We have not arrested anybody,'' said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe. ``We have educated our troops on human rights.''

Human rights groups accused Sri Lanka's military of widespread human rights violations during heavy fighting before the cease-fire.

London-based rights group Amnesty International estimated that 540 people, almost all of them Tamils, disappeared after the military took control of the Jaffna peninsula from the Tigers in 1995.

The Human Rights Commission in 2003 confirmed that 248 people were killed or disappeared after the military arrested them on suspicion of involvement with rebels.

Discuss this story Published: Tue Jan 10 12:34:09 EST 2006

Representing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, better known by the acronym LTTE, was Kumaran Pathmanathan or KP, the LTTE's chief arms procurement officer and head of the LTTE's international network. Pathmanathan has established a sophisticated and secretive arms acquisition network, whose ships frequently visit Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Burma, Turkey, France, Italy and Ukraine in their search for arms.

Tamil Nadu political leaders attending the meeting included the Pattali Makkal Kadchchi, founder and president S. Ramadoss and G. K. Mani and R. Thiumavalavan of the Dalith Panthers of India.

The politicians were to collect thadchchanai ("offerings") from the LTTE leaders for their services, with the money to be transferred via hundi hawala dealers from Bangkok.

More... Discuss this story Published: Tue Jan 10 15:16:38 EST 2006