Saudi Arabia Arrests 431 IS Suspects

The interior ministry says mosques, security forces and a diplomatic mission have been targeted for suicide missions.

Saturday 18 July 2015

Saudi Arabia says it has arrested 431 suspected Islamic State terrorists and thwarted six suicide attacks by militants.

The country's interior ministry said mosques, members of the security forces and a diplomatic mission were all being targeted by the group in recent weeks.

"The number arrested to date is 431, most of them citizens, in addition to participants from other nationalities... six successive suicide operations which targeted mosques in the Eastern province on every Friday timed with assassinations of security men were thwarted," the statement posted by the official news agency SPA said.

The statement added: "Terrorist plots to target a diplomatic mission, security and government facilities in Sharurah province and the assassination of security men were thwarted." 

Four people were killed by an IS suicide bomber disguised as a woman

The Saudi authorities also accused some of those arrested of conducting several attacks, including a suicide bombing claimed by IS in May, which killed 21 people in the village of al Qudeeh.

They also said the suspects were behind the November shooting of eight worshippers in the eastern Saudi Arabian village of al Ahsa.

The statement also claimed authorities had arrested those responsible for an attack in late May, when a suicide bomber disguised as a woman blew himself up in the car park of a Shia mosque during Friday prayers, killing four people.

Those arrested were also behind a number of militant websites used in recruiting, the ministry said.

Saudi Arabia branded the Islamic State group a terrorist organization last year and has joined the US-led coalition targeting it in Syria and Iraq.

The announcement came a day after an attack by the Islamic State group on a crowded marketplace in Iraq's eastern Diyala province killed 115 people, including women and children, in one of the deadliest single attacks in the country in the past decade.

Iraq bomb kills 100 in Islamic State-claimed attack

SATURDAY 18 JULY 2015

At least 100 people are killed by a suicide bomb blast in a town just 20 miles from Iraq's capital Baghdad. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The force of the bomb blast brought down several buildings in the town of Khan Bani Saad, which is about 20 miles north east of Baghdad.

Several of the victims were crushed while celebrating the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, police and medics said.

The death toll from the suicide car bombing soon rose above 100. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Residents continued to search for victims of the blast on Saturday as wreckage was cleared from the road.

Debris and rubble from the blast was strewn across the road on Saturday, and burnt out cars were towed from the scene.

Angry crowds went on the rampage after the explosion, smashing the windows of cars parked in the street in grief and anger.

An officer from the Diyala police command said on Friday that rescue crews were still retrieving bodies from under the debris so the death toll could rise.

The Diyala provincial government declared three days' mourning and ordered all parks and places of entertainment to close for the rest of the Eid al-Fitr holiday to pre-empt any further attacks.

IS said in a statement issued on Twitter that the attack was to avenge the killing of Sunni Muslims in the northern Iraqi town of Hawija, and that the suicide car bomber was carrying around three tonnes of explosives.

Iraqi officials declared victory over IS in Diyala earlier this year after security forces and Shi'ite paramilitaries drove them out of towns and villages there, but the militants remain active in the province.

The United Nations said earlier this week that nearly 15,000 people had been killed in the 16-month period up to April 30.

Kurdish militia claims Isis using poison gas in attacks against them

A dozen Kurdish fighters exposed to gas after ‘makeshift chemical projectiles’ fired at their positions in Hasakah, Syria

Islamic State used poison gas in attacks against Kurdish-controlled areas of north-east Syria in late June, a Syrian-Kurdish militia and a group monitoring the Syrian conflict have said.

Reuters in Beirut-Saturday 18 July 2015

The YPG militia said Isis had fired “makeshift chemical projectiles” on 28 June at a YPG-controlled area of the city of Hasakah, and at YPG positions south of the town of Tel Brak to the north-east of Hasakah.

Redur Xelil, the YPG spokesman, said on Saturday that the type of chemical used had not been definitively determined. None of the YPG fighters exposed to the gas had died because they were quickly taken to hospital, he said.

It was the first time Isis had used poison gas against the YPG, he added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war using an activist network on the ground, said it had also documented the use of poison gas by Isis in an attack on a village near Tel Brak on 28 June.

It said 12 YPG fighters had been exposed to the gas. The human rights group also said it had received information about the gas attack on Hasakah, but gave no further details.

Reports of poison gas attacks by Isis could not be independently verified by Reuters. The YPG statement said it was investigating Isis’s use of chemical weapons with help from an international team of experts.

The YPG has driven Isis from wide areas of north-eastern Syria this year with the help of US-led air strikes. Areas captured from Isis include the town of Tel Abyad at the border with Turkey.

In a statement, the YPG said its forces had captured industrial-grade gas masks in the last four weeks from Isis fighters, “confirming that they are prepared and equipped for chemical warfare along this sector of the front”.

It said soldiers exposed to the gas “experienced burning of the throat, eyes and nose, combined with severe headaches, muscle pain and impaired concentration and mobility”.

“Prolonged exposure to the chemicals also caused vomiting,” it added.

Longform’s Picks of the Week

The best stories from around the world.

BY FP STAFF-JULY 17

Every weekend, Longform highlights its favorite international articles of the week. For daily picks of new and classic nonfiction, check out Longform or follow @longform on Twitter. Have an iPad? Download Longform’s new app and read all of the latest in-depth stories from dozens of magazines, including Foreign Policy.

Longform’s Picks of the Week by Thavam Ratna

Kissing the Asses Good-bye

I marched against The Vietnam War, I marched against Monsanto, and I will march against the next war waged by Empire. I take every opportunity to verbally battle stupidity and misinformation wherever and whenever I encounter it.

by John R. Hall

( July 17, 2015, Boston, Sri Lanka Guardian) George Carlin said it best: “Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea you have freedom of choice…you don’t. You have owners. They own you. They own everything…” Of course, I’ve been aware of how the American political system works for quite some time now, but for a brief shining moment I was distracted. Overcome with hope. Hoodwinked by a young politician named Barack Obama. Hopeful that this erudite guy who talked the talk might just get away with walking the walk. Silly me. They own him too. If he’d been what I’d hoped he was, he’d have ended up like JFK…with his brains scattered across the leather seat of a black GMC SUV, and Michelle frantically trying to gather up the pieces. President Biden would send out the CIA and FBI to investigate, and some poor sap from Russia, China, Venezuela, or Iran would take the fall. He would, of course, be shot and killed before he had time to complain. I won’t be fooled again.

You may have noticed that we’re only a year or so away from another presidential election. In 2008 I backed the democratic candidate with my heart and soul. By late 2009 I decided that it would likely be my last vote. Like Ralph Nader said: “The only difference between the republican and democratic parties is the velocities with which their knees hit the floor when corporations knock on their door.” Or to allow a bumper sticker to rephrase the same idea: “Only one difference between the two parties: With the democrats you get kissed before you get screwed.”

“But there’s Bernie!” my liberal friends are frantically screaming. “He’s a socialist. He loves the little people. He’ll save us from the jaws of the republican machine. You’ve gotta register to vote and work for Bernie.” But I can think of at least three good reasons not to embrace the donkey in order to subdue the elephant. 1. Bernie can’t win. Hillary is the chosen one. 2. Bernie is a card-carrying member of the military-industrial establishment who votes for so-called defense bills at every opportunity. 3. If hell froze over and Bernie happened to win, and Bernie happened to be way better than he appears, and was indeed the potential savior of the USA…well, see the scenario concerning spilled brains on the leather seat of an SUV in paragraph one above. And that ain’t gonna happen because…altogether now: He has owners.

There’s a weak argument to be made for voting for the lesser of two evils. Americans have no real choice, other than engaging in the act of futility suggested by Chris Hedges: Ignore the whole election process until election day and cast a symbolic vote for the green party candidate. I can’t emphasize the word ‘futility’ enough. The greens aren’t allowed to engage in the political process in any meaningful way. Hardly mentioned by the corporate press. Non-entities. But the donkeys are all asses and the elephants are all liars, thieves, and miscreants. They all work for Wall Street and turn their backs on Main Street. They all hop on the bandwagon when the time comes to spend trillions of dollars to wage the next war for corporate profit, but if you’re lucky, you might get a little smooch from the democrats while they’re picking your pocket and drone-bombing another country into oblivion. F#@% it! I’ll stay home and drink beer and write another sad article while the corporate media projects the winner of the so-called election.

It comes down to a few questions. Would we be better off with a Clinton than a Trumpbushcruzrubio? Would she wage fewer wars for Wall Street, move to close a few of the thousand military bases, or cut the Pentagon’s budget by a few pennies? Would she discontinue the vicious attempt to start World War III with China and Russia? Would she reign in the CIA and make the rest of the world safe from having democratically elected governments overthrown by coups and assassinations? Would she make an effort to feed and house the homeless, jobless huddled masses? Bring back their jobs from third world slave labor operations? Would she work for the non-billionaires among us, or drop to her knees for Boeing, Monsanto, Exxon-Mobil, and Bank of America?

I think we all know the answers. It doesn’t matter whether we have a Clinton or a Trumpbushcruzrubio. At the end of the day the USA will still be a fascist empire, a corporatocracy, an oligarchy, and a threat to the future existence of mankind. Anyone in a position of actual power who questions the system will be eliminated. One way or another. See the scenario concerning spilled brains on the leather seat of an SUV in paragraph one above. The system will not allow an actual free person to assume high office. They all have owners, and their owners demand obedience. The asses and elephants are well-trained to jump through the proper hoops.

So what’s a poor boy to do? After kissing the asses of the two authorized political parties good-bye, what do I do with all this energy? Americans are, for the most part, living in a bubble of illusion. They’ve been poisoned by their owners. Not enough to kill most of them outright, but poisoned in mind and body. Brains filled with corporate media doubletalk and nonsense. Bellies filled with corporate fast foods until most of them look like cartoon caricatures of themselves. Veins filled with Monsanto’s glyphosate, poisonous ink from head to toe tattoos, and untold dozens of other carcinogenic chemicals. Souls filled with false hopes of a heavenly home in the sky at the end of the bumpy road of their meaningless lives.

I’ve got a Che Guevara style beret, and am wielding a pen that (I can only hope) will turn out to be mightier than the sword. I marched against The Vietnam War, I marched against Monsanto, and I will march against the next war waged by Empire. I take every opportunity to verbally battle stupidity and misinformation wherever and whenever I encounter it. Che once said that he’d have loved to live in the belly of the beast in order to do battle against it. There’s a battle brewing and I hope to still be around when it commences. But I won’t vote.

George Carlin began this piece so he ought to end it:

If you vote, and you elect dishonest, incompetent politicians, and they get into office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You voted them in. You caused the problem. You have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote…who did not even leave the house on election day…am in no way responsible for what these politicians have done, and have every right to complain about the mess you created.

John R. Hall is a street-trained agnotologist with an advanced degree in American Ignorance. Other hats include: photojournalist, novelist, restaurateur, mountaineer, grocer, nurseryman, and janitor. He’s written three novels which have been read by almost nobody: ‘Embracing Darwin’, ‘Last Dance in Lubberland’, and ‘Atlas fumbled’. An untrained writer and college drop-out, he began his short career in journalism writing the ‘Excursion’ column for The Jackson Hole News & Guide. More recently he penned the ‘Left Column’ for The Molokai Island Times; appropriately on the island once known as a leper colony. He can be reached via email at: halls245@msn.com.

Americans just can’t seem to stop pointing lasers at planes

"Laser incidents" involving planes are on the rise. (FAA)

By Andrea Peterson- July 17

Do you have a laser pointer? Maybe for presentations? Or playing with cats?

Don't point it at a plane.

Seriously, it's dangerous and illegal.

"When aimed at an aircraft from the ground, the powerful beam of light from a handheld laser can travel more than a mile and illuminate a cockpit, disorienting and temporarily blinding pilots," the Transportation Security Administration's Web site says. "Those who have been subject to such attacks have described them as the equivalent of a camera flash going off in a pitch black car at night."

That could be incredibly dangerous, especially when planes and helicopters are taking off or landing. "During critical phases of flight, particularly in hours of darkness when the eye is more sensitive to light sources, a laser strike in the cockpit can create a 'startle response' which negatively impacts pilot health and flight safety," Capt. Joe DePete, first vice president of the Air Line Pilots Association told the Post.

But people can't seem to stop doing it.

Just Wednesday night, 12 flights reported that lasers were pointed at them as they flew over New Jersey alone, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Eleven commercial aircraft and one military aircraft reported being illuminated by a laser, an agency spokesperson told The Post in a statement. And pilots across the country reported 23 other "laser incidents" that night.

That's more than normal, but part of a trend. The number of aviation-related "laser incidents" reported in the U.S. has increased more than tenfold in less than 10 years, according to the FAA's Web site. Back in 2006, there were 384 reports of lasers being pointed at aircraft. Last year, there were 3,894.

On the bright side, it doesn't look like America's obsession with lighting up planes with laser pointers has resulted in an aircraft crash. But getting caught pointing a laser at a plane can have some serious consequences: It's a federal crime that could net you years in prison and a hefty fine. And the FAA can also impose civil penalties.

Last year, a California man was sentenced to 14 years in prison for repeatedly directing a laser pointer at a police helicopter, although an appeals court lateroverturned the sentence.

Andrea Peterson covers technology policy for The Washington Post, with an emphasis on cybersecurity, consumer privacy, transparency, surveillance and open government.

Australian health company invites Sea Shepherd for krill product talks

By Rowena Dela Rosa Yoon Jul 08, 2015 

Blackmores, Australia’s leading health brand, summoned the Sea Shepherd Australia for a meeting in response to the conservation group’s sudden attack on the company’s krill oil products.

Australian Health Company Invites Sea Shepherd for Krill Product Talks by Thavam Ratna

Scientists study how memory patterns propagate in the hippocampus

July 13, 2015 by Christopher Packham

(Phys.org)—Studying patterns of neuronal activity is difficult, and in the absence of in vivo data, scientists have relied on theoretical models to establish likely processes in the brain. In 1982, scientist John Hopfield proposed a framework for a recurrent artificial neural network, since named the Hopfield network. It describes an associative memory system comprising recurrently excitable neurons that store discrete memory patterns—these patterns are "attractors" to which partial patterns always converge, a process called autoassociation.

Neuroscientists have recognized that Hopfield networks provide a model of human memory, and a pair of researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have published a study exploring the mechanisms of self-sustaining sequences of activity patterns in neuronal circuits. They've published their results in the journal Science.

They focused their research on rat place cells, hippocampal neurons that activate in response to an animal's location in its environment. The population of place cells in the hippocampus generates a cognitive map of the animal's surroundings, and they are capable of changing their firing patterns in response to a large change. But the patterns are believed to be stabilized by Hopfield network attractor dynamics.

The study provides evidence that hippocampal neurons express sequenced reactivations composed of the autoassociative "attractor" patterns that Hopfield described in his framework. Further, the researchers establish that sequences of patterns can be stored by combining fast autoassociation of attractors with slower so-called "heteroassociation" of successive patterns. This allows each pattern to be corrected before transitioning to the next pattern in the sequence.

Acquisition of direct evidence for these dynamics has been hindered in the past by the difficulty of obtaining data from large numbers of hippocampal cells, but the researchers recently developed techniques allowing them to record the activity of up to 263 neurons simultaneously. They recorded the activity of dorsal hippocampal neurons of five rats across multiple sessions during which the animals explored open areas and linear tracks.

Each of the five panels shows a memory snapshot created by hundreds of place cells while the rat was physically stationary at the top of the 1.8 m track (black). The time difference between the first and last snapshot is a mere one-fifth of …more

One of the unresolved problems in theoretical models of such brain activity is the collapse of multiple networks of neuralpatterns into random noise. "It is recognized that unbounded attractor dynamics in such a network can lead to runaway excitatory activity," the authors write. "Our data suggests a solution to this problem, in which attractor strength oscillates at the slow-gamma frequency between high levels of activity [focusing neural representation on a "unit" of information, such as a single location in space] and low levels of activity [weakening the attractor dynamics to allow transition to another unit]."

Their findings regarding oscillations at the gamma frequency are consistent with a growing body of neuroscience suggesting that these slow rhythms mediate communication between brain regions by synchronizing signals from distant sources with local circuitry. "Our data point to an additional role in allowing neuronal architectures to focus representation while avoiding excess positive feedback," the authors write.

More information: "Autoassociative dynamics in the generation of sequences of hippocampal place cells." Science 10 July 2015: DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa9633

ABSTRACT
Neuronal circuits produce self-sustaining sequences of activity patterns, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. Here we provide evidence for autoassociative dynamics in sequence generation. During sharp-wave ripple (SWR) events, hippocampal neurons express sequenced reactivations, which we show are composed of discrete attractors. Each attractor corresponds to a single location, the representation of which sharpens over the course of several milliseconds, as the reactivation focuses at that location. Subsequently, the reactivation transitions rapidly to a spatially discontiguous location. This alternation between sharpening and transition occurs repeatedly within individual SWRs and is locked to the slow-gamma (25 to 50 hertz) rhythm. These findings support theoretical notions of neural network function and reveal a fundamental discretization in the retrieval of memory in the hippocampus, together with a function for gamma oscillations in the control of attractor dynamics. 

Over 1 million people call on UN to set up international tribunal or refer Sri Lanka to ICC 16 July 2015 Over 1 million people from around the world have signed a petition calling on the United Nations to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) or establish a credible International Judicial Mechanism to investigate and prosecute “war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed against Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state.” The petition, also states that the signatories “believe that neither a domestic mechanism nor a hybrid mechanism will mete out justice to the Tamil people.” The campaign, which is still gathering signatures, was set up in March this year by the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE). A break down of the geographical locations of the signatories can be found here.

Black July

 Black July 1983

1980 July strike

Editorial-July 16, 2015

‘April is the cruellest month,’ T. S. Eliot tells us in The Wasteland. But, in this blessed land the cruellest month is July, when two incidents of mindless savagery occurred—the sacking of about 100,000 strikers (1980) and the anti-Tamil pogrom (1983), both under the J. R. Jayewardene government which promised to create a righteous society. And, the prominent members of that repressive regime which created conditions for hundreds of Tamil civilians to be massacred and their properties plundered in broad daylight and brutally terminated so many workers overnight are today promising us good governance!

The 35th anniversary of the 1980 July Strike is commemorated at the Colombo Public Library today. Regrettably, the July strikers who stood up to a mighty government which, intoxicated with power, cracked down on trade unions, are a forgotten lot. They were sacked for demanding a 300-rupee pay hike, a five-rupee increase per unit in the Cost of Living Index and the withdrawal of punitive action against some workers who had taken part in a protest in June that year. The UNP regime with a five-sixths majority in Parliament refused to negotiate with protesting unions and, instead, let loose its goons in the garb of pro-government trade unionists to crush the workers’ legitimate agitations, killing a protester, D. Somapala, who had five little children.

The July Strike, as it is known today, was a trade union version of The Charge of the Light Brigade. All odds were stacked against the strikers with an arrogant government hell bent on crushing their struggle at any cost, but the brave workers chose to fight it out. Bludgeons to right of them, bludgeons to left of them, bludgeons in front of them, they marched on valiantly!

The general strike had the blessings of all Opposition parties. But, the JVP pulled out at the eleventh hour, trotting out some lame excuses. The workers’ struggle was savagely crushed and about 100,000 of them were sacked. The JRJ government, making use of Emergency Regulations, imposed strict censorship on the media. Not even references to the strike in Parliament were allowed to be published! In a strange turn of events replete with irony the members of that repressive regime who wholeheartedly endorsed such brutal action are today championing the rights of workers and the media!

The July strikers who lost their jobs went through hell, unable to keep the wolf from the door. Their families were reduced to penury. Children’s education was disrupted. Many of those hapless workers committed suicide. Regrettably, the SLFP which came back to power after 14 years did precious little to deliver the victimized workers from their suffering; it only adopted some piecemeal remedies. It should have compensated them all. The surviving July strikers, most of them in their twilight years, are still protesting. They deserve relief before they cross the great divide.

Let the vociferous trade unionists and champions of good governance and human rights be urged to attend today’s commemorative event and pledge solidarity with the July strikers who had the courage to take on the mighty JRJ regime to protect workers’ rights. It is they who kept the trade union movement alive under that repressive regime. The UNP owes them an unqualified apology for its crimes against them and ought to make a pledge in its manifesto to compensate them in case of its victory at next month’s election. The SLFP, which has let down those strikers for the past 20 years or so, must make a similar pledge in its manifesto to pay them compensation if it forms the next government. Better late than never!

All Media Have Agreed to Implement Guidelines – Polls Chief

17/07/2015 

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday said that all media institutions including the private media agreed to implement the guidelines outlined by the department during the election period. He said the private media was exempted from the execution of the Elections Commissioner’s orders under the 19th Amendment.

Speaking at a press conference at the Elections Secretariat yesterday, Deshapriya said a committee comprising representatives of all media institutions in the country and department officials was formed to implement the guidelines.

All media institutions agreed to implement these guidelines, he said. “The state media is bound to abide by the guidelines outlined by the Department of Elections during the election period,” Deshapriya said.

He added that the private media is also bound indirectly to implement these guidelines. The Elections Commissioner added that the code of ethics for the candidates and the media guidelines will be sent to the secretaries and leaders of political parties. “This code of ethics and the media guidelines will be gazetted,” he said.

Chaminda Perera/ CDN

What May Be The Mood Of Tamils At 2015 Elections

By S. Sivathasan –July 17, 2015

S. Sivathasan

The prevailing wish of the country is to put the past behind. A rare unity of purpose that obtained in January is needed again. For nearly a century, Sinhala Tamil ill-will, erosion of cordiality, loss of trust and growth of enmity have plagued the nation’s polity. Now they have begun to thaw. Making them thaw further needs a fresh political ethos.

The past was riven with debate as if arguments well phrased or ideally rephrased can change the course of the future. They were hurled at one another interminably bringing no benefit to anybody. The communities can remake their future if the leadership in the North and South begin to engage in an honest dialogue. The South to part with power and the North inclined to take it. Ask for more not like Oliver Twist but like Saumiyamoorthy Thondaman.

A Smart Turn

In a very remarkable turn of events, the bloodless change of January 8, 2015 thrust a glorious opportunity into the hands of the political leaderships of different hues. As of now even as a rare chance for a fresh beginning seemed slipping away, another occasion has arisen. To all political formations and ethnic entities, the day of decision is August 17. To the Tamils the challenge is to dispel diffidence, dissipate cynicism, forget impotent Boycott and forge a solid political unity among themselves. Respond to Sampanthan’s call and give the TNA 20 seats to parley with a sense of power.

“Know your friends, know your enemies”. This was a profound political verity advanced by Mao in trying times of conflict. Tamils too had challenges to test their political wisdom and they yet have. It appears that for a century, only slips and not success were overwhelming. Cataloging them all will only immerse the Tamils in despondency. Yet a few need mention. Through them all runs a single consistent thread. What is it? Looking afar outside of themselves and the country, spurning self-reliance and hugging phantasms that were external.

Read More

Political risks in Sri Lanka cause apprehension amongst private investors – ADB

Tamil Guardian 17 July 2015   The Asian Development Bank says private investors are reluctant to make new investments due to the continuing political uncertainty in Sri Lanka. In its annual Asian Development Outlook report, the ADB said, “political transition in Sri Lanka causes private investors to take a wait-and-see approach to new investment”. The report says that forecasted GDP growth in Sri Lanka has been retained at 7% for 2015 and 7.3% for 2016. Overall the economic outlook for South Asia is also one of growth, at 7.3% for 2015 and 7.6% for 2016. Ado Supplement July 2015.Pdfgrowth  Prospects  Soften by Thavam Ratna

Sri Ranga proves Sirasa’s lowly media use!

Friday, 17 July 2015

Citizen’s Front leader, former MP and a media henchman of Killi Maharaja’s Maharaja Organization, J. Sri Ranga has not received nominations to contest the upcoming parliamentary election, and is in the UPFA’s national list. That is as a token of gratitude for having been loyal to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa in the past. Ranga entered the media field as the media secretary of Rajapaksa, when he was the fisheries minister.

Later, he joined Maharaja Organization, where he was a journalist even during the period he was an MP, and is one of the political henchmen of Killi Maharaja. Killi Maharaja stationed Ranga as his representative in the Rajapaksa faction, and an example of how he uses Maharaja Organization to promote Rajapaksa was seen on Shakthi TV on July 04.

CWC Central provincial councilor P. Shakthivel was participating in the Minnel programme presented by Ranga. Viewers believe it to be a live programme as the screen shows the tag ‘live’, but it is a recorded one. Most who viewed the July 04 programme know the truth now.

 Minnel is only a programme to uplift Ranga and the Mahinda faction to the wants of Ranga. He is the decision maker, as to who would take part, what should be the questions to be asked and the answers, who would join the programme over the phone, what should be the questions and what time the over-the-phone questions are asked etc. The producer should work according to the wants of Ranga.

The July 04 programme was recorded in the afternoon of that day. In the course of the programme, Ranga advised the PC member to ask questions that are disadvantageous to the UNP and Digambaram. Now, the CWC is losing its power in the estates and Digambaram is becoming popular, that is why it has become Ranga’s task to oppose him. The reason is that if by any chance the UPFA loses Nuwara Eliya, Ranga will lose his national list MP position too. Therefore, Ranga instructed the PC member, and advised the producer during the programme to connect the callers at such and such times.

All these calls were prearranged by Ranga and the questions were also given by him.

In this manner, Minnel programme is conducted against the UNP and Digambaram and in support of Mahinda faction, with the knowledge of Maharaja owner Killi Maharaja. Our website has been publishing articles about Killi Maharaja’s lowly media use and they are now trying to uplift Mahinda Rajapaksa, who went home after his defeat on January 08. Maharaja’s media henchmen are openly using their television and radio channels and promoting Rajapaksa without any sense of shame.