Who are “war heroes”?

Featured image courtesy DNAIndia

• by Devanesan Nesiah 
• - on 12/07/2015 

We daily read and often hear of “war heroes”, and of our duty from protect them from any charges of misconduct. This is one of the few issues on which there is virtual consensus among Sinhalese political leaders. Even non-Sinhalese political leaders seem to be reluctant to directly challenge this position. However, there is much debate on related issues such as terrorism, war crimes, human rights violations and transitional justice.

There are broad internationally accepted definitions of these terms, subject to much dispute on some of the finer points. But I have not come across any clear definition of the term “war heroes”. In common usage, this term seems to cover everyone who fought on the winning side of the protracted war against the LTTE possibly excluding those who deserted or “turned traitor” before the war ended. Are “war heroes”, so defined, entitled to or deserving of immunity from charges and investigations of misconduct and, if the charges are proved, from punishment for such misconduct? Surely that cannot be.

In turn, who are “war criminals”? Are all those who fought on the losing side “war criminals” and deserving of punishment irrespective of whether they were forcibly conscripted and also whether they personally indulged in terrorism, “war crimes” or other human rights violations? Surely that too cannot be. In the Mahawamsa tradition was Elara, and everyone who fought on his side a war criminal? Surely, every law, including those relating to terrorism, war crimes and human rights violations, should apply equally to every combatant and non-combatant irrespective of whether they were on the winning or losing side.

Is not everyone who was involved in a war related crime a war criminal irrespective of any heroism that person might have displayed before, during or after the war? If so, and if there is prima facie evidence of such involvement, that should be investigated, charges framed and prosecution launched and punishment imposed if there is adequate evidence uncovered. Any claim to heroism is irrelevant to the course of justice. Moreover, are war heroes only to be found among combatants on the winning side? Was Elara not treated as a “war hero”? Are not all who died in the course of the war entitled to their due, including being mourned by their loved ones as well as to any memorials that their loved ones or the public may wish to erect for them?

This was a central issue analyzed and explored in the much celebrated fifth century B.C. classic Antigone produced by the Greek dramatist Sophocles. In that instance King Creon decreed that the dead on the losing side are not entitled to any funeral dues, even by family members. This was defied by Antigone the sister of the dead dissident Polynices, and the King punishes her, with terrible tragic consequences. There are timeless lessons to be learnt from evey classic (which is why they qualify as classics) including the Mahawamsa and Antigone.

A “war hero” need not have been an armed combatant. In fact combatants had opted to participate with knowledge of the possible consequences. Noncombatants caught up in the war with options to exit but choosing to stay on and serve in civilian occupations so as to make it possible for other noncombatants with no option to exit to survive are surely displaying commendable heroism. Those from outside who enter the war zone with such intentions are also displaying such heroism.

These civilians may include not only human rights activists, academics and public servants but also those engaged in a range of occupations vital to the local population – members of the clergy, traders, farmers, fisherfolk, community leaders, lawyers, medical and paramedical personnel and those in other occupations too numerous to list but without whose presence life in the war zone would be intolerable.

These persons may continue to stay on and work, knowing that they would incur suspicion and hostility of one or the other combatants. Many of these civilians lost their lives. Are they not entitled to be called “war heroes”? We need to rethink and radically revise our understanding of who a “war hero” is, and also of whether they are entitled to any immunity from the consequences of any crime that they may commit.

FM Mangala's Speech in Parliament on the PTA, Secret Detention Centres and Suicide of Student in Jaffna

(Lanka-e-News - 07.Dec.2015, 10.30PM) Hon. Speaker, I rise to respond to the questions raised by the Hon. Douglas Devananda. 

First I would like to thank the Hon. Member of Parliament for the questions that he has raised, which relate to issues of importance for the realization of the vision for reconciliation and durable peace that the National Unity Government, led by President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, are committed to achieve.

FM Mangala's Speech in Parliament on the PTA, Secret Detention Centres and Suicide of Student in Jaffna by Thavam Ratna

Muslim Council Urges Saudi King To Pardon Convicted Sri Lankan Migrant Workers

December 7, 2015

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka wrote to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to urge him to pardon the two Sri Lankan migrant workers who were convicted for adultery.

King Salman

A 45 year old, unnamed Sri Lankan migrant domestic worker and mother of 4 has been sentenced to death by stoning in Saudi Arabia for ‘adultery’ and the male migrant worker is to receive 100 lashes.

Writing to the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud,the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka said; “Your Majesty, the Muslim community live as a minority community with equal status as per the constitution. Your Majesty’s kind intervention in pardoning these unfortunate victims would enhance the high esteem in which Sri Lankan’s hold Islam, the people and the kingdom of Sri Lanka.”

We publish below the letter in full;

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,
Royal Highness King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud

Riyadh, Royal Court: 11-488-2222 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Thru’
The Embassy of Saudi Arabia, 43, Horton Place,
Colombo – 07.

Your Majesty, As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu

Re: Appeal for Pardoning the Sri Lankan Housemaid and the Male Migrant Worker

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka is deeply grieved and is reaching out to Your Highness on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka for clemency to the house maid sentenced to death by stoning for the serious crime of adultery while the other respondent, a Sri Lankan male migrant worker is to receive 100 lashes.

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka presumes that the housemaid unfortunately sentenced to death by stoning and the male worker who would face lashing were unaware of the law and cultural practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Their illiteracy in this respect is solely due to their underprivileged and marginalised socio-economic background at their home country, Sri Lanka, which denied them even the minimum level of education required to be aware of complexities in a legal and cultural system that is inherently foreign to them. We respect the law in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the decision made by the Saudi Arabian judiciary and at the same time believes that on extremely humanitarian grounds the two convicted individuals from Sri Lanka deserve your Royal Highnesses kind pardon.

We convey these views considering the extraordinary level of hardships she faced in Sri Lanka which forced her to leave her family unwillingly in search of employment. The conditions which she faced at her home country left her no other option than to seek employment as a low paid housemaid in Saudi Arabia. Your Majesty, it was not her wish to be separated from her family but the gruesome economic hardships that encircle her life in her home country Sri Lanka, having to feed, clothe and educate her children who are still adolescences while her husband has no access to secure employment. These abject economic and social conditions, entirely independent from her will, forced her to part with her loved ones and provide them a means to live by remitting her meagre savings secured from her wage as a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia.

She did so only out of self-sacrifice to support her family and bring them at least faintly out of economic misery and permanent marginalisation in society. The fact that she chose to work as a housemaid in Saudi Arabia since 2013 knowing that she will not be so financially rewarded in turn explains the level of helplessness she had to suffer at her home country.

Her family on the other hand also are tormented by indebtedness given that sinking into debt remains the only means of meeting even the daily subsistence needs of her and her beloved family. These conditions hurt her physical and mental wellbeing and in turn driving her unknowingly into her current plight. Your Majesty, we therefore believe her situation needs humanitarian interpretation rather than a legal one and hence on humanitarian grounds she needs your mercy and kind pardoning.

Your Majesty allow me to bring to your kind attention that the economic hardships we stressed above are not subjective creations of the victim’s own design but are entirely a result of the backwardness and underdevelopment of the state of the economy and the political establishment of her home country, Sri Lanka. As stated by Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe in his recent economic policy statement 43% of Sri Lanka’s population live under just USD 2 per day which is hardly sufficient to secure even the daily food requirements of a person. Further, a recent UNWHO study showed that 40% of Sri Lanka’s pregnant women and 50% of school children are suffering from malnourishment. Further, over 70% of the workers in Sri Lanka are precariously/informally employed receiving below subsistence level wages having access to no social security, employment guarantee, retirement benefits, etc. These dismal economic realities that remain distant to public eye are responsible for the plight of the Sri Lankan women who seek precarious employment outside the country.

                     Read More

Rajapaksa Ally Former Diplomat Linked To Thajudeen Investigations

07/12/2015 

Sri Lankan diplomat Sepala Ratnayake’s name has been mentioned in connection with the investigation into the death of former Rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, top Police sources told Asian Mirror.

Ratnayake, who was attached to the Sri Lankan mission in London, had allegedly assisted one of the suspects of Thajudeen’s case to escape to London, the source further added.

“Some key figures whom we have identified as possible suspects of the Thajudeen case are still in Sri Lanka. They cannot escape now. However, another person who is linked to the case is presently overseas and we later found out that he left the country, some time back, with the support of Ratnayaka,” the Police source further added.

A lawyer by profession, Ratnayake was serving in the Presidential Secretariat as the chief legal officer at the time and was posted as the Minister (Consular & Immigration) in the Sri Lankan High Commission in London in November 2013.

Ratnayake is already facing a court case in Sri Lanka involving  a 14- year old child who appeared in a news item during the last Presidential election.

In the news item aired on the state- run ITN at the time, the child claimed that Maithripala Sirisena, who was the Common Candidate of the Opposition at the time, was detaining his mother.

This incident led to legal action involving eight suspects including some high profile officials including Ratnayake.

It transpired in court  that an Interpol ‘red warrant’ had been issued against the former diplomat.

Ratnayake is known to be a close ally of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Asian Miror
——

Suspects of Thajudeen Killing To Be Arrested Soon After Magistrate's Verdict: Three Ex-PSD Officers Traced

The suspects of the killing of former Rugby player Wasim Thajudeen can be arrested immediately after the verdict of the magisterial inquiry into the death, a top CID sources told Asian Mirror.

The verdict of the magisterial inquiry into Thajudeen’s killing is due on December 10.

A senior Police spokesman who wished to remain anonymous told Asian Mirror that the CID had been able to trace three ex-PSD officers who were possible suspects of Thajudeen’s murder. He further added that the CID established Thajudeen’s death as a murder, a few months ago.

Suspicions were also directed at a Sri Lankan national presently living in the United Kingdom. According to CID sources, he had entered the United Kingdom with the supporter of a former diplomat who is also under investigation in connection with a number of allegations.

Investigations were also underway to ascertain whether a jeep belonging to ‘Siriliya Saviya’ organisation, headed by former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, was used to abduct Thajudeen before his murder

The investigations into Thajudeen’s death were carried out by the Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department.

The JMO report presented to court last week concluded that Thajudeen’s death was a murder and the Rugby player had been assaulted and tortured with a blunt weapon.

It also stated that there was evidence to believe that an accident-scene had been created and Thajudeen’s body had been put into the partially burnt vehicle.

The verdict of the magisterial inquiry will be based on the JMO report and other evidence presented before the Magistrate’s Court.
Asia Miror

Saudi Hypocrisy & Sharia Law

By Hilmy Ahamed –December 7, 2015

Hilmy Ahamed

A 45-year-old Sri Lankan mother of 4 children, still legally married to her Sri Lankan husband, has been charged for adultery and is to be stoned to death if the Saudi Supreme Court confirms her sentence. Her identity has been withheld honouring her plea to protect her family. Her alleged male lover, another Sri Lankan, will receive 100 lashes only, because he is not a married man. Adultery if proven beyond any reasonable doubt or by admission of guilt by the accused has no clemency in Sharia law and even the king of Saudi Arabia cannot pardon her.

Zina or adultery in Islam is classed as a Hudud crime (class of Islamic punishment that is fixed for certain crimes that are considered to be “claims of God”). To prove an act of Adultery (Zina), a Qadi (religious judge) in a Sharia court relies on an unmarried woman’s pregnancy, the confession in the name of Allah, or four witnesses to the actual act of penetration. In the case of punishment due to a confession, it can only be enforced if the person accused of Zina makes a confession and does not retract his/her confession. Once the person retracts his/her confession, they are not punishable because there is no proof of the act. As such, implementing this law is almost impossible under normal circumstances in Islamic Jurisprudence.

Islamic Sharia law, which conforms to any common law, is being bashed for this sentence. Different countries have their own laws, and anyone living in these countries need to abide by its laws. Singapore, who we try to emulate, has the death sentence for drug trafficking that is executed regularly. They also cane in public those found guilty of a number of other crimes. USA sends hundreds to the electric chair every year. No one calls Singapore or USA barbaric nations.

I do not intend to trespass on a legal system of a country or religion, whether it is considered primitive or otherwise. Sharia laws that I am aware of are suitable for all situations and nations, as it is a very fair and appropriate legal system, which should be implemented without prejudice whether the accused is a king or slave. The contradiction is that Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim leaders in the Arab world implement Sharia law selectively. Islam should not be bashed because of these miscreants.

There is no ambiguity, Islam has commanded the death sentence for adultery on the married, but a careful examination of this order will no doubt reveal that it is intended as a deterrent than a law to be implemented. Mufthi Menk, one of the most respected Muslim preachers and an eminent scholar on Islam, gives a very clear explanation on the implementation of this aspect of Sharia law.

Please watch;

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Critical changes necessary to restore eroding public faith

Leading human rights activist Basil Fernando faults the government for not pushing the good governance agenda enough:

The Human Rights Commission in the report on HNDA students assault investigation observed that police lacks professionalism. 

072015DEC

It’s time to come up with a proper implementation plan to investigate and punish those involved in the corruption and crimes that occurred during the previous decades, says leading Human Rights activist, Basil Fernando

Critical Changes Necessary to Restore Eroding Public Faith by Thavam Ratna

The Grand Gang Bang

By V. Kanthaiya –December 7, 2015

Note from the Author – In case you don’t know the meaning of the word “Gang Bang”, do not search on the internet. The definition of the word is given below.

Gang Bang means;

1. The successive rape of one person by a group of other people
2. An instance of Violence by involving members of a criminal gang.

I believe that most of the adults in the country have watched the so called ‘adults only movies” screened in the shabby old theatres, at least once in their lifetime. These are not the explicit pornographic adult content which you can download from the internet, these are the Hindi, Tamil, Sinhala or the Malayalam movies rated ‘A” by the censor board, with hardly two or three ‘scenes’ which would typically contain an actress taking a bath with clothes covering her bosom to bottom and some smooching scenes which would remind the viewers a dog sniffing the ground in search of the piece of bone the canine had hidden deep inside sometimes back.

Yet, this society or I would say a segment of society call this movies as erotic and go to these theatres which are infested with lice. The reason why these crowds go to watch the movie is not really for the erotic content ( which any one can watch in the internet itself without your part of the body being eaten by lice), It is for the thrill and the excitement the ‘scene’ would appear in any moment during the movie, which pulls the crowd to the theatres. The theatres will boost up the expectation of the viewer through putting up a poster which would contain the voluptuous legends like Sumana Gomez or Shakeela, so the viewer would have high expectation about the content of the movie. But in reality, most of the times there would not be any ‘scene’ like that, or the ‘scenes’ would not be up to the level of expectation of the viewer. And in fact, even the ‘scenes’ which were depicted on the poster would not be there in the movie.Read More

Clarion call to end corruption

• Private sector warned of new legislation to hold bribe givers accountable
• Invited to join committee to set up Code of Ethics for corporates
• Integrity officers at all Govt. depts. from next year  
• Whistle-blower protection assured; intl. investigators here to train staff

By Uditha Jayasinghe-Tuesday, 8 December 2015
It’s time for the private sector to step up and stop paying bribes to improve the business environment and join a special committee to draw up proposals, a top official said yesterday, as the Bribery and Corruption Commission plans setting up new legislation to punish corporate bribe givers.   
Delivering a tough message to the private sector at a breakfast forum organised by The Shippers’ Academy Colombo, the Commission to Investigate allegations of Bribery or Corruption Director General Dilrukshi Wickramasinghe insisted she hears private sector grievances “loud and clear” but noted the carrot givers had to change their mindset as much as the carrot takers.  
“You don’t have to do much. Just take a stand. Companies should have a culture of not giving bribes. I want to form a committee to establish a Code of Ethics for the private sector and invite you all to be part of it,” she said to enthusiastic response from attendees. “I also plan to introduce legislation to hold private companies responsible for paying bribes.”

Director General of the Commission to Investigate allegations of Bribery or Corruption Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe
- Pic by Lasantha Kumara

If any company or individual is asked to pay a bribe they were urged to call the commission hotline on 1954 and make a complaint, which does not require the caller to leave his identity or contact details. But the complaint should have specific details of when, where and name of the suspect soliciting the bribe. Whistleblower protection is provided insisted Wickramasinghe, adding extra funding is being allocated under the Budget to improve capacity of the commission.
“I shall deal with complaints. That is my promise to you. I have already given three people protection and we even have a safe house. The Commission is establishing links with other international corruption fighting agencies and we hope to implement those best practices soon. A British anti-corruption officer is already training my staff and another US official will start residency training on Wednesday,” she noted.
 Outlining an ambitious seven step plan to be set in motion next year Wickramasinghe was upbeat of the response from the private sector supporting measures to clean up public departments including Customs. The seven steps include appointing three “Integrity Officers” to all public departments to accept public complaints and form a direct conduit between the public and the Bribery Commission.
A second is to implement the 2007 Citizens Charter compiled by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya during his stint as the former Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister, which details costs private citizens have to pay for services rendered by the administrative services. Any payment outside the Charter can be considered a bribe, she noted, that would reduce the grey areas currently seen in making transactions.
The seven steps also include extensive awareness campaigns spanning schools and adults, especially in educating the latter about making complaints on the Commission hotline.
Responding to Wickramasinghe private sector representatives applauded the steps and invited the Director General to address other professional bodies. They also advocated a slew of fresh recommendations including revamping the Customs Ordinance, which protects corrupt Customs officials and empowering public servants of Government departments to be whistle-blowers.
Leading by example Sri Lanka Shippers’ Council Chairman Sean Van Dort explained the uphill battle his company, MAS Holdings, had to face after a corporate decision was made not to hand out bribes. He stressed corporations have to make the call but pointed out determination will win the day despite harassment and hardship. Van Dort also called on other companies to pay stricter attention to receipts and monitor paperwork closely.
“In Sri Lanka today the culture of corruption is so deep it is instinctively accepted. It is time the private sector made a decision and put a stop to it. You and I created this monster,” he stressed.

An award for the professor who revealed Glycol-phosphate

Dec 07, 2015
The Community Medical Society of USA has given the 2015 excellence award to Sarath Gunathilaka who was working as a medical science professor in the California State University for the research he did about wide the spread kidney disease affected among the agricultural community in the tropical countries.

Sarath Gunathilaka who was born in Kiridiwela in the Gampaha district took his medical degree and left to the USA in the early 1980’s as a medical doctor. Later he was joined as the California State University as a medical doctor and got promoted to a professor.

This annual award was presented to this American citizen for a research he did outside their country. Professor Gunathilaka got this award during the annual community medical science society function held at the Chicago city for disclosing the connection of the glycol-phosphate chemical for the kidney disease with doctor Channa Jayasumana and his medical group of the Rajarata University.

However some of few so called scientists in Sri Lanka are trying to remove the ban of Glycol-phosphate which is causing the kidney disease.

HIV test mandatory for University entrants..

By Gagani Weerakoon and Skandha Gunasekara-2015-12-08

The government is planning to make it mandatory for University entrants to undergo HIV screening and blood tests for other socially communicable diseases before they enter Universities.

Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr.Rajitha Senaratne said in Parliament yesterday that HIV screening would be done under a different description to ensure there's no inadvertent stigma attached to it. Government was also looking into the feasibility of introducing the test to cover all students in public and private sector schools and members of all youth organizations as well, he said.
The Minister said that lessons on socially transmitted diseases would be included in the school curriculum and government would make Health Science a compulsory subject for GCE (OL) students to qualify to pursue GCE (AL) studies.

Responding to a question raised by Matara District UPFA MP Dullas Alahapperuma, the Minister said that there were 71 children below the age of 9 years including 31 girls with HIV infection.Between the age of 10-14 years there were five male and two female children while there were seven male and six female children in the 15 to 19 years age group. Between the age group of 20-29 years there were 478 HIV infected youth of whom 319 were males. In the age group of 30-39 years, there were 822 total HIV positive persons including 496 males. Above 40 there were 527 males and 290 females. In addition, there were 57 HIV infected in higher age groups bringing the sum total of HIV positive persons in the country to 2,265. This comprises 1425 males and 840 females.
Among the HIV infected there were 20 schools children and since 2010, the number of HIV infected reported was 1,062, the minister said. All the children below the age of 15 years have got the infection from their mothers, the minister said.
Describing the action adopted by the government in respect of persons infected HIV through blood transfusion the Minister said that such cases were refer to the STD/AIDS control programme for necessary treatment. The National blood Transfusion Service had started blood-tests with the help of new technology to minimize the infection of HIV through blood transfusion, he said.

Parents Need To Stand Up For A Value Based Education System

By Mithula Guganeshan –December 7, 2015 

Mithula Guganeshan

Education is simply considered as the science of living, opening the doors to a life full of opportunity and freedom. Education of the mind without the education of the heart is no education at all, is a famous quote by Aristotle. However, our educational institutions are designed to deliver just one side of the coin while completely ignoring the development of human values. Every single parent, rich or poor considers education as an important investment. Parent’s role in school education system is limited to choosing the school and spending money for education only. Nearly 40% of the children’s active hours in a day are spent at school and parent’s role should be extended beyond monitoring marks and homework. Parents and teachers are responsible for developing good humans in the society and their active role in the transformation of school governance is a basic necessity. However, parents are extremely silent and ignorant towards the school’s lack of interest in terms of developing the student’s mind and character. Lack of value education plays a significant role in terms of drug usage, alcoholism and unruly behavior dooming the life of the individuals and developing unnecessary problems.

It’s really crucial that parents get over the marks obtained by the child and look at the bigger picture. Do 100% marks for Mathematics, History, and Geography etc. justify what else they are missing on? Can every single parent confidently assure that all the schools are delivering the best for the students to succeed in life? An interesting scenario is when educated parents spend heaps of money on school education yet failing to question the lack of value based education. Unavailability of proper value system at their own homes as well would result in the development of a deformed character. High grades cannot make up for the lacks of a solid and sound character. Does our current education system teach fundamentals such as ways to live in harmony with the society and the environment?                                       Read More

Take over Malabe medical school

SATURDAY, 05 DECEMBER 2015

The government should immediately take over Malabe private medical school (SAITM) and take measures to offer degrees to students proposes the JVP Parliamentarian from Kalutara District Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.

Participating at committee stages of the budge in Parliament today (5th) Dr. Jayatissa said only students who have passed the GCE A/L should be selected from the number of students registered in the institute to read for the degree.

He asked the government to take over the institute and offer the students the Bachelor of Science initially and if they are qualified to allow them to read for the medical degree.

Dr. Jayatissa revealed that students who are not qualified to read for the medical degree too have been enrolled by the institute.

MEPA employees want Chairman removed




2015-12-07
The All Employees Independent Trade Union of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) today staged a demonstration outside the MEPA office demanding the removal of its Chairman. The protestors accused the Chairman of harassing employees. Pix by Nisal Baduge 

Turkey defends ground troops in Iraq as war escalates

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu answers a question during an interview with Reuters in Ankara, Turkey, August 24, 2015.-REUTERS/UMIT BEKTAS/FILES

ISTANBUL/ERBIL | BY DAREN BUTLER AND ISABEL COLES-World | Mon Dec 7

Turkey said on Monday it would not withdraw hundreds of soldiers who arrived last week at a base in northern Iraq, despite being ordered by Baghdad to pull them out within 48 hours.

The sudden arrival of such a large and heavily armed Turkish contingent in a camp near the frontline in northern Iraq has added yet another controversial deployment to a war against Islamic State fighters that has drawn in most of the world's major powers.

Ankara says the troops are there as part of an international mission to train and equip Iraqi forces to fight against Islamic State. The Iraqi government says it never invited such a force, and will take its case to the United Nations if they are not pulled out.

Washington, which is leading an international coalition against Islamic State that includes Turkey, Arab states and European powers like Britain and France, has told Ankara and Baghdad to resolve the standoff, and says it does not support deployments in Iraq without Baghdad's consent.

The Turkish troops' presence is an embarrassment for Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Abadi, under strong pressure from powerful Iran-backed Shi'ite political groups to kick them out.

Shi'ite parties linked to militia groups armed and funded by Iran have also complained about U.S. plans to station special forces in Iraq to conduct raids and guide bombs against Islamic State. Political pressure on Abadi could make those plans more difficult to carry out.

Political analysts saw last week's deployment in northern Iraq by Turkey, which has the second biggest army in NATO, as a bid to assert its influence in the face of increased Russian and Iranian involvement in Syria and Iraq.

"Turkey seems to be angling to prove to the Russians and Iranians that they will not be allowed to have either the Syrian or Iraqi war theatres only to themselves," said Aydin Selcen, former consul general of Turkey in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.

OUR DUTY

The troops arrived on Thursday with tanks and armoured personnel carriers at a camp in territory held by Iraqi Kurds near the Islamic State-held northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Ankara said they were there to help protect a training mission close to the front line.

"It is our duty to provide security for our soldiers providing training there," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview on Turkey's Kanal 24 television.

"Everybody is present in Iraq ... The goal of all of them is clear. Train-and-equip advisory support is being provided. Our presence there is not a secret," he added.

Abadi has called the Turkish deployment a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said Iraq was still waiting for Turkey to respond officially.

"In case we have not received any positive signs before the deadline we set for the Turkish side, then we maintain our legal right to file a complaint to the Security Council to stop this serious violation to Iraqi sovereignty," he said.

A senior Turkish official said Baghdad's objections had come as a surprise: "There was no single development ... that happened without informing the central government."

"The military personnel for training will stay. Not because we want them (there) particularly but because there is a demand from the Iraqi side. The discussion with the central government still continues," the official told reporters.

He said the total number of Turkish troops across Iraq was much less than 1,000 soldiers, with some having arrived from Turkey and others sent to the base from other parts of Iraq.

Islamic State militants overran Mosul, Iraq's main northern city and home to around 2 million people, in June 2014. An expected counter-offensive by Iraqi forces has been repeatedly postponed because they are involved in fighting elsewhere.

The U.S.-led coalition has been staging air strikes on Islamic State bases in both Iraq and Syria for more than a year.

Russia joined the regional conflict with air strikes of its own on Syria two months ago, and like Iran is allied to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, who is opposed by Turkey, the United States and their allies. Turkey shot down a Russian warplane last month, causing a breakdown in relations with Moscow.

IRAQI ULTIMATUM

Brett McGurk, U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy to the global coalition to counter Islamic State, said on Twitter that Washington did not support missions in Iraq without permission of Baghdad, which he said also applied to U.S. missions there.

The camp occupied by the Turkish troops is being used by a force called Hashid Watani, or national mobilisation, made up of mainly Sunni Arab former Iraqi police and volunteers from Mosul.

It is seen as a counterweight to Shi'ite militias that have grown in clout elsewhere in Iraq with Iranian backing, and was formed by former Nineveh governor Atheel al-Nujaifi, who has close relations with Turkey. A small number of Turkish trainers were already there before the latest deployment.

The government of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, whose security forces control the area where the Turks are deployed, backed up Ankara's explanation: Thursday's deployment was intended to expand the capacity of the training base, said Safeen Dizayee, Kurdish government spokesman.

"The increase of personnel requires some protection."

Although Turkey is strongly suspicious of Kurds in Syria, it has good relations with Iraq's Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani.

"Turkey, working through the Nujaifis and the Barzanis, is trying to establish its own sphere of influence in northern Iraq," said Aaron Stein, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

(Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Istanbul, Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad, Orhan Coskun and Tulay Karadeniz in Ankara; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Pravin Char, Peter Millership and Peter Graff)