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03 October 2003

U.S. Says LTTE Is Continuing Terrorist Activities

Sets renunciation of terror as condition for acceptance as legitimate political entity

The United States has determined that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), although engaged in a peace process with the Sri Lankan government, continues to engage in terrorist activities and will therefore be subject to U.S. sanctions under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

According to an October 2 statement by State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage recently told visiting Sri Lankan Minister Milinda Moragoda that the U.S. government can revoke LTTE's designation as a foreign terrorist organization and is prepared to deal with the group as a legitimate political entity as soon as it "renounces terrorism and ceases terrorist acts."

Following is the text of Boucher's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
October 2, 2003 2003/1002

STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

Sri Lanka: Status of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Although the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are engaged in a peace process with the government of Sri Lanka - a process that the United States fully supports - the United States has determined that the LTTE continues to engage in terrorist activities. The United States, therefore, today re-designated the LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended.

In a meeting held Monday, September 29, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told visiting Sri Lankan Minister Milinda Moragoda that the United States can revoke this designation at any time provided we are satisfied the organization no longer meets the statutory criteria for designation as an FTO. The Deputy Secretary told Minister Moragoda that the United States will consider revoking the LTTE designation as an FTO and will be prepared to deal with the group as a legitimate political entity in Sri Lanka only after the organization renounces terrorism and ceases terrorist acts.

The United States looks forward to a timely resumption of peace talks in Sri Lanka and hopes that proposals by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for an interim administration in the North and East of the country will be reasonable and practical enough to form the basis for resuming talks.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)