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Suresh Sriskandarajah, Tamil Tigers, LTTE

University awarded terrorism just part of Business 101 in Canada?



Suresh Sriskandarajah Canada holds a different opinion about Tamil Tiger terrorists than do the European Union and the United States. On September 27 2005, the European Union declared its “condemnation of the continuing use of violence and terrorism by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam” (LTTE) (and the) “continuing recruitment and retention of child soldier cadres by the LTTE.” The EU has banned members of that organization from visiting any European Union member state and the United Kingdom, the United States and India have designated the LTTE, better known as Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organization.

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Former Prime Minister Paul Martin and several of his MPs have broken bread with the Tamils in Toronto on a couple of occasions, during actual LTTE fundraising events. There is little room for error in significant financial support coming from Canada for the LTTE. Before he was assassinated in August of 2005, the late Lakshman Kadirgamar, Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka wrote in a report: “At one time it was reported that the LTTE raised approximately $200,000 a month from the Tamil community in Canada” and “the argument that banning the LTTE would hamper the peace process does not stand.” In Canada, the support of LTTE terrorism, it would seem, has now seeped down to the university level. How else to explain that an MBA student accused of setting up an elaborate terrorism-support network has been awarded a $5,000 prize for his…”entrepreneurial acumen”? In fact after joining Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo only one year ago, Suresh Sriskandarajah became--the first and only winner of the university’s “CIBC leaders of entrepreneurship award”. CIBC is the acronym of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. “Two years ago, the arrest of the 26-year-old Canadian university student made headlines amid allegations he was known simply as “Waterloo Suresh” to Tamil Tiger figures overseas.” (Globe and Mail, May 30, 2008). “Suresh Sriskandarajah continues to be wanted in the United States to face charges that he set up enterprises to acquire $22,000 worth of sensitive warship-building software for the guerrillas.” Now hailed as a “model student” by officials at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Sriskandarajah stands further accused of dispatching smugglers from Canada to Sri Lanka, urging them to pack computer equipment under layers of “teddies and chocolates” to throw off detection. Somebody conniving as all that should not have too much difficulty coming on like Wilfred Laurier University’s Golden Boy in the discipline of “Business Studies”. While U.S. authorities cool their proverbial heels waiting for the outcome of Sriskandarajah’s extradition hearings, he spends his time doing graduate work in Ontario. Sriskandarajah was one of only 13 students to be recognized by corporate donors and university officials. The $5,000 prize was bestowed upon him as “one of the most accomplished business students in a school known for business studies.” Terrorism per chance will now be the latest rage in university business studies? Here’s the university proffered justification behind the award going to an accused terrorist: The ongoing MBA studies are distinct from the alleged activities Sriskandarajah is accused of engaging in while at the University of Waterloo, where he pursued an engineering degree and was involved in a Tamil student group. “After months of investigation, the United States asked Canadian police to arrest him in August, 2006, charging that he (was) among 10 highly significant North American agents for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, according to the Globe and Mail article. Paul Martin and Company notwithstanding, the LTTE, is banned as a terrorist entity in Canada. Interesting to note that most of the Canadian activities in which Sriskandarajah was allegedly involved, occurred before Canada’s Conservative government blacklisted the LTTE as a terrorist group in the spring of 2006. “You idiots already told way too much people…Pack up properly!” he allegedly wrote in one intercepted e-mail. “Tell them Waterloo Suresh sent you. I need to know that you arrived safely, more important all the things got there safely.” Of his Laurier award this is what Waterloo Suresh had to say for himself: “Education is important to me and my supportive family. Therefore, I decided to return to school to make the best of my free time with an optimistic hope for the future.” Laurier spokesman Kevin Crowley said the school “recognizes the legal principle of the presumption of innocence” until proven guilty. Then why not wait to bestow the award after Sriskandarajah proves himself in court? Meanwhile, welcome to Canada where terrorism is just another form of business you might win awards for in school.


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Judi McLeod -- Bio and Archives -- Judi McLeod, Founder, Owner and Editor of Canada Free Press, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in the print and online media. A former Toronto Sun columnist, she also worked for the Kingston Whig Standard. Her work has appeared throughout the ‘Net, including on Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.

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