Monday, February 05, 2007

The Long Reach of Terrorism

There are millions of people around the world who have fled their native lands to escape sectarian violence and terrorism. The Times reports that the terrorists in their homeland are tracking them down:

"Sri Lankan Tamils living in Britain say that they are being intimidated into handing over “donations” of up to £50,000 to support rebel operations in their homeland.

"Tamil immigrants in London told The Times that they had been approached by representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), better known as the Tamil Tigers, and asked for funds. Some of those who refused were harassed and warned about the safety of relatives in Sri Lanka.

"In Britain the Tigers are proscribed as a terrorist organisation, blamed for prolonging Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war. They are banned from raising funds or holding meetings."

The greater question, however, is, if these terrorists can extort money from refugees in the West what else can the terrorists coerce them into doing? Nobody, it seems, is beyond the long reach of terrorism.

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