JULY 9 - The Clinton administration believes the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is a ruthless and vicious terrorist group and hopes the Sri Lankan government will never again re-enter into negotiations with it.
State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns, in a meeting with correspondents at the Foreign Press Center here Monday, told the Daily News that the LTTE's suicide bomb attack last week that killed 21 people and injured dozens more was ``despicable.''
``It is unfortunately,'' he noted, ``consistent with the past pattern of actions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and I think it goes without saying that at least the United States government believes that one should not negotiate with terrorists.''
Acknowledging that this suicide bomber attack coincided with the LTTE's call to the government of Sri Lanka to enter into a ceasefire and resume negotiations, Burns said that ``terrorists must prove their bonafides by coming to the negotiating table peacefully.''
He however made it clear that it was the Sri Lankan government's prerogative as to whether it wanted to resume negotiations with the LTTE or not, but that if it were left to Washington, it would never negotiate again with a terrorist outfit like the LTTE.
Burns said, ``It is upto the Sri Lankan government to make whatever decisions it wishes on this matter. We are not in a position to give advice or certainly to dictate anything. The Sri Lanka government must consider what's in its own interest,'' he added.
But Burns emphasised that ``as a general rule, the United States itself, certainly will not have productive relations with any terrorist group and will not negotiate with terrorist groups as long as they continue their activities.''
Earlier Burns' deputy, Glyn Davies also condemned the terrorist attack by the LTTE and called upon it to immediately cease ``all acts of terrorism.''
He said that Washington ``condemns the attack'' and ``calls upon the LTTE separatist organization to cease all acts of terrorism.''