Month: March 2016

The Island gives a front page slot my latest response to their absurdly slanted (and continuing) coverage of Norway’s peace facilitation role in the Sri Lankan conflict. (Probably not the last of either . . .) A NATO role in failed Norwegian peace bid and costly propaganda projects’ – a response March 29, 2016 Once again I find myself in the position of replying to your columnist Shamindra Ferdinando, this time with respect to his 23 March 2016 column ‘A NATO role in failed Norwegian peace bid and costly propaganda projects’. In a column peppered with grandiose, and in several… More

Anyone who’s ever visited this amazing primeval forest – the last such left in Europe – home to both its native bison and an amazing array of flora and fauna, knows this is a truly catastrophic decision. Along with Polish democracy, high time to save the puszcza Białowieża! Poland approves large-scale logging in Europe’s last primeval forest Greenpeace accuses government of ignoring scientists over fate of Białowieża woodland, home to 20,000 animal species and Europe’s tallest trees. AFP, Mar 26, 2016 Poland has approved large-scale logging in Europe’s last primeval woodland in a bid to combat a beetle infestation despite… More

Former ISIS commander Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who ordered fighters to ‘shoot into crowds’ of civilians  Here’s a revealing BBC Panorama backgrounder on the continuing international intelligence scramble to try and head off the current wave of IS attacks in Europe. IS in Europe: The race to the death By Peter Taylor, John O’Kane and Ceri Isfryn. BBC News, 23 March 2016 Tuesday’s devastating attacks in Brussels, in which more than 30 people died and scores were injured, are the latest phase of the war on Europe declared by the so-called Islamic State. The attacks cast a dark shadow over last week’s… More

Film of The Colombo Book Launch The video quality isn’t exactly pristine, but the audio is actually pretty good – certainly more than enough to catch the main contours of the discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf5XfudbUB8

CR Joint Analysis Workshop Report Here’s my report from a recent Conciliation Resources ‘Joint Analysis Workshop’ held in the context of the ‘Peacebuiling and Reconciliation’ Accord Insight publication on the same theme for which they have invited me to act as Specialist Editor. Web page includes some great video interviews with some of the key participants too! http://www.c-r.org/resources/joint-analysis-workshop-peacebuilding-and-reconciliation

Here’s an India-focused report from the recent launch of my Sri Lanka book in New Delhi. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur. (AP File Photo) ‘Killing Rajiv Gandhi Was LTTE’s Biggest Mistake’, Leader Reportedly Said All India | Indo-Asian News Service: March 10, 2016 New Delhi:  Assassinating former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was the Tamil Tigers’ biggest mistake, a new book quotes the late LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham as saying. Balasingham told Norway’s former Special Envoy to Sri Lanka Erik Solheim that LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his feared intelligence chief… More

Rejecting ‘point scoring’ on the Sri Lankan conflict In response newspaper The Island‘s report of my recent Colombo book launch event, earlier this week I sent in this critical letter of response to the editor. Today it ends up being published in the paper – as a front page feature, no less! Mark Salter rejects ‘point scoring’ on SL conflict The Island, March 18, 2016 I write in response to Shamindra Ferdinando’s 9 March column for The Island – ‘Failed Norwegian peace bid in SL: Different perspectives, glaring omissions’. I welcome the coverage the column gives to the recent (3… More

CR Joint Analysis Workshop My report from the recent Conciliation Resources Workshop on ‘Peacebuiling and Reconciliation’.Great video interviews with some key participanmts too! http://www.c-r.org/resources/joint-analysis-workshop-peacebuilding-and-reconciliation

Sudar Oli Interview Well, I’m simply going to have to trust the veracity of this interview – although given the obvious quality of Sudar Oli Editor Arun Arokianathan who conducted it, I don’t think I need have too many qualms on that score . . . .

Delhi Book Launch (9 March) The final Indian launch for my new book on Sri Lanka, held at the India International Centre in Delhi. High-level panel and group of participants, thoughtful discussion of the lessons learned from Norway – and earlier India’s – experience in Sri Lanka. Many thanks to Lalit Mansingh and colleagues at the Forum for Strategic Initiatives (FSI) for hosting and organizing the event.