mso-bidi-language:
AR-SA"> The government is increasing it's defense budget 50 percent (to $973 million) over 1999. For many years, the government paid little attention to the aggressive LTTE fund raising among Tamil populations in North America, Europe and India. This has enabled the LTTE to buy modern weapons, including better artillery than the army has. This has changed since Elephant Pass fell, and the army got a wake up call.
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