Abstract

Sri Lanka's Eelam wars against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) going on for over two decades, hold a number of strategic lessons for other countries. These include issues such as conflict management strategies, impact of globalization on conflict, impact of global war on terror, soft issues critical to counterinsurgency, the limits of international intervention and the use of expatriate population in such conflicts. The Sri Lankan wars make it clear that in addition to military strategy, evolving national consensus with a political agenda in tandem is essential to evolve a lasting solution. As a result of globalization, in future, local wars are more likely to spill over across the borders, with the insurgents using sympathetic expatriate population to their advantage. To combat such insurgencies, states can use the international protocols evolved as part of the global war on terror. For best and enduring results, both sides should preferably meet directly and evolve a framework on a time-based agenda.