COLOMBO, MAY 29: Amidst intense fighting in the Jaffna peninsula, the Sri Lankan navy for the first time in six weeks of war destroyed LTTE boats carrying arms and ammunition for Tamil rebels. Meanwhile, the United States asked the guerrillas to halt their operation and join peace talks with the government to reach a political solution to the ethnic conflict.As the LTTE, in an attempt to boost the depleting numbers of its cadre, began a massive conscription drive in the area under its control, visiting US Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering held talks with the Sri Lankan leadership and formally ruled out any support for Eelam, a separate state for Tamils.Pickering, after holding talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadrigamar, told reporters, "I would like to see talks (between the government and LTTE) right away."He said the US was firmly against formation of a separate Tamil state which could pose 'galloping' problems for India which has a large Tamil population.Ruling out a military solution to the ethnic conflict, the top US official said that US and India jointly supported the Norwegian peace efforts.Pickering, who was in New Delhi last week, said that India was not dithering by not extending military support to Sri Lanka but was actively co-ordinating with Norway to find a political solution to the problem.
