The Sri Lankan government has made headlines across the world
after ending the 25-year Tamil Tiger rebellion, a victory that
The Washington Post's editorial board called a rare and
"reversal of fortunes." But what does it tell us about other
struggles? While the United States grapples with two wars abroad
against fierce insurgents, one school of thought is that Sri
Lanka has proved something. But did Sri Lanka really set an
example? Yes, according to this editorial in the Wall Street
Journal. Four years ago, the newly elected government under
Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to launch a fullscale military
offensive against the Tamil Tigers, investing massive amount of
resources in military and counterinsurgency resources. That very
determination, according to the Journal, gave Sri Lanka an edge
against one of the most skillful insurgents ultimately defeating
them. No, writes Bobby Ghosh of Time. While Sri Lanka might have
set a great standard militarily, Ghosh thinks that other
countries fighting insurgency should n