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| Tiger leader makes defiant speech | Tiger leader makes defiant speech |
| (21 minutes later) | |
| The leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka has said that the government is living in "dreamland" if it expects outright military victory. | The leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka has said that the government is living in "dreamland" if it expects outright military victory. |
| In his annual speech, Velupillai Prabhakaran said that it was "a dream from which they would soon awake". | In his annual speech, Velupillai Prabhakaran said that it was "a dream from which they would soon awake". |
| The speech was made as the army says it is on the verge of capturing the rebels' de facto capital, Kilinochchi. | The speech was made as the army says it is on the verge of capturing the rebels' de facto capital, Kilinochchi. |
| Meanwhile the air force says it attacked a radio station belonging to the Tigers shortly before the speech. | Meanwhile the air force says it attacked a radio station belonging to the Tigers shortly before the speech. |
| An air force spokesman said the rebels' communication centre had been destroyed, but correspondents say it did not stop the speech being broadcast on radio and the internet. | An air force spokesman said the rebels' communication centre had been destroyed, but correspondents say it did not stop the speech being broadcast on radio and the internet. |
| Mr Prabhakaran accused the government of being "committed to a military solution". | |
| He said that the war was becoming "intense and widespread" and that the government was "executing its war plan at full gallop". | |
| KEY DATES IN THE WAR 1983: 13 soldiers killed in one of the first rebel attacks1990: Indian troops leave after unsuccessful peacekeeping mission1991: Tamil Tigers assassinate Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi1993: President Premadasa killed in Tamil Tiger attack1998: Rebels capture Kilinochchi2000: Rebels capture key Elephant Pass base2001: Rebel attack on Colombo airport 2002: Ceasefire leads to inconclusive peace talks2005-2008: Fighting intensifies in north and east | |
| "But our freedom fighters have dedicated themselves to unbending resistance against this war of aggression... with various countries of the world buttressing the genocidal war... we are waging a defensive war for the freedom of our people. | |
| "We have had direct confrontations even against superior powers, stronger than us. We have withstood wave after wave of enemy attacks," he said. | |
| The government has not yet responded to the speech, but it says its forces are on the verge of capturing Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lanka. The town is the administrative centre of the territory controlled by the rebels and correspondents say its loss would be a huge setback for them. | |
| But Mr Prabhakaran appeared to be dismissive of the situation on the battlefield. | |
| "When compared to these happenings of the past, today's challenges are neither novel nor huge. We will face these challenges with the united strength of our people," he said. | |
| The BBC's Roland Buerk in Colombo says that recent years have been disastrous for the Tamil Tigers. | |
| After a ceasefire broke down in mid-2006 they were driven from the east of Sri Lanka. | |
| Much of their arms smuggling fleet was reported as sunk by the navy and now their territory in the north is crumbling. | |
| Every year the rebel leader makes a policy speech on what the rebels call heroes' day, when they commemorate their dead. |