Two linked to Tigers fighting extradition

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/linked+Tigers+fighting+extradition/3553372/story.html

Stewart Bell, National Post · Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010
Two Canadians wanted by the United States for allegedly helping supply Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels asked the Ontario appeal court on Monday to overturn their extradition orders.
Pratheepan Nadarajah and Suresh Sriskandarajah surrendered to authorities on Sunday night to face possible extradition to New York to stand trial on terrorism-related charges.
Their lawyers appeared in a Toronto courtroom on Monday to ask the Ontario Court of Appeal to set aside a 2009 ruling that found there was sufficient evidence to justify their extradition to the United States.
U.S. prosecutors have charged Mr. Nadarajah with attempting to buy $1-million worth of missiles and AK-47s for the Tamil Tigers. Mr. Sriskandarajah is accused of laundering money and conspiring to procure equipment for the rebels.
But John Norris said there was no evidence Mr. Sriskandarajah was aware the people he was dealing with were senior members of the Tamil Tigers or that what he was doing was for terrorist purposes.
"I think it comes down to speculation," he said outside the courtroom. "Sure you can conjure up a story where, of course, he knew who he was dealing with and why he was dealing with them, but that's not what this process is about."
He also said Mr. Sriskandarajah should not be extradited because the alleged criminal conduct had occurred in Canada. "Our main concern is that there is really no link to the United States at all," he said. "This is something that, if anybody should be prosecuting, it should be Canada."
Both men were arrested in 2006 following a joint RCMP FBI investigation called Project ONeedle. Three other Canadians have already pleaded guilty to involvement in the missile plot. A sixth Canadian who allegedly conspired with Mr. Sriskandarajah, Ramanan Mylvaganam, has already been extradited.
The case has its origins in Sri Lanka's civil war. The Tamil Tigers waged a decades-long fight for independence. To arms themselves, the rebels raised money and shopped for weapons around the world.
On Aug. 18, 2006, Mr. Nadarajah, a Sri Lankan-born resident of Brampton and three other Canadians, left Toronto by car for Long Island, N.Y. At the border, Mr. Nadarajah was denied entry to the United States.
The other three continued on without him to New York to meet a man they thought was a black market arms dealer but who was actually an undercover police informant. The three Canadians examined a Russian SA-18 missile and were arrested after making a deal to buy a shipment of them. Although Mr. Nadarajah wasn't there, the other conspirators referred to him as their technical expert.
Known as "Waterloo Suresh," Mr. Sriskandarajah, 30, allegedly helped the Tamil rebels purchase night vision goggles and submarine and warship design software. He also allegedly helped smuggle equipment into rebel-territory.
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