President Mahinda Rajapaksa has, in an interview with the Strait Times, called former Army Commander and presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka a fool who should have known better than to venture into politics. We beg to differ. We think the much decorated soldier who led the Sri Lankan army to victory in a fierce war on terror is not a fool but he made a fool of himself by falling for the wiles of some bankrupt politicians who wanted to save their skin.

Gen. Fonseka’s biggest mistake, as President Rajapaksa has pointed out, is that he failed to realise politics was a different ball game. Having led a regimented life as a military man, he may have expected politicians also to behave like his troops and deliver. When a commander barks out an order for his army to stand to attention, all the troops fall in line without exception. But, such compliance is a rarity in politics. He also turned a blind eye to the fact that the army’s success in war had been due to a team effort rather than his own and in politics he would have to take on his team mates who had been instrumental in winning the war. Full Story