September 8, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Saani29,1423

COLOMBO, Sept 7: The United States said on Friday that despite lifting of Sri Lankan government’s ban on LTTE, it would refrain from doing so “until and unless the Tigers renounced terrorism in words and deeds”.

However, in a press release issued here by the US embassy, it expressed support for the Sri Lankan government’s decision to lift the local ban on the LTTE.

Earlier, Britain and India had said that they would not lift the ban on the LTTE.

WARNING: President Chandrika Kumaratunga has warned Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday that the LTTE had moved long-range guns to positions within a striking distance of the Trincomalee naval base.