KILINOCHCHI, Jan 22: Tamil Tigers on Thursday said in their first address to the press after the linking of the party of President Kumaratunga and Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna on Jan 20 , that the LTTE would only wage a war if "we are forced" to, but stressed that they did not foresee a future that bespeaks peace.

"It is clear that the linking of the two chief political parties, which are the second and third force of the country, is a political ruse to arouse the racist thinking of the people. We are, however, not concerned with the politics of the South. What we are concerned is that the people of this country and the Tamil people are allowed to live in freedom," LTTE's political wing chief S. Thamilchelvam said while talking to newsmen.

He said the LTTE was ready to talk peace with whatever political party given power in the south, but said they would first have to be sure of the honesty of that party in catering for the Tamils' aspirations.