A combination of four factors namely weather, tiger resistance, Indian concern and the Governments professed commitment for civilian safety has served to circumscribe Colombo`s intention of waging an all out war to take Kilinochchi.There was a moment when it could have done so. Colombo failed to seize the moment. That moment has now seemingly passed. At the moment the long awaited mother of all battles for Kilinochchi taking place seems a remote possibility. Even the anticipated fall of Kilinochchi seems unlikely to occur.

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein captured the world`s imagination with his prediction about the `Mother of all battles` in 1991 after seizing Kuwait.

The much-awaited mother of all battles turned out to be damp squib. It was a case of beginning with a tremendous bang and ending in a pathetic whimper.

Recent hype in sections of the media about the seizure of Kilinochchi preceded by a fierce battle, brings back memories of the mother of all battles that never occurred.

If current politico military realities are taken into account all indicators are that the anticipated mother of all battles for Kilinochchi may not take place after all.

Multiple factors such as the serious concern evinced by New Delhi about the safety and security of Tamil civilians, the onset of North Eastern monsoon rains, the defensive measures set in motion by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the pragmatically flexible military approach adopted by the Sri Lankan armed forces are leading to a dicey situation where Kilinochchi`s fate could be uncertain.

Kilinochchi was a fast developing town in the Northern mainland until the ethnic conflict escalated. The town lies alongside the Jaffna Kandy trunk road known as the A 9 Highway

It was earlier part of the Jaffna administrative district. Kilinochchi was re- demarcated as a separate administrative district with Kilinochchi town as its capital.

The name Kilinochchi is derived from kili meaning parrot and the tree nochchi (vitex negundo). Kilinochchi district is a sprawling agrarian region extending even into the Jaffna peninsula in the form of Pachchilaipalli AGA division.

Although Kilinochchi is a separate administrative district, it is also an electoral division forming part of the Jaffna electoral district when it comes to polls.

It could be seen therefore that the name Kilinochchi refers to the town, administrative district, electoral division and in a general sense the outlying region.

In recent times, Kilinochchi shot to fame when it became the de facto administrative capital of LTTE controlled territory in the North.

Kilinochchi itself was wrested back by the tigers from Government control in 1998 through phase two of the LTTE military operation codenamed Oyatha Alaigal or ceaseless waves.