By SHYAM TEKWANI

THE fall from grace of the Tamil Tigers' all-powerful chief began after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, which brought terrorism sharply onto the global agenda.

Velupillai Prabhakaran - who was killed on Monday as the Sri Lankan military seized the last shred of territory held by the insurgents - tried to adapt to changed circumstances.

He declared a ceasefire, came out of hiding and sued for peace under Norwegian facilitation.

On Tiger-linked websites, all material that could be deemed offensive in the new environment (virtual training camps where one could learn to forge a passport or make a bomb, for example) was removed.

He also wore safari suits to mould himself in the image of Mr Nelson Mandela, the South African statesman he quoted profusely on Tiger-controlled websites and in conversations.

But his first and only international press conference in April 2002 at his administrative headquarters in Kilinochchi was a disaster.

He seemed bewildered and clearly out of his depth facing a mixed pack of journalists. His makeover as statesman failed to impress anyone.

Fumbling, he soon chose the safer option of avoiding all questions - mostly related to the murder of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and his demand for a separate state - and passed the microphone to his interpreter.

In the end, a ceasefire - and peace - could not hold. Prabhakaran's last mistake was enforcing a boycott in Tiger territory of national elections in 2005, which enabled a hawkish new President,MrMahinda Rajapakse, to come to power.

The new regime bankrolled a bigger, more formidable army, whose offensive led to the Tigers' destruction.

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