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US seeks info on Gota from Fonseka
Monday, 2 November 2009 - 10:55 PM SL Time
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Criticizing a US to move interview Chief of Defence Staff General Sarath Fonseka, now on a short visit to the US, the Sri Lanka government says an attempt is being made to target Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
Highly placed officials say the government is aware of a US move to use General Fonseka as a source against the Defence Secretary, in their investigations targeting the retired infantryman as a possible war crimes suspect.
They said that initially the government believed the US move had been aimed at the Sri Lankan government as it came close on the heels of a recent US State Department report on war crimes, though subsequent inquiries revealed the target of the inquiry was none other than the Defence Secretary.
Nothing could as ridiculous as this as the US forces were facing severe criticism over excesses in Iraq and Afghanistan and cross-border attacks on Pakistan territory using unmanned aerial bombers (drones), sources said.
They said that the Sri Lankan embassy in the US had been advised by law firm Patton Boggs that Sri Lanka could resist the US move to interview General Fonseka in relation to the conduct of the Defence Secretary
An authoritative government official told The Island that General Fonseka was the senior most serving soldier in the Sri Lanka Army and could not be subject to questioning regarding military operations conducted by a sovereign state. Responding to our queries, he said that those who had failed to save LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon last May, were now engaged in a witch hunt.
According to the Sri Lankan embassy in Washington, General Fonseka had alerted Ambassador Jaliya Wickremasuriya regarding the US move after being asked to face an interview by authorities. The embassy has brought this to the notice of the Defence Secretary. The embassy said that initially the US had said that they wanted information regarding the Defence Minister before being told that President Mahinda Rajapaksa held the defence portfolio. Subsequently, the US had said that the target of their inquiry was Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
Sources said that US Immigration and the Department of Homeland Security were involved in the inquiry. The latest US move came within two days after President Mahinda Rajapaksa assured a thorough internal inquiry into the US State Department statement.
Ministerial sources said that a section of the international community was trying to exploit an Opposition allegation that General Fonseka had been sidelined ahead of forthcoming presidential and parliamentary polls. Sources said that this was a transparent attempt to sow dissension among the armed forces, thereby boosting the Opposition campaign against the government.
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rswkv
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 2 Nov 2009 17:05:42 GMT Report for Abuse
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Nothing could as ridiculous as this as the US forces were facing severe criticism over excesses in Iraq and Afghanistan and cross-border attacks on Pakistan territory using unmanned aerial bombers (drones)
SF should ask cross question from those crazy Americans number of civilians they have killed for far in Iraq, Pakistan Afghanistan etc and show them their own stupidity..
America is going to learn politics.. |
Pawan98
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 2 Nov 2009 17:09:51 GMT Report for Abuse
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An authoritative government official told The Island that General Fonseka was the senior most serving soldier in the Sri Lanka Army and could not be subject to questioning regarding military operations conducted by a sovereign state.
The real joke is at one time in the recent past when the Belgians enacted laws to take court action over crimes committed anywhere in the world, the USA threatened to not to send Condoleeza Rice, that time US Secretary, to a Belgian summit fearing she may be forced to face alleged crimes committed by US forces in Iraq. |
magha
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 2 Nov 2009 17:09:59 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Gen Fonseka's green card is due for renewal. Anybody will be asked about military involvement in this process, so State dept is taking the advantage of that ,otherwise they couldn't have questioned Gen Fonseka at all . |
tigerforce
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 2 Nov 2009 17:12:40 GMT Report for Abuse
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It had been clarified during the telephone conversation that the reference to 'Secretary of Defence' relates to Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order of Sri Lanka, revealed Sri Lankan Foreign Minister.
It is pertinent to recall in this regard that Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa's duties as Secretary of that Ministry required his dealing with a situation of a grave onslaught that threatened the integrity of Sri Lanka and which was launched by the LTTE, an organization proscribed by several countries including the United States, for its terrorist activities. The allegations therefore leveled against the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary affect the vital interests of the Government of Sri Lanka and have occupied considerable time and attention of the respective Governments, at the highest levels. In fact, the US Ambassador in Colombo has already been briefed of the decision taken by the President of Sri Lanka to appoint a Panel to consider the matters raised in this Report. This decision by the President stems from Sri Lanka's unbroken commitment as a democratic nation to the Rule of Law, under which allegations are first assessed as to whether they possess any substance meriting further inquiry.
Let me reiterate that this position of the Government of Sri Lanka is based on the following two well founded principles:
Firstly, whatever information General Fonseka may have acquired in the exercise of his official duties is privileged by nature. Therefore, it cannot legally be shared with third parties without the prior approval and consent of the Sri Lanka authorities. The matter under reference has serious implications for the security and welfare of the people of Sri Lanka and the Government of Sri Lanka will under no circumstances, authorize such an illegal act.
Secondly, the action taken by the DHS is not needed, since any issues that may be of concern are already being addressed at the highest levels on the part of both the Government of Sri Lanka and that of the United States. You would recall that I have earlier in my remarks to you, already referred to the briefing given to the US Ambassador, concerning the appointment of a Panel by the President of Sri Lanka.
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DVLADV
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 2 Nov 2009 17:16:55 GMT Report for Abuse
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otherwise they couldn't have questioned Gen Fonseka at all .
So how is it that they were able to question Gota for one hour when he was the Def Sec and was on a diplomatic passport?
US will do what it wants to do. You can only cry about it. |
WBahu
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2 Nov 2009 17:16:55 GMT Report for Abuse
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US seeks info on Gota from Fonseka
Why those so called patriots, keep one leg in USA and other leg in Srilanka.
:(( |
tigerforce
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2 Nov 2009 17:17:39 GMT Report for Abuse
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what ever the outcome mistrust between mahinda and sarath now set for good
private prosecutions against both gotha and sarath now also being initiated in usa. |
tigerforce
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2 Nov 2009 17:20:18 GMT Report for Abuse
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prabha faught and died
these guys will now face untold humiliation/gotha and basil going to india on friday /to get indian help to save them. |
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2 Nov 2009 17:00:49 GMT