US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1687

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001687 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OFFICIAL INFORMAL 
 
FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  09/29/13 
TAGS: AMGT, CE, MV 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 142 (09/29/03) 
 
CLASSIFIED BY DCM JAMES F. ENTWISTLE FOR REASONS 1.5 b and 
d. 
 
CONTENTS: FTA 
-         PM UNGA COMMENTS ON IRAQ 
 
FTA 
--- 
 
1.  (C) FYI, we are sending a front channel based on our 
conversation today with Jim Robertson regarding the GSL 
analysis of the Chile and Singapore FTAs.  It appears the 
GSL may believe they are further along than we previously 
thought.  According to Jim, Ambassador Subasinghe is meeting 
at 1630 today in Washington with USTR and Ashley Wills and 
will be handing a draft negotiating document for their 
consideration (we do not yet have a copy).  Sorry for the 
late notice, but hopefully we are at least a couple hours 
ahead of the curve.  (ECON) 
 
PM UNGA COMMENTS ON IRAQ 
------------------------ 
 
2.  (C) We wanted to be sure that all parties in Washington 
had caught the supportive language on Iraq in Ranil's UNGA 
speech: 
 
"There are members in this hall today who believe 
passionately that the US and their allies were wrong in 
intervening in Iraq.  Then there are those of us who feel 
that the US and their allies had no choice but to intervene, 
that the failure of the UN had created the need for a world 
policeman however reluctant it might be." 
 
This has created a lot of editorial flap here over the 
weekend, in some cases bundled with criticism of Sri Lanka's 
support for us at Cancun and then cited as an example of how 
the PM is a lapdog of "the West."  (DCM) 
 
LUNSTEAD