US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO35

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2015 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, CE, IN, Tsunami, External Relations 
SUBJECT: MILITARY COOPERATION IN THE RELIEF EFFORT IN SRI 
LANKA 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. Reason:  1.4 (B, D). 
 
1.  (C)  There has been much discussion about how to ensure 
that we use our military participation in relief efforts to 
strengthen our mil-to-mil relationships with other 
participants, and in particular with India.  We offer here a 
perspective on what is happening on the ground in Sri Lanka. 
A coordination mechanism for all foreign militaries working 
on relief here has been in place since Saturday.  This was a 
US initiative, and the group was convened by our DATT.  This 
takes the form of a daily coordination meeting among the 
DATT's/other reps of all countries with military assistance 
efforts here.  The Indians enthusiastically participate in 
this meeting.  We are also inviting India and other 
countries, as well as Sri Lanka, to send Liaison Officers to 
sit with our Command Center. 
 
2.  (C)  In dealing with this issue, we must remain aware of 
Sri Lanka sensitivities.  When I told the Foreign Secretary 
that we intended to send military forces to assist in the 
relief effort, one of his first questions was:  "This is not 
part of the Core Group, is it?"  What he was really saying 
was that he did not want this to be some sort of Indo-US 
condominium.  I assured him that we coordinate with the 
Indians, but that they were separate efforts. 
 
3.  (C)  On the ground here, while we have excellent 
relationships with the Indians, they are also very careful to 
assert their own independence.  The High Commissioner has 
made it plain that on the civilian side, she is ready to 
share information, but does not want any greater 
cooperation/coordination than that.  When a number of 
bilateral donors formed a coordination group and nominated 
one member to be their liaison with the GSL, she emphatically 
stated that "Indian will not let anyone represent us." 
 
4.  (C)  It has been an extremely arduous task to get our own 
military relief effort up and running.  We have now agreed 
with the GSL on how to proceed, where to put our troops and 
their equipment, etc.  So we are almost there and will be 
able to move forward quickly as soon as the ESG gets here. 
We have excellent communication and coordination with the 
Indians and other countries with military forces here. 
Attempts to turn this into some sort of joint (as opposed to 
cooperative) effort would mean starting all over again.  And 
I do not know if the GSL would think favorably of that 
concept. 
 
5.  (C)  The bottom line is:  things are working well here. 
We and the Indians are good buddies and share all 
information.  Our mil program is about to get off the ground. 
 Let's not try to fix something that is not broken. 
LUNSTEAD