US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO460

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000460 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, SA/PD, S/CT:CBLACK, NEA/NGA, 
DS/DSS/ITA, INR/NESA; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 03-19-13 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, KPAO, ASEC, CE, MV, IZ, External Relations 
SUBJECT:   TFIZ01:  PM negative on possible UNGA 
involvement; Local reaction to situation remains muted 
 
Refs:  (A) State 71552 
-      (B) Colombo-SA/INS 03/18/03 class e-mail 
-      (C) State 70678 
-      (D) Colombo 443, and previous 
-      (E) Colombo 444 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador E. Ashley Wills. 
Reasons: 1.5 (B,D). 
 
1.  (S) SUMMARY:  The PM told the Ambassador that he 
agreed that there was no need for UNGA involvement re 
Iraq.  He said he would look into possibly issuing a 
"constructive" statement re the overall situation. 
Mission has reviewed Department's points re Iraqi intel 
officers, but does not think further action at this time 
is warranted.  In other news, Sri Lanka has closed its 
embassy in Baghdad.  As requested, the GSL has deployed 
security forces to guard Mission homes.  The Maldives 
appears quiet.  There has been a spike in media coverage 
re Iraq and some anti-U.S. rallies are planned, but 
reaction to the situation remains muted.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) RE UNGA INVOLVEMENT:  Mission deployed 
Ref C points re heading off any UNGA involvement re Iraq 
with the Sri Lankan and Maldivian governments on 
March 18.  In a conversation with Prime Minister 
Wickremesinghe that day, the Ambassador reiterated U.S. 
concerns that UNGA or CHR involvement regarding the 
developing situation would not be useful.  The PM said 
he agreed.  He said he had spoken with Sri Lankan UN 
Permrep Mahendran earlier in the day and there had been 
no mention of a possible UNGA session.  He would, 
however, call Mahendran back and tell him to oppose any 
attempt to convoke UNGA.  (Note:  Mission has not yet 
received any reaction to Ref C points from the Maldivian 
government.) 
 
3.  (C) POSSIBLE GSL STATEMENT:  Noting President Bush's 
March 17 speech, the Ambassador also urged the prime 
minister to consider seriously having his government 
issue a statement re the Iraq situation.  The Ambassador 
emphasized that a statement preferably backing or at 
least not criticizing the U.S. stance and underscoring 
Iraq's complete failure to accede to UNSC resolutions re 
disarmament would be helpful.  The PM replied that he 
would look into having the GSL issue a "constructive, 
moderate" statement soon. 
 
4.  (S) IRAQI INTEL OFFICERS:  Mission has reviewed 
latest points re Iraqi intelligence officers contained 
in Ref A, but we do not think further action at this 
time is warranted.  Per earlier interactions with the 
GSL on this issue (see Ref D, et sequence), we are 
convinced that the government is seized with this matter 
and that another formal demarche would not be useful. 
In our day-to-day contacts with the GSL, Mission will 
continue to urge it to remain fully vigilant and to 
reconsider its decision not to expel Iraqi officials. 
 
5.  (U) GSL CLOSES BAGHDAD EMBASSY:  The Sri Lankan MFA 
has confirmed local press reports that Ambassador M.M. 
Amanul Farook and his staff closed the Sri Lankan 
embassy and departed Baghdad earlier this week for 
Amman. 
 
6.  (C) SECURITY FORCES PROTECT MISSION HOMES:  Per 
Ambassador's recent meeting with Interior Minister 
Amaratunga (Ref E), the GSL has begun stationing 
soldiers and police in front of the homes of Mission's 
Amcit employees. 
 
7.  (C) ANTI-U.S. RALLIES:  An anti-U.S. Iraq policy 
rally and march is scheduled to take place after Muslim 
prayers this Friday, March 21, in Colombo.  The "Joint 
Front Against USA's Invasion of Iraq" rally is being 
sponsored by several Muslim groups, elements of the 
Opposition People's Alliance party, and  the radical 
left Janantha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).  As with other 
rallies of a similar nature, up to several thousand 
people will probably take part. (Note:  The JVP -- which 
has taken an anti-U.S. tack re Iraq -- has hundreds of 
loyal cadre, who dutifully turn out for its events.) 
Mission has also received unconfirmed reports that 
smaller rallies are planned for other cities in Sri 
Lanka. 
 
8.  (C) MEDIA COVERAGE:  In light of President Bush's 
speech and the rush of other events, there has been a 
bit of a spike of late in media coverage re the Iraq 
situation.  March 19 coverage of the Iraq story has 
taken various forms:  local reporting, wire service 
stories, the occasional wire service op-ed piece, and -- 
as noted in Para 9 -- three local op-ed pieces. 
Selected articles of particular interest in the March 19 
press included: 
 
- ISLAND (opposition English daily, island-wide 
circulation) put an announcement of a 3/21 anti-American 
rally on the front page.  Inside, the Ceylon Petroleum 
Company was reported to have said "No fuel worry in 
event of Iraq war," and wire service reportage appeared 
under headlines like "Tense wait on the launch pad for 
battle."  The ISLAND also reproduced two anti-war op-ed 
pieces from UK newspapers. 
 
- DAILY MIRROR (independent English daily, island-wide 
circulation) ran a local story, "Lankan envoy leaves 
Baghdad," on its front page, together with a Reuters 
piece, "Saddam spurns Bush ultimatum."  Inside wire 
service pieces included "Powell:  45 nations back US in 
coalition against Iraq" and "France lashes out at US, 
Spain, Britain." 
 
- DAILY NEWS (government-owned English daily, island- 
wide circulation) led its front page with Reuters 
coverage under the headline "Clock ticks towards war in 
the Gulf" and scattered other Reuters pieces in its 
inside pages, including:  "Canada says its forces to 
play no role in Iraq war." 
 
- DIVAINA (opposition Sinhala daily, island-wide 
circulation) published this story above-the-banner: 
"Saddam go - says Bush" and "No, will not go - says 
Iraqi minister."  Other headlines included "American and 
British troops: 270,000...Iraqi troops: 350,000." 
 
- Coverage in THINAKKURAL (independent Tamil daily, 
island-wide circulation) consisted of two stories culled 
from Reuters.  They appeared under the headlines "Bush 
ultimatum for Iraqi president and sons to leave the 
country ..." and "International opposition to American 
action." 
 
- THINAKARAN (government-owned Tamil daily, island-wide 
circulation) relied on a wire service piece, which it 
placed under "Bush gives 48 hours ultimatum to Saddam 
and sons." 
 
9.  (U)  As we have noted in previous media reaction 
reports, the Sri Lankan press, in general, has been 
consistently critical of USG Iraq policy.  In the days 
since the President's speech, that message has not 
softened.  Op-ed items included: 
 
- Under the headline "`The hour has come!' the ides of 
Bush," the DAILY MIRROR wrote on 3/19:  "Since the fall 
of the Soviet Empire...the US and its allies have been 
running, ruling, controlling or manipulating virtually 
the whole world through economic means.  Now they are 
coming out openly and imposing world domination by force 
of arms." 
 
- Under "After twelve midnight," the 3/19 issue of 
DIVAINA said:  "It is very difficult to understand 
Bush's real objective....  Perhaps he wants genuinely to 
destroy WMDs in Iraq or perhaps he wants an American 
pawn in charge of Iraq in order to control access to 
oil.  Perhaps he holds a personal grudge..." 
 
- VIRAKESARI (independent Tamil daily, island-wide 
circulation) editorialized on 3/19:  "People in their 
hundreds of thousands have shown their opposition by 
taking part in demonstrations and rallies.  However, the 
U.S. is not listening to the collective voice of the 
international community..." 
 
10.  (U) MALDIVES:  The Maldives appears quiet.  The 
government has not issued any public statements re the 
developing situation of late, as far as Mission is 
aware.  Mission has also not heard of any rallies or 
demonstrations regarding Iraq.  The government- 
controlled website Haveeru.com is regularly posting AFP 
wire service reports on the situation, but no 
commentary. 
 
11.  (C) COMMENT:  Despite the spike in press coverage, 
local reaction to the Iraq situation remains quite 
muted.  As previously reported, Sri Lankans are almost 
wholly focused on the peace process with the Tamil 
Tigers, including the ongoing sixth round of talks being 
held in Japan (see Septel update).  This process is so 
complicated and tense that it is understandably 
difficult for Sri Lankans to look much beyond it.  That 
said, if war commences, it is possible a new dynamic 
might emerge that would almost certainly include wider 
interest in the situation and possibly herald larger 
anti-U.S. rallies.  In the meantime, Mission is lucky 
that the government -- as evidenced by its quick action 
in deploying security forces to homes -- seems 
committed to protecting U.S. citizens and interests 
fully.  END COMMENT. 
 
12.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS