US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO640

S E C R E T COLOMBO 000640 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT, NEA, NEA/NGA, 
DS/DSS/ITA; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
NEW DELHI FOR POL/REGIONAL AFFAIRS 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 04-11-13 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINS, PTER, ASEC, CE, IZ, External Relations 
SUBJECT:  Ambassador urges GSL to expel post-Saddam 
official Iraqis and protect diplomatic property 
 
Refs:  (A) State 93783 
 
-      (B) State 92281 
-      (C) Colombo 623 (All Notal) 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador E. Ashley Wills. 
Reasons 1.5 (B,D). 
 
1.  (S/NF) The Ambassador spoke to Sri Lankan Foreign 
Secretary Nihal Rodrigo on April 11, and reviewed Ref B 
 
SIPDIS 
points re expulsion of post-Saddam official Iraqis and 
suspending the operations of its embassy.  Rodrigo 
replied that the situation was very "confusing" and that 
the GSL was "polling" the views of other South Asian 
countries.  He said that as far as the government was 
aware there were only two Iraqi officials left in the 
country:  Charge Wajdi Mardan Abbas and one other 
person.  (Note:  See Ref C regarding a recent 
communication by Abbas, a known Iraqi intelligence 
operative, to the U.S. Embassy.)  Two other officials 
had recently left the country.  As if he was feeling 
sorry for the Iraqis, Rodrigo commented that Abbas was 
here "with his wife and two children" and the other 
Iraqi official seemed to be a courier. 
 
2.  (S/NF) Ambassador also reviewed Ref A points re 
protecting Iraqi diplomatic property with Rodrigo. 
 
3.  (S/NF) COMMENT:  Rodrigo said the GSL would review 
the issues that the Ambassador raised and get back to us 
shortly.  The Ambassador was left with the strong 
impression that the government did not plan to expel 
Abbas, however.  END COMMENT. 
 
4.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS