US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO809

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000809 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/F/A, ECA/PE/V/G/N-ALICE SHIFFLETT; 
SA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT: FY-2003 VOLUNTARY VISITOR PROGRAM: SRI LANKAN 
NOMINATION 
 
 
1. COLOMBO REQUESTS A FUNDED VOLVIS PROGRAM FOR MR. 
IQBAL ATHAS, CONSULTANT EDITOR AND DEFENCE 
CORRESPONDENT, "THE SUNDAY TIMES" (INDEPENDENT ENGLISH 
WEEKENDER, NATIONAL CIRCULATION). ATHAS IS VISITING 
WASHINGTON TO ATTEND THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS AND 
EDITORS ANNUAL CONFERENCE.  AS A TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY 
POST WISHES TO OFFER MR. ATHAS A 10-DAY VOLUNTARY 
VISITOR PROGRAM ON U.S. GOVERNMENT AND ITS POLICIES, 
ESPECIALLY IN DEFENSE, NATIONAL SECURITY, FOREIGN 
POLICY AND ANTI-TERRORISM, STARTING JUNE 9.  PLEASE 
ADVISE IF THIS PROJECT CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR PROGRAMMING. 
 
2. THE NOMINEES' BIO DATA, JUSTIFICATION AND PROGRAM 
SUGGESTIONS IN EVDB FORMAT FOLLOWS: 
 
START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT): 
: The following data is in a fixed format which enables 
: automated processing in Washington and should not be 
: edited except by means of the Post-EVDB software. 
EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.5 
POST-EMAIL: rscmb@pd.state.gov 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS  Colombo 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929 
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA 
START NOMINATION: 
ECA-OFFICE: E/VGN 
PROG-AGENCY-NAME: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 81 
ECA-PROJ-NO: 
PROJ-NAME: Voluntary Visitor - ATHAS, Alavy Iqbal 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Individual 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2003 
DEPART-POST: 06/02/2003 
SESSION-DATE: 
RETURN-POST: 06/29/2003 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 0 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on 
"Democracy".  As a leading journalist Mr. Athas should 
be provided with wide exposure to U.S. government 
policies, especially in foreign policy, defense and 
national security, and anti-terrorism. 
END MEMO POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO POST-RCMD: 
As stated in the justification, Mr. Athas should be 
provided with wide exposure to U.S. government and its 
policies, especially in defense, national security, 
foreign policy, and anti-terrorism.  His program could 
include the following: Meet with officials of the 
Congressional Foreign Relations Committee to get 
comprehensive overview of U.S. foreign policy; provide 
an overview of U.S. political process, the U.S. federal 
system; briefings on U.S. government's goal of 
democracy building and human rights promotion; an 
overview of U.S. national security policy and vital 
security interests; and briefings on U.S. initiatives 
to combat international terrorism and responses to 
threats of terrorism.  He should also meet with 
representatives of the National Security Council, 
Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, 
Office of the Coordinator for Counter Terrorism.  He 
should visit a state capitol to see how the federal 
system works at the state level. 
END MEMO POST-RCMD: 
ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1039 
PROG-AGENCY-ID: 
PROJ-TYPE-ID: IND 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: P 
SUBJ-DISC: Conflict Resolution 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Mr. 
F-NAME: Alavy 
M-NAME: Iqbal 
L-NAME: ATHAS 
SUFFIX: 
POSITION-CODE: 0 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: "Jasmin Court" 
M-ADDR2: 60/1 Wijerama Lane 
M-ADDR3: Udahamulla 
M-CITY: Nugegoda 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-1) 803-923 
M-FAX: (94-1) 801-196 
M-EMAIL: athas@sltnet.lk 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: H 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 09/01/1944 
MAR-STAT: M 
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Consultant Editor - Defence Correspondent, The Sunday 
Times, 1995- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
Colombo correspondent for CNN, Jane's Defence Weekly 
and The Sunday Times, London 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
1994 - Associate Editor, Sunday Leader 
1965-90 - served the now defunct Independent Newspapers 
Ltd., in various positions and ended up as the Deputy 
Editor of Sun and Weekend 
Served for 14 years as Colombo correspondent of London 
based Worldwide Television News (WTN), until it was 
purchased by Associated Press (APTN) 
 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
1988 - To participate in a Multi-Regional Project on 
"The 1988 Election Campaign" 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
He has travelled extensively on business and vacation. 
 His travel includes: 
U.K. France, Cuba, China, Hong Kong, Maldives, India, 
Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Nepal, Malaysia, 
Indonesia and Italy 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
Commonwealth Press Union, U.K., May-August 1978 - 
Fellowship 
Oxford University, U.K., June 1978 - Course on 
Commonwealth and International Affairs 
Thomson Foundation Editorial Study Center, U.K., 
Workshop 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
Member, International Consortium of Investigative 
Journalists (ICIJ) 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: Tamil 
ENGL-READ: 4 
ENGL-SPEAK: 4 
ENGL-COMP: 4 
START OTHER-LANGS: 
OTHER-LANG: Sinhala 
OTHER-LANG-ID: SI 
READ: 4 
SPEAK: 4 
COMP: 4 
END OTHER-LANGS: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on 
"Democracy".  As a leading journalist Mr. Athas should 
be provided with wide exposure to U.S. government 
policies, especially in foreign policy, defense and 
national security, and anti-terrorism. 
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
As stated in the justification, Mr. Athas should be 
provided with a wide exposure to U.S. government and 
its policies, especially in defense, national security, 
foreign policy and anti-terrorism.  His program could 
include the following: Meet with officials of the 
Congressional Foreign Relations Committee to get 
comprehensive overview of U.S. foreign policy; provide 
an overview of U.S. political process, the U.S. federal 
system; briefings on U.S. government's goal of 
democracy building and human rights promotion; an 
overview of U.S. national security policy and vital 
security interests; and briefings on U.S. initiatives 
to combat international terrorism and responses to 
threats of terrorism.  He should also meet with 
representatives of the National Security Council, 
Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, 
Office of the Coordinator for Counter Terrorism.  He 
should visit a state capitol to see how the federal 
system works at the state level. 
END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
START MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
To have a thorough understanding of U.S. federal 
system, foreign policy formulation, defense policy and 
security concerns. 
END MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
START MEMO VIS-REC: 
In addition to what have been incorporated in Post 
recommendations, Post suggests Mr. Athas meet with 
Robin Raphel of the National Defense University to 
discuss a book project he has undertaken. 
END MEMO VIS-REC: 
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Bruce A. Lohof 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Mr. Athas is a very senior journalist in the Sri Lankan 
print media who has specialized as a defence 
correspondent.  He regularly contributes to the widely 
read defence column in "The Sunday Times" newspaper. 
In addition to being the defence correspondent, he is 
also the Consultant Editor of this paper. 
During the prolonged ethnic strife in Sri Lanka he 
received threats from certain elements in the Armed 
Services who did not take too kind to the revelations 
in his column. 
Recognizing his contributions in the field of 
journalism New York-based Committee to Protect 
Journalists (CPJ) awarded him the prestigious Press 
Freedom Award in 1994.  The Editors' Guild of Sri Lanka 
awarded him the 'Journalist of the Year 1998', and the 
'Columnist of the Year 2001'.  He is the only Sri 
Lankan journalist invited as a member in the 
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists 
(ICIJ). 
Mr. Athas is visiting the U.S. to attend the 
Investigative Reporters and Editors Annual Conference 
to be held in  Washington from June 5-8 at the National 
Press Club.  As a target of opportunity, post proposes 
a 10-day funded Volvis program for this highly 
respected Sri Lankan journalist on governmental affairs 
and security issues.  Post believes that this proposed 
Volvis program would provide him with a wide exposure 
to U.S. government and its policies especially in 
defense, national security, foreign policy, and anti- 
terrorism.  This will result in multiplier effect as he 
will use the newly acquired knowledge in his widely 
read column.  If this proposal is accepted, Mr. Athas 
will be available for programming in Washington from 
June 9. 
 
 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Public Affairs Section 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: No 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 116 
PERSON-ID: 119 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: TC 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
NOM-STATUS: N 
DS2019-ACTION: 1 
DS2019-SUBJECT: 
SPONS-FUNDS: 0 
SPONS-AGENCY1: 
USGOVT-AGENCY1: 
US-AGENCY-AMT1: 0 
USGOVT-AGENCY2: 
US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0 
INTL-ORG1: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0 
INTL-ORG2: 
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0 
VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0 
COMMISSION: 0 
OTHER-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-AMOUNT: 0 
VIS-CAT: 5 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
END FIXED-FORMAT TEXT: 
 
3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS NOMINATION. 
WILLS