US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1093

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OFFICIAL INFORMAL 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O.  12958:  DECL: 06-23-13 
TAGS: AMGT, CE, MV, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 94  (06-23-03) 
 
Classified by Donald A. Camp, Charge d'Affaires, 
Reasons:  1.5 (b,d) 
 
CONTENTS:   KILLING IN COLOMBO AREA 
-           IRAQI CHARGE COMMENTS 
-           IMPLEMENTING THE NON-SURRENDER ACCORDS 
-           PRESS PLAY RE PM MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT 
-           PRESS PLAY RE PA-LTTE MEETING 
-           EXPORT LICENSE DELAY 
-           CHARGE CAMP IS HERE 
 
KILLING IN COLOMBO AREA 
----------------------- 
1.  (C) We just received late word that a police officer 
was gunned down in the greater Colombo area earlier today 
(June 23).  After taking cyanide, the suspect was 
arrested and is now in the hospital.  The inspector who 
was killed, Sunil Thabrew, had reportedly been heavily 
involved in investigating the numerous killings of 
military informants of Tamil ethnicity that have taken 
place in past weeks and months.  Given this link, 
Thabrew's killing seems to be related to the recent spate 
of killings of Tamil opponents of the LTTE that Mission 
has been reporting on (see Colombo 1078, and previous). 
The fact that a police officer has now been killed (with 
the LTTE the apparent culprit) and that the killing took 
place in the greater Colombo area will be seen by many as 
an escalation in such violence.  The fact that the 
inspector was Sinhalese also will not please the majority 
community.  The Ops Center just called about the slaying 
and we briefed them on what we knew.  We will be 
providing more information on the incident tomorrow (June 
24).  (POL/RSO) 
 
IRAQI CHARGE COMMENTS 
--------------------- 
2.  (C) Please pass this information to NEA and DoD: 
Polchief received a phone call on June 20 from Iraqi 
Charge Wajdi Mardan Abbas requesting an immediate meeting 
to discuss an "urgent" matter.  (Note:  Abbas had been 
interviewed several times before by Ambassador Wills, DCM 
and RSO, and other USG officials -- see previous 
reporting.)  RSO met with Abbas late June 20. 
 
3.  (C) Abbas had just returned from what he said were 
two "very discouraging" weeks in Baghdad.  (Note:  He 
stated that Amb. Bremer and the interim authority had 
recalled all Iraqi COMs for Baghdad meetings.)  He 
started his comments by incidentally complaining about 
conditions in Baghdad:  lack of water; reliable power; 
lawlessness and a sense of general instability, etc.  He 
asserted that the coalition had already lost the 
initiative in terms of winning hearts and minds...that 
the mood of the people was becoming impatient with the 
slow progress toward the return of essential services. 
His real (and apparently to him -- "urgent") comments 
dealt with what he said was Amb. Bremer's plan to close 
32 of the current 64 Iraqi missions.  He complained that 
the decision to close a mission should be an "Iraqi 
Government" decision.  He asked, who would be responsible 
for the diplomatic properties, equipment, documents and 
consular services?  He opined that a decision to close 
half the Iraqi Embassies worldwide would not be viewed 
favorably in the Arab world.  Lastly, Abbas wanted to 
ensure that this message was passed to Washington.  RSO 
advised him that the message would be sent, and asked him 
what he would do if he was ordered home?  Abbas said he 
didn't know.  It was unlikely that he would go back to 
Baghdad, as "...things are too unstable.  Maybe I'll 
retire and go somewhere else."  (RSO/POL) 
 
IMPLEMENTING THE NON-SURRENDER ACCORDS 
-------------------------------------- 
4.   (SBU) We received the e-mail with the draft entry 
into force diplomatic notes for the non-surrender accords 
put together by L (Jim Waller Joe Novak 06-20-03 class 
e-mail).  We will be working on this matter with the GoRM 
and the GSL in the next several days.  IMPORTANT -- 
Please note that both the GoRM and the GSL have now told 
us that they consider the agreements to be in force. 
(Note:  For the Maldives, the agreement came into force 
as an executive decree per President Gayoom's decision. 
For Sri Lanka, the agreement came into force after the 
Cabinet agreed on the matter.)  (POL) 
 
PRESS PLAY RE PM MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT 
------------------------------------------- 
5.  (SBU) Just want to flag that there has been some 
press play here in the past several days to the effect 
that President Bush has agreed to meet PM Wickremesinghe 
on the margins of UNGA this September.  The information 
in the articles was not sourced.  When the leadership 
gets back from London, we will warn them against any such 
speculation.  (POL) 
PRESS PLAY RE PA-LTTE MEETING 
----------------------------- 
6.  (SBU) There has also been some press play in the past 
several days asserting that Tiger officials secretly met 
with members of President Kumaratunga's People's Alliance 
(PA) party in recent days.  The PA denies the stories, 
but we just wanted to flag the reports.  If there was 
such a meeting, by the way, it would -- if we recall 
correctly --  be just about the first meeting the PA has 
had with the Tigers since the advent of the peace 
process.  (POL) 
 
EXPORT LICENSE DELAY 
-------------------- 
7. (SBU) An American company, FXC Corporation, has a 
contract to supply the Sri Lankan Army with parachutes. 
The export license application has been in the works for 
over 8 months, and they're about to request a second 
extension on their Letter of Credit.  Could you please 
get in touch with the appropriate office and check on the 
status of application number 866792, submitted over the 
Internet on October 5, 2002?  Many thanks. (COMM) 
 
CHARGE CAMP IS HERE 
------------------- 
8.  (U) Don Camp arrived in Colombo very early this 
morning and has assumed charge. 
 
CAMP