U.S. Report on Sri Lanka Urges New Approach

By LYDIA POLGREEN

Published: December 6, 2009

NEW DELHI — A report on Sri Lanka to be released next week by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urges a less confrontational approach to that nation, citing strategic American interests in the region.

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But Sri Lanka is too important a country to be isolated from the West, the report argues.

“Sri Lanka is located at the nexus of crucial maritime trading routes in the Indian Ocean connecting Europe and the Middle East to China and the rest of Asia,” the report says. “The United States, India, and China all share an interest in deterring terrorist activity and curbing piracy that could disrupt maritime trade.”

It was not a secret that certain US representatives in Sri Lanka, during the final phase of war against LTTE terrorists, threatened the president with bogus war crime charges. If President Mahinda Rajapakse ever submitted to those undiplomatic requests, it is very likely that we are living under terrorist threats even today. With the help of India, China, and Russia, we successfully defeated their further disgraceful attempts in UN that followed comprehensive defeat of LTTE terrorists. As a result of such overt attempts, a US friendly nation was turned in to a nation not very positive about US. It is very important to maintain good relations with a global power like US, for commercial benefits if not for anything else. Therefore, the proposed non-confrontational approach can be beneficial to everybody. However, it will take a long time to erase the ill memories created by such hostile acts in the most crucial hour of the recent history of Sri Lanka.

Sam (ID 10084374428694513082).

DefenceWire.blogspot.com Resurrected Here!

Dear DefenceWire Bloggers,

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