OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 94 (06-23-03)

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
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