SRI LANKAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REQUESTS INFORMATION

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001777 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REQUESTS INFORMATION ON REPORTED HOSTAGE ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador Pamela Deen, the Director General of the Americas Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contacted the Ambassador on October 29 to request U.S. assistance in obtaining information on a Sri Lankan reportedly abducted in Iraq on October 28. The Ministry learned of the report from the CNN website, which reported that a Sri Lankan and a Bangladeshi, employees of a company in Kuwait, had been seized as they were traveling to a U.S. military base by a group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq. Noting that Sri Lanka has no diplomatic representation in Iraq, Ambassador Deen requested U.S. assistance in confirming the abduction and obtaining any additional information possible about the incident. ¶2. (SBU) Action Request: Please advise what information, if any, we can pass on to the Sri Lankan government. LUNSTEAD