Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06COLOMBO123
2006-12-22 10:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
AMBASSADOR BRIEFS INDIANHIGH COMMISSIONER ON
how-toVZCZCXRO2373 PP RUEHBI DE RUEHLM #2123/01 3561005 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 221005Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5011 INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0409 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6665 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4725 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3413 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 3505 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0969 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0302 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2587 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0094 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0167 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 7229 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 5001 RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 0094 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEV 1637 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0514
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 00123
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS, USPACOM FOR FP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PTE MARR CE IN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR BRIEFS INDIANHIGH COMMISSIONER ON
U.S.-SRI LANKAN MILITARY DISUSSIONS
REF: 190653Z DEC 06
Classified By: Abassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. for reasons
1.4 (b and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 00123
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS, USPACOM FOR FP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PTE MARR CE IN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR BRIEFS INDIANHIGH COMMISSIONER ON
U.S.-SRI LANKAN MILITARY DISUSSIONS
REF: 190653Z DEC 06
Classified By: Abassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. for reasons
1.4 (b and (d).
1. (C) Ambassador hosted a one-on-on lunch for Indian High
Commissioner Alok Prasad n December 22, hours after Prasad
presented his credentials to President Rajapakse. The
Ambassado told Prasad that he and his Embassy colleagues
looked forward to working very closely with Prasad and his
mission to share information and coordinate our messages to
the Government of Sri Lanka, since the U.S. and India share
virtually identical interests in Sri Lanka. Prasad fully
endorsed the importance of very close coordination, noting
that the U.S. and India were the most influential countries
in Sri Lanka and therefore should work closely to ensure
maximum impact.
2. (C) The Ambassador briefed Prasad on the request the
Embassy had received earlier in the week from the Sri Lankan
Navy Commander for USG assistance in locating and
interdicting three LTTE ships believed to be 600 nautical
miles south of Sri Lanka (ref). Ambassador told Prasad he
had received the Navy Commander's blessing to brief Prasad on
the Sri Lankan request since the USG wanted to be transparent
with India, both because of our close bilateral relations,
but also because the Indian Navy was active throughout the
southern Indian Ocean making close coordination a must. The
Ambassador noted that PACOM was now studying what the US
military might do to respond to the Sri Lankan request. The
Ambassador told Prasad the Sri Lankans had not approached the
Indians directly because they believe that Tamil Nadu
politics would likely preclude Indian action on this matter.
That said, Ambassador noted that President Bush and PM Singh
had agreed during the President's visit to India earlier in
the year that maritime cooperation on such matters as piracy
and smuggling marked a promising new area in which to expand
cooperation. Cooperation to help Sri Lanka interdict LTTE
arms shipments would be an equally promising area for
cooperation. If India was interested in helping the U.S. and
Sri Lanka regarding the three LTTE ships, the U.S. would be
open to such cooperation. Prasad thanked the Ambassador for
letting him know about the Sri Lankan request, promised to
report this back to Delhi, but did not venture an opinion on
whether India might want to participate.
3. (C) Ambassador also briefed Prasad that he had asked the
Sri Lankan Navy Commander to brief the Indian High Commission
on USG plans to install by mid-2007 land-based radars in
Trincomalee, Point Pedro (Jaffna) and Mannar to improve Sri
Lanka's capability to detect and track sea-based weapons and
other smuggling by the LTTE. Prasad responded that the Sri
Lankan Navy had indeed briefed his Defense Attache. In the
spirit of transparency he noted that the Indian military
might object to the radar at Point Pedro since it was so
close to India that its purpose might be misconstrued.
Ambassador explained that the purpose of the Point Pedro site
was to give Sri Lanka the capability to monitor frequent LTTE
ship movements to the east, north and west of Jaffna, not in
any way to monitor or spy on India. Prasad, who served as
India's Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington from 2001-2004,
laughed and said he understood that, but others in the Indian
system might not.
4. (C) Comment: This was a good, friendly start to what we
are confident will be a very close working relationship.
With respect to India's concerns about the proposed radar
site at Point Pedro, the Embassy will plan to have ODC Chief
Major Miller meet with the Indian DATT in January to brief
him more fully on the planned capabilities of the radar at
Point Pedro to relieve possible Indian concerns and discuss
options.
***********************
* Missing Section 002 *
***********************
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS, USPACOM FOR FP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PTE MARR CE IN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR BRIEFS INDIANHIGH COMMISSIONER ON
U.S.-SRI LANKAN MILITARY DISUSSIONS
REF: 190653Z DEC 06
Classified By: Abassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. for reasons
1.4 (b and (d).
1. (C) Ambassador hosted a one-on-on lunch for Indian High
Commissioner Alok Prasad n December 22, hours after Prasad
presented his credentials to President Rajapakse. The
Ambassado told Prasad that he and his Embassy colleagues
looked forward to working very closely with Prasad and his
mission to share information and coordinate our messages to
the Government of Sri Lanka, since the U.S. and India share
virtually identical interests in Sri Lanka. Prasad fully
endorsed the importance of very close coordination, noting
that the U.S. and India were the most influential countries
in Sri Lanka and therefore should work closely to ensure
maximum impact.
2. (C) The Ambassador briefed Prasad on the request the
Embassy had received earlier in the week from the Sri Lankan
Navy Commander for USG assistance in locating and
interdicting three LTTE ships believed to be 600 nautical
miles south of Sri Lanka (ref). Ambassador told Prasad he
had received the Navy Commander's blessing to brief Prasad on
the Sri Lankan request since the USG wanted to be transparent
with India, both because of our close bilateral relations,
but also because the Indian Navy was active throughout the
southern Indian Ocean making close coordination a must. The
Ambassador noted that PACOM was now studying what the US
military might do to respond to the Sri Lankan request. The
Ambassador told Prasad the Sri Lankans had not approached the
Indians directly because they believe that Tamil Nadu
politics would likely preclude Indian action on this matter.
That said, Ambassador noted that President Bush and PM Singh
had agreed during the President's visit to India earlier in
the year that maritime cooperation on such matters as piracy
and smuggling marked a promising new area in which to expand
cooperation. Cooperation to help Sri Lanka interdict LTTE
arms shipments would be an equally promising area for
cooperation. If India was interested in helping the U.S. and
Sri Lanka regarding the three LTTE ships, the U.S. would be
open to such cooperation. Prasad thanked the Ambassador for
letting him know about the Sri Lankan request, promised to
report this back to Delhi, but did not venture an opinion on
whether India might want to participate.
3. (C) Ambassador also briefed Prasad that he had asked the
Sri Lankan Navy Commander to brief the Indian High Commission
on USG plans to install by mid-2007 land-based radars in
Trincomalee, Point Pedro (Jaffna) and Mannar to improve Sri
Lanka's capability to detect and track sea-based weapons and
other smuggling by the LTTE. Prasad responded that the Sri
Lankan Navy had indeed briefed his Defense Attache. In the
spirit of transparency he noted that the Indian military
might object to the radar at Point Pedro since it was so
close to India that its purpose might be misconstrued.
Ambassador explained that the purpose of the Point Pedro site
was to give Sri Lanka the capability to monitor frequent LTTE
ship movements to the east, north and west of Jaffna, not in
any way to monitor or spy on India. Prasad, who served as
India's Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington from 2001-2004,
laughed and said he understood that, but others in the Indian
system might not.
4. (C) Comment: This was a good, friendly start to what we
are confident will be a very close working relationship.
With respect to India's concerns about the proposed radar
site at Point Pedro, the Embassy will plan to have ODC Chief
Major Miller meet with the Indian DATT in January to brief
him more fully on the planned capabilities of the radar at
Point Pedro to relieve possible Indian concerns and discuss
options.
***********************
* Missing Section 002 *
***********************