Gota calls on SL’s critics to study the engineering of the invasion of Iraq

Gota calls on SL’s critics to study the engineering of the invasion of Iraq

 Defence Secretary’s take on Geneva events
 March 23, 2013, 7:26 pm

By Shamindra Ferdinando The Island LK

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that those wanting to haul Sri Lanka up before an international war crimes tribunal on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations propagated by the LTTE rump should examine the circumstances leading to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 by Western forces.

Western governments and major media networks constantly quoted so called credible sources based in Iraq and Iraqi Diaspora as having said that the then government was in the process of making Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Even 10 years after the invasion, Western intelligence services hadn’t been able to find Iraq’s WMDs or at least some secret facility, which may have been used by the Iraqis, the Defence Secretary said.

It was all about making a case against the leadership of a particular country, the Defence Secretary said, urging people to be wary of anti-Sri Lanka propaganda efforts.Defence Secretary Rajapaksa alleged whatever the situation in Iraq at that time, the country was a victim of a global conspiracy executed by those wanting to get rid of the Iraqi leadership. In fact, the then Sri Lankan government went to the extent of supporting the invasion of Iraq on the basis of false intelligence and media reports, the Defence Secretary, said adding the UNP-led administration’s position was revealed in the United Nations General Assembly.

Responding to a query, the Defence Secretary alleged that since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009 Western powers and the Opposition had been working overtime discredit the government, thereby justify calls for an international investigation due to long delay in implementing the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

Rajapaksa said that what has been achieved in less than four years after the conclusion of the conflict was remarkable. "In fact, we began tackling post-war reconciliation issues, including rehabilitation of ex-LTTE cadres even before the release of LLRC recommendations. Western powers are aware of the progress on the ground," the Defence Secretary said, adding that the situation here was definitely better than in any other country in post-war situation.

The Defence Secretary said that the world was waiting for Chilcot Inquiry report on the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He pointed out that those preoccupied with Sri Lanka today had never bothered to call for the immediate release and the implementation of the Chicot report.

It would be interesting to examine how the British had addressed the accountability issue as regards their failure to find any WMDs, though they claimed of irrefutable evidence of illegal Iraqi project in the run-up to the invasion.

The Defence Secretary was referring to Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction: the Assessment of the British Government, dubbed as the September Dossier released seven months before the invasion.

The Defence Secretary said that the Opposition and even a section media often ridiculed the government claims of Western powers’ conspiracy against President Rajapaksa’s administration. The ongoing operation at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was evidence of the Western project aimed at regime change, he said, accusing the UNP of collaborating with those conspiring against the government.

The Defence Secretary rejected UNP spokesperson, MP Lakshman Kiriella’s assertion that the second US resolution titled ‘Promoting Accountability and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka’ was directed at President Rajapaksa’s government not Sri Lanka. Senior Vice President of the UNP MP Kiriella was addressing the media in Colombo on Friday.

The Defence Secretary said that most of those who had been accusing the government of failing to counter US resolution weren’t familiar with the first and the second resolutions. Had MP Kiriella perused them, he wouldn’t have come to a wrong conclusion. The Defence Secretary said that no one should play politics with the Geneva issue. The bottom line was that Sri Lanka would never have been in the agenda of the UNHRC or other international bodies if government forces failed in on the Vanni front.

Responding to a query, he said that the international community didn’t find fault with post-war resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction process. In fact, their only issue was accountability, which they believed could drag political and military leaders before an international war crimes tribunal. The final objective remained regime change. He urged Sri Lankans not to be deceived by Western powers and their politically bankrupt local agents.

The Defence Secretary challenged the Opposition to closely examine the voting record on the US resolution. Of the 47 countries in the UNHRC, 22 governments, including those of Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Kenya, Venezuela and Qatar didn’t go with the anti-Sri Lanka move. The country was eternally grateful to those governments for standing by Sri Lanka.

According to him those who couldn’t stomach Sri Lanka’s victory over the LTTE were at the forefront of the Geneva operation. It was simple as that. It had nothing to do with the rights of Tamils speaking people in Sri Lanka, he said.