US officials to interview SL Army Chief on war crimes issue

[Raman K]

*US officials to interview SL Army Chief on war crimes issue*

[image: http://www.zeenews.com/image/spacer.gif]*Colombo: Sri Lankan Army
General Sarath Fonseka, who presided over the military offensive on the
LTTE, has been asked by US authorities to testify before them against
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa over allegations of widespread human
rights abuse during the war. *

*The Chief of Defence Staff has told the government that he has been asked
to give evidence against Gotabhaya, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa,
a media report said Sunday. *

*The US Department of State had recently submitted to the Congress a report
on the incidents during the recent conflict, prepared by its war crimes
office. *

[image: http://www.zeenews.com/image/spacer.gif]*"Fonseka has written to Sri
Lankan Mission in Washington saying he has been asked by US officials to
give evidence against Gotabhaya over alleged human rights abuses," the Daily
Mirror online said quoting a highly placed diplomatic source. *

*It said Fonseka, currently in the US in connection with renewal of his
Green Card, was reportedly contacted by two US officials on his son-in-law's
telephone, "prompting fears in Colombo that Washington is asserting its
legal authority over the war crimes report released last week". *

*Official sources here said that "this matter is being discussed at a higher
level. We have no comments at this point of time". *

*The Sunday Times, meanwhile, reported that Fonseka has been told to face a
"voluntary meeting" with the Department of Homeland Security and that
officials want to interview him on Wednesday. *

[image: http://www.zeenews.com/image/spacer.gif]*"Reports reaching the
highest levels of the government say US Department of Homeland Security
officials want to interview him on Wednesday (November 4) in Tulsa,
Oklahoma," The Sunday Times said. *

*President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week announced that an independent
committee to comprehensively examine and provide recommendations on the
report would be constituted. *

*Gen Fonseka, who is a US Green Card holder, has a residence in Oklahoma. *

*"He had already sought legal advice from Fred Fielding, a former White
House Counsel to late Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and former
president George W Bush. *

*"His lawyer had advised that the CDS should face the meeting and answer all
questions truthfully," the paper said. *

*Sri Lanka's Ambassador also mobilised lawyers from Patton Boggs, the law
firm hired by the mission for lobbying and promotional work, to fly to
Tulsa, the paper said quoting highly-placed government sources in Colombo. *

*"Gen Fonseka has agreed to drop lawyer Fielding from representing him and
to retain the services of Patton Boggs," the newspaper said. *

*The 68-page US State Department report contains details of alleged
"atrocities" by both the military and LTTE during the final stages of the
war in May this year. *

*The report prepared by the War Crimes office in the State Department lists
170 allegations between May 2 and 18. *

*Bureau Report *