why did mahinda say us had changed

8/11/2019 Why Did Mahinda Say US Had Changed

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Why Did Mahinda Say US Had Changed?

| by Upul Joseph Fernando( October ! "#$%! Colo&bo! Sri 'an a )uardian* Diplo&atic circles +ocused attentionon ,resident Mahinda -a.apa sa/s recent 0ie1 that! +ollo1ing his tal s 1ith UnitedStates Secretary o+ State! John 2erry! he (-a.apa sa* +elt that the US had so+tened itsstance on Sri 'an a3 4t is not no1n that Mahinda too such a 0ie1 due to thecordiality o+ 2erry or 1hat 1as pro&pted to hi& by 56ternal 7++airs MinistryMonitoring M,! Sa.in 8ass )una1ardena! 1ho spearheads the e++ort to change the USstand on Sri 'an a through a ,- +ir& e&ployed by Colo&bo at a hea0y cost3

Chris 9onis contro0ersy

Follo1ing the Chris 9onis contro0ersy! Sa.in 1ho e&erged into the li&elight again isreported to be carrying his :ab to :e&ple :rees to sho1 Mahinda that the stand o+ the West 1as no1 being so+tened through his e++orts3 :he only +actor to the bene+it o+San.in is that the process adopted by US and other Western countries 1ith regard to 1ar cri&es and hu&an rights 0iolations being slo1 in nature3 :hat process iscusto&ary to those countries3 ;ut Sa.in &ay i&press that because o+ his e++orts theprocess 1as being delayed or could be abandoned3 Since Sa.in 1anted US ,- +ir&s

in0ol0ed to so+ten the US stand! Mahinda &ust be thin ing on sa&e lines on a so+tenedstand3
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When John 2erry assu&ed the o++ice o+ US Secretary o+ State! he had hopes onMahinda/s )o0ern&ent3 :hat 1as because 2erry as +or&er Senate Foreign 7++airsCo&&ittee Chair&an planned and discussed 1ith his Senate colleague -ichard 'ugarabout the US stand on Sri 'an a based on a report3

Here are so&e e6cerpts o+ that report< =:he United States cannot a++ord to >lose/ Sri'an a3 :his does not &ean changing the relationship o0ernight or ignoring the realconcerns about Sri 'an a/s political and hu&anitarian record3 4t does &ean! ho1e0er!

considering a ne1 approach that increases US le0erage 0is @ 0is Sri 'an a bye6panding the nu&ber o+ tools at our disposal3 7 &ore &ulti+aceted US strategy 1ouldcapitaliAe on the econo&ic! trade and security aspects o+ the relationship3 :hisapproach in turn could catalyAe &uch needed political re+or&s that 1ill ulti&atelyhelp secure longer ter& US strategic interests in the 4ndian Ocean3 US strategy shouldalso in0est in Sinhalese parts o+ the country! instead o+ .ust +ocusing aid on the :a&ildo&inated 9orth and 5ast3B

Despite this scenario! it loo s! Mahinda had not gi0en up hopes on 2erry a+ter he &et

hi& in 9e1 or 3 Mahinda thin s that there is a dispute bet1een 2erry and ;aracOba&a/s White House :ea& on the Sri 'an an issue3 50aluating 2erry/s tal s 1ith hi&and the report presented earlier! it is e0ident that Mahinda is o+ the 0ie1 that the White House :ea& stands +ir& on Sri 'an a3

7+ter 2erry 1as no&inated as Secretary o+ State! the 4nternational ,olicy Digest 1ebsite published a letter on ho1 2erry 0ie1ed countries li e Sri 'an a3
http://srilankaguardian.org/


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9i6onian style

Here is a part o+ that published 0ie1point< =When it co&es to +oreign policy! ;aracOba&a is a control +rea 3 He has e&braced a 9i6onian style o+ +oreign policy planning

&eaning po1er is 0ery centraliAed3 Decisions are &ade by a s&all group o+ White

House insiders! Oba&a/s inner circle3 Hillary Clinton has been an outstandingSecretary o+ StateE she has per+or&ed her duties 1ith dignity and grace3 ;ut she hasprincipally ser0ed as an i&ple&enter o+ policy! not a strategist3 4t is true that HillaryClinton 1as an outspo en proponent o+ US inter0ention in 'ibya! as 1ere Susan -iceand Sa&antha ,o1er3 ;ut e0en 'ibya 1as not considered a pree&inent +oreign policyconcern by this White House3 4t +re uently loo ed li e e0ents 1ere passing Oba&a by!as one o++icial later noted that the US 1as (o6y&oronically* >leading +ro& behind/ in'ibya3

With regard to Clinton/s tenure at State! 7aron Da0id Miller! e6pounds upon Oba&a/sneed +or control3 =;ut did she o1n and do&inate on behal+ o+ the ,resident asingle issue o+ strategic conse uence pertaining to peace or 1ar? :here 1ere so&eissues that the &ilitary! C47 and White House appropriately do&inated thin 7+ghanistan! 4ra and the 1ar on terroris&3 ;ut on others 7rab 4sraeli peace&a ing!the US 4srael relationship and the big thin on 4ran strategy the White Housee6clusi0ely do&inated discussions 1here the State Depart&ent could ha0e played acentral role3B ;arac Oba&a trusts John 2erry and! i&portantly! 2erry did notchallenge Oba&a +or the De&ocratic no&ination in "## 3 ,erhaps e0en &orei&portantly! 2erry is not &arried to ;ill Clinton3 4t/s possible that Oba&a 1ill let aSecretary 2erry run 1ith a +e1 issues o+ his o1n! although Oba&a 1ill still &aintain atight grip on the &ost i&portant +oreign policy issues3 Here/s the rub< 7t this point it/shard to no1 i+ Oba&a 1ould 1ant to set Sri 'an an policy by hi&sel+! or 1hether he/d be 1illing to hand that o++ to John 2erry and his sta++ers3 Sri 'an a 1ill ne0er be 7&erica/s +ore&ost concern in South 7sia! but that doesn/t &ean diplo&atic relations 1ith Washington! are not i&portant3 :hey are i&portantE it/s .ust not clear ho1i&portant ,resident Oba&a percei0es that relationship to be3

,aragon

John 2erry is a paragon o+ Washington/s +oreign policy establish&ent3 4+ John 2erry 1ere allo1ed to ta e the reins on Sri 'an an policy! it/s li ely that &ilitary and security ties 1ould &atter &ore than hu&an rights3 :his isn/t to say that John 2erry doesn/tcare about hu&an rightsE he &ost certainly does3 ;ut he probably cares less abouthu&an rights in the conte6t o+ Sri 'an a3 John 2erry no1s ho1 the 1ar endedE healso +ully understands 1hy the US supported the )o0ern&ent o+ Sri 'an a ()oS'* tode+eat the '::5B3


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When this letter is read one cannot ha0e doubts about Mahinda/s thin ing on 2erry3So! Mahinda/s )o0ern&ent &ust be thin ing that 2erry could o0erco&e pressure +ro&the White House :ea& and ta e decisions on Sri 'an a better than +or&er USSecretary o+ State Hillary Clinton3 Contrary to these 0ie1s and stands! theSpo esperson at the US State Depart&ent e6pressed a di++erent 0ie1 this 1ee 1ith

regard to Sri 'an a3 She announced there 1as no change in the US stand on Sri 'an a3

Oba&a has a short period

Co&e 1hat &ay! Mahinda &ust be thin ing that Oba&a has a short period &ore ino++ice as US ,resident3 4n 9e1 or ! Mahinda 1ent to the Clinton Foundation and &etHillary 1ith the 0ie1 to build up a relationship 1ith the Clinton +a&ily i+ Hillaryplanned to contest the ne6t US presidency3 :he Mahinda )o0ern&ent thin s that theUS adopted a tough stand on Sri 'an a 1hen Hillary 1as Secretary o+ State due to thepressure o+ the White House :ea&3

:he ne6t &o0e o+ the Mahinda )o0ern&ent could be to use the good o++ices o+ business&agnate Harry Jaya1ardene/s daughter 1ho has close lin s 1ith the ClintonFoundation3 Sooner or later Mahinda/s )o0ern&ent 1ill realiAe that it is not easy toso+ten the US stand on Sri 'an a through ,- Fir&s or personal contacts3 'astMonday/s state&ent by the 56ternal 7++airs Ministry in Colo&bo that the ,residentne0er said about a US stand being so+tened is a clear signal that Mahinda/s)o0ern&ent has already realiAed the true stand o+ the US to1ards Sri 'an a3

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why did mahinda say us had changed

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