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PP RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0342/01 0600842
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 010842Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5548
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0253
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0192
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6897
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4970
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3580
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0702
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 3668
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0998
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0325
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2748
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 7469
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 5184
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 0123
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1855
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0548
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000342 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS, USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2017 
TAGS: PTER ASEC PREL CE
SUBJECT: LTTE HEAD REGRETS ARTILLERY FIRE ON AMBASSADOR 
DURING BATTICALOA TRIP 
 
REF: COLOMBO 337 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (S)  SUMMARY:  On February 28, Ambassador Blake received 
a faxed letter (full text para 2) dated February 27, 2007, 
from S.P. Tamilselvan, Head of the Political Division, LTTE, 
apologizing for the February 27 artillery attack on the 
delegation in which the Ambassador was traveling to 
Batticaloa (reftel).  Comment: Since this is now the second 
delegation led by Samarasinghe that has come under fire from 
the LTTE, we will likely refrain from joining similar 
missions in the future.  While we do not believe the LTTE 
intentionally targeted the Ambassadors, the LTTE clearly was 
aware that a high level GSL mission would be coming to 
Batticaloa to meet with civil society and other 
representatives.  Their decision to shell a group that was 
seeking to address the same humanitarian and human rights 
problems that the LTTE claims to be concerned about, reflects 
the ruthless and cynical attitude of the LTTE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Begin text. 
 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
 
27.02.2007 
 
HE Robert Blake, 
The Ambassador of United States, 
Colombo. 
 
Yours Excellency, 
 
I write to express my deep sadness and shock that you were 
slightly hurt in an artillery fire on 27 February 2007, as 
the air craft carrying you and others landed in military air 
bases in Batticaloa.  We truly regret the unfortunate 
incident. 
 
Please allow us to explain the circumstances that led to this 
unfortunate incident.  The two landing sites where the air 
crafts, carrying you and other ambassadors, landed are Sri 
Lankan military artillery positions.  Early on that day, Sri 
Lankan military launched artillery shelling into our areas in 
Batticaloa provoking us to fire back.  Such shelling into our 
area occurs regularly and is continuing to create new IDPs on 
a daily basis. 
 
We like to inform you that we have well established and 
effective channels of communication with UN and ICRC for 
informing us about the movements of foreign diplomats and 
delegates into war zones.  This arrangement has worked well 
to ensure the safety of diplomats who have to travel into war 
zones in the course of their duties.  Indeed, foreign 
diplomats, UN and INGO staff regularly fly to the Palaly 
military air base in Jaffna after informing us through this 
well established channel. 
 
The failure of the Sri Lankan Government (GoSL) to follow 
this well established practice is criminal negligence on 
their part.  We are forced to think that GoSL deliberately 
avoided this practice and put your safety and the safety of 
the other ambassadors in jeopardy in order to ruin the 
relationship of the Tamil people with your country. 
 
Fortunately, prompt action by UN staff and our staff at our 
Head Quarters in Kilinochchi has avoided serious harm to the 
foreign diplomats. 
 
Please allow me to use this opportunity to say how much the 
 
COLOMBO 00000342  002 OF 002 
 
 
Tamil people and LTTE value the good relationship with your 
country and recognize the concerns you show for the welfare 
of the Tamil people. 
 
Thanking Your, 
 
Yours Sincerely, 
 
/s/ 
 
(S.P. Tamilselvan) 
Head of Political Division, 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
 
End text. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶3. (S) We have confirmed that there was an outgoing artillery 
barrage from the Sri Lankan military into the jungles west of 
Batticaloa on the morning for February 27th.  This is not an 
unusual occurrence; the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) 
has told us that artillery barrages into the jungles west of 
Batticaloa are practically a daily occurrence.  The LTTE 
letter does not specifically allege that that the fire came 
from the helicopter landing sites.  (Note: It is not likely 
that the Tigers have a technical ability to locate the source 
of the incoming fire, but they may very well have spotters 
with radios or cell phones in the vicinity.  This appeared to 
be the case in this instance, as the incoming mortars landed 
progressively closer to the arriving delegation.)  To avoid 
recurrences of this unfortunate incident, RSO plans to set in 
place a notification procedure to either the UN security 
liaison or the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission liaison in 
Kilinochchi for future Ambassadorial and high-level visits to 
the conflict zone. 
 
¶4. (S) The idea for this trip was originated by Human Rights 
and Resettlement Minister Samarasinghe, who is making a good 
faith effort to address humanitarian and human rights 
problems.  However, this is now the second delegation led by 
Samarasinghe that has come under fire from the LTTE.  The 
first was a mission to Jaffna several weeks ago that the US 
did not participate in.  We will likely refrain from joining 
similar missions with high level GSL officials in the future. 
 While we do not believe the LTTE intentionally targeted the 
Ambassadors, the LTTE likely was aware that a high level GSL 
mission would be coming to Batticaloa to meet with civil 
society and other representatives.  Their decision to shell a 
group that was seeking to address the same humanitarian and 
human rights problems that the LTTE claims to be concerned 
about, reflects the ruthless and cynical attitude of the 
LTTE. 
BLAKE