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DE RUEHLM #0181 0311027
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O 311027Z JAN 07
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UNCLAS COLOMBO 000181 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, SCA/RA AND PM/PPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR PREL MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA TO SIGN ACQUISITION AND CROSS SERVICING 
AGREEMENT (ACSA) 
 
REF: A. COLOMBO 0112 
     ¶B. 06 STATE 3112 
 
¶1.  On December 7, 2006, Ambassador and Office of Defense 
Cooperation (ODC) Chief met with Sri Lankan Defense Secretary 
Gothabaya Rajapaksa to provide background information (see 
para 4) on a Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) 
and a the draft ACSA proposed for signature.  See paragraph 5 
for background on the ACSA Agreement. 
 
¶2.  On January 25, 2007, Secretary Rajapaksa provided 
concurrence to ODC Chief on the proposed agreement. 
Secretary Rajapaksa stated that he was ready to sign the 
 
SIPDIS 
agreement at anytime convenient to the U.S.  PACOM J42 is the 
lead organization and will coordinate with Embassy ODC to 
facilitate the signing at a mutually agreed upon time. 
 
Risk of Misunderstanding 
------------------------ 
 
¶3.  The USG faces some risk that the Government of Sri Lanka 
might seek to exploit the signing to convey the USG's support 
for possible ongoing offensive military operations.  The 
Embassy therefore recommends the Ambassador sign the 
agreement in a low-key ceremony with Secretary Rajapaksa in 
late February.  The Sri Lankan military is presently engaged 
in mop-up operations against the LTTE in eastern Sri Lanka. 
However, the Defense Secretary and other military leaders 
have hinted they are considering further offensive military 
operations in northern Sri Lanka.  The USG has informed the 
GSL that we oppose large scale offensive military operations 
because we believe the Government should focus on developing 
a power-sharing proposal that can form the basis for peace 
negotiations with the LTTE.  We recommend holding off on the 
signing ceremony until late February when we will have a 
clearer idea of the Sri Lankan military's intentions.  We 
also do not wish to detract attention from the Sri Lankan 
Commission of Inquiry (on human rights) and the work of the 
International Independent Group of Expert Persons who will 
arrive in Sri Lanka the second week of February to observe 
the work of the Commission. 
 
¶4.  Since the ACSA benefits U.S. forces transiting through 
the region, and since the GSL might leak news of the signing, 
the Embassy proposes to have the Ambassador sign the ACSA 
with the Defense Secretary with a select number of 
photographers and no statements.  The Embassy will then issue 
a press release following the ceremony explaining the purpose 
of the ACSA. 
 
Background on ACSA 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  Background (as provided to Sri Lankan government):   The 
Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) as 
authorized by Congress and approved by the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense (OSD) is an agreement between the 
 
SIPDIS 
Department of Defense and Sri Lanka Ministry of Defense. 
This agreement facilitates reciprocal logistic support during 
combined exercises, training, deployments, operations, or 
other cooperative efforts, and assists in contingencies in 
which Sri Lanka or the United States may have a need of 
logistic support, supplies, and services.  The ACSA is not a 
treaty and does not guarantee support will be provided. 
Rather, it is a streamlined process in accordance with U.S. 
law to provide and receive logistical support without the 
lengthy Foreign Military Sales process to which both parties 
must agree before any transaction can occur.  The transaction 
can be in the form of cash exchange, assistance-in-kind, or 
even value exchange. 
 
BLAKE