Ira de Silva London, Canada

The Editor
The Island
Colombo, Sri Lanka
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Dear Sir:
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Your editorial is titled “Beginning of Another War” – however this “war” has been going on since May 2009 with those who supported the LTTE getting together to avengeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ defeat/death of Prabhakaran and some of the LTTE leadership.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is a pity that the GOSL did not realise this and take action to stop this crusade from the outset because it would have helped stem the growth of the western anti-Sri Lanka lobby headed by the “LTTE rump”. They grew in strength and garnered support because the GOSL was asleep.
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The efforts to save the LTTE leadership was led by Robert Blake the then U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka. On his return to the State DepartmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  his replacement wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ms.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Butenis who has a reputation of trying to ferment unrest in countries to which she was sent. For example,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in her last posting Bangladesh, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Dr. A. Dewan, has said thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  “Ms. Butenis openly meddled, apparently beyond her mandated duty, in the internal affairs of a sovereign country and made it look like a client state of America.” On her arrival in Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ she did not lose any time to discredit the Government and accuse the leadership of war crimes,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as proved byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ her cables to Washington. Now it appears she is heading the support group of the Moon report from her residence.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Is that is not meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign country?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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It is imperative that the media in Sri Lanka question Blake and Butenis on their biased statements and actions inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ support of the LTTE rump in Sri Lanka andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ overseas. A few questions that call for answers from Blake/Butenis are:
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Why is Butenis hosting a meeting at her residence which included representatives of the U.N. to discuss how they can use the Moon report to push for their goal of a war crimes investigation?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Has she and the other diplomats present violated the code of conduct for diplomats?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ An important question the media should pose to the Foreign Ministry is whether they are going to ask for an explanation and not play dead whichƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is what they usually do.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Now is not the time toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ be indifferent and lackadaisical.
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Why is the State Department in regular contact with the representatives of the LTTE which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization? For Blake to say that he meets with them to get their opinion does not answer the question as he is not meeting with members of Hamas orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Al Queda in the U.S. for their opinions. Why only the representatives of the LTTE? Can the media get an answer whenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ he is in Sri Lanka?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
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Why did the U.S. support and continue to support a listed terrorist organisation? The stated U.S. policy is not to negotiate with terrorists yet with Blake as the U.S. ambassador leading the rescue mission of Prabhakaran that is precisely what Clinton wanted. Blake is accountable – he keeps using the word adnauseam with reference to Sri Lanka soƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lankan’s have the right to ask him to be accountable.
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With the TNA professing thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they are still for Eelam and calling for India also to be “implicated in war crimes”, will Blake also call for a report to Moon onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India’s complicity? While he is about it, will BlakeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ also give Moon a report on U.S. complicity with the LTTE.
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Regarding hisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ often quoted call for “accountability” – why has Blake not set up an inquiryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for U.S. accountability in Afghanistan (he is responsible for that region too) for the daily human rights violations, drone attacksƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ on civilian targets, contract killings as evidenced by the Davis episode in Pakistan and other such blatant violations of human rights and international law.
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These are a few of the questions which have been consistently raised regarding Butenis’ actions and Blake’sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ adventures in Sri Lanka. It is high time that the Foreign Office woke upƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to the diplomatic “war” andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ defends the country asks for explanations from Butenis and others who met at her residence to wage this other “war”, that the Sri Lankan media also wake up to their responsibilities and question Butenis and BlakeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in a persistent manner and not permitƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ them to get away with not answering these very important questions.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  At stake isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the future peace and stability of the country which is under constant attack byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ them to further their own agenda.
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Yours truly,
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Ira de Silva
London, Canada