CIA Chief Slithers into Colombo & the Rupee Levitates!
Posted on March 7th, 2023
e-Con e-News
The Sunday Times asked the question above of the much-promoted Shanta Devarajan, ‘Professor of the Practice of International Development at the Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University, US, advisor to the Government of Sri Lanka on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).’
‘No comment,’ replies the much-promoted and seemingly mired professor.
• What is the relationship between China’s silken exposé of the role of the World Bank and other ‘multilateral banks’ in Sri Lanka’s economy, the sudden rise in the value of the SL Rupee against the US Dollar, and the frenetic visits and threats from a phalanx of US heavies, from the CIA Director to the World Bank?
And what ‘help’ is the USA providing?
After funding and provoking a seemingly aimless ‘Aragalaya’ to oust a popular President (see ee Focus, Protest & the Left), their media machine and their ‘columnists’ have now taken to decrying the ‘anarchism’ of the protestors (ee Politics). The opposition SJB wants the US to intervene to ensure local government polls are held. Others have even called for the US to fund elections in Sri Lanka! They may next propose that ‘free and fair’ Sri Lankan elections be held in Washington!!
One national commentator notes the failure of the US, Canada, England and EU to condemn the attacks on demonstrators, as they did when President Gotabhaya Rajapakse was in power. They only ask for elections. He points out: it may be due to the time differences: When we are awake, the US is asleep, and when we are asleep the US is awake. However, when the UNP is in power, the USA appears to sleep both night and day.
•
‘CIA-instigated jockstrap-insurrection
delivered Sri Lanka to the jaws of the IMF’
(see ee Sovereignty)
• CIA Enters Minus Guard of Honor – As a panicking government in India reneges on its popular ‘time-tested’ friendship with Russia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited New Delhi, from March 1-3. A public visit by Blinken to Sri Lanka was not deemed necessary. Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns had already covertly crept into Sri Lanka on February 14, their Valentine’s Day, as part of a ‘top secret visit’ to lay down their ultimata:
‘For over 3 weeks we have been questioning as to who visited the country, but the government and the US have maintained their silence’ charged MP Udaya Gammanpila:
The US plans to set up ‘an Intelligence Analysis Centre for intelligence sharing with them. This proposal first came in 2002 when the current President was Prime Minister. The-then government attempted to implement this project amidst strongest objections from the local intelligence community.
‘The 2nd proposal is the gifting of a biometric immigration control system to Sri Lanka, to which US will retain access.’ The move aims ‘to discourage Chinese & Indian investors’ from investing in Sri Lanka.
‘The 3rd proposal includes access to submarine telecommunications cables & data’, with US guarding it to prevent terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. ‘This is the biggest joke of the year.’
‘The final proposal was the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the 2 countries’. It appears the first 3 proposals are meant to create diversion, while acceding to Number 4: ‘If our national security is compromised in this manner, Sri Lanka will soon follow the fate of Panama.’
Meanwhile Nepal’s government, which has agreed to sign on to the US MCC, prevented a visit by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William J Burns because ‘the timing of the trip was not seen as so conducive’, due to their upcoming presidential election on March 9’ (see ee Random Notes).
MP Wimal Weerawansa declares the SL government is planning to place the State Intelligence Service’s responsibility for ‘information handling & decision-making’, under the US CIA: ‘A similar shifting of responsibility had happened in 2001, but was suspended in 2004.’ The subsequent confusions over the Easter terrorism are meant to reinforce this demand.
Two weeks ago, the 20-member Pentagon delegation, headed by US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs (PDASD), Jedidiah P Royal (stuffed in bullet-proof vests), visited Sri Lanka’s State Intelligence Service (SIS) office in Colombo, and also met the President, Defence Secretary and heads of intelligence services, carrying concealed weapons that they did not disclose.
Weerawansa also asked Foreign Minister Ali Sabry to explain to the House the purpose of the US delegation’s visit and meetings with local authorities. Sabry said the Foreign Ministry was unaware of the visit and that it had been handled by the Defence Ministry (ee Sovereignty, Plans underway to bring SIS under CIA).
•Full Story