Asoka WeerasingheƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario. K1J 6G1 . Canada

21 September 2012

Ambassador RobertƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  O’Blake

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia

State Department, Washington, US.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear Bob O’Blake:

After you spoke to the Sri Lankan Government with your bumptious, super-bully, authoritative voice ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I emphasize the importance of progress in reducing the role and profile of the military in the North, and full respect for human rightsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, whatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s all this I hear that you Yankees have over 1000 US foreign military bases and yet make a juvenile commotion over Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s internal military presence who are there for territorial security and that is their job.

The author of the article that I got this information from has a question for you Bob, and a damn good one at that, which you may want go breathe in and breathe out, a few times to unclatter your mind before you answer it. She asks: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-in which international law book does it say that the US can have over thousands of foreign military bases while US can dictate to a sovereign nation on how to place its military inside its country?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  So let me see you spit out a comprehensive and an intelligent answer to this valid question.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I underscore the word ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-intelligentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in red as that is what we want.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Please no ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”BullƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Bob, let us have an answer straight, and please no Yankee bully-talk either.

Shish! Bob, what the heck is going on?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The revelation is that US has over 1000 foreign military bases in over 120 nations and territories.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I am shocked, and you fly into a puny country thousands and thousands ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ miles away from Washington and flex your Yankee muscle.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And you tell Sri Lanka ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I am the King of your castle, and you better do what this Yankee says.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I am equally surprised that a Sri Lankan legislator didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t tell you, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Why donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t you go and fly a kite Bob, or go jump into the Grand Canyon and donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t push your weight around us.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Perhaps they were just being polite Sri Lankans since you have decided to play Santa Claus to theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil fisherfolkƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in the NorthƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  handing out goodies approaching Christmas.

What is more shocking is to know thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the number of US personnel currently stationed in these bases are over 160,000 and that excludes US personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico and Kwajalein Atoll.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Is this true Bob?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sweet Mother of Jesus, I canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t believe your audacity, to say what you said to the Sri Lankan Government about their military presence in the North of their island nation.

The writer says that, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-US has 293 bases in Germany ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” why is it necessary for the US and UK have bases in Germany or Japan 65 years after World War with over 70,000 US troops currently in Germany, more than 45,000 US soldiers in Japan and close to 30,000 US troops in South Korea?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Is this true Bob, and her question is a good one, isnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t it?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I am baffled and shocked with all this as a US backdrop you had the audacity to ask Sri Lanka to thin out its troops in the North of the island who are there for the only purpose of national and territorial security.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Wow! Man, this is abominable!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Surely, what is good for the goose should be good for the gander.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  DonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t you think so?

LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s get this right, what business do you have to dictate terms to this sovereign nation that has come through a horrendous war which took away the right-to-life of 21 million people for 27 long years and killed and maimed thousands of innocents of all communities, until the Tamil TigerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s butts were whipped and finally eliminated on 19 May 2009.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And this is one nation ,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and a puny one at that, which has successfully eliminated aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ruthless terrorist group without having to kill innocent peoples in their neighbouring countries sending out spy-drones.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Think about it Bob.

It is that not simple as a case of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Bobby met a beetle, a Big Black beetle too. But Bobby being brave and bold said boo beetle boo.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I am no Yankee baby boy, to be afraid of you.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  So go back home you big black beetle and do what I say to you, Boo beetle boo!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Shame on you and shame on the Yankees who want to play Russian roulette with the lives of innocent Sri Lankans, by playing ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Open SesameƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ by clearing the military out of the North-east coast to let the re-grouped Tamil Tigers who are collecting funds in your country and mine,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to buy sophisticated weapons and sneak them in to destabilize the democratic Sri Lankan nation through the military cleared northern and eastern coast line, once again.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Ha! How cunning can you get!

It is indeed commendable that you Yankees are playing Santa Claus with Christmas approaching by helping the northern TamilƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ fishermen with fishing supplies to 130 families in Kallar and Killinochchi, but please donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t think that these goodwill gestures give you the license to tell the Sri Lankan government what they should do with their military presence in the north of the island.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What they do with their military internally is their business and not yours.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  As much as what you do with your military presence internally and outside the territorial waters of the US is not Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s business.

So just keep your hands offƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka as you have no business there and stop bullying that punyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  island nation.

Sincerely,

Asoka Weerasinghe