Robert O. Blake<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on February 05, 2007.<\/p>\nThe ambassador wrote; “Ambassador, DATT and PolMilOff met Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) Defense Secretary (and brother to the President) Gothabaya Rajapaksa on February 5. Rajapaksa offered his interpretation of the government security forces’ January victory in Vakarai and explained the GSL’s current military strategy. Ambassador commended the Secretary for conducting a successful battle with such low civilian causalities, after the initial shelling incident. Gotabaya claimed that no civilians had been killed and only 40 soldiers had been killed in action in the two and a half month fight for Vakarai. He emphasized that the military had been able to minimize civilian and troop causalities by surrounding Vakarai with small Special Forces teams rather than large battalions and moving without a “logistical tail” open to Tiger (LTTE) ambush.”<\/p>\n
“According to the Defense Secretary, the security forces encountered predominantly younger Tiger cadres in Vakarai, at least 40 percent under the age of 18, and noticeably less well-trained. These cadres also appeared to be less committed to fighting for the LTTE, he said, indicating why they were willing to flee in the end. Many more of these cadres underwent forced recruitment than in previous years, claimed Gothabaya: “We can see that the lower-ranked cadres have not come out willingly. They have little motivation to fight. They aren’t committed, and in fact try to escape. We have intelligence that elsewhere in Batticaloa district LTTE cadres are waiting for a battle in which they can surrender.” The security forces captured a number of Tiger cadres in Vakarai. On the other hand, very few made use of the cyanide capsule all wear around their necks for that eventuality, according to the Secretary.” he further wrote.<\/p>\n
Placing a comment Blake wrote; “Gothabaya assured us that the President remains committed to the peace process “without delay, and without respect to the military.” We understand that the security forces will try to consolidate the GSL’s hold on the east, and that the military will also pursue Sea Tiger and artillery targets in the east and in the Tiger’s northern Vanni stronghold. Gothabaya was silent on whether the Army would attempt a full-scale invasion of the north, as earlier GSL statements had suggested. The Defense Secretary appears to have realized, however, that winning Tamil hearts and minds will be crucial to the GSL’s consolidation of its new hold on the east.”<\/p>\n
Read the cable below for further details;<\/p>\n
VZCZCXRO7914\r\nOO RUEHBI RUEHLMC\r\nDE RUEHLM #0214\/01 0361312\r\nZNY CCCCC ZZH\r\nO 051312Z FEB 07\r\nFM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO\r\nTO RUEHC\/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5314\r\nINFO RUEHRL\/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0174\r\nRUEHKA\/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 9859\r\nRUEHIL\/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 6803\r\nRUEHKT\/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 4871\r\nRUEHLO\/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 3501\r\nRUEHNE\/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0579\r\nRUEHNY\/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 3593\r\nRUEHKO\/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2670\r\nRUEHCG\/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 7372\r\nRUEHBI\/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 5103\r\nRUEHGV\/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1770\r\nRHHMUNA\/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY\r\nRHEFDIA\/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY\r\nRHEHAAA\/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY\r\nRUEHBS\/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY\r\nRUEHLMC\/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION PRIORITY<\/pre>\nC O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000214 \r\n\r\nSIPDIS \r\n\r\nSIPDIS \r\n\r\nDEPARTMENT FOR SCA\/INS, MCC FOR S GROFF, D NASSIRY, E BURKE \r\nAND F REID \r\n\r\nE.O. 12958: DECL: 02\/05\/2017 \r\nTAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE\r\nSUBJECT: SRI LANKA: DEFENSE SECRETARY RECKONS TIGER GROUND \r\nFORCES WEAKENED, BUT SEA TIGERS STILL FIERCE \r\n\r\nREF: A. COLOMBO 189 \r\n \u00b6B. COLOMBO 158 \r\n\r\nClassified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4 (b,d). \r\n\r\n\u00b61. (C) Summary: Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa \r\noffered his interpretation of the government security forces' \r\nJanuary victory in Vakarai to Ambassador and DATT on February \r\n5 and explained the government's current military strategy. \r\nGothabaya noted that the security forces encountered \r\npredominantly younger, less committed Tiger cadres in \r\nVakarai. The GSL's redevelopment efforts in the east, he \r\ntheorized, would head off any re-infiltration by the Tigers \r\nand allow the security forces to \"devote their full forces\" \r\nelsewhere. In particular, the military would seek to \r\nneutralize the LTTE's navy, the \"Sea Tigers.\" Gothabaya was \r\nsilent on whether the Army would attempt a major offensive in \r\nthe North. End summary. \r\n\r\nCadres Forego Cyanide \r\n-------------------- \r\n\r\n\u00b62. (C) Ambassador, DATT and PolMilOff met Government of Sri \r\nLanka (GSL) Defense Secretary (and brother to the President) \r\nGothabaya Rajapaksa on February 5. Rajapaksa offered his \r\ninterpretation of the government security forces' January \r\nvictory in Vakarai and explained the GSL's current military \r\nstrategy. Ambassador commended the Secretary for conducting \r\na successful battle with such low civilian causalities, after \r\nthe initial shelling incident. Gotabaya claimed that no \r\ncivilians had been killed and only 40 soldiers had been \r\nkilled in action in the two and a half month fight for \r\nVakarai. He emphasized that the military had been able to \r\nminimize civilian and troop causalities by surrounding \r\nVakarai with small Special Forces teams rather than large \r\nbattalions and moving without a \"logistical tail\" open to \r\nTiger (LTTE) ambush. \r\n\r\n\u00b63. (C) According to the Defense Secretary, the security \r\nforces encountered predominantly younger Tiger cadres in \r\nVakarai, at least 40 percent under the age of 18, and \r\nnoticeably less well-trained. These cadres also appeared to \r\nbe less committed to fighting for the LTTE, he said, \r\nindicating why they were willing to flee in the end. Many \r\nmore of these cadres underwent forced recruitment than in \r\nprevious years, claimed Gothabaya: \"We can see that the \r\nlower-ranked cadres have not come out willingly. They have \r\nlittle motivation to fight. They aren't committed, and in \r\nfact try to escape. We have intelligence that elsewhere in \r\nBatticaloa district LTTE cadres are waiting for a battle in \r\nwhich they can surrender.\" The security forces captured a \r\nnumber of Tiger cadres in Vakarai. On the other hand, very \r\nfew made use of the cyanide capsule all wear around their \r\nnecks for that eventuality, according to the Secretary. \r\n\r\nResettlement and Development \r\n---------------------------- \r\n\r\n\u00b64. (C) As the conflict has dragged on, noted the Defense \r\nSecretary, \"families have not been willing to contribute \r\n\r\nSIPDIS \r\ntheir children. Their motivating factor was an independent \r\nstate. They thought they didn't get enough from Sinhalese \r\ngovernments. Now we are making an effort to provide basic \r\nrequirements -- electricity, education, roads, houses -- and \r\nthe people see the difference.\" Ambassador revised reports \r\nthat the GSL planned to resettle retired Sinhalese military \r\nofficers in Tamil areas. Gothabaya denied this and other \r\nspeculation by the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and \r\nothers that the GSL is pursuing a \"Sinhalization\" program in \r\nthe east, adding that the Sinhalese population in Trincomalee \r\ndistrict has decreased from 31 percent to 21 percent since \r\n\u00b61981. Presidential Advisor (and brother) Basil Rajapaska was \r\n\r\nCOLOMBO 00000214 002 OF 002 \r\n\r\noverseeing the Resettlement Ministry's early work to resettle \r\nTamil civilians in Vakarai, Gothabaya said, where the GSL \r\nhoped to provide electricity within ten days. \r\n\r\n\u00b65. (C) Gothabaya said the GSL would use \"minimum police \r\nforce\" to maintain GSL control of Vakarai and other \r\n\"liberated\" areas in the east, such as Sampur, \"so we can \r\nconcentrate our full forces on other things.\" He affirmed \r\nthat the GSL would implement development projects soon to \r\nminimize the threat of re-infiltration by the LTTE. \"There \r\nmust be a reaction from normal civilians to reject the LTTE,\" \r\nhe said, adding that the International Labor Organization \r\n(ILO) is considering a livelihoods project in Vakarai, while \r\nthe French government may be willing to rebuild the A15 \r\nhighway. \r\n\r\nSea Tigers Strong \r\n----------------- \r\n\r\n\u00b66. (C) While the LTTE's ground forces are clearly weaker \r\nfollowing the security forces' victories in the east, \r\nGothabaya said, the LTTE's navy, the \"Sea Tigers,\" remain \r\nstrong. The Sea Tiger attack on a GSL food convoy at Point \r\nPedro, Jaffna in January emboldened the LTTE by their sinking \r\nof two dvora \"fast boats\" and made the Sri Lankan Navy timid, \r\nhe thought. \"The Navy is no longer as aggressive. It wants \r\nto protect its assets, so the Sea Tigers have more leeway. \r\nWe must neutralize the Sea Tigers. We must give the Navy \r\nsome help by finding and destroying more Sea Tiger bases and \r\nassets.\" In the Defense Secretary's view, the January 27 \r\nSea Tiger attack attempt on Colombo's port targeted a naval \r\nship donated by India, rather than commercial vessels. \r\nNevertheless, the LTTE would continue to seek soft targets in \r\nColombo and the south as \"part of their demoralization plan.\" \r\n\r\nOverall Strategy \r\n---------------- \r\n\r\n\u00b67. (C) Comment: Gothabaya assured us that the President \r\nremains committed to the peace process \"without delay, and \r\nwithout respect to the military.\" We understand that the \r\nsecurity forces will try to consolidate the GSL's hold on the \r\neast, and that the military will also pursue Sea Tiger and \r\nartillery targets in the east and in the Tiger's northern \r\nVanni stronghold. Gothabaya was silent on whether the Army \r\nwould attempt a full-scale invasion of the north, as earlier \r\nGSL statements had suggested. The Defense Secretary appears \r\nto have realized, however, that winning Tamil hearts and \r\nminds will be crucial to the GSL's consolidation of its new \r\nhold on the east. \r\nBLAKE<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":53943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1,6969,2375,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-news","category-popular-stories","category-stories","category-wikileaks"],"yoast_head":"\n
WikiLeaks: US Commended Gota For Conducting A Successful Battle With Low Civilian Causalities - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wikileaks-us-commended-gota-for-conducting-a-successful-battle-with-low-civilian-causalities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WikiLeaks: US Commended Gota For Conducting A Successful Battle With Low Civilian Causalities - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wikileaks-us-commended-gota-for-conducting-a-successful-battle-with-low-civilian-causalities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-01-06T23:23:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-01-20T21:09:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Blake_4.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"304\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"408\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"COLOMBO TELEGRAPH\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wikileaks-us-commended-gota-for-conducting-a-successful-battle-with-low-civilian-causalities\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/wikileaks-us-commended-gota-for-conducting-a-successful-battle-with-low-civilian-causalities\/\",\"name\":\"WikiLeaks: US Commended Gota For Conducting A Successful Battle With Low Civilian Causalities - 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