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SL offers combat aircraft to UN

16 June 2011 05:29 pm - 53     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Sri Lanka has offered to supply the United Nations with three Mi-24 attack helicopters and a pair of fixed wing aircraft, a pledge that would help the UN meet a severe a shortfall in lethal combat equipment in places like the Congo and Sudan and help protect civilians, UN based officials told ‘Turtle Bay’ news agency.

But the UN may not be able to accept them.

The Sri Lankan armed forces have come under scrutiny for allegedly committing mass atrocities during the final 2009 offensive against the country's separatist Tamil Tigers. A decision to accept the Sri Lankan offer would not only generate controversy but potentially trigger a U.S. review of Sri Lanka's human rights conduct.

Under the so-called Leahy law, written by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) the State Department is required to vet the human rights records of foreign military contingents serving in UN peacekeeping missions, if there is reason to believe they may have been engaged in atrocities.

The Sri Lankan pledge appears calculated to improve Sri Lanka's relationship with the United Nations at a time when it is facing mounting U.N. pressure to hold alleged war criminals within the army's ranks accountable for crimes, according to U.N. officials. It would certainly be harder, they say, to criticize Colombo if the organization was dependent on its air force for vital assets in combat.

Peacekeepers from other countries, including Rwanda, have faced scrutiny over alleged rights abuses. The Rwanda government threatened to withdraw its peacekeeping force from Darfur, Sudan, after the U.N. moved to force out a Rwandan commander, General Karake Karenzi, who was allegedly involved in rights abuses in Rwanda and eastern Congo during the mid to late 1990s. The United States backed Karenzi, despite internal U.S. government concerns about his rights record.

Sri Lanka has participated in U.N. peacekeeping operations for more than 50 years, and it currently has more than 1,200 blue helmets serving in U.N. missions.
(turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com)

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  Comments - 53

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  • Black Mamba Friday, 17 June 2011 12:41 PM

    The effects of the Luna Eclipse!!!!!!

    Pina Friday, 17 June 2011 07:03 AM

    Come out of your little shiny bublle :P

    LOL Friday, 17 June 2011 07:19 AM

    didnt they learn from them?

    GanjaRabbit Friday, 17 June 2011 07:23 AM

    exactly. now who will stand to benefit if the HR issues are cleared out?

    jamaldeen Friday, 17 June 2011 08:18 AM

    so to say . if you cant beat them join them.

    spark Friday, 17 June 2011 09:22 AM

    The doors are not open for criminals.

    Prasad Friday, 17 June 2011 10:07 AM

    This time to UN. Nest time to UK & USA.

    Lalinda Palliyaguru Friday, 17 June 2011 10:54 AM

    Whether it was politically mortivated or not, we should appreciate the new thinking

    Jason Friday, 17 June 2011 11:00 AM

    Bribing the MOON

    sara Friday, 17 June 2011 12:05 PM

    Oh!! UN need the service of the best combat pilots in the world?? So it is!!!

    kingchaala Friday, 17 June 2011 12:11 PM

    this is really true.. not only that only our NAVY is the current navy who involved novel fight ... non of the other navy haven't any real experiences..

    Pina Friday, 17 June 2011 12:17 PM

    For all the guys who down voted this - Have you heard about Iraq, Libia and Vietnam few decades back,
    hmm come to think of it, what countiries like UK n France did in their asian colonies through out the history?

    ----sunil----- Friday, 17 June 2011 12:35 PM

    Hina ....Hina ....Hina.... Hina.... Wenna Hina
    Karadara iwatha dama.....
    Poddak ...Wennna ...Hinnnaaaaaaaaaa.....!
    :-)

    Pina Friday, 17 June 2011 07:02 AM

    If this thing works, US, UK,France (all the Nato guys) might want consider this approach :D

    aj Friday, 17 June 2011 06:33 PM

    how about you??

    kudu Friday, 17 June 2011 07:16 PM

    vet the Leahy law before you adopt it
    Leahy 's law is garbage
    vet the US and NATO first
    anywayz who was the genius who wanted to help the with the mi 24 helicopters and 2 fixed wing
    make him president
    LMAO

    Sivakumaran Friday, 17 June 2011 08:10 PM

    Mi-24 attack helicopters have tamil blood, don't use for UN

    Logan Friday, 17 June 2011 09:39 PM

    Ja we offer combat aircrafts and you drop the war crimes commited by our baberian army

    neutral Saturday, 18 June 2011 01:13 AM

    un member r nt fool to accept this.

    Lucky Saturday, 18 June 2011 02:17 AM

    Sri Lanka should not give attack helicopters to UN. The job of the UN is peace keeping. The job of attack helicopters is to kill. This is totally wrong.

    If we do not need them, sell them.

    shehan jayawardene Saturday, 18 June 2011 02:50 AM

    Ha...ha...ha...trying to suck up to the UN. If you can't beat them...join them...or offer to lend them three Mi-24 attack helicopters and a pair of fixed wing aircraft...what a funny country we live in?

    V Saturday, 18 June 2011 03:23 AM

    who paid for buying those helies and planes ?
    It was paid by our tax money.
    No need to do donations in this bad time.sell it and buy some rice and give them to us

    La-Bamba Saturday, 18 June 2011 03:28 AM

    Yes (?) No, Charity

    TMA Sunday, 19 June 2011 06:22 AM

    so ironically funny. @ least this is a better way than stupid protests

    Economist Friday, 17 June 2011 02:35 AM

    Why gift them?.Sell them and improve our GDP.

    SWRD Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:10 PM

    why do'nt we bring UN forces here and diploy with these aircraft as we needed permenent peace

    Calistus Jayatilleke Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:09 PM

    This is what one would call a real Bribe!

    S.Sriranjan Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:20 PM

    UN never accepts Pribe!

    Lokuge Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:19 PM

    Eveen if UN accepts the helicopters, who will pilot them?
    Russians or Pakistanis?
    Or chinese?

    rajthas Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:27 PM

    UN not want your aircraft but moon want it.

    JUNIOR CITIZEN Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:30 PM

    MOON IS BROKE; HELP THE FELLOW

    Niv Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:40 PM

    good move as a member country of UN its our responsibility to protect civilians

    ajan Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:45 PM

    How war criminal?

    Aiyoo Sri Lanka Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:50 PM

    Is our Govt. trying to bribe the UN?

    UK TAMIL BOY Thursday, 16 June 2011 07:13 PM

    Well said.

    ha-ha Friday, 17 June 2011 02:23 AM

    Good move by the Gvt, we have few helicopter squadrons, Mi24 is one of the best among them, and our Mi24 pilots are one of the best in the world!
    Since war is over, these attack choppers are no use, it's good to lend them to UN and earn some good bucks. Weldone SL, no wonder SL is wonder of Asia!

    Brenan Friday, 17 June 2011 02:25 AM

    Funny but cool lolz

    Bumba Thursday, 16 June 2011 06:05 PM

    Is this the end of the world or April first.

    GanjaRabbit Friday, 17 June 2011 02:40 AM

    some simple people in SL think UN is a org of angels. the last GenSecretary Kofi Annan was involved in a massive scandal that was hushed up he was alleged with nepotism.

    GanjaRabbit Friday, 17 June 2011 02:41 AM

    can be done if done properly the UN is after all not a faultless organisation.

    Bumba Friday, 17 June 2011 02:47 AM

    start from your own backyard.

    jp Friday, 17 June 2011 02:45 AM

    Begging and gifting....lol...

    Mal Kella Friday, 17 June 2011 02:49 AM

    Ane .. apenuth helicopter gannako....

    Mal Kella Friday, 17 June 2011 02:51 AM

    Honda Hith Aiyoo.. Hondha Hitha

    spark Friday, 17 June 2011 06:08 AM

    Very true and he was held accountable for the same. However he was not involved in crimes against humanity.

    Steven Miller Friday, 17 June 2011 06:28 AM

    Ha-ha, don't keep laughing, go and learn more. Where did you find your Mi24 pilots to be one of the best in the world? You people know only how to boost yourself, frogs in the well.

    lankaputha Friday, 17 June 2011 06:38 AM

    One stone, multiple benefits.
    1. Can use more soldiers to earn foreign currency
    2. Can Clear out HR issues
    3. More help from UN to develop SL
    4. Use the equipments that will start corroding.

    sara Friday, 17 June 2011 06:51 AM

    SL pilots are very well combat hardened. They can teach the US/EU pilots how to fly in combat

    LOL Friday, 17 June 2011 06:57 AM

    good policy

    UK TAMIL BOY Friday, 17 June 2011 07:00 AM

    GOVT, TRYING TO BRIBE TO THE BAN KI MOON?


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