Defying FBI report on Easter Sunday bombings probe will create unwanted issues: RW

• Says President Trump approached him after the Easter Sunday bombings and offered support
• Proposes that the government should approach President Trump directly to confer on para tariffs

By Yohan Perera   

Defying Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) investigation report on Easter Sunday attacks which confirms that Zahran Hashim and his team were ISIS members will create unwanted issues, Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.   

“US President Donald Trump approached me after the Easter Sunday bombings and offered me support. He subsequently sent two FBI officials to Sri Lanka for investigations. UK and China also supported us in investigations. At the end, the FBI confirmed that Zahran Hashim and his team who were connected to ISIS were behind the attack. However, the present government is of the opinion that there were other Muslims behind the attacks. This is said to satisfy one individual. The entire Muslim community would be affected by such an exercise. Is the government going to hurt the entire Muslim community just to satisfy one individual?” Mr. Wickremesinghe questioned during a meeting which he had with a group of UNP candidates in Galle.   

“They say the Easter Sunday attacks were carried out by a group of Muslims to bring former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to power. If so would Mr. Rajapaksa allow cremation of Muslims who died of COVID 19 during the pandemic period? Wouldn’t Mr. Rajapaksa be grateful to Muslims in such a scenario? he also questioned.   

Also Mr. Wickremesinghe proposed that the government should approach President Trump directly to confer on para tariffs. “President Trump prefers faced to face discussions. What the Sri Lankan government has done is sending proposals to the US Trade representative. He has no power. What the US Trade Representative could do is to approach President Trump. Has he done it? Where is the US Sri Lanka joint statement which the NPP government promised? A statement has been issued only by the Sri Lankan government. Sri Lanka should follow countries such as Japan which had negotiations with President Trump. The Sri Lankan government should explain in detail how the para tariff is going to affect the Sri Lankan working class to the US President,” he said.   

Furthermore, he said Sri Lanka’s economy is to suffer another setback by the end of the year. “Asian Development Bank has said Sri Lanka’s economic growth will decline to 3.9 percent at the end of the year while World Bank has said it will decline to 3.4 percent. “The Government could question these institutions if it wishes to do it,” he said.