US war crimes report on Sri Lanka out tomorrow  

By Munza Mushtaq  

A crucial report on Sri Lanka’s alleged war crimes is scheduled to be released tomorrow (21) by the US Department of State.

The report, which could determine United State’s future financial assistance to the island, will be handed over to the US Congress for evaluation.  US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp in an interview with Time magazine on September 14 disclosed that his office was now primarily focusing on Sri Lanka and a report from the Department of State on the war in Sri Lanka is due in Congress on September 21.

“The Office of War Crimes Issues, together with the Secretary for Global Affairs and the Secretary of State, has the responsibility to collect information on ongoing atrocities, and it is then the responsibility of the President (Barak Obama) to determine what steps might be taken towards justice. Like the canary in the coal mine, we give the signal that something very serious is occurring,” Rapp said.

In the Amendment 1169 to H.R. 2346, an Act making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, US Senators had earlier proposed to “prohibit certain forms of financial support to Sri Lanka,” unless certification is made by the Secretary of State that “Sri Lanka has taken certain steps to address the humanitarian situation in areas affected by the conflict in Sri Lanka.”                                               

Thus, the forthcoming war crimes report by the Department of State is mandated by the above Act, The Sunday Leader learns.

Meanwhile, a source in the US told The Sunday Leader that State Department officials have already contacted and obtained eye witness accounts from a number of persons who have given details on alleged war crimes committed in Sri Lanka.

The Office of War Crimes Issues, helps formulate US policy responding to atrocities in areas of conflict around the globe.

Mid this year, President Obama appointed Rapp, as his Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues.  As head of the Office of War Crimes Issues, Rapp directly reports to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding a wide range of war crimes issues — from Darfur to Burma to Uganda.