Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Energy News .




THE STANS
Afghan deployment report causes stir in Sri Lanka
by Staff Writers
Colombo (AFP) Feb 5, 2013


Sri Lanka said Tuesday it had rejected a US request to send troops to Afghanistan but retracted the claim within hours, triggering angry responses on social media about the government's credibility.

"President Mahinda Rajapakse has rejected a call by US to send Lankan troops to Afghanistan," the government's information department said in an SMS news alert which was immediately rebroadcast by almost all local media outlets.

US diplomats in Colombo appeared puzzled over the Sri Lankan government claim and privately said that there was no pending request.

A couple of hours later, presidential spokesman Mohan Samaranayake officially trashed the government's own claim.

"President Rajapakse has neither received nor rejected any requests by the US for Lankan troops to be sent to Afghanistan," he said in a brief one-paragraph statement.

President Rajapakse's own twitter account @PresRajapaksa admonished journalists to "double check facts w/multiple sources" before publishing and this drew sharp responses from Sri Lankan reporters.

"Are u saying we cant even 'TRUST' what the Govt. Info is saying through its SMS service. Who can we trust?," tweeted Gandhya Senanayake.

"So MR (Mahinda Rajapakse) wants us to verify official Gov info statements as well," tweeted Azzam Ameen. "Journalists blamed not the Govt Info dept who created the blunder."

"How can the government information department make such a blunder. We have published the story on ______. Darn," said another Sri Lankan reporter.

Leaked US embassy cables had shown that Colombo expressed willingness to send troops to train Afghan forces in March 2009. It later changed its mind, fearing possible reprisals from foreign Islamic militants.

Relations between Sri Lanka and the US have been strained as Washington pressed Colombo to probe alleged war crimes by its troops while crushing Tamil separatists in May 2009.

.


Related Links
News From Across The Stans






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








THE STANS
GNLA guerrillas kill two in India
Shillong, India (UPI) Feb 4, 2013
GNLA guerrillas killed two officials in on an attack on a prison in Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India. Police officials said as many as eight members of the banned insurgent Garo National Liberation Army attacked the Williamnagar jail in the East Garo Hills district Sunday. Assistant jailor Neil Warjri was killed and warder Sharai Singh Thabah died later from wounds sustain in th ... read more


THE STANS
Obama's energy secretary stepping down

Emission trading schemes limit green consumerism

Latest Ways to Make Your Business Energy Efficient

China coal plant shut by health chiefs

THE STANS
When Wind Turbine Blades and Solar Panels End Up in Landfills

Sinopec aims for cleaner fuel

Hungary moves ahead on E.ON purchase

Deuterium Uptake in Magnetic Fusion Devices with Lithium Conditioned Carbon Walls

THE STANS
Sabotage may have felled U.K. wind turbine

Hgcapital And Blue Energy Agree UK Wind Farm Investment Deal

Japan plans world's largest wind farm

China revs up wind power amid challenges

THE STANS
Breakthrough For Hawaiian Solar Power

Envision Solar and Horizon Energy Group Announce the First Major Project

Volume Production Of Improved Solar Powered Air Conditioner Started

Ex-Im Bank Loans Will Help Finance US Solar Exports To Mexico Project

THE STANS
Westinghouse Commits To Czech Steel For AP1000 Plants At Temelin

Centrica makes U-turn on British nuclear plant plan

Fukushima operator TEPCO projects $1.29 bn year net loss

Nuclear safety chief questioned over Fukushima: report

THE STANS
Reaping Profits from Landfill Biogas

Versalis and Yulex partner to produce guayule-based biorubbers

Agricultural Growth in Chinese Desert Offers Opportunities For Economic Value and Better Ecology

Biofuels Blend Right In

THE STANS
Reshuffle for Tiangong

China to launch 20 spacecrafts in 2013

Mr Xi in Space

China plans manned space launch in 2013: state media

THE STANS
New research shows complexity of global warming

Climate markets to be driven by space technology

Global warming less extreme than feared?

Study finds energy use in cities has global climate effects




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement