US military sales to Sri Lanka up from $1.4m to $60.8m

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 May 2007, 18:08 GMT]
The Center for Defense Information (CDI), an independent think-tank based in Washington D.C which provides expert analysis on various components of U.S. national security, international security and defense policy, said in a report that Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Sri Lanka from US increased 40 fold, from $1.4m in 2006 to $60.8m in 2007.

The report points out that Sri Lanka, where there are “new reports of children serving in government armed forces or government-linked paramilitary groups,” is also a beneficiary of increase in sales

US EXPORT FIGURES (.pdf)

Excerpts from the report follow:

In 13 of the 25 countries, children under age 18 have been forcibly recruited into both government and non-state armed groups, have taken a direct part in hostilities as members of armed groups, or have been forced into support roles for armed groups. Since 2001, the U.S. government has supplied 11 of these 13 countries with military assistance.

In nine of these 13 countries, children were recruited or used as soldiers by government security forces or governmentsponsored armed groups.3 Unlike last year, the State Department reported no evidence that children were recruited into government armed forces in Paraguay or Rwanda, and included new reports of children serving in government armed forces or government-linked paramilitary groups in Sri Lanka.

Of the nine countries in which children were recruited or used as soldiers by government security forces or governmentsponsored armed groups, the U.S. government has supplied eight with military assistance since 2001.

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The Palestinian Right of Return Doha Debate

April 18th, 2007 — peoplesgeography *** View it here and google video (below)

The Palestinian Right of Return was considered 28 March 2007 at the Doha Debates, a public forum for dialogue in Qatar.

The speakers were invited to respond to the debate proposition: ‘This House Believes That Palestinians Should Give Up Their Full Right of Return‘

Yossi Beilin, a Knesset member and Chairman of the Meretz-Yachad party and Bassem Eid, of the Palestine Human Rights Monitoring Group argued for the motion.

Israeli academic Ilan Pappe and Ali Abunimah, cofounder of The Electronic Intifada and the son of Palestinian refugees, challenged the motion.

Moderator Tim Sebastian as always plays devil’s advocate vigorously.

It screened on the BBC last weekend and is now finally on the web.

Over 80% of the Doha Debate audience voted for the team who argued against the motion.

See also EI for an exchange between Bassem Eid and Ali Abunimah. A podcast page of all Doha Debates can be found here.

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There is an interesting open discussion at the comments section between peoplesgeography and Emmanuel