No weapons, ammunition transfers under ACSA

COLOMBO: The United States has signed Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreements (ACSA) with 89 countries and the objective of entering into such an agreement is that to exchange humanitarian supplies, facilities the peacekeeping movement, and engage in co-operative activities between the two countries.

Such a logistics agreement which will provide a framework for increased inter-operability between Sri Lanka and United States was signed by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and US Ambassador Robert O. Blake.

The agreement will be effective for 10 years. According to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Colombo, the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) will allow the United States and Sri Lanka to transfer and exchange logistics supplies, support, and re-fuelling services, either in kind or at cost, during peacekeeping missions, humanitarian operations and joint exercises.

Food, petroleum, and transportation are in the category of allowable goods and services. The provision of weapons systems or ammunition is specifically prohibited under this agreement.

The press release states that each Nation's Forces can support the other during contingencies, such as disaster relief or peacekeeping operations, which reduces the logistics requirement for each nation.

Logistics support allowed under this agreement cannot be transferred beyond the forces of the receiving party without consent of the providing party.

The agreement will be in effect for ten years, and all transactions must be mutually agreed upon before any transfer is made. The US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Blake said that "ACSA will facilitate the exchange of non-lethal equipment, increase co-operation in the field and reduce the paperwork involved."

This is not something new. President Chandrika Kumaratunga offered Washington "full access to the country's port, airfields and other facilities" for use in its operations against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan after 9/11 attack in New York.

In March, 2002 a delegation of US officials, led by the then Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca and including US Brigadier General Timothy Ghormely, Commander of the US Marine Expeditionary Brigade, visited Sri Lanka for talks with Ranil Wickremesinghe, the then Prime Minister, his Defence Minister Tilak Marapana and senior Army officers at the Palaly Army camp. General Ghormely also visited Trincomalee.

The next month, a four-member team of US military and legal experts visited Colombo.

On May 31, 2002, the US Embassy in Colombo issued the following statement: "The United States has no interest in acquiring military bases anywhere in Sri Lanka.

The ACSA is, as its name implies, an agreement that allows the Armed services of each party to the agreement to avail itself of servicing, repairs, spare parts and equipment of the other in exchange for payment or through the exchange of identical goods or goods of equivalent value.

The United States has acquisition and service agreements with 56 countries, including a number of Asian countries.

These are relatively low-level agreements designed to address modest needs in a manner convenient to both parties."