Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has cautioned that the United States could respond negatively if Sri Lanka dismisses the FBI’s findings on the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
Speaking during an interview with musician Iraj Weeraratne and SLPP politician Milinda Rajapaksa, Wickremesinghe said that the FBI investigation concluded that Zahran Hashim was the mastermind behind the attacks.
He claimed that if Sri Lanka attempts to promote a different narrative, it could anger then-US President Donald Trump, who might react by imposing higher taxes or even by taking diplomatic action similar to how he treated Ukraine’s leadership during his tenure.
Wickremesinghe also recalled that it was President Trump who, shortly after the Easter attacks, personally spoke to him and deployed the FBI to assist with the investigations.
“When I reached out to the US Ambassador, an FBI team had already arrived in the country. Then I was informed that then-President Donald Trump wanted to talk with me, and we engaged in a phone call. At the time, President Trump offered all assistance, including the FBI. During a meeting soon after with the US Ambassador, an FBI agent also participated. The Scotland Yard also arrived, and the UK also provided assistance,” he said.
Stating that a court case was filed at that time when a US agent was investigating the Easter attacks, Wickremeasinghe said this took place when Trump was the President.
“Now, Donald Trump is the President again. I believe the report that states Zahran Hashim is the mastermind. Now, if we once again upset this, what will happen? You know the consequences of angering President Trump. We will not be able to do anything. We should know whom to anger, whether someone in Sri Lanka or President Trump. I am in possession of the US-FBI report, which contains the truth. We cannot clash over this. It will result in an incident similar to what happened to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and also the possible increase in tariffs,” he warned. (Newswire)