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Article: U.S. expands military presence in Sri Lanka, trains Sri Lankan troops.(Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- June 27, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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WIRAWILA, Sri Lanka _ On an airbase at the southern end of this tropical island nation _ about as far from the United States as a person can get _ a team of 12 Green Beret specialists is training Sri Lankan soldiers in combat med-evac techniques, radio work and field engineering. Live-fire exercises are next.
Since the beginning of June, the Special Forces team has quietly paved the way for an expanding U.S. military and economic presence in a nation that normally attracts Americans for its drop-dead beaches, wild elephant herds and ancient Buddhist ruins.
Unannounced and unreported, the U.S. military activity in Sri Lanka involves considerable security and ...