Sri Lanka's army chief ready to testify about war

The former head of Sri Lanka's army said Tuesday the country must cooperate if there is an international investigation of Sri Lanka's civil war. Sarath Fonseka told the BBC one day after his release from jail that some of the country's leaders are "hiding their faces" over the conduct of the army's 2009 victory over the separatist Tamil Tigers. Human rights groups estimated that as many as 40,000 civilians were killed in the final months of the 26-year-long war. Fonseka, who led the army in defeating the rebels, said he is prepared to cooperate with any international inquiry into alleged war crimes and would "not be scared" to answer questions. He rejected accusations that thousands of civilians were killed in the closing phase of the offensive. Fonseka spent two years in jail on a variety of charges before receiving a presidential pardon.