New Delhi, Dec. 16 -- The involvement of foreign troops in disaster relief operations in Sri Lanka underscores how real-world exigencies continue to shape geopolitical realities. It also illustrates how such circumstances can compel ruling elites in smaller states to recalibrate positions that once appeared ideologically rigid. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who has welcomed foreign forces to assist Sri Lanka during the recent crisis, had earlier taken a markedly different stance. As a Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Member of Parliament in 2009, he strongly opposed the presence of U.S. military personnel on Sri Lankan soil, alleging that Washington was planning to establish a missile base at the strategically important Trincomalee n...