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Dhaka might send troops to Iraq if UN asks

UNB, Dhaka
Bangladesh would consider sending troops to Iraq provided an Iraqi government elected by the Iraqi people made an appeal through the United Nations.
Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan informed his US counterpart Colin Powell about Dhaka's position on the issue during a meeting in New York with the US secretary of state.
"We don't send soldiers ... We send peacekeepers. If Iraqi people feel that the presence of Bangladeshi troops would be helpful for peace and if an elected Iraqi government makes appeal through the UN, we'll certainly consider that," he told reporters at the Zia International Airport yesterday on his return from the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York.
Powell, who came to Dhaka on June 19, had requested the government to see if it was possible to send Bangladeshi troops to Iraq, now under the occupation of US-led forces following the ouster of Saddam Hussain's regime. Khan had a meeting with Powell on the sidelines of the UNGA when the question was again raised.
Morshed Khan said Bangladesh is a democracy where people's wish is reflected in any government decision.
He opined that many other countries along with Bangladesh would be willing to send troops if the UN was allowed to play a central role in Iraq and made an appeal to its member states.
"We don't send troops to fight for or against any side. We send troops under the blue helmet, under the UN. We send troops on multilateral arrangement, not bilaterally," he told a questioner.
Khan said the question of establishing peace in Iraq and Palestine came up during his meeting with Powell.
Apart from the Middle East, they also discussed bilateral matters. On the question of gas export, he said, "We did not discuss such micro issues."
Powell told him he had fruitful talks with Bangladeshi leaders during his Dhaka visit and praised Bangladesh's important role in establishing world peace.
Foreign Minister Morshed Khan also had a meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan where they discussed the Middle East, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan.
Khan said peace in the Middle East would remain a mirage until the root cause of conflicts there, particularly in Palestine, could be addressed.
Annan praised Bangladesh's efforts for world peace.
The foreign minister led the Bangladesh delegation at the UNGA and addressed the plenary
on September 29.
On the sidelines of the UNGA, he had nearly 30 bilateral meetings with his counterparts, and heads of state and government, discussing bilateral and international issues.
He also attended several multilateral meetings, including Commonwealth ministerial and CMAG meetings, Nam ministerial meeting, Nam ministerial committee meeting on Palestine, Saarc-Asean dialogue and OIC Foreign Ministers' Annual Coordination meeting.
During his 10-day visit to New York, Morshed Khan met with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of the 58th UNGA Julian Robert Hunte and Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon.
About Bangladesh's candidature for the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference) secretary general, Morshed said he received encouraging response from his counterparts from other Muslim countries during meetings with them in New York.
He hosted a luncheon in honour of the OIC foreign ministers when he introduced Bangladesh's candidate, Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury, advisor to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs, who is vying for the post of chief executive of the OIC.
"We received encouraging response from them. They assured us of their cooperation since there is no other candidate yet for the post," Khan said.
Morshed also expressed his optimism about securing Bangladesh's membership in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), election to which will be held on October 16.
Asked if he raised India's
planned water-linking project during his speech in the UNGA session on September 29, Khan said he did not mention any specific issue but made a general observation on the use of natural resources, including freshwater, to avert ecological imbalance.
Bangladesh wants that both upper and lower riparian countries should have easy and legitimate share of natural resources, particularly water, as per international law, he said.
Khan had a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Yaswant Sinha on the sidelines of the UNGA where they discussed the outcome of JEC (Joint Economic Council) and JRC (Joint Rivers Commission) meetings and inauguration of Dhaka-Agartala bus service.
He said any problem between the two neighbours could be resolved through discussion.
About the Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit scheduled to be held in Pakistan next January, the foreign minister said he had bilateral meetings with leaders of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka where he hoped that the Saarc process should not be impeded due to bilateral conflicts.
"We hoped that the Saarc summit will be held on schedule," he told a questioner.
About nuclear tensions between India and Pakistan as well as in the Korean peninsula, he said any such problems threatening to break peace should be resolved through discussion.
Foreign Secretary Shamser Mobin Chowdhury and senior foreign ministry officials were present at the airport.