Bangladeshi diplomacy in post Iraq war!

With grave concern, I am writing you, as typical to our national character, although the War in Iraq has already come to an end, hardly have we noticed any foreign policy adjustment by the incumbent government. So that Bangladesh does not remain on the margin, while others benefit from the post war scenario; for us, it is time to make a damage assessment in order to avoid becoming an isolated and left over country in a fast changing world.

This shift in policy requires a smooth handling with maturity and pragmatism, which I believe, the incumbent government has repeatedly failed to exhibit in its recent manhandling of the French State minister of foreign affairs as well as in its inability to persuade the Bush administration to let Bangladesh have her pie in constructing the post war Iraq. In simple, because of foolhardiness, Bangladesh is about to loose both worlds.

As a third world country with a predominantly Muslim population, which is heavily dependent on foreign powers, Bangladesh cannot lay idle or suffer from diplomatic hangover. What is necessary in this changing scenario, is adjust to the reality as soon as possible, so that Bangladesh receives benefit both in short and long terms.

Otherwise, compounded with factors such as Bangladesh's inclusion in the Special Registration System in the US, a steep decline in export, shrink in foreign aid, and alienation from the super power not only would put her in economic difficulty in the short run, but also would ruin her diplomatically, economically, and strategically in the long run. Shibly Azad

NYC, USA

Communication misguide

Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology has recently published a telephone directory entitled "Information and Communication Guide" which is not their job at all.

The directory is full of mistakes. They could not even write the names of the cabinet ministers correctly. To your utter surprise about 50 per cent of the list of the officers of their own ministry is wrong. Yet you have more surprise. In page 182 of the directory they have published the name of their existing Secretaryin-charge as the Director General of Bangladesh Rural Development Board, the position which he held 3 years back!

We strongly demand that those who were involved with the publication of this nuisance should be taken to task seriously. Because nobody has the right to misguide people with wrong information. Hasan Shahria

East Tejkunipara, Dhaka

"ZIA and Arabic"

This letter is in response to Mr. Enayet Ullah Forhad's letter on April 30th in response to my earlier letter on April 28th. Mr. Forhad is a paragon of reactionary people who (per my last letter) jump out of their skin whenever they sniff something about Islam. I don't know why The Daily Star put my earlier letter- that was about some comments on Islam-in the same section where the debate on Arabic sign is going on.

This in a way, drove Mr. Forhad to reach his conclusive presumption that I was in favour of Arabic sign at ZIA.

Personally, I think it's a stupid idea if the Govt. really tries to postulate its Islamic gesture through an Arabic sign at ZIA (yet Govt. hasn't came up with any explanation on why it was done in the first place though). In my last letter I was only trying to request people to learn more about Islam before giving a farfetched opinion in a public forum. It is not only true in case of "Islam", but in case of any branch of knowledge.

Though I have been noticing this phenomenon (in this Letters Page) for a long time, however felt the urge to write on this as I have recently noticed some irrelevant

comments on both in favour and against Islam (by some writers) which emanated from the on going debate on Arabic sign at ZIA. It seems that some people take it for granted that they can understand even the esoteric and metaphysical aspects of Islam (unlike any other philoso-phy/religion) just by their mere intuition and without studying it thoroughly.

Zafar Hadi

California, USA

Who are the cowards?

The recent martyrdom operation led the White House condemning it as an act of "cowardice". A coward is the one who runs away from the battlefield in fear of his life, rather then sacrificing himself. Such sacrifice is the exact opposite of cowardice. Perhaps the White House assess "cowardice" by referring to the actions of its own chicken hawks that have avoided the various drafts for the past wars. Then calling for war against defenceless nations, demonstrating their bravado whilst insulated in their bunkers!

Donald Rumsfeld congratulating his armed forces to hide their disgrace, who are nothing but cowards. They resorted to flattening an area with high altitude bombings (B52), and Cruise Missiles, with total disregard for civilian casualties. Now that their soldiers are shooting unarmed

civilians, are these the examples of bravery the White House is referring to?

Similarly the betrayal from the Iraqi Bath Party or its republican elite forces seems to be emerging through the "fog of war". If they did not have the courage or intention to fight the invaders, then why the charade? Why the defenceless civilians were allowed to face the most well equipped army in the world? Would it not have been better to simply let Saddam along with his Bath party to go into exile, which surely would have prevented the carnage!

It is the ordinary Iraqi civilians that have been the real brave souls in this war. Their courageous defiance to resist the occu-

piers and outright rejection of the degenerate Jerry-Springer culture has been the real source of humiliation for these neo-Mongol invaders. Failure of the Bathist ideology and Arab nationalism is self-evident and there is a growing power vacuum in the Iraq, not in terms of whom but what will govern the country.

Yamin Zakaria

UK, London

The real face of the US

I do not understand why people are so upset about the atrocities and brutalities of the US armed forces in Iraq. History is the witness that might has always been the right and the might has made the Romans, the Mongols, the Huns, the Turks, The British, the Germans under Hitler invade weaker nations some times in the guise of liberators and sometimes just as invaders. The invaders using the might established their right to atrocity and brutality and looted the helpless nations they had invaded or liberated. US is no exception. It has invaded Iraq to liberate it from the clutch of a dictator (as if there are no other dictators in this world) and after 'liberating' the Iraqi people went on a killing and looting spree to express their solidarity with them.

The US has always played a dubious role since the end of World War II. Competing against

the communists, it pretended to be the friend of oppressed and spent money in the form of aid to buy the sympathy and confidence of poor nations. After the fall of USSR and the east Europe, its main opponents and competitors, the aid had dried up and the real face of the aggressor to intimidate the weak and poor

nations came to surface.

Their greed to grab the wealth of others either by cunning methods or by cruel means is not unknown to anybody. History will repeat and the world will witness how the US grabs wealth of other nations for a long time to come and, of course, will be annihilated by the nature's forces only to give way, unfortunately, to another tyrant.

We may like it or not, as our ancestors did, we have to live with the tyrant.

Md. Akhtaruzzaman

East Rayer Bazar, Dhaka

''Complain against 36 army men''

A news item published under the above caption attracted my attention. It is my impression that matters like these have roots elsewhere. Remember one or two more similar incidents involving the Army? It is my belief that incidents like these have their roots in the so-called Operation Clean Heart carried out some months ago which emboldened the Army. Besides the Indemnity Ordinance 2003 also created a kind of complacency in the minds of some Army personnel giving them a feeling of superiority over others and beyond reproach.

I am almost positive that the enquiry and the so-called investigation in this instance will follow the usual pattern of ISPR issuing a press release giving out a "story" exonerating the Army. The government may or may not say any thing except for the fact that a case has been registered etc. After a while this will be shelved forever and no one would talk about it or remember it.

Shamsher Chowdhury

Dhaka

Cantonment

restriction

This is in reply to the NM's letter "Cantonment restriction' (20 April). I believe you are a Bangladeshi and presently leaving in the USA. If so, your attitude towards our army is simply shocking.

First, you expressed your doubt whether Army is doing what they are supposed to do. For your information, the principle role of Army throughout the world during peacetime is to train themselves for war. The training of Army is a continuous and never ending process. You may take pride that in our Army a vigorous training goes on throughout the year. Our almost one hundred training institutions are of very good standard. Be proud to know that our Military Academy (BMA), School of Infantry and Tac-tics(Sylhet), Non Commissioned Officers' Academy (Bogra) and Staff College at Mirpur are world class institutions, (despite of our Technical lacking). We train hundreds of cadets and officers of friendly countries every year.

Secondly, you said that you find no justification of having an army. Try to locate the geographical location of our country in the world map. Be updated with the current political situation, know the history of our country and the subcontinent, try to visualise the future geo-political situation, know about the Hill Tracts problem, try to know about our neighbours, you're most likely to change your opinion then.

M Kapua Dhaka

There is much work to be done

Welcome or not, the US Defence Secretary is visiting Iraq dutifully congratulating the troops on the "amazing feat" they achieved. He added there is work to be done yet- perhaps much work that can be characterised (another twist of Rumsfeld speak) as probably the biggest understatement of this US led invasion of Iraq. Indeed, there is much to be done after the indiscriminate and overwhelming display of the most destructive fireworks rained relentlessly on Iraqi cities and citizens. To add to the "achievement", wholesale plunder and pillage of Iraq's national museum and archives followed; abetted if not engineered by the US marines in Baghdad and elsewhere. The scorecard is impressive indeed.

But even the redoubtable Mr. Rumsfeld may have great difficulty to congratulate the US army which is shooting civilian demonstrators including school children; his troops are becoming jittery and nervous.

When his troops feel so insecure how on earth will they bring security and keep order and provide emergency assistance and restore civic services - a very tall order for these inadequate men. Post-war Iraq's rehabilitation is too important and too complex a task to be left to rank amateurs and inept authorities. For over twelve years Iraq has been subjected to crippling sanctions imposed under the UN umbrella but stubbornly enforced by the US with UK. Now after this latest assault on its destroyed infrastructure, it is for the UN to lift the sanctions after concluding the inspection regime, deploy its peacekeepers to assume the task of returning security and implementing with the Iraqi authorities a massive reconstruction and rehabilitation prog-ramme. It is established fact the US has a poor track record of managing to clear the debris after

they have intervened and created the mess in the first place.

Dr. Zakir Husain

Dhaka

Iraq: what next?

Prior to the US war in Iraq a few people harboured any illusions about the behaviour and intentions of the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein. Nonetheless, President Bush's rushed initiative tragically undermines the theory of a just war and will lead to a proliferation of war and other acts of aggression.

Already this prediction is beginning to unfold. Buoyed by their apparent success in Iraq the US is now issuing subtle threats against Syria, Iran and other so-called regimes like Sudan and Libya.

While the Iraqi people have been freed from the oppression of Saddam Hussein they continue to suffer, now at the hands of US expropriation. It is, for example, no secret how America's formidable military machine was able to quickly seize control of all the Iraqi oil wells and the Ministry of Oil Building in Baghdad but were unable to protect - despite being forewarned - the irreplaceable heritage of a proud Iraqi people housed in the Iraq National Museum. It is now known that American troops were among those allowed to ransack museums, burn archives, and pillage libraries.

It is likely that the US will be in Iraq for many years - even decades. History shows that the development of democracy is a gradual, evolutionary process. Adding to the growing consensus of U.S. dominance in the region is the reluctance on the part of the U.S. to allow the United Nations to take the lead in rebuilding Iraq. To counteract such suspicions the U.S. will likely establish a legitimate government in the weeks ahead that will attempt to conceal in the world's eyes the reality of an American military presence.

Evidence continues to mount, then, in the war's aftermath, that America's primary objective in Iraq was to gain control of the oil as well as the Middle East region.

Do other nations really want the US to be the world's lone enforcer? Is this not a time to revisit the concept of a 'Just War'? Paul Kokoski

Ontario, Canada

Whom should we believe?

In the recent past we heard that US troops killed Iraqi civilians by firing in peaceful demonstrations. But was it really peaceful as many of us like to believe?

Any objective reader will agree that soldiers are naturally jumpy in these kinds of stagnant situations, yet, the US troops get strict orders from the top brass about rules of engagement. In this world, however odd and untimely it may sound, US military is unique in contexts of showing humane treatment to enemies and the conquered. If one reviews any defence journals that deals with contemporary military issues, will agree as well. I highly doubt the firing took place without provocation. When one is in hostile territory and worried about guerrilla attacks, slightest gesture of animosity can cause havoc. Maybe we are forgetting that the US troops lost their people more so because their rules of engagement were strict about avoiding civilian casualty.

However, the question still remains. Was it really a peaceful

demonstration? It brings another question: what does America have to gain from this action? I think we can answer that question easily: nothing. From diplomatic standpoint, America won't be willing to loose any pluses nor to gain any minuses by senseless shooting. They need Iraqi people's support.

Then is it possible that someone deliberately created a hostile environment or flashed some gun muzzles to provoke the anxious and on-the-edge soldiers, so that they shot in fear of attacks? And thereby succeeded in a dirty trick to make America look bad? If that is so, then I feel sorry for the Iraqis again

So, will anyone tell us what really happened there? Will we ever know?

Tirtho Mahmood

Albany, CA, USA

Industrialisation

Recently I came to know that our government is going to purchase hundreds of Swiss made Volvo bus worth hundred crores of taka.

It is a great step for solving acute transportation problem in our city. But our respected government should think everything related to the well being of our country. We can solve the bus problem more efficiently.

With a neediness of more than 4000 buses and more than 3500 buses still required we can easily set-up a motor car manufacturing plant when our ability is still limited only to the motor bike assembly. It will help us to save the foreign currency and also solve the problem of unemployment in a significant extent. It has been more than 30 years since we have been liberated but in the field of heavy industrialisation we have a speed of a snail. But look at our neighbours they became a nuclear power within 30 years.

Asad Khan

Kalyanpur, Dhaka