US embassy cable - 05DHAKA194

UNCLAS DHAKA 000194 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR I/FW, B/G, IIP/G/NEA-SA, B/VOA/N (BANGLA SERVICE) STATE FOR 
SA/PAB, SA/PPD (LSCENSNY, SSTRYKER), SA/RA, INR/R/MR, AND PASS TO 
USAID FOR ANE/ASIA/SA/B (WJOHNSON) 
 
CINCPAC FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR, J51 (MAJ TURNER), J45 (MAJ 
NICHOLLS) 
 
USARPAC FOR APOP-IM (COL HEDRICK) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, OIIP, OPRC, KPAO, PREL, ETRD, PTER, ASEC, BG, OCII 
SUBJECT: Media Reaction: Iraq, Sudan;Dhaka 
 
 
Summary: English "Daily Star" thinks that sectarian violence will 
be aggravated if elections are held on schedule in Iraq. 
 
Commenting on the signing of an accord between the Sudanese 
government and the southern rebels, conservative Bangla "Ittefaq" 
says that a similar understanding must be reached with the people 
of Darfur in order to establish peace in the country. 
 
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1. IRAQ 
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"The Chink in the Armor" 
Independent English language newspaper "Daily Star" editorially 
comments (1/17): 
 
There is evidence that the entire U.S. project in Iraq is 
hopelessly flawed and its armed forces are being vanquished by a 
ferocious guerilla army.  The security situation in occupied Iraq 
is clearly dangerous with 1600 o 3000 guerilla attacks launched 
towards Americans every moth.  Both Iraq's interim government and 
the U.S. are in a fix on whether to hold the election scheduled 
on January 30.  The ever-escalating sectarian violence will only 
increase if there is a continued insistence on going ahead with 
the polls even without Sunni participation.  On the other hand if 
the elections are postponed the fears are that the Shias may take 
up arms.  It is a tough situation. 
 
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2. Sudan 
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"The Peace Accord in Sudan" 
Conservative Bangla language newspaper "Ittefaq" editorially 
comments (1/17): 
 
Good news has come from Sudan.  On Sunday, Sudan's Vice President 
and the Chief of Southern rebel group signed a peace accord in 
presence of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell....  However, 
there is a gulf of difference between the signing of an accord 
and implementing it.  The people of Sudan saw the signing of 
similar peace accord in the past, and peace did not return. 
Specifically, there is a problem with the people in the Darfur 
region as they were not included in the peace accord. 
 
The government must come into an understanding with the Darfur 
rebels to establish peace in the country. 
 
Thomas