US embassy cable - 05DHAKA1354

UNCLAS DHAKA 001354 
 
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 (MAJ HEDRICK) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, OIIP, OPRC, KPAO, PREL, ETRD, PTER, ASEC, BG, OCII 
SUBJECT: Media Reaction: Secretary of State Rice's comments 
on Bangladesh, Middle East: U.S. double Standard; Dhaka 
 
Summary: Commenting Secretary Rice's remarks, English 
language newspaper "Financial Express" says that the 
government needs to answer the question of why Bangladesh is 
being portrayed as a 'failed state' or a 'quite troubling' 
country. 
An op-ed page article in Islamic "Naya Diganta" alleges that 
the United States' double standard in the Islamic world 
spawns extremism. 
 
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1. U.S. Secretary of State's South Asia Tour 
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"Does Bangladesh Deserve All Those Adjective?" 
A page 1 commentary in centrist economic newspaper 
"Financial Express" opines (3/23): 
One cannot but be concerned by what US Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice said about Bangladesh in an interview with 
a leading Indian Magazine, India Today, recently. Rice has 
found this country "quite troubling" and favored an Indo-US 
joint role (to improve the situation). 
The US Secretary of State's emphasis on joint role could 
well be interpreted that the global super police asking 
India to assume the role of a regional police more 
aggressively. 
 
A spokesman of the US embassy in Dhaka, however, when asked 
by a news agency to comment on the Rice's statement, said 
Monday that the US and India have not yet taken any joint 
move. The answer was vague and carried no meaning. That is 
expected because it is very difficult for a local level 
diplomat to explain and interpret the statement of his or 
her foreign secretary. 
As expected there was no reaction from the Bangladesh 
government to the Rice's statement published in the national 
dailies quoting the Indian magazine. The helplessness on its 
part is quite understandable. 
But the government and the ministry of foreign affairs in 
particular do need to give answer to one question that has 
been agitating the minds of many: Why is there a sudden 
upsurge in the efforts to portray Bangladesh as a 'failing' 
or 'dysfunctional' or 'quite troubling' country? 
The government may now feel inclined to spend money on image- 
building activities right now. But without having a well 
thought-out campaign plan in place such spending is unlikely 
to pay any dividend. The campaign must be sustained and run 
by competent people. 
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2. Middle East: U.s. double Standard 
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"Washington's Double Standard Gives Birth to New Crisis" 
An op-ed page article in Islamic Bangla language newspaper 
"Naya Diganta" by military and security analyst Brigadier 
General (retired) Shakhawat Hussein opines (3/23): 
Although the U.S. sheds tears for democracy in the Middle 
East, its focus is on Iraq, Syria and Iran.  The Bush 
administration is not so worried about other countries as 
long as they remain within the sphere of the U.S. influence 
and accept Israel's dominance.  The so-called Islamic 
Republic of Pakistan is going establish diplomatic relations 
with Israel.  Democracy in the style of Pakistan or 
Afghanistan or the leadership of the life-long president of 
Turkmenistan is acceptable to Washington if they lick 
Washington's boots.  Asaad's secular Syria or Bathist Iraq 
was not acceptable.  This double standard will not be 
changed easily and, for that reason, new crisis and conflict 
emerge, which may continue for many years.  The ill attempts 
being made by ultra right Christians and Jews to malign and 
modernize Islam will not stop the emergence of new Bin 
Ladens.  The United States' double standard leads not only 
Arab nations, but also Non-Arab Muslim nations to internal 
conflicts and spawns so-called religious extremism.  It is 
not difficult to imagine that a bigger theater of conflict 
will be created in the Islamic world, including the Middle 
East, in the next decade. 
THOMAS