US embassy cable - 05DHAKA4290

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 004290 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR I/FW, B/G, IIP/G/NEA-SA, B/VOA/N (BANGLA SERVICE) STATE 
FOR SA/PAB, SA/PPD (LSCENSNY), SA/RA, INR/R/MR, AND PASS TO 
USAID FOR ANE/ASIA/SA/B 
 
CINCPAC FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR, J51 (LCDR FLETCHER), 
J45 (MAJ NICHOLLS) 
 
USARPAC FOR APOP-IM (MAJ STYNER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, OIIP, OPRC, KPAO, PREL, ETRD, PTER, ASEC, BG, OCII 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ'S CRISIS OVER CONSTITUTION; 
DHAKA 
 
SUMMARY:  AN EDITORIAL FROM "THE DAILY STAR" SAYS THAT THE 
CONTINUING PRESENCE OF US TROOPS IN IRAQ AND TIGHT US 
CONTROL OVER ALL ASPECTS OF IRAQ'S NATION BUILDING EFFORTS 
ARE PROBLEMS.  THESE PROBLEMS COULD BE ALLEVIATED IF THE US 
WERE TO ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR AN ORDERLY AND DIGNIFIED 
WITHDRAWAL OF ITS TROOPS. THE PERCEIVED US TILT TOWARDS THE 
SHIITES AND KURDS IS NOT HELPING IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL 
NEGOTIATIONS. 
 
ON THE ISRAELI PULL-OUT FROM GAZA SETTLEMENTS, AN OP-ED OF 
THE SAME PAPER OPINES THAT THE US PRESIDENT HAS TO LIVE UP 
TO HIS PROMISE OF ESTABLISHING A PALESTINIAN STATE BY 2005. 
HE NEEDS TO CREATE A SOVEREIGN STATE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE 
SOVEREIGN STATE - IRAQ -- WHICH HE VIRTUALLY DESTROYED. 
 
------------------------------- 
IRAQ'S CRISIS OVER CONSTITUTION 
------------------------------- 
 
"CONSTITUTION CRISIS IN IRAQ: CAN THERE BE REAL PROGRESS 
UNTIL US WITHDRAWS?" 
 
INDEPENDENT ENGLISH DAILY "THE DAILY STAR" EDITORIALLY 
COMMENTS (8/28/05): 
 
THE SHIITE AND KURDISH LEADERS ABANDONING NEGOTIATIONS WITH 
SUNNI REPRESENTATIVES OVER THE CONSTITUTION THAT IS BEING 
DRAFTED FOR IRAQ, THE QUEST FOR CONSENSUS MAY HAVE REACHED A 
DEAD-END AND THE COUNTRY COULD BE HEADING TOWARDS EVEN 
GREATER DIVISION AND FACTIONALISM. 
 
THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE CONTINUING PRESENCE OF US TROOPS IN 
THE COUNTRY AND TIGHT US CONTROL OVER ALL ASPECTS OF THE 
NATION BUILDING EFFORTS. THE US HAS LONG ARGUED THAT ITS 
PRESENCE IS NECESSARY TO CONTAIN THE VIOLENCE AND TO 
MAINTAIN SOME SEMBLANCE OF LAW AND ORDER. THE TRUTH, 
HOWEVER, IS THAT IT IS THE US PRESENCE THAT IS FUELING MUCH 
OF THE VIOLENCE. 
 
FURTHERMORE, THE PERCEIVED US TILT TOWARDS THE SHIITES AND 
KURDS IS NOT HELPING IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL NEGOTIATIONS. 
NEITHER IS THE PERCEPTION THAT IT IS MORE CONCERNED WITH ITS 
OWN INTERESTS AND PUBLIC OPINION AT HOME THAN WITH WHAT 
WOULD BE BEST FOR THE IRAQIS. 
 
THESE PROBLEMS COULD BE VERY MUCH ALLEVIATED IF THE US WERE 
TO ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR AN ORDERLY AND DIGNIFIED WITHDRAWAL OF 
ITS TROOPS. AS OF YET, THERE APPEAR TO BE NO SIGNS OF THIS 
ON THE HORIZON, IN FACT, IF RECENT REPORTS ARE TO BE 
CREDITED, QUITE THE OPPOSITE. 
 
FOR SOMETHING POSITIVE TO COME OF THIS QUAGMIRE THAT IRAQ 
HAS DESCENDED INTO, THE IRAQIS MUST BE PERMITTED TO MANAGE 
THEIR OWN AFFAIRS. AS LONG AS THE COUNTRY REMAINS UNDER US 
MILITARY OCCUPATION AND THE US REMAINS AS THE CRUCIAL PEACE- 
BROKER, THINGS WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE DOWN-HILL. 
 
--------------------------------- 
ISRAELI PULL-OUT FROM SETTLEMENTS 
--------------------------------- 
 
"GAZA PULL-OUT:  PALESTINIANS TO GET BACK LAND AFTER FOUR 
DECADES" 
 
INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY "THE DAILY STAR" OPINES 
8/26/05: 
 
JEWS AGAINST JEWS; JEWS EXPELLING JEWS FROM THEIR HOMES IN 
THE "LAND PROMISED BY GOD". JEWS BURNING THEIR OWN FLAG -- 
SOMETHING NOBODY COULD EVER THINK OF IN ISRAEL. JEWS IN 
GRIEF, TEARS AND ANGER AS THEY LOST THEIR HOMES AND MANY 
TURNED VIOLENT AND THEY PROMISED TO RETURN TO "THEIR 
PROMISED LAND" ONE DAY. SOME OF THE SETTLERS CALLED SHARON A 
HITLER. THIS SIGNIFIES THE ONSET OF VIOLENCE IN THE FUTURE 
FROM ISRAELI SIDE. INDEED, ONE ISRAELI SETTLER ALREADY SHOT 
DEAD THREE PALESTINIANS IN ONE OF THE SETTLEMENTS. ARIEL 
SHARON CONDEMNED THE INCIDENT AND CALLED HIM A TERRORIST. 
EARLIER ONE ISRAELI IDF RESERVIST KILLED FOUR ISRAELI 
PALESTINIANS IN A BUS IN ISRAEL. SO VIOLENCE HAS BEGUN AND 
IT IS LIKELY TO INTENSIFY IN THE COMING DAYS. ISRAELIS MUST 
NOW UNDERSTAND WHY PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN SO VIOLENT; THEY 
LOST THEIR HOMES AND THEIR ANCESTRAL LAND TO THE ISRAELIS. 
 
ARIEL SHARON IS REPORTEDLY SCHEDULED TO GO TO WASHINGTON 
NEXT WEEK TO MEET AND REPORT HIS COMPLIANCE TO PRESIDENT 
BUSH. ONE EXPECTS PRESIDENT BUSH TO ASK PRIME MINISTER 
SHARON TO CONTINUE THE EVACUATION OF FURTHER SETTLEMENTS 
BEFORE COMMITTING A HANDSOME GIFT OF SOME THREE BILLION 
DOLLARS TO ISRAEL. AS ARIEL SHARON HAS ONE-TRACK MIND, MAY 
BE IT IS HE AND NOT BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, WHO CAN DO THE JOB. 
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE US PRESIDENT HAS TO BE FIRM TO 
HAVE IT DONE TO LIVE UP TO HIS PROMISES OF ESTABLISHING THE 
PALESTINIAN STATE BY 2005. HE CERTAINLY NEEDS TO CREATE A 
SOVEREIGN STATE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE STATE -- IRAQ, A 
SOVEREIGN ONE WHICH STANDS VIRTUALLY DESTROYED. 
 
CHAMMAS