US embassy cable - 05DHAKA4410

UNCLAS DHAKA 004410 
 
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: Aftermath of Katrina; Dhaka 
 
Summary: An op-ed page article in Bangla "Naya Diganta" says that 
the order to shoot in hurricane hit areas in the U.S. would have 
been considered a license to extrajudicial murder if any third 
World country had done this in a similar situation. 
 
-------------------- 
Aftermath of Katrina 
-------------------- 
"Hurricane Katrina: Oh! Human Rights, Oh! Extrajudicial Killing" 
An op-ed article in Bangla language newspaper "Naya Diganta" by 
Dr. Rezwan Siddiqui opines (9/6): 
 
Two issues need to be pointed out.  First, baby foods could not 
be provided even five days after the disaster.  Distressed people 
could not be rescued and food and water could not be provided to 
them.  An unknown number of women were raped.  Were not their 
human rights violated?  It has been alleged that blacks were 
ignored.  How could the U.S. administration deny this allegation? 
If it denies, it will have to think ten times before saying 
minorities in other countries are being oppressed and 
discriminated.  Members of security forces have been ordered to 
shoot to prevent looting and any violations of law and order.  If 
anyone dies, will it not be an extrajudicial murder?  Why do 
Britain and the European Union remain silent? 
 
If any developing nation faces such a situation, western nations 
would have raised hue and cry about violations of human rights 
and racial discrimination.  They would say that minority people 
were being neglected.  They would threat to impose economic and 
political punishments.  We believe that they have now realized 
the real situation.  When nature acts adversely and natural 
disaster devours everything, then the richest and most powerful 
nations, like the U.S., becomes helpless.  In such a situation, a 
third world nation becomes more helpless.  What will lawyers like 
Dr. Kamal Hussein do now?  Will they prepare list of 
extrajudicial murders in the U.S. and distribute in various 
countries in the world? 
 
We are sure that the U.S. administration has ordered to shoot 
looters to save the innocent and helpless people.  The most 
immediate task now is to save helpless people.  There is no time 
think about extrajudicial murder.  Many nations in the developing 
world have issued such orders to save the public.  We hope 
western nations do not consider that extrajudicial murder. 
 
Chammas