US embassy cable - 05DHAKA4694

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAKA 004694 
 
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: US-BANGLADESH RELATIONS, UNGA 
SESSION 
 
SUMMARY: US CHARG D'AFFAIRES JUDITH CHAMMAS' REMARKS AND 
THE LETTER FROM 16 US LEGISLATORS DREW EDITORIAL COMMENTS. 
AGREEING WITH CDA, BANGLA "JANAKANTHA" SAYS THAT IT IS THE 
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT TO PROVE THAT BANGLADESH IS 
NOT A FAILED STATE WHILE "INQILAB" OBSERVES A CHANGE IN THE 
US POLICY TOWARD THE BDG. 
 
 
BOTH "BANGLADESH OBSERVER" AND "DAILY STAR' SAY THAT UN 
REFORMS FELL SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS. 
 
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US BANGLADESH RELATIONS 
------------------------- 
 
"GOVERNMENT FAILED, NOT THE STATE" 
PRO-OPPOSITION BANGLA LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER "JANAKANTHA" 
EDITORIALLY COMMENTS (9/16): 
 
WHAT US CHARG D'AFFAIRES HAS SAID IN DIPLOMATIC LANGUAGE IS 
THAT THE AUGUST 17 BOMBING HAS PROVED THAT BANGLADESH IS A 
FAILED STATE.  SINCE IT IS A FAILED STATE, NO CREDIBLE 
ELECTION CAN BE HELD.  THERE WILL BE NO INVESTMENT AFTER THE 
AUGUST 17 BOMBINGS.  SHE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE 
TO TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO OVERCOME THE SITUATION. 
EXTREMISTS WILL HAVE TO BE BROUGHT JUSTICE TO PROVE THAT 
BANGLADESH IS NOT A SO-CALLED FAILED STATE.  SIDE BY SIDE, 
THE GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO CREATE A SITUATION SO THAT A 
FREE AND FAIR ELECTION IS HELD.  NOT ONLY JUDITH CHAMMAS, 
BUT ALSO ANYBODY CAN SEE THAT BANGLADESH IS A FAILED STATE 
FOLLOWING THE AUGUST 17 BOMBINGS.  BUT THE PEOPLE OF THE 
COUNTRY WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS, BECAUSE BANGLADESH AS A STATE 
HAS NOT FAILED.  IN FACT, EXTREMISTS ARE NOT THE MAIN FORCE; 
THE PEOPLE ARE THE MAIN FORCE.  EXTREMISTS WERE ABLE TO 
STAGE THE DANGEROUS INCIDENT OF THE AUGUST 17 BECAUSE THEY 
WERE ENCOURAGED AND PROTECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR SO LONG. 
 
ALL KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE WILL AGREE WITH JUDITH CHAMMAS THAT 
THE GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY TO 
OVERCOME THE SITUATION.  BANGLADESH AS A STATE HAS NOT 
FAILED.  THE GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED. 
 
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"LETTERS BY US SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN CREATES FUROR" 
ANTI-WEST BANGLA LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER "INQILAB" EDITORIALLY 
COMMENTS (9/16): 
 
IN A LETTER TO THE US PRESIDENT, 16 US SENATORS AND 
CONGRESSMEN URGED BUSH TO RAISE BANGLADESH'S POLITICAL 
VIOLENCE TO THE UN. THIS CALL HAS COME AT A TIME WHEN 
REMARKS BY US CHARG D'AFFAIRES JUDITH CHAMMAS HAVE CAUSED A 
SENSATION.  SHE SAID THAT THE BANGLADESH GOVERNMENT WILL 
HAVE TO PROVE THAT BANGLADESH IS NOT A VIOLENT AND FAILED 
STATE.  THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE.  US DIPLOMATS DO NOT MAKE 
COMMENTS JUST FOR FUN AND THE US SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN 
ALSO DO NOT UNDERTAKE SUCH AN INITIATIVE WITHOUT ANY FAR- 
REACHING OBJECTIVE. 
 
THE MOVE TAKEN BY US LEGISLATORS INDICATES AN UNEASY 
SITUATION IN BILATERAL RELATIONS.  THE PROGRESS SO FAR MADE 
IN THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE AUGUST 17 BOMBINGS DOES NOT 
INDICATE INVOLVEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATIONS.  NEVERTHELESS, THERE IS AN ATTEMPT TO 
IMPLICATE BANGLADESH WITH INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATIONS.  THE ATTEMPT HAS GAINED MOMENTUM SINCE THE 
AUGUST 17 BOMBINGS.  IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT VARIOUS KINDS OF 
PROPAGANDA AND LOBBYING ARE CONTINUING IN THE INTERNATIONAL 
ARENA ALSO.  WE THINK THAT BANGLADESH SHOULD PROTEST THE 
MOVE BY US LEGISLATORS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS. 
IMMEDIATE MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN TO HIGHLIGHT BANGLADESH'S 
REAL PICTURE TO THE US ADMINISTRATION." 
 
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2. UNGA SESSION 
------------------- 
 
"UN DOWNSIZES ITS GOALS" 
INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER "BANGLADESH OBSERVER" 
EDITORIALLY COMMENTS (9/18): 
 
THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS RAISED BOTH HIGH 
HOPES AND HIGH STAKES, PARTICULARLY AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF 
THE WIDENING GAP BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR AND THE 
SPREAD OF TERRORISM THE WORLD OVER. ON THE CONCLUSION OF THE 
THREE-DAY SUMMIT, THE 198 MEMBER STATES COULD FINALLY AGREE 
UPON A DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, TERRORISM, POVERTY AND 
THE ORGANIZATION'S OWN FUTURE. NO ARGUMENT THAT THE MUCH 
VAUNTED MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL (MDG) TOOK A BACK SEAT 
AS THE LINGERING SHADOW OF TERRORISM BECAME THE DOMINANT 
THEME OF THE UN SUMMIT. THE REFORMS FELL FAR SHORT OF 
EXPECTATION AND EVEN UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN TERMED 
IT A 'DISGRACE', ADDING THAT THE BODY FAILED TO ADDRESS 
ISSUES LIKE NON-PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS. REFORM OF THE 
SECURITY COUNCIL WAS NOT SIMPLY CONSIDERED FOR SERIOUS 
DELIBERATION. 
 
WHILE MANY BELIEVE THAT IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY LOST, OTHERS 
ARE NOT QUITE PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE OUTCOME. THE FACT THAT 
THE UN HAS AGREED TO INTERVENE IN A COUNTRY IF THE MEMBER 
COUNTRIES THINK THAT GROSS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IS 
BEING COMMITTED THERE GIVES THEM SOME SATISFACTION. 
 
YET THE COMMITMENT OF 0.7 PER CENT OF THE GDP AND AN 
ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF 50 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR REDUCTION 
OF POVERTY BY THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES CAN GO A LONG WAY. THE 
SUMMIT DOCUMENT COULD CERTAINLY INCLUDE MORE IF IT ADOPTED 
THE BUSH PROPOSAL FOR REMOVAL OF TARIFF ON THE ACCESS OF 
GOODS FROM THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO THE DEVELOPED ONES. 
 
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"UN REFORM STILL A FAR CRY: SUMMIT OUTCOME TOUCHES FRINGES" 
INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER EDITORIALLY COMMENTS 
(9/18): 
 
WHAT WE HAVE NOW BY WAY OF AN AGREED UN REFORM PACKAGE FALLS 
FAR SHORT OF WHAT THE ORIGINAL OUTCOME DOCUMENT, PRESENTED 
BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL, HAD HOPED TO ACHIEVE. THE FAILURE 
BASICALLY DEMONSTRATES THE HIATUS BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE 
POOR COUNTRIES ON MAJOR ISSUES OF UN REFORM. 
 
THE REFORM PACKAGE WAS PERHAPS AMBITIOUS AND, IT WAS LIKE 
BITING MORE THAN THE EXISTING ORDER COULD CHEW AND PROCESS 
INTO ANY COHERENT OUTCOME. BUT IT WAS ALWAYS BETTER TO 
CONJURE UP AS MANY ALTERNATIVES AND AS MANY REFORM ISSUES 
THAT WOULD EQUIP AN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTION LIKE THE UN, 
TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE CURRENT MILLENNIUM. THE COUNTRY 
POSITIONS HAVE DEMONSTRATED DEEP DIVISIONS IN PERCEPTION AND 
PRIORITY THAT VARY FROM REGION TO REGION, COUNTRY TO COUNTRY 
AND CONTINENT TO CONTINENT. THAT IT FAILED TO SEE THE WHOLE 
AGENDA THROUGH IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE UN; ALL THE 191 
MEMBERS MUST SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FAILURE, SOME 
PERHAPS MORE THAN OTHERS. 
 
WHILE THE REDEEMING FEATURE HAS BEEN A COALESCENCE OF VIEWS 
ON HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION IN A THIRD COUNTRY TO PREVENT 
GENOCIDE, SOMETHING THAT THE POWERFUL COUNTRIES HAD ALWAYS 
BEEN SEEKING SO LONG, DISAPPOINTING HAS BEEN THEIR 
UNWILLINGNESS TO VEST THE SECURITY COUNCIL WITH THE POWER 
AND BALANCED AUTHORITY TO DECIDE AND APPROVE SUCH 
INTERVENTIONS. 
 
DISAPPOINTING HAS BEEN THE LACK OF UNANIMITY ON THE QUESTION 
OF EXPANSION OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL, THE MOST UNDEMOCRATIC 
ELEMENT AND NON-REPRESENTATIVE BODY OF THE UN THAT REFLECTS 
THE NEED OF THE TIME WHEN IT WAS SET UP RATHER THAN WHAT THE 
UN SHOULD BE LIKE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. 
 
IT IS HARD TO DIFFER WITH THOSE THAT SAY THAT WE HAVE LOST A 
RARE OPPORTUNITY TO REINVIGORATE THE UN SYSTEM TO MAKE IT 
RESPONSIVE TO THE CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES WHICH, IN TONE, 
TEMPER AND TEXTURE ARE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT AND DEMANDING 
THAN ANYTHING WE HAVE KNOWN BEFORE. 
 
CHAMMAS