No decision on sending troops to Kabul: FM

[fallstuff]

No decision on sending troops to Kabul: FM

Staff Reporter



Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni has said the Government is yet to take decision for sending troops in war ravaged Afghanistan, reports News World.

"The matter of sending troops to Afghanistan is a propaganda and a vested quarter is running such news items in the various media intentionally," Dr Moni told the reporters while leaving for Lisbon at the New Jersey Airport in New York on Friday.

Wondering on such news she said Richard Holbrooke, the US Special Envoy to Afghanistan earlier sought Bangladesh support for taking part in the development work of war ravaged country.

"The support that he sought were including training of local police forces, financial support and development of local administration but he never raised the issue of sending troops," she added.

She also said Bangladesh has been taking part in the UN peace keeping mission and it is the largest contributor in the missions by sending largest number of troops.

"But if the United Nations will desire to send troops in Afghanistan and make a project in this regard then Bangladesh will send troops considering all aspects," the Foreign Minister commented.

link:
The New Nation - Internet Edition

 

[akash57]

A follow up to the previous post..

Bangladesh not sending troops

Bangladesh will not send forces to Afghanistan even if the US shows up with a formal request for troops.

The government will argue that the national sentiment is against sending troops to Afghanistan, according to government and ruling party sources.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already said her government did not receive any formal proposal from the US about sending troops. "So there is no question of sending troops," she told her party's advisory council members during a meeting Saturday.

All Awami League advisers urged Hasina, president of Awami League, not to send troops considering the public sentiment.

In response Hasina had said, "Why has the issue come up for discussion when the USA did not even make any formal proposal to us? The issue just came up during a conversation."

The advisers said even if the formal proposal comes, the government should not make any decision to send troops to a Saarc country as it would go against the sentiment of more than 90 percent Bangladeshis.

"We are a developing nation, not a developed one. We have no capacity to fight battles at this moment. We can send troops only for UN peacekeeping, not for fighting battles," yesterday an adviser who attended the Saturday meeting at the Gono Bhaban quoted Hasina as saying.

Awami League Adviser AK Azad Chowdhury, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, told The Daily Star that Bangladeshi troops could only be sent for peacekeeping and not for war. "Our present stance is not for fear or apprehension of the Taliban threat, it is our moral stance not to send troops to Afghanistan," he said, adding that Bangladesh is indifferent to such threats.

Sources in the government told The Daily Star that the government in principle has decided not to consider the US request for sending troops to Afghanistan but due to technical reasons the government is reluctant to make the decision public.

Bangladesh did not agree to send troops to Iraq during the first Gulf War after the US requested for forces.

The main opposition BNP, its allies, left-leaning parties, civil society members and experts have already asked the government not to send troops to Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry yesterday said the United States has sought Bangladesh's engagement in restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

In a statement, it said the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to recent media reports on the meeting between Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and Ambassador Richard C Holbrooke, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, in New York on September 23.

It said, "The ministry would like to clarify that during the meeting Bangladesh's engagement was sought for the restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan; and to that effect Bangladesh was requested to provide economic and development assistance, render training facilities to Afghan security and law enforcement agencies.

"The foreign minister told Holbrooke that Bangladesh believes in peace and it will do whatever it can to restore peace in South Asia, especially in Afghanistan."

She also indicated that Bangladesh would look into scopes for providing various Afghan entities with training facilities, it added.

The foreign ministry statement said Bangladesh has already offered assistance in education and health sectors of the Saarc country.

Bangladesh not sending troops

 

[Stealth_fighter]

we must not send our troops to Afghanistan in any case

 

[eastwatch]

No decision on sending troops to Kabul: FM
Staff Reporter

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni has said the Government is yet to take decision for sending troops in war ravaged Afghanistan, reports News World.

She also said Bangladesh has been taking part in the UN peace keeping mission and it is the largest contributor in the missions by sending largest number of troops.

"But if the United Nations will desire to send troops in Afghanistan and make a project in this regard then Bangladesh will send troops considering all aspects," the Foreign Minister commented.
link:
The New Nation - Internet Edition

I think, the GoB has intentionally leaked the news prematuredly to sound out the public opinion on the matter of sending troops to Afghanistan. However, I personally endorse the present position of the GoB. It is exemplified by its DESIRE to send troops under the United Nations.

I presume, the US govt is thinking of a face saving formula to get out of Afg. So be it. Let US come out and let Sunni Muslim troops take over their positions there. However, their role should be strictly restricted to peace keeping and to organize a fair election. Only this type of formula can save our Afghanistan.