US will help secure sea borders: Boucher

[leonblack08]

US will help secure sea borders: Boucher


Dhaka, Feb 8 (bdnews24.com) – The US would assist Bangladesh in securing its unprotected maritime boundary if Dhaka desired, US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs Richard Boucher said on Sunday.

"I think there is some interest in maritime patrol so that you can protect your sea areas better," Boucher told journalists at the Zia International Airport prior to leaving for India.

"We can help their (border security agencies) activities but the modalities will depend on what Bangladesh wants," he said at the end of a two-day visit.

The senior US official, who left Dhaka, supported the proposed South Asian Regional Task Force on Terrorism and efforts to curb corruption in the region.

He said Washington had cooperation with many governments in the region.

He also said his country had cooperation with the military agencies of Bangladesh but ruled out a US military base here.

"We are not looking at any base here. We have a lot of cooperation with different countries, different governments and agencies.

"You have a number of different agencies involved in providing security for the people here. Some of those are civilian agencies like the police who we work with.

"Some of those are military agencies. We have cooperation with them on things like maritime security and any areas we have opportunities," said Boucher who met prime minister Sheikh Hasina, foreign minister Dipu Moni and home minister Shahara Khatun.

Two US generals had come to Bangladesh before Boucher's visit.

Bangladesh has maritime disputes with both Myanmar and India.

The anti-US military regime in Myanmar on Nov. 3 last year tried to set up rigs in the Bay of Bengal to extract oil and gas from Bangladesh's claimed area defying Dhaka's diplomatic and military protests.

Both the countries mobilised forces along the border as all diplomatic efforts failed to defuse tension in the Bay.

Boucher said the South Asian countries should cooperate with each other to eliminate terrorism.

He said whoever carried out Mumbai attack should be investigated and the countries of the region should cooperate with each other so that this kind of horrible attacks did not take place in future.

US will help secure sea borders: Boucher :: Bangladesh :: bdnews24.com ::

 

[leonblack08]

If US is there then Myanmar would not dare to attack Bangladesh,for territorial disputes.Our seas will be much safer with their inclusion.

But then it puts the sovereignty of the country at risk.Moreover it will anger China.Who are our largest arms supplier.

US is probably looking to contain China by encircling it.Uncle Sam might also be smelling oil in Bay of Bengal.

 

[leonblack08]

Boucher backs S Asian 'anti-terror taskforce'





US assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs Richard A Boucher has climbed on board the idea raised by Bangladesh to commission a regional taskforce to tackle terrorism.

"I saw that proposal. I think it's a very interesting idea," the visiting senior US official told reporters following his meeting with home minister Sahara Khatun and her deputy Tanjim Ahmed Sohel on Saturday at the home ministry.

"I think we all understand that terrorists are trying to do international operations on the international community, [we'd better got organised and cooperated] with each other to prevent that," he said advocating the proposed regional taskforce.

"So I think it is a good idea. We will see how other countries in the region react to it.

"The United States will look for ways to support it," he said.

The assistant secretary said the US and Bangladesh had cooperation in the many areas.
"We have a lot of different kinds of cooperation, we will look for ways to expand and continue that cooperation.

"We look to help the government with the quality of policing, with the quality of the RAB and its operations just in a variety of areas where we can," he said.

Boucher, who arrived in the capital early morning on a two-day visit, urged Bangladesh to ensure its soil was not used for launching terror attacks or harbouring militants.

"Obviously we all want to work in a way so that terrorists cannot use Bangladesh soil and that would be an important area of cooperation," he observed.

State minister for home Tanjim Ahmed, better known as Sohel Taj, told reporters after the meeting that they had discussed about the taskforce.

He added that the government would do everything possible to combat terrorism.

"We, on behalf of the government, have told him that we have kept all options open to combat terrorism and militancy," Sohel said to the waiting reporters.

"Our prime minister clearly pledged in our manifesto for the Dec. 29 polls that she would form a regional joint taskforce, if necessary, to combat terrorism and militancy. We (Boucher and they) have discussed about it," he said.

The proposed South Asian anti-terror body was included in the ruling Awami League's election manifesto.

A British Airways flight carrying Boucher touched down at Zia International Airport at around 7am, with US embassy officials welcoming him at the airport.

Boucher met BNP chairperson and leader of the opposition in parliament Khaleda Zia at the latter's Gulshan office at around 6pm.

He is expected to call on prime minister Sheikh Hasina around 3pm on Sunday.

Boucher is also scheduled to meet with foreign minister Dipu Moni and her deputy Hasan Mahmood on Sunday.

The assistant secretary, who last visited Bangladesh in May 2007, wraps up his Bangladesh trip on Sunday night.

His current visit is viewed as significant in the light of ongoing discussions on a proposed Trade and Investment Framework Agreement or TIFA with the United States.


Boucher backs S Asian 'anti-terror taskforce' :: Bangladesh :: bdnews24.com ::

 

[Raquib]

If US is there then Myanmar would not dare to attack Bangladesh,for territorial disputes.Our seas will be much safer with their inclusion.

But then it puts the sovereignty of the country at risk.Moreover it will anger China.Who are our largest arms supplier.

US is probably looking to contain China by encircling it.Uncle Sam might also be smelling oil in Bay of Bengal.

not only oil...but lots of treasures...

 

[ajpirzada]

dont even think about it... just keep urself away from US if possible

 

[srijeesh]

dont even think about it... just keep urself away from US if possible

experience?

 

[leonblack08]

dont even think about it... just keep urself away from US if possible

But I think the Govt. will go for it.

US wanted to set a base in Bangladesh's St.Martins island before.I think they still have it in their agenda.Who knows it may turn into another Okinawa.

 

[TopCat]

It would be interesting to see a US naval base in Bangladesh... Bangladesh will be benifited both economically as well as militarily.... Subsidised F-16 or perhaps F-22????

Or we might see some show off of SU-35 of India and US f-22....

 

[ajpirzada]

experience?

exactly............