"We're surrounded by failing states ......Bangladesh", said Chengappa

[reverse_swing]

Rice finds Bangladesh becoming 'quite troubling'
BDNEWS, Dhaka

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said Bangladesh is becoming "quite troubling" and there is more that the USA and India could do.
"There is more that we probably need to do on Bangladesh which is, I think, a place that is becoming quite troubling. So in the region, there is a great deal that we can do," she said in an interview with Raj Chengappa of India's leading magazine 'India Today'.

As Chengappa asked on the South Asia region saying: "we're surrounded by failing states and problems, you know, whether you look at Nepal or Sri Lanka or Bangladesh and, of course, Pakistan. What is the sort of role you think India should be playing in the region?", Rice said there are several ways in which India, and then India and the United States together, can help in this region.

About Afghanistan, she said, "We now have an opportunity in Afghanistan to actually have a stable, democratic Afghanistan in which its neighbours will not be inclined to interfere in Afghanistan politics to try to stabilize their own interests."

On Nepal, Rice said the US ambassador is in more than daily contact with the Indian and British ambassadors and that "there is a coordination of policy to try to impress upon the King the importance of returning to a democratic path."

"So in the region, there is a great deal that we can do. But I think we'll also see that also internationally, India -- and globally, India will start to play more of a role," she said.

Rice said the USA hopes to enhance defense cooperation with India.

"We have had military exercises. We are in the process of several important technology sales, like the Orion, to India...our militaries have very, very good relations, military-to-military contacts are very good. But we can now take that and make it into a more strategic dialogue to understand better how India and the United States cooperate to make this a peaceful region and, indeed, to make Asia -- to make the world more peaceful," she said.

She said the USA is trying to build a defense relationship with India that is broad and where "we can, together, look not just at India's needs but understand better the entire balance in the region."

-DailyStar

Edited on, March 19, 2005, 6:17 PM GMT, by rezwan1977.

[Xavier]

"We have had military exercises. We are in the process of several important technology sales, like the Orion, to India...our militaries have very, very good relations, military-to-military contacts are very good. But we can now take that and make it into a more strategic dialogue to understand better how India and the United States cooperate to make this a peaceful region and, indeed, to make Asia -- to make the world more peaceful," she said

>>>It seems to me that dropping tons of bombs on Afghanistan and Iraq is a strange way to bring them peace.

[RazabQ]

If that wasn't a leading question that seeks to imply India as the hired muscle/mastaan for this region, than I don't know what is. After getting a boat load of crap, just today, from some of my Indian friends on their loss to BD in the ODI, I'm in a fine pickle! Grrrrrrrrr

[al]

and the winner is .....bangladesh is sorrounded by an arrogant neigbor

[Sultan]

Pakistan a failing state ?

Indians even said last week that KSE's market cap was at $30bn.. where as, its at $50bn as of now. Anyways, it just shows that these dudes want to put all of us down.

Btw, if they do some hmwk, they'd know that we grow at 7% per year, just as India grows, so that makes India a failing state as well ? India is a failing state, having a bit of computer programmers doing labour jobs for $1 an hour, or doing some ballay ballay dancing in copywood is no progress. Growing population, which is getting out of hand, deterioriated roads, etc.

PS. Pakistan will be in the 5 top fastest growing Asian economies for GDP this year, and much more.

These losers have nothing better to do, so they just target us. These Indians [edit] when they hear about ISI, or Pakistan.



Edited on, March 21, 2005, 8:12 PM GMT, by Tintin.
Reason: More decency, please

[Akib]

Being a failed state has many qualifications. I read about it in some english newspaper in Bangladesh last summer.
I think one of the points was lost control of borders. another has to do with government. It was an internesting article......

[Sultan]

Bangladesh is also doing good now. Good FDI, better GDP growth. These Indians get a few programmers, and they think they took over the world..

[Spitfire_x86]

The whole Indian subcontinent is pathetic

I think India's "progress" is a big joke. India feels so great by doing some nuke experiments and making some money in the IT field, while the reality is, a good number of people still beg in their streets, starve and have no home to live. And there are much more people who are in little better condition, but live well below the poverty line.

Pakistan isn't better either. They proved that they're equally stupid when they countered India's stupid nuke experiments with equally stupid experiments. Their political field was messed up thoughout their extistence. They also allowed Islamic extemists to become stronger for too long.

And everybody knows that we're the #1 among the losers in the world.

[Tintin]

The whole Indian subcontinent is pathetic

Indeed. It is like one of those discussions about whether Bangladesh or India has the better football team - 'you are 145th in the world. We are only 142nd'

[al Furqaan]

no doubt the indians have gotten big headed...but hey they will always be second fiddle to the chinese. not to mention losing ODIs to pakistan and (occaisionally us).

indians are seriosly pissing me off more and more.

[Fazal]

Originally posted by Sultan

Btw, if they do some hmwk, they'd know that we grow at 7% per year, just as India grows

I think unlike Pakistan , population growth in India and Bangladesh is less than that.

Edited on, March 21, 2005, 10:00 PM GMT, by Fazal.

[mb444]

US has accepted indian hedgemony in the indian sub-continent as it is a course of least resistance towards its aim of global hedgemony. US philoshophy is to engage all purpose attack dogs around the world,who it will use as needed to control particular regions.

India will be such a (___), who in return for loyal servatude will be awarded a few scraps from the dinner table and a few kind words. This is what the statement was about. USwas stroking the indian ego making it feel big and important.

Bd is hardly on the radar of US geo-political concern, so with nothing to lose, it goes along with india assessment of its success, its stability and in the case of all its neignbours their failures. However there really is no substance to it.


Even if it means that US will look the other way if india directly intervines, I say so what? US I do not believe feature particularly highly in BD's security scenario. It is towards china that we should be looking for formal alliance and for mutual goal of containing india.

Reason: moderation-inappropriate word usage [/i]

Edited on, March 22, 2005, 12:12 AM GMT, by oracle.

[couger]

Originally posted by Fazal

I think unlike Pakistan , population growth in India and Bangladesh is less than that.

Edited on, March 21, 2005, 10:00 PM GMT, by Fazal.

I think he was talking about growth in economy, not population.

[Fazal]

Originally posted by couger
I think he was talking about growth in economy, not population.

Shhh .... (i know, i was just ... :P)

[Dawah]

Some one show Mrs Hasina of AL this post, the (moderated) in BD

Edited on, March 24, 2005, 9:50 PM GMT, by oracle.
Reason: moderation-stop flaming please

[AbedinC]

I wouldn't put too much importance on what Rice says - she is quite an ignorant sec. of state, evident not just from this quote, but from such broad general sweeps in other press conferences. Only difference with her boss is, she can articulate her ignorance better and so not look lost.

Anyway, wrt to the question at hand, we are doing better than India on almost every socio-economic indicator that matters, starting from infant mortality to education to public health to employment - you name it. Read it in some review but dont have the link.

Not that that matters to Rice - she's still stuck with a cold-war mentality.