Why the U. S. is ï¿½Hatedï¿½? Abdul Momen

The Bush administration became an enemy of the majority in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is being hated across the globe more so in the entire Middle East and Europe. Why this happened? It happened because of its inept and unfair foreign policy, most of the times that are self contradictory. For example, while it preaches ï¿½democracyï¿½ and vows to ï¿½end terrorismï¿½, in reality, it intrigues and promotes totalitarianism and supports groups that fuel terrorism. For such policies, Bush administration is hated all across the globe. No wonder, the Europeans and the Arabs rejoiced at the defeat of the Republicans in this weekï¿½s midterm election. While the Democratic leadership may be happy as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is gone, the Arabs and the Afghans have very little reaction --- they said, their enemy is President Bush and his failed policies, not Rumsfeld.

The Bush administration is trying to run Afghanistan by President Hamid Karzia that apparently has effective control only over Kabul, the nationï¿½s capital. No wonder he is known as Americaï¿½s ï¿½remote controlï¿½ Governor of Kabul. Same is true in Iraq. Presidentï¿½s main hope in Iraq is Prime Minister Maliki, commonly known as ï¿½Mayor of Green Beltï¿½, a heavily fortified U. S. army enclave in Baghdad.

Since the situation in Iraq is deteriorating fast, America may leave it in the coming years. But its legacy will remain. In spite of being portrayed as ï¿½liberatorsï¿½ will it be known as ï¿½instrument of coercion and injustice that led to breaking up of Iraq into three groups that would fight each other endlessly?

President Bushï¿½s father, George H.W. Bush, the 41^st President is still known as the ï¿½liberatorï¿½ of Kuwait. He stopped toppling Saddam Hussein as that might create ï¿½religious and ethnicï¿½ infighting leading to break up of Iraq. Unlike his father, President Bush, the 43rd did not do his ï¿½homeworkï¿½. Instead he acted on instinct and revenge.

Currently, the U. S. administration is acting on instincts in Bangladesh. There are three major political parties in Bangladesh and they are, the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) that founded the country, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a conglomeration of opportunists and business contractors-cum-license holders, and the Jamati Islam Party (JI), an Islamic fundamentalist party that aims at establishing Sharia Laws by eliminating the western style democracy and civic laws. The AL is the majority party and it secured nearly 38% and 41% popular votes in the last two elections in 1996 and 2001. In contrast, the BNP secured nearly 34% and 38% votes in the last elections. The next is JI and it got around 9% and 4% votes in 1996 and 2001. There are few other groups, for example, Jatiyo Party of former military ruler, General H. M. Ershad. It got 17% votes in 1996 but only 8% in 2001. Now its support has further dwindled due to scandals, corruption and more importantly due to breakups within the party plus large scale switching to BNP. Nearly two weeks ago when the nationï¿½s titular head, Dr. Iyazzuddin Ahmed took over absolute powers through backdoor, the BNP was broken into two. Those who started the BNP party with its founder, General Ziaur Rahman, they created a new party known as Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), headed by Ziaï¿½s right-hand-man, Lt. Col. Wali Ahmed and Ziaï¿½s trusted and able ï¿½Secretary Generalï¿½, Dr. AQM. B. Chowdhury, former President of Bangladesh. The other fraction is led by widower of General Zia, Begum Khaleda Zia and her son, Tariq Zia, popularly known as ï¿½Mr. 10 per centï¿½. Financially General Zia was honest and therefore, he earned respect. In contrast, his wife and sons are known to be most corrupt in the country and they have reportedly accumulated wealth of billions of dollars. Last week, Begum Ziaï¿½s Energy Minister General Anwarul Kabir publicly stated that her government defrauded the country nearly $6.7 billion only from the Energy sector alone and therefore, he resigned. The nationï¿½s energy sector is in shambles and it put the country into darkness.

The U. S. government opposes corruption. But it is apparently supporting Begum Zia and her son Tariq Zia that looted the country and reportedly Mastermind many killings and terrorism. The U. S. government especially the Bush administration is publicly against ï¿½terrorists and terrorismï¿½. Reportedly it has a ï¿½zero toleranceï¿½ on terrorism. Unfortunately, in Bangladesh, it is supporting the JI Islamist party that is commonly known as the promoter and sustainer of Islamic terrorism in Bangladesh. Out of 9 top Jehadis of Bangladesh that had been convicted of terrorism, 7 are senior ex-members of the JI party. In addition, 96% of all terrorists and Jehadis that have been arrested in Bangladesh belong to JI or its militant student wing, the Islami Chatra Sibir (ICS). In spite of such evidence of strong connection, the U. S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher openly certified that ï¿½there is no evidence that JI has any link with terrorismï¿½. Such a statement was a surprise. Earlier, the U. S. Ambassador in Dhaka, Harry Thomas supported the JI repeatedly. Ambassador Thomas also arranged U. S. grant and fellowship for the JI members and the Imams of Bangladesh to visit USA at which Americans of Bangladesh origin expressed anxiety and fear. Their fear pivot around two areas; (1) if any of such fellows become ï¿½suicide bomberï¿½, then there would be black lash on them that opted America as their homeland and (2) secondly, these fellows may take photographs of key installations to correctly design ï¿½terrorist hit plans inside Americaï¿½. When the Chief Mufti of the grand mosque of Dhaka, the Baitul Mukarram at a congregation attended by top government officials in his sermon stated ï¿½O! Muslims, spit on President Bush, the great Satan and let him be washed awayï¿½, or when the Islamist party proclaimed ï¿½we will be Taliban and we will make Bangladesh Afghanistanï¿½, the U. S. Embassy in Dhaka simply ignored such comments.

Why It Ignored? The Inside Story:

It is reported that the U. S. Embassy in Dhaka have recruited a number of JI activists and recently the U. S. State Department honored Mr. M. M. Firoze Ahmed, a political assistant at the U. S. Embassy in Dhaka. He received the highest award for the Bureau of South Asian Affairs, the ï¿½ Foreign Service National Employee of the Yearï¿½ 2006 for ï¿½his accurate, insightful and well-written analytical reporting on key issues; for personally investigating allegations of human rights abuses and violent street demonstrations; for identifying key individuals and maintaining an intricate network of invaluable contacts; and for orienting a new ambassador, deputy chief of mission and an entirely new staff of six officers in the Political/Economic section. The award also recognizes Mr. Ahmed's unflagging dedication and hard work during the visits of the President and Secretary of State to Bangladeshï¿½ the citation stated.

Who is Mr. Firoze Ahmed?

Mr. Ahmed is known to be actively involved in Islamist politics of Bangladesh. The major newspapers of Bangladesh revealed his identity ï¿½as a high ranking member of Jamat-i-Islami (JI) party of Bangladeshï¿½. He is a Roqan, a respectable position in the party hierarchy. Jamal Hasan, an American citizen of Bangladesh origin wrote, ï¿½The Islamic fundamentalist party, Jamat-i-Islami of Bangladesh is like ears and eyes to the global jihadis. It is closely connected with its sister organization in Pakistan, the Jamat-i-Islami of Pakistan, which is thought to have linkages with the Taliban of Afghanistan according to US based security analyst Khaled Duranï¿½.

He further observes ï¿½in this era of war on terrorism, an Islamist mole like M.M. Firoze Ahmed has no business working for U.S. Department of State. Not only are our diplomats are not taking this matter seriously but the State Department seems to be
actively aiding and abetting their activities by granting them quasi diplomatic status. Maulana Firoze Ahmed is still working at the US embassy in Dhaka and is
privy to sensitive information vital to our interestï¿½.

No wonder, the U. S. Foreign policy is so distorted. In Bangladesh, it is trying to promote those organizations that are assisting revival of Islami fundamentalism and terrorism. More importantly, apparently it is helping those that are trying to curb ï¿½multiparty democracyï¿½. Is this strange and unbelievable? Just analyze the following case. For example, the current Bangladesh Election Commission is headed by a highly partisan M A Aziz and his 3 associates. It lost its credibility and public confidence to hold any ï¿½free, fair, non-partisan, and credibleï¿½ election in the country. Reasons; they have created a ï¿½fraudulent voter listï¿½ that has over 16 million ghost votes. It deliberately excluded the opposition party supporters and sympathizers from the list. In addition, it disfranchised nationï¿½s nearly 10 million minority voters. Moreover, with a view to doctor the election, it appointed nearly 16,000 election officials mostly Islami jehadis with deep commitment to defraud the election results to gain political power. It defied the Bangladesh highest Court orders to rectify the voter list errors. Its Chief Mr. MA Aziz was caught lying and hiding the truth again and again even in public.

No wonder, all opposition parties and the nationï¿½s civil societies plus the media have been demanding the ouster of the Election Commissioners for months. Nearly 50 got killed and over 10,000 wounded in mass movements across the nation for election commission reform and ouster of the Chief Election Commissioner and his three associates. Unless this is done, the nationï¿½s opposition parties threatened to halt and paralyzed all economic activities of the country. The U. S. Ambassador in Dhaka has requested the nationï¿½s leading opposition parties to delay such ï¿½non-cooperation movementï¿½ and the U. S. Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher rushed to Dhaka on Friday (11/10/06) to soften the situation. But the situation is boiling and it may erupt anytime.

The Bangladeshi Americans in the U. S. irrespective of rank-and-file wish to have a ï¿½free, fair, non-partisan and credibleï¿½ election in Bangladesh. They are afraid that their relatives may find difficulties and the U. S. State Dept warned all the US citizens to take precautions in traveling to Bangladesh.

The situation in Bangladesh is heading towards a clash between nationï¿½s progressive and democratic forces opposed to ï¿½terrorismï¿½ and the government that supports the Islamists. Such clash may lead Dr. Izzauddin Ahmed, a 76-year old heart patient determined to hold onto power to declare ï¿½a national emergencyï¿½ and call for the Army to maintain law and orderï¿½. Unfortunately, such move will soon dethrone him and a ï¿½military coupï¿½ may be imminent ending multiparty democracy in this Islamic Republic of Bangladesh. Whether such coup can last given the public anger is a matter to watch. More importantly, will Bangladesh turn into another Iraq, the death toll of which is frightening?

Richard Boucher stated that any military takeover will not be beneficial for the country. However, he advised the nationï¿½s security forces to take strong measures to maintain law and order. He also advised the nationï¿½s opposition leadership to restrain. If government fails to reform the disgraceful Election Commission, violence will erupt and it may lead to civil war like that of Iraq. For short run, the losers will be the people of Bangladesh as many will die and their weak economy will be shattered. Secondly, the U. S. will add another 147 million Bangladeshi to that of 27 million Iraqis, 4 million each Lebanese and Palestinian and 31 million Afghanis get reasons to be upset with the U. S. Foreign policy. As against President Bushï¿½s declared policy, the U.S. instead of promoting ï¿½free, fair and credible electionï¿½ and multiparty democracy in Bangladesh, the general perception is that it is taking side with the autocrats although both the Secretary Boucher and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Patricia Butenis publicly stated ï¿½we are not siding with any political party in Bangladeshï¿½. Question is; will such public statement be credible given its soft attitude towards corrupt politicians that are linked to Islamists and Jehadis?

*Abdul Momen is a professor of economics and business, Massachusetts, USA