US keen about Bangladeshi troops in Afghanistan

Washington has 'intensified' its efforts for Bangladeshi engagement in Afghanistan, a US embassy official said on Thursday, two days after the Taliban cautioned Dhaka against sending troops to the war-ravaged country.

bdnews24.com
Published : 30 Sept 2010, 08:05 AM
Updated : 30 Sept 2010, 08:05 AM
Dhaka, Sept 30 (bdnews24.com) -- Washington has 'intensified' its efforts for Bangladeshi engagement in Afghanistan, a US embassy official said on Thursday, two days after the Taliban cautioned Dhaka against sending troops to the war-ravaged country.
"The United States has intensified its discussion on Bangladesh's engagement in Afghanistan for global peace and stability," Nicholas Dean, the current charge d'affaires of the US mission in Dhaka, told reporters at a press conference.
Dean, also deputy chief of the mission, made the statement without any further elaboration when reporters asked about the US position about Bangladesh's military presence Afghanistan.
The press conference was organised for Ertharin Cousin, President Obama's representative to the UN agencies in Rome, to brief journalists about her four-day visit to Bangladesh.
Foreign ministry sources say, the US government has been trying to persuade Dhaka to send soldiers to Afghanistan as Washington reportedly plans to withdraw from the war-torn country supposedly dominated by fundamentalist Islamist radicals that are understandably strongly anti-American.
But Dhaka is very 'cautious' about the American request since the government would be in 'trouble' if it bows to this US pressure, the officials say.
Besides, officials say, Bangladeshi troops would not be able to face the brutal and fanatic fighters in Afghanistan as the American and NATO troops with sophisticated and superior weaponry could not root out them.
The French Press Agency (Agence France Presse – AFP) reported two days ago that the Islamic militants have warned Bangladesh about sending soldiers to Afghanistan.
The US-led forces occupied Afghanistan after the twin towers in New York were brought down on Sep 11, 2001 in a daring terrorist attack.
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