Dhaka Courier: With President Obama's number 1 domestic priority, healthcare reform, passing through the House of Representatives, and then the Senate more recently, it has given him the chance to once more turn his attention to matters away from home, such as the Afghan war. Would you say the recent announcement of a 30,000-strong troops surge by President Obama, part of his Afghan strategy, is more of an exit strategy?
James F. Moriarty: The president has decided to deploy an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. These troops will deploy on an accelerated timeline to reinforce the 68,000 Americans and 39,000 non-U.S. ISAF troops already there, so that we can target the insurgency, break its momentum, and better secure population centers. These forces will increase our capacity to train effective Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans get into the fight. And by pursuing these partnerships, we can transition to Afghan responsibility, and begin to reduce our combat troops in the summer of 2011. In short, these resources will allow us to make the final push that is necessary to train Afghans so that we can transfer responsibility.
As President Obama stated, "Our whole concept here is to train and partner with Afghan forces and to transfer to them even as our troops are fighting alongside each other."
The United States will not again turn our back on Afghanistan or the region. The United States and our many friends and allies around the globe are determined to defeat those who stand between Afghanistan and a peaceful and a prosperous future. Together we will succeed and our partnership will flourish for decades to come.
DC: Israel has been defying Mr. Obama's call to halt settlement activity in the occupied territories. Can the president be expected to make a tougher push for Israel to comply with that condition in future?
JFM: The United States continues to pursue comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution. We define comprehensive peace as peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Israel and Lebanon, Israel and Syria, and the full normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab states.
Our goal is two states living side by side in peace and security - a Jewish State of Israel, with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, and realizes the potential of the Palestinian people.
The United States will continue to vigorously pursue this goal.
DC: The current administration has also resolved to engage in dialogue with Myanmar, and President Obama met the Myanmarese prime minister on the sidelines of an APEC summit in Singapore last month. Did the issue of the Rohingyas, and Myanmar's disputed maritime boundary with Bangladesh come up in those talks at all?
JFM: We are not aware of any meetings between the United States and Burmese officials on the sideline of the U.S.-ASEAN Summit. The United States Government will continue to work with the Burmese authorities, the democratic opposition, ethnic leaders, Burma's neighbors and other stakeholders to promote concrete progress on reform.
The Burmese authorities have the opportunity to improve its standing in the international community by engaging in a dialogue on democratic reforms, improving their human rights record and releasing all political prisoners immediately and without condition.
Rohingya are systematically persecuted for their religions and ethnicity by the Burmese regime, which does not recognize them as citizens despite their centuries-long presence with the modern day boundaries of Burma.
We therefore urge governments in countries where Rohingya seek refuge to carefully screen arrivals for protection need - in a process that involves the UNHCR. We welcome efforts by concerned governments to work together on a common approach for protecting Rohingya. We urge those governments also to press the government of Burma to end its persecution of Rohingya and address the root cause of their migration so that those who have already fled can return home safely.
DC: When the newly appointed Bangladeshi ambassador in Washington, Akramul Qader, presented his credentials to President Obama at the White House, the president highlighted 3 areas (education, healthcare and disaster management) for continued U.S assistance to Bangladesh in its development efforts. What exactly might assistance in these 3 areas entail?
JFM: Since 2007, U.S. Government assistance to Bangladesh has steadily increased and is projected to double by 2010. This is a testament to the excellent bi-lateral partnership between our two countries. The U.S. assistance program in Bangladesh currently spans all of the major development sectors; in the coming years, there will be additional resources for the priority areas of food security and health.
U.S. Government assistance in the education sector is focused on improving education opportunities for pre-primary children. Our programs have developed a pre-primary curriculum that has been endorsed by the government and other donors. In collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, USAID is working to make pre-primary education programs more broadly available in the public education system.
In the health sector, we collaborate closely with the Bangladesh Government to increase access for the poor to a broad spectrum of affordable and quality health services. In FY09 the U.S. Government provided more than $50 million in medical commodities, operational support, training, and technical assistance to public and private health care providers. We expect support to the health sector to increase substantially in the coming years as a result of President Obama's commitment to the Global Health Initiative.
As far as disaster management is concerned, the U.S. has partnered with the Bangladesh Government for a long time in building Bangladesh's internal capacity to mitigate and respond to natural disasters. Most recently, Bangladesh received $75 million in supplemental funds to assist the victims of Cyclone Sidr. Our development programs continue to focus on building economic resilience and better warning systems to save lives and help at risk communities mitigate the devastating effects of natural disasters.
DC: As a champion of democracy, how does the present U.S administration view Bangladesh's progress towards consolidating democracy since last year's elections? What are the key steps needed to eventually institutionalise democracy here?
JFM: Bangladesh is an impressively vibrant democracy. You only need to look at the high voter turnout during last year's elections.
To make democracy even stronger here, Bangladeshis need to insist on constructive dialogue among the political parties. The best legislature is a place where government policy is examined and debated.
DC: American companies are often apprehensive about doing business in unstable democracies. Can we expect more FDI from U.S companies as our democracy matures? In spite of the presence of companies like Chevron, the overall figure is still quite low…
JFM: Businesses, both foreign and domestic, are looking for places to invest where the political environment is stable and rules are applied consistently and transparently. Nations with governments that provide an overarching regulatory framework for business and then step aside to allow entrepreneurs to innovate will attract the most investment.
DC: Which sectors contain the greatest potential for economic cooperation between the U.S and Bangladesh?
JFM: There are opportunities in many sectors. U.S. firms can provide technical expertise and investment in a range of sectors, including power, energy and information technology. The US Government is also helping Bangladesh develop competitiveness in the seafood, horticulture and leather sectors. The USG is also looking for ways to partner with Bangladesh to promote agricultural development and food security.
Another way to promote closer trade and investment ties between the United States and Bangladesh would be through a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, or TIFA. At its heart, a TIFA is an agreement that commits both sides to meeting regularly to discuss trade and investment issues; it would guarantee regular attention to Bangladesh by senior USG trade officials, and it includes a mechanism for businessmen to provide input on issues of importance to investors.
DC: Do you believe the U.S, which has lagged behind in the fight to save the environment from the harms of climate change since the Kyoto Protocol, is ready now to play a leading role after the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference? What are the changes that need to take place in U.S domestic policy for this to happen?
JFM: The United States is committed to getting the strongest possible agreement we can at the climate negotiation in Copenhagen. The Administration has demonstrated a strong commitment to this issue and under President Obama the United States has done more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than ever before, both by supporting domestic policies that advance clean energy, climate security and economic recovery, and by vigorously engaging internationally, including through the UN Framework Convention process.
We have announced our intention to cut our emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and ultimately in line with final climate and energy legislation. In light of the President's goals, the expected pathway in pending legislation would extend those cuts to 30 percent by 2025, 42 percent by 2030, and more than 80 percent by 2050. These are the kind of strong national actions that a successful agreement requires.
The United States has also pursued an unprecedented effort to engage partners around the world in the fight against climate change, and we have produced real results. President Obama launched the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate which brought together key developed and developing countries to work through issues essential to an accord. He also spearheaded an agreement, first among the G-20 and then among the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations, to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. This effort alone could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent or more by 2050.
DC: As a country living on the frontline of climate change, Bangladesh has an obvious stake in this. Barring a binding commitment in Copenhagen, what scope do you think there is for bilateral cooperation between the U.S and Bangladesh in helping Bangladesh to dealing with its fallout?
JFM: The United States and Bangladesh have a long history of friendship. Since independence, the U.S. Government has provided more than $5.5 billion in development assistance. Since 2007, U.S. Government assistance to Bangladesh has steadily increased and is projected to double by 2010. One of the key areas of our development assistance is building Bangladesh's internal capacity to mitigate and respond to natural disasters. This is an area where our assistance has already had tremendous impact.
The U.S. views Bangladesh as a leader on climate change. Just this week President Obama spoke with Prime Minister Hasina about climate change. President Obama encouraged Prime Minister Hasina to help reach robust agreement at the leaders summit this week in Copenhagen. The president reviewed efforts by the United States on climate change and reiterated his commitment to making progress. He emphasized his desire to reach a pragmatic solution that encompasses action by all countries. The two leaders agreed on the importance of working closely with the Danish prime minister to reach an appropriate agreement and of encouraging all developed and developing countries to play a constructive role.
source: Dhaka Courier
James F. Moriarty: The president has decided to deploy an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. These troops will deploy on an accelerated timeline to reinforce the 68,000 Americans and 39,000 non-U.S. ISAF troops already there, so that we can target the insurgency, break its momentum, and better secure population centers. These forces will increase our capacity to train effective Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans get into the fight. And by pursuing these partnerships, we can transition to Afghan responsibility, and begin to reduce our combat troops in the summer of 2011. In short, these resources will allow us to make the final push that is necessary to train Afghans so that we can transfer responsibility.
As President Obama stated, "Our whole concept here is to train and partner with Afghan forces and to transfer to them even as our troops are fighting alongside each other."
The United States will not again turn our back on Afghanistan or the region. The United States and our many friends and allies around the globe are determined to defeat those who stand between Afghanistan and a peaceful and a prosperous future. Together we will succeed and our partnership will flourish for decades to come.
DC: Israel has been defying Mr. Obama's call to halt settlement activity in the occupied territories. Can the president be expected to make a tougher push for Israel to comply with that condition in future?
JFM: The United States continues to pursue comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution. We define comprehensive peace as peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Israel and Lebanon, Israel and Syria, and the full normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab states.
Our goal is two states living side by side in peace and security - a Jewish State of Israel, with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, and realizes the potential of the Palestinian people.
The United States will continue to vigorously pursue this goal.
DC: The current administration has also resolved to engage in dialogue with Myanmar, and President Obama met the Myanmarese prime minister on the sidelines of an APEC summit in Singapore last month. Did the issue of the Rohingyas, and Myanmar's disputed maritime boundary with Bangladesh come up in those talks at all?
JFM: We are not aware of any meetings between the United States and Burmese officials on the sideline of the U.S.-ASEAN Summit. The United States Government will continue to work with the Burmese authorities, the democratic opposition, ethnic leaders, Burma's neighbors and other stakeholders to promote concrete progress on reform.
The Burmese authorities have the opportunity to improve its standing in the international community by engaging in a dialogue on democratic reforms, improving their human rights record and releasing all political prisoners immediately and without condition.
Rohingya are systematically persecuted for their religions and ethnicity by the Burmese regime, which does not recognize them as citizens despite their centuries-long presence with the modern day boundaries of Burma.
We therefore urge governments in countries where Rohingya seek refuge to carefully screen arrivals for protection need - in a process that involves the UNHCR. We welcome efforts by concerned governments to work together on a common approach for protecting Rohingya. We urge those governments also to press the government of Burma to end its persecution of Rohingya and address the root cause of their migration so that those who have already fled can return home safely.
DC: When the newly appointed Bangladeshi ambassador in Washington, Akramul Qader, presented his credentials to President Obama at the White House, the president highlighted 3 areas (education, healthcare and disaster management) for continued U.S assistance to Bangladesh in its development efforts. What exactly might assistance in these 3 areas entail?
JFM: Since 2007, U.S. Government assistance to Bangladesh has steadily increased and is projected to double by 2010. This is a testament to the excellent bi-lateral partnership between our two countries. The U.S. assistance program in Bangladesh currently spans all of the major development sectors; in the coming years, there will be additional resources for the priority areas of food security and health.
U.S. Government assistance in the education sector is focused on improving education opportunities for pre-primary children. Our programs have developed a pre-primary curriculum that has been endorsed by the government and other donors. In collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, USAID is working to make pre-primary education programs more broadly available in the public education system.
In the health sector, we collaborate closely with the Bangladesh Government to increase access for the poor to a broad spectrum of affordable and quality health services. In FY09 the U.S. Government provided more than $50 million in medical commodities, operational support, training, and technical assistance to public and private health care providers. We expect support to the health sector to increase substantially in the coming years as a result of President Obama's commitment to the Global Health Initiative.
As far as disaster management is concerned, the U.S. has partnered with the Bangladesh Government for a long time in building Bangladesh's internal capacity to mitigate and respond to natural disasters. Most recently, Bangladesh received $75 million in supplemental funds to assist the victims of Cyclone Sidr. Our development programs continue to focus on building economic resilience and better warning systems to save lives and help at risk communities mitigate the devastating effects of natural disasters.
DC: As a champion of democracy, how does the present U.S administration view Bangladesh's progress towards consolidating democracy since last year's elections? What are the key steps needed to eventually institutionalise democracy here?
JFM: Bangladesh is an impressively vibrant democracy. You only need to look at the high voter turnout during last year's elections.
To make democracy even stronger here, Bangladeshis need to insist on constructive dialogue among the political parties. The best legislature is a place where government policy is examined and debated.
DC: American companies are often apprehensive about doing business in unstable democracies. Can we expect more FDI from U.S companies as our democracy matures? In spite of the presence of companies like Chevron, the overall figure is still quite low…
JFM: Businesses, both foreign and domestic, are looking for places to invest where the political environment is stable and rules are applied consistently and transparently. Nations with governments that provide an overarching regulatory framework for business and then step aside to allow entrepreneurs to innovate will attract the most investment.
DC: Which sectors contain the greatest potential for economic cooperation between the U.S and Bangladesh?
JFM: There are opportunities in many sectors. U.S. firms can provide technical expertise and investment in a range of sectors, including power, energy and information technology. The US Government is also helping Bangladesh develop competitiveness in the seafood, horticulture and leather sectors. The USG is also looking for ways to partner with Bangladesh to promote agricultural development and food security.
Another way to promote closer trade and investment ties between the United States and Bangladesh would be through a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, or TIFA. At its heart, a TIFA is an agreement that commits both sides to meeting regularly to discuss trade and investment issues; it would guarantee regular attention to Bangladesh by senior USG trade officials, and it includes a mechanism for businessmen to provide input on issues of importance to investors.
DC: Do you believe the U.S, which has lagged behind in the fight to save the environment from the harms of climate change since the Kyoto Protocol, is ready now to play a leading role after the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference? What are the changes that need to take place in U.S domestic policy for this to happen?
JFM: The United States is committed to getting the strongest possible agreement we can at the climate negotiation in Copenhagen. The Administration has demonstrated a strong commitment to this issue and under President Obama the United States has done more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than ever before, both by supporting domestic policies that advance clean energy, climate security and economic recovery, and by vigorously engaging internationally, including through the UN Framework Convention process.
We have announced our intention to cut our emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and ultimately in line with final climate and energy legislation. In light of the President's goals, the expected pathway in pending legislation would extend those cuts to 30 percent by 2025, 42 percent by 2030, and more than 80 percent by 2050. These are the kind of strong national actions that a successful agreement requires.
The United States has also pursued an unprecedented effort to engage partners around the world in the fight against climate change, and we have produced real results. President Obama launched the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate which brought together key developed and developing countries to work through issues essential to an accord. He also spearheaded an agreement, first among the G-20 and then among the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations, to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. This effort alone could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent or more by 2050.
DC: As a country living on the frontline of climate change, Bangladesh has an obvious stake in this. Barring a binding commitment in Copenhagen, what scope do you think there is for bilateral cooperation between the U.S and Bangladesh in helping Bangladesh to dealing with its fallout?
JFM: The United States and Bangladesh have a long history of friendship. Since independence, the U.S. Government has provided more than $5.5 billion in development assistance. Since 2007, U.S. Government assistance to Bangladesh has steadily increased and is projected to double by 2010. One of the key areas of our development assistance is building Bangladesh's internal capacity to mitigate and respond to natural disasters. This is an area where our assistance has already had tremendous impact.
The U.S. views Bangladesh as a leader on climate change. Just this week President Obama spoke with Prime Minister Hasina about climate change. President Obama encouraged Prime Minister Hasina to help reach robust agreement at the leaders summit this week in Copenhagen. The president reviewed efforts by the United States on climate change and reiterated his commitment to making progress. He emphasized his desire to reach a pragmatic solution that encompasses action by all countries. The two leaders agreed on the importance of working closely with the Danish prime minister to reach an appropriate agreement and of encouraging all developed and developing countries to play a constructive role.
source: Dhaka Courier
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