US Peace Corps leaves Bangladesh

[Judi Lynn]

Last Updated: Wednesday, 15 March 2006, 20:29 GMT

US Peace Corps leaves Bangladesh

The US Peace Corps has suspended its activities in Bangladesh indefinitely for fear that Americans may become the targets of Islamic militants.

A spokeswoman said all 70 volunteers had now left the country. Bangladesh said the move was "ill-advised".

The decision follows the arrest of militants blamed for a series of bomb attacks. Peace Corps fears retaliatory attacks by "terrorist elements".

The US on Tuesday expressed support for anti-terrorism actions in Bangladesh.
(snip/...)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4810100.stm

[crispini]

1. Wow, that takes a lot for them to pull out of a country.

I was a PCV in Thailand during the first gulf war and they didn't pull any of us out despite rumors of "miltants" in the south of the country.

[Bacchus39]

3. when I served, we had PCVs who were from the Phillipines and Haiti

transferred to other countries in the early 90s. Its pretty standard practice for the Peace Corps to get out when it starts to get a little too hot.

[madaboutharry]

2. We are just so loved, NOT.

Was there ever a time it was so dangerous to be an American? Was it like this during the Vietnam War?

[Igel]

5. So far the deaths attributed to the

"Party of the Jihadis" (Jammatul Mujahideen, by S. Asian spelling conventions) have been Bangladeshis. Sometimes politicos, sometimes insufficiently observant Muslims. Shops and movie theatres have been favorite targets.

But, you know, they only kill Bangladeshis there because they can't get to Americans, so they're forgiven.

[Ben Ceremos]

7. I was in Dhaka and in the west in Khushtia province

in Bangladesh. The violence the Americans fear is a red herring. The vast majority of Bengalis are peaceful and kind people who are very interested in interacting with foreign travellers. I can't begin to describe the experience of being there, I would do almost anything to help these wonderful people. The Peace Corps is being used as a tool to try to leverage Bengali participation in the war of Bush terror. I say good riddance. Oddly enough, the biggest footprint of foreign aid in Bangladesh comes from various christian charities and NGO's. Pres.Kennedy never meant for the PC to be a tool of the rightwing. (Nice photos of Bengalis by C.Veltman can be enjoyed at
http://www.chara.de/oes)...

[saigon68]

4. Don't help those Islamics cried the Chimpanzee

They are poor unlike my friends from Dubai he continued

Especially Abdullah my lover

[struggle4progress]

6. The real motive for the withdrawal, of course, is Bushist hostility ..

.. to humanitarian activities ..