FOREIGN SECRETARY THINKS INDIANS BEHIND AUGUST 21

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 003149 E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV BG IN SUBJECT: FOREIGN SECRETARY THINKS INDIANS BEHIND AUGUST 21 ATTACK Classified By: POLCOUN D.C. Mccullough, Reason(s): 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) DAS Torkel Patterson met with Foreign Secretary Shamsheer Chowdhury on September 13 with Ambassador Thomas and Poloff (notetaker). With renewed rains, downed trees and flooded roads blocking traffic, Patterson noted to Chowdhury the difficulties presented by the August flooding and expressed the desire of the international community to help in mitigating damage. He then pressed Chowdhury on the need for action in the investigation of the attack of August 21. He stated the reason for his visit was to express US and international concern over political violence in Bangladesh, including the attack on the British High Commissioner and unexplained arms seizures. DAS Patterson stressed that a government must protect its citizens and their right to speak in opposition to the government urging the setting aside of political differences and focusing on solving this crime. ¶2. (C) Chowdhury deflected Patterson's call for action. While he agreed with the need for action he blamed the Awami League for any inaction citing Sheikh Hasina's refusal to see Prime Minister Zia as evidence of their lack of cooperation in the investigation. He scoffed at the AL notion that the government is behind the attack. "No government is foolish enough to inflict this (attack) on itself." He criticized the AL for any future problems saying that the politics of blaming the government is "bound to set something off." And as for the attack itself, he said it was an "intelligence failure" that allowed this to happen, and that the US itself was not immune from this sort of thing. 3 (C) In searching for a culprit, he noted that one "can't choose your neighbors." He cited "certain reactions from abroad" and described a recent discovery of some Indians smuggling grenades into Bangladesh, asking rhetorically, that in South Asian politics, "whose interest is it to have instability in the region?" ¶4. (C) Noting the accusations, Ambassador Thomas raised to Chowdhury the issue of heated remarks in the media by officials in India and Bangladesh and hoped the rhetoric will "cool down." Chowdhury responded that he will speak to the Indian Secretary "tomorrow" preferring to discuss relations "not through the media but over a table." Nonetheless, Chowdhury decried the security situation where there are those who want their own territory separate from Bangladesh and who have their own weapons training, ideology and Email addresses. ¶5. (C) Comment: BDG is getting inventive in explaining why they are not able to conduct a police investigation into the attacks of August 21. They blame the AL, they blame "intelligence failure" and they blame the Indians for the attack but are unable to produce evidence behind these allegations. With the US position well known to BDG, it might well be time to focus our position on asking if a conclusive report will be published recounting the findings of the investigation. End Comment. ¶6. (U) This cable has been cleared by DAS Patterson. THOMAS