He is sincerely loyal to the Father of the Nation and to Bagladesh and he serves both the best he can.
Even if it does mean putting up with thugs and idiots.
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "Emanur Rahman" <emanur@...> wrote:
>
> It is indeed so that begs the question - how does the Finance Minister sit so comfortably with the traitors and thugs he calls peers? Not to mention the witch he calls "madam".
>
> He should resign, reach out to Prof Yunus, form a new political party and speak the conscience of the millions who have lived and died or have been killed at the altar of politicians and generals alike since independence.
>
> They have no voice.
>
> Prof Yunus and Muhith should speak for them.
>
> Emanur Rahman | m. +447734567561 | e. emanur@...
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "ezajur" Ezajur@...
> Sender: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2011 06:12:19
> To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> Reply-To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [ALOCHONA] Re: Wikileaks on Boeing sale to Bangladesh
>
>
> Thanks for giving me the opportunity to bark :)
>
> Mind you, the Finance Minister said a couple of days ago that he must
> have made some mistakes regarding the share market debacle. That's a
> level of honesty that is rare indeed.
>
>
> --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, qrahman@ wrote:
> >
> >
> > :-D
> >
> > I only give credit because my expectation of our politicians are so
> low that even such meaning less efforts make me (And some of us) happy.
> Sad situation .........
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ezajur Ezajur@
> > To: alochona alochona@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Mon, Jan 24, 2011 8:00 pm
> > Subject: [ALOCHONA] Re: Wikileaks on Boeing sale to Bangladesh
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Nope - you are not complelled to give Hasina credit for simply linking
> the purchase of Amercian planes to landing rights in America. It is a
> simple, straight forward question that could be asked by any mid level
> bureaucrat.
> >
> > As it is the deal went ahead with no clear commitment to landing
> rights in America. The deal went ahead. Any bribes that needed to be
> paid were paid. Any crazy maintenance contracts that needed to be signed
> were signed. Biman continues to make a loss. Air cargo still needs to
> released by bribes. The unions still strangle the sector. The Arabs do
> not reciprocate with equal landing rights. And the Aviation ministry is
> still a hotbed of nonsense.
> >
> > And all you have brother, is a question asked by Prime Minister
> Hasina.
> >
> > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, qrahman@ wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Gotta give some credit to our current PM Sheikh Hasina. At least she
> demanded something for the country this time. Not focusing on Khaleda
> Zia or destroying BNP for a change.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Isha Khan bdmailer@
> > > Sent: Wed, Jan 19, 2011 11:20 pm
> > > Subject: [ALOCHONA] Wikileaks on Boeing sale to Bangladesh
> > >
> > >
> > > Diplomats Help Push Sales of Jetliners on the Global Market
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > *BangladeshâÂÂs prime minister, Sheik Hasina Wazed, was
> equally direct
> > >
> > > in making a connection for the landing rights at Kennedy Airport, as
> a
> > >
> > > condition of the airplane deal, which was then at risk of
> collapsing.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > âÂÂIf there is no New York route, what is the point of
> buying Boeing?â a
> > >
> > > November 2009 cable quotes Ms. Hasina as saying as she pressed
> > >
> > > American officials. The deal with Boeing went through. So far,
> flights
> > >
> > > by the countryâÂÂs national carrier, Biman Bangladesh
> Airlines, to New
> > >
> > > York have not been restored.*
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > WASHINGTON âÂ"The king of Saudi Arabia wanted the United
> States to
> > >
> > > outfit his personal jet with the same high-tech devices as Air Force
> > >
> > > One. The president of Turkey wanted the Obama administration to let
> a
> > >
> > > Turkish astronaut sit in on a NASA space flight. And in Bangladesh,
> > >
> > > the prime minister pressed the State Department to re-establish
> > >
> > > landing rights at Kennedy International Airport in New York.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Each of these government leaders had one thing in common: they were
> > >
> > > trying to decide whether to buy billions of dollarsâ worth
> of
> > >
> > > commercial jets from Boeing or its European competitor, Airbus. And
> > >
> > > United States diplomats were acting like marketing agents, offering
> > >
> > > deals to heads of state and airline executives whose decisions could
> > >
> > > be influenced by price, performance and, as with all finicky
> customers
> > >
> > > with plenty to spend, perks.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > This is the high-stakes, international bazaar for large commercial
> > >
> > > jets, where tens of billions of dollars are on the line, along with
> > >
> > > hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs. At its heart, it is a
> > >
> > > wrestling match fought daily by executives at two giant companies,
> > >
> > > Boeing and Airbus, in which each controls about half of the global
> > >
> > > market for such planes.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > To a greater degree than previously known, diplomats are a big part
> of
> > >
> > > the sales force, according to hundreds of cables released by
> > >
> > > WikiLeaks, which describe politicking and cajoling at the highest
> > >
> > > levels.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > It is not surprising that the United States helps American companies
> > >
> > > doing business abroad, given that each sale is worth thousands of
> jobs
> > >
> > > and that their foreign competitors do the same. But like the other
> > >
> > > WikiLeaks cables, these offer a remarkably detailed look at what had
> > >
> > > previously been only glimpsed âÂ" in this case, the sales war
> between
> > >
> > > American diplomats and their European counterparts.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The cables describe letters from presidents, state visits as
> > >
> > > bargaining chips and a number of leaders making big purchases based,
> > >
> > > at least in part, on how much the companies will dress up private
> > >
> > > planes.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The documents also suggest that demands for bribes, or at least
> > >
> > > payment to suspicious intermediaries who offer to serve as
> âÂÂagents,âÂÂ
> > >
> > > still take place. Boeing says it is committed to avoiding any such
> > >
> > > corrupt practices.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > State Department and Boeing officials, in interviews last month,
> > >
> > > acknowledged the important role the United States government plays
> in
> > >
> > > helping them sell commercial airplanes, despite a trade agreement
> > >
> > > signed by the United States and European leaders three decades ago
> > >
> > > intended to remove international politics from the process.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The United States economy, said Robert D. Hormats, under secretary
> for
> > >
> > > economic affairs at the State Department, increasingly relies upon
> > >
> > > exports to the fast-growing developing world âÂ" nations like
> China and
> > >
> > > India, as well as those in Latin America and the Middle East.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > So pushing sales of big-ticket items like commercial jets,
> > >
> > > earth-moving equipment or power plants (or stepping in to object if
> an
> > >
> > > American company is not being given a fair chance to bid) is central
> > >
> > > to the Obama administrationâÂÂs strategy to help the nation
> recover from
> > >
> > > the recession.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Boeing earns about 70 percent of its commercial plane sales from
> > >
> > > foreign buyers, and is the single biggest exporter of manufactured
> > >
> > > goods in the United States. Every $1 billion in sales âÂ" and
> some of
> > >
> > > these deals carry a price tag of as high as $10 billion âÂ"
> translates
> > >
> > > into an estimated 11,000 American jobs, according to the State
> > >
> > > Department.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The Equalizers
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > âÂÂThat is the reality of the 21st century; governments are
> playing a
> > >
> > > greater role in supporting their companies, and we need to do the
> same
> > >
> > > thing,â Mr. Hormats, a former top executive at Goldman
> Sachs, said in
> > >
> > > an interview.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Said Tim Neale, a Boeing spokesman, âÂÂThe way I look at it,
> it levels
> > >
> > > the playing field.âÂÂ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > But Charles A. Hamilton, a former Defense Department official who is
> a
> > >
> > > consultant to Airbus, said the governmentâÂÂs advocacy
> undermined
> > >
> > > arguments by Boeing and the United States that Airbus had an unfair
> > >
> > > advantage because of its subsidies from European governments.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > âÂÂThe bottom line is anything goes to get the
> business,â said Mr.
> > >
> > > Hamilton, adding that he was speaking for himself, and not for
> Airbus.
> > >
> > > âÂÂIf they feel like they are losing, they will do just
> about anything
> > >
> > > to save a deal.âÂÂ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Airbus executives would not discuss details of their own sales
> > >
> > > campaigns âÂ" and the WikiLeaks documents are mostly focused
> on American
> > >
> > > efforts. But one Airbus official, who was not authorized to speak on
> > >
> > > the record, conceded that, international agreements aside,
> âÂÂcommercial
> > >
> > > jet sales are not totally decoupled from political relationship
> > >
> > > building.âÂÂ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > One example of the horse-trading involved Saudi Arabia, which in
> > >
> > > November announced a deal with Boeing to buy 12 777-300ER airliners,
> > >
> > > with options for 10 more, a transaction worth more than $3.3 billion
> > >
> > > at list prices.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > That announcement was preceded by years of intense lobbying by
> > >
> > > American officials.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > One pitch came from the highest levels, the cables show. In late
> 2006,
> > >
> > > Israel Hernandez, a senior Commerce Department official,
> > >
> > > hand-delivered a personal letter from President George W. Bush to
> the
> > >
> > > Jeddah office of King Abdullah, urging the king to buy as many as 43
> > >
> > > Boeing jets to modernize Saudi Arabian Airlines and 13 jets for the
> > >
> > > Saudi royal fleet, which serves the extended royal family.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The king read the letter from Mr. Bush, the State Department cable
> > >
> > > says, and announced that Boeing jets were his favorites. He said he
> > >
> > > had just turned down two new Airbus jets, opting instead for a
> > >
> > > slightly used Boeing 747.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > But before he would commit to a mostly Boeing fleet, the king had a
> request.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > âÂÂI am instructing you,â he told Mr. Hernandez
> politely, according to
> > >
> > > the State Department cable, âÂÂto speak to the president and
> all
> > >
> > > concerned authorities,â as the king âÂÂwanted to
> have all the technology
> > >
> > > that his friend, President Bush, had on Air Force One.âÂÂ
> Once he had
> > >
> > > his own high-tech plane, with the worldâÂÂs most advanced
> > >
> > > telecommunications and defense equipment âÂ" the king told Mr.
> Hernandez
> > >
> > > that â âÂÂGod willing,â he will make a
> decision that will âÂÂplease you
> > >
> > > very much.â âÂÂ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > A State Department spokesman confirmed last week that the United
> > >
> > > States had authorized an âÂÂupgradeâ to King
> AbdullahâÂÂs plane, adding
> > >
> > > âÂÂfor security reasons, we wonâÂÂt discuss
> specifics.âÂÂ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > BangladeshâÂÂs prime minister, Sheik Hasina Wazed, was
> equally direct in
> > >
> > > making a connection for the landing rights at Kennedy Airport, as a
> > >
> > > condition of the airplane deal, which was then at risk of
> collapsing.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > âÂÂIf there is no New York route, what is the point of
> buying Boeing?â a
> > >
> > > November 2009 cable quotes Ms. Hasina as saying as she pressed
> > >
> > > American officials. The deal with Boeing went through. So far,
> flights
> > >
> > > by the countryâÂÂs national carrier, Biman Bangladesh
> Airlines, to New
> > >
> > > York have not been restored.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The request from Turkey for a slot on a future NASA flight came
> early
> > >
> > > last year, as Turkish Airlines was considering buying as many as 20
> > >
> > > Boeing jets.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The government there owns slightly less than half of the airline,
> but
> > >
> > > TurkeyâÂÂs minister of transportation, Binali Yildirim, in a
> January
> > >
> > > 2010 meeting with the United States ambassador to Turkey, made clear
> > >
> > > that the countryâÂÂs president wanted help with its
> fledgling space
> > >
> > > program and perhaps assistance from the Federal Aviation
> > >
> > > Administration to improve its aviation safety.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Requests for Favors
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > âÂÂCooperation in this area will create the right
> environment for
> > >
> > > commercial deals,â Mr. Yildirim told the United States
> ambassador, the
> > >
> > > cable says.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > In a cable back to Washington, James F. Jeffrey, then the United
> > >
> > > States ambassador to Turkey, called the effort by Turkish
> authorities
> > >
> > > to link the Boeing deal to political requests an
> âÂÂunwelcome, but
> > >
> > > unsurprising degree of political influence in this
> transaction.â But
> > >
> > > he went on to say that authorizing the F.A.A. to help Turkey improve
> > >
> > > its aviation safety and space exploration programs could benefit
> both
> > >
> > > nations.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > âÂÂWe probably cannot put a Turkish astronaut in orbit, but
> there are
> > >
> > > programs we could undertake to strengthen TurkeyâÂÂs
> capacity in this
> > >
> > > area that would meet our own goals for improved aviation
> safety,â he
> > >
> > > wrote. âÂÂIn any case, we must show some response to the
> ministerâÂÂs
> > >
> > > vague request if we want to maximize chances for the
> sale.âÂÂ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The deal was announced a month later, as Turkish Airlines ordered 20
> > >
> > > Boeing planes.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Some sales come to Boeing in part because foreign political leaders
> > >
> > > want to show friendship to the United States.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > King Abdullah II of Jordan, a longtime ally and recipient of
> billions
> > >
> > > of dollars in United States aid, told the ambassador in 2004 that
> > >
> > > âÂÂeven though the latest Airbus offer was better than
> BoeingâÂÂs he
> > >
> > > intended to make a âÂÂpoliticalâ decision to have
> Royal Jordanian buy
> > >
> > > Boeing aircraft,â a State Department cable said, although
> the United
> > >
> > > States still had to help Boeing secure the deal.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The cables show that the United States is willing to pull out all
> the
> > >
> > > political stops if Boeing is in danger of losing a big deal to
> Airbus.
> > >
> > > In late 2007, the board of Gulf Air, the national airline of the
> > >
> > > oil-rich kingdom of Bahrain, picked Airbus for a huge sale.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Boeing told the American government, which responded that there was
> > >
> > > still a way to turn the deal around, even though Airbus had offered
> > >
> > > the planes for about $400 million less than Boeing.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > âÂÂFar From OverâÂÂ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > âÂÂThe contest remained far from over,â said the
> cable. âÂÂGulf AirâÂÂs
> > >
> > > selection still needed to be endorsed by the government.âÂÂ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The American ambassador at the time, Adam Ereli, and his chief
> > >
> > > economic officer, went into action, âÂÂlobbying Gulf Air
> management,
> > >
> > > board members, government officials and representatives of
> > >
> > > parliament,â and appealing directly to the crown prince of
> Bahrain, in
> > >
> > > an effort to line up a deal for Boeing that could be final in time
> for
> > >
> > > a coming visit by President Bush, the first visit by a sitting
> United
> > >
> > > States president.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Within two weeks, the embassy alerted Boeing officials that the
> crown
> > >
> > > prince and king of Bahrain had rejected AirbusâÂÂs offer and
> directed
> > >
> > > Gulf AirâÂÂs chairman to make a deal with Boeing that could
> be signed
> > >
> > > while Mr. Bush was in the country.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Seeing that Airbus had been outmaneuvered, FranceâÂÂs
> president, Nicolas
> > >
> > > Sarkozy, made a last-minute bid to save the deal, the State
> Department
> > >
> > > cable says. He offered to visit Bahrain after Mr. Bush had left, but
> > >
> > > that stop-over was canceled when the Boeing agreement was signed in
> > >
> > > January 2008. None of the last-minute diplomacy was disclosed.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The cables make clear that both Boeing and the government set limits
> > >
> > > on their efforts, turning away requests in Turkey and Tanzania to
> hire
> > >
> > > âÂÂagentsâ who charge steep commissions âÂ"
> or as some called them, bribes
> > >
> > > âÂ" to gain access to top officials.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Mr. Neale, the company spokesman, says that for Boeing,
> âÂÂit is not
> > >
> > > just a matter of abiding by U.S. law and laws internationally but a
> > >
> > > general sense of business ethics.â When such requests
> surfaced, Boeing
> > >
> > > often reported them to the State Department.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > â âÂÂAgentsâ and steep
> âÂÂcommissionsâ have been at the heart of several
> > >
> > > corruption scandals here,â says a 2007 State Department
> cable
> > >
> > > recounting a demand that Boeing hire a mysterious hotel executive in
> > >
> > > Tanzania to serve as a âÂÂgo-betweenâ with
> government officials.
> > >
> > > Payments like that, the cable said, typically were bribes that
> âÂÂended
> > >
> > > up in Swiss bank accounts.âÂÂ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Eric Lipton reported from Washington, Nicola Clark from Paris and
> > >
> > > Andrew W. Lehren from New York.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/business/03wikileaks-boeing.html
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information
> contained in this
> > >
> > > message. The author takes full responsibility.]
> > >
> > > To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@!
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