VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKA #1219 3291142
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241142Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7810
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 8727
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2467
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 9969
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0947
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0124
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0037
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0145

UNCLAS DHAKA 001219 
 
SIPDIS 
 
IO/UNP FOR ANDREW MORRISON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BG IS PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: BANGLADESH SYMPATHETIC BUT NON-COMMITTAL ON 
OPPOSING ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTIONS 
 
REF: 123081 
 
¶1.  (U) On Sunday November 23, PolOff met with Sakib Sadakat, 
Assistant Secretary UN and Human Rights Wing at the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs, to convey reftel points. We conveyed our 
support for a two state solution in the Middle East and our 
view that these resolutions are repetitive and unbalanced; 
unfairly targeting a single state. Moreover we explained that 
such actions undermine the institutional credibility of the 
UN. The Assistant Secretary stated that the Government of 
Bangladesh desires improved relations with Israel but is 
constrained in its voting patterns by domestic politics and 
the country,s membership in international groupings like the 
Organization of the Islamic Conference. He added that such 
decisions are typically made at the level of the Foreign 
Secretary or Foreign Advisor after taking these and other 
factors into account. Post will continue to follow up with 
the Foreign Ministry on this issue and reiterate the USG 
position that supporting such resolutions will only undermine 
prospects for a lasting and durable solution in the Middle 
East. 
Moriarty