Homeland Security Insider
Looking Beyond Borders
By Col. Timothy D. Ringgold – May 2007
Homeland security efforts should begin abroad
Homeland Security begins abroad. Most threats to our national security are not homegrown like Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh who murdered 168 innocent people at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City and was rightfully executed. Rather, terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda ferment their hatred and violence thousands of miles from our shores in reaction to our values, beliefs, and policies. Keeping that hatred from reaching the homeland has long been a fundamental principle in our war against international terrorism. This column is being written eleven time zones from my home at a place that until a few weeks ago I knew almost nothing about, Bangladesh . Most Americans cannot find it on a map much less recognize it as the seventh most populous country in the world -- The United States is third. With 150 million people, Bangladesh has half the population of the United States compressed into a country the size of the state of Iowa . If that doesn't impress you, realize that Bangladesh is six times denser than China . That's a lot of people in a small place, but three additional facts led me to this trip to Bangladesh . First, it is one of the few democracies in the Muslim world. Second, the Bangladeshis are already working closely with the US in the war on terror and seeking to get closer. And third, as a retired Army officer, I'm intrigued that Bangladesh is the world's largest contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations. That's right, there are more Bangladeshi soldiers in blue UN helmets than soldiers from any other nation. Bangladesh will host the Global Alliance for Homeland Security annual conference in Dhaka on May 10 - 11. This year, the conference title is “Global Terrorism and its Remedies.” This ambitious undertaking underscores Bangladesh 's western focus and alliance with the United States in the war against terror. Consequently, the conference is being simultaneously broadcast to Washington , DC so that Congressman Peter King of the Homeland Security Committee and Congressman Joseph Crowley of the Foreign Affairs Committee can both address the attendees. My trip has been part of a delegation to help organize the conference and to learn first hand the threats that Bangladesh faces and the actions the government is taking in response. Former US Congressman Curt Weldon, who recently retired as the Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, is leading the delegation that includes several senior retired military officers, and a former US Coast Guard port security expert. We've been graciously welcomed by officials of the ruling government, business, and industrial leaders and the press. US – Bangladeshi relations are excellent, and Bangladesh contributed troops to the First Gulf War. These relations were boosted seven years ago when President Clinton visited Bangladesh , the first visit ever by a sitting US President. Since then, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and later, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld visited. Most recently, Bangladesh has become a valuable US ally in the Global War on Terror. As part of the war effort, the Government of Bangladesh has publicly addressed problems of money laundering and weak border control to ensure that Bangladesh does not become a terrorist safe-haven. In the few days that I've been here, I've learned that Bangladesh is in great need of foreign investment to build the infrastructure necessary to sustain economic development. The talents of their greatest natural resource, their people, are sadly being wasted by inadequate or nonexistent infrastructure, but before foreign capital flows into the country, the government must make progress toward political and economic stability. Let me explain. Two months ago, the Bangladeshi armed forces assumed power, declared a national emergency, suspended Parliament, and postponed rigged elections. Note that I said they assumed power. They did not seize it. In a popular, anti-corruption crackdown, the armed forces assumed power and arrested a number of leading politicians of both parties who were widely known to be corrupt. The United States Government has quietly supported this move, as have the Bangladeshi people. In fact, there is growing public support within Bangladesh for the military's action to stop corruption, as widely reported by their free press. We should wish them well. We should also hope that elections will be rescheduled and conducted as soon as possible to return the country to civilian government. Bangladeshis regard democracy as an important legacy of the 1971 war for independence, and they vote in large numbers. Our relationship with Bangladesh is important to our fight against international terrorism. Bangladesh lies at the strategic crossroads of South and Southeast Asia . Potential terrorist movements and activities in or through Bangladesh pose a potentially serious threat to India , Nepal , Bhutan , and Burma , as well as to Bangladesh itself. Should Bangladesh fall into political chaos, it would be unable to deal with terrorist elements within its own border, and the last thing the United States needs right now or in the future is 150 million Muslims in political turmoil. In all our hard work at homeland security and in defense of the homeland, let us not lose sight of the work that can be done overseas that will make us all safer and more secure. Our support of the government of Bangladesh is one such effort. This article originally appeared in the May 2007 issue of Security Products pg. 74. About the Author Timothy D. Ringgold , Colonel, Army (Ret.), is the CEO of Defense Solutions LLC, based in Washington , D.C. He can be reached at (610) 833-6000.
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