BANGLADESH: DHAKA: CLINTON SECURITY FEARS скачать в хорошем качестве

BANGLADESH: DHAKA: CLINTON SECURITY FEARS

(20 Mar 2000) English/Nat Fearful of a security risk, U-S President Bill Clinton on Monday abruptly cancelled travel plans that would have taken him by helicopter to the Bangladeshi village of Joypura. Instead, Clinton had the tiny village brought to him at the fortress-like, red-brick U-S embassy in Dhaka. The change in plan came after security agents decided a helicopter ride to Joypura over patches of tropical forest and rice paddies was too dangerous. The villagers who were brought by bus to Dhaka were both upset and disappointed that the trip was cancelled after weeks of preparations. For two weeks the villagers of Joypura swept their dusty courtyards, scrubbed their homes of tin and bamboo and laboured to build a helicopter landing pad, a Western-style toilet and a stage to welcome U-S President Bill Clinton. But just hours before starting the day long trip to Bangladesh, the White House dropped the 32-kilometre (20-mile) excursion to the village from the schedule on the advice of the Secret Service. The White House cited a "credible" threat of danger from flying over unguarded forest and rice paddies. Clinton himself refused to go into detail about the security concerns behind the decision. The change was a severe disappointment to people living in Joypura. Instead they were brought by bus to Dhaka to visit the President at the embassy there. As Clinton strode out of the embassy with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to meet the group they rose and clapped. Clinton praised the people of Bangladesh. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Bangladesh is a country that by traditional economic measurement is still poor. But as I saw today, in terms of the spirit and the ability of the people, it is full of riches." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, U-S President The U-S President also promised to do everything he could for the people of Bangladesh. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Everyone must have a chance. Every little boy and every little girl must have a chance. I will do everything I can to be a good partner and a good friend in that endeavour in Bangladesh. Thank you very much." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, U-S President Thirty-three children came from Joypura, where they had prepared to welcome Clinton at their tin-and-bamboo school. Instead, they recreated their classroom by sitting in rows on stools or squatting on the cement in the embassy courtyard. Clinton sat on a stool and listened to the children sing a song about the life of boatmen in Bangladesh, a land of hundreds of rivers that cause annual floods. Clinton, the first U-S president to visit Bangladesh since its creation 29 years ago, brought with him an aid package for food, assistance for clean energy projects and to help keep children in school and out of factories. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...