Current Events Summary #4

Countries in South Asia seem to be very concerned with their foreign relations. Some of these countries, such as Afghanistan and Bangladesh, are troubled by the presence of foreign forces within their borders. Meanwhile, India is trying to convince the world that it can be trusted with nuclear technology.
There has recently been some suspicion that Afghanistan's government has been torturing prisoners transferred by NATO forces. Because of this, Canadian troops stationed in Afghanistan have stopped transferring their prisoners into Afghan custody. NATO is opposed to the torture of prisoners, but there is no strong evidence to suggest that these suspicions are justified. If any evidence is found, Afghanistan promises to investigate.
Bangladesh also has foreign troops stationed in it, but for a different reason. The United States and Pakistan have sent forces to assist Bangladesh in repairing the damages caused by a recent cyclone. The Bangladesh government welcomes the help of these countries, but does not want them to stay for too long. The people of that country are very much opposed to the war in Iraq, which is led by the U.S., and so the government is trying to keep America's role in helping the country quiet. A Bangladesh minister has said that the foreign forces will be leaving as soon as they are no longer needed.
India is currently concerned with foreign policy as well. A group of people have been sent by India to make agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA. India is hoping to be trusted with technology and materials that could be used to make nuclear weapons. First, however, it needs to get "India specific safe guards" from the IAEA. After doing so, India may be able to more easily participate in nuclear trade.
These South Asian countries do not seem to have the influence or power that other countries do. They seem to be very dependent on their relationships with other nations in some areas. For this reason, it is very important for them to keep good relations with powerful countries and organizations.