Generals stress joint combat against militancy, terrorism

Generals began a meeting in Dhaka Sunday with a focus on exploring new avenues of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region to combat international militancy and terrorism.
At the outset of the 38th Pacific Armies Management Seminar (PAMS) it was pointed out that trans-national crimes, environmental disasters, illegal drug cartels, child and women trafficking and many other non-traditional security threats were gaining momentum.
"They affect all of us. And no country can face threats to the security alone," said Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan said about the emerging threats while inaugurating the seminar.
General Bhuiyan and General Vincent Brooks, Commander of U.S. Army's Pacific command, jointly inaugurated the four-day PAMS seminar at the Radisson Blue Water Garden Hotel with a unanimous call for cooperation of all in the anti-terror fight.
"Cooperation from all is necessary to face the international militancy and terrorism," General Brooks told the inaugural ceremony of the seminar, co-hosted by the U.S. Army, Pacific command, and the Bangladesh Army.
Senior military and security officials from 32 nations in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region are attending the meet to discuss 'opportunities and challenges' of the region.
Lt-General Md Mainul Islam, chief of general staff of Bangladesh Army, and General Brooks also discussed many bilateral issues and later they briefed the journalists on the aims and objectives of the seminar and its outcome. They also answered queries from the reporters.
At the conference, both the generals said that they agreed to work more closely together for peace of the region.
Asked about measures to tackle trans-boundary militancy as well as the impact of cyber-crime, the generals said that all the issues would be discussed in the seminar with due importance to find ways and means of combating those more effectively.
The four-day seminar will mostly focus on the challenges and opportunities of land forces of the Asia-Pacific region from the Indian subcontinent to the western shores of the Americas.
This region is home to almost half the world's population and is home to emerging powers like China and India. Bangladesh is co-hosting this seminar with the US Army Pacific command after 22 years.
It is a multinational military seminar that provides a forum for senior-level (lieutenant colonel to lieutenant general, or national equivalent) officers from the Asia-Pacific regional ground forces to exchange views and ideas on the contemporary tasks.  
It is not only a forum to enhance understanding of the subjects studied, it also provides an opportunity for the future leaders of the region's armies to establish and cultivate a set of strong interpersonal relationships, the organisers said.
Pacific Armies Management Seminars have been held throughout the Asia-Pacific region since 1978.  The long-term objective of PAMS is to facilitate capacity building, via information exchange and dialogue on themes and topics, promote security cooperation in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
The US Army Pacific area of operations covers half the globe and consists of six of the world's 10 largest armies.