History will remember Peter Haas

Peter D Haas, the US ambassador to Dhaka, has stepped down from his job at the State Department. He did this to protest the sudden shift in US foreign policy around Bangladesh’s controversial January 7 elections, The Mirror Asia reported yesterday.

Not long after the report came out, the US Embassy in Dhaka emailed The Mirror Asia, suggesting they reach out to the White House or the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee for more details. But Haas isn’t the first US diplomat to protest or quit over the US foreign policy. The list is long.

For instance, during the Bangladesh’s Liberation War, Archer K Blood, the last American Consul General to Dhaka (when it was East Pakistan), opposed US support for the Pakistani military junta. Blood went against US policy by giving shelter to a foreign journalist, ensuring the world knew about the Pakistani military’s brutality. In a telegram dated March 27, 1971, titled "Selective Genocide," he wrote, "Here in Dacca we are mute and horrified witnesses to a reign of terror by the Pak Military."

At that time, 20 members of the US Embassy in Dhaka also raised concerns about American foreign policy. Blood’s telegram also stated, “Our government has failed to denounce the suppression of democracy. Our government has failed to denounce atrocities…Our government has evidenced what many will consider moral bankruptcy...”

More recently, Victoria Nuland quit her job as the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, protesting US policies towards Ukraine. Nuland, a key figure in US foreign policy for 30 years, stepped down in disagreement. There have been many resignations over the years due to disagreements with US policies, especially related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

During former-President Donald Trump’s administration, a US ambassador to Panama also resigned. Resigning on principle isn’t new. But history always remembers those who do. A book called 'Blood Telegram' was written about Archer K Blood’s heroic acts. And now, the United States has set up EMK centers in different parts of Dhaka in his honour.

History will remember Peter D Haas too. Those fighting to restore democracy and establish a people's government in Bangladesh will hold Peter D Haas in high regard, much like his predecessor, Archer K Blood.