November 28, 2007	Wednesday	Ziqa’ad 17, 1428

DHAKA: US marines and Pakistani military medics helping with relief operations in Bangladesh will not stay a day more than they are needed, a minister said.

“They are serving for our sakes,” said interim communications minister M. A. Matin, head of the government’s coordination body on cyclone relief operations.

“So there is no scope for any confusion or question about the aims, works and stay of the foreign forces in Bangladesh,” the minister told the private UNB news agency on Tuesday.

The comments came as US marines and Pakistan army medical teams stepped up their assistance in cyclone-battered southern Bangladesh.

At least 3,400 people died in the Nov 15 cyclone. The government says some 1,700 are still missing and 6.7 million people were affected by the storm.

US marines are flying around 20 helicopters on aid missions from the amphibious assault vessel, the USS Kearsarge. Four marine medical teams have also deployed in some of the worst-hit areas.

But officials have repeatedly played down the US military’s involvement, appearing reluctant to publicise the operation.

Pakistan army medical teams have set up a 30-bed hospital in one of the worst-hit districts. Pakistan navy ship PNS Nasr is also to open medical camps on land.

The minister praised a US military relief operation in Bangladesh in 1991, when a cyclone killed at least 138,000 people.

“At that time we gathered experience from the US force – what they did in 10 to 12 days could have taken many more days by us,” he said.—AFP