From: "Stasi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] Nepal: Communist Oppose Support To US - BBC Wednesday, 26 September, 2001, 10:58 GMT 11:58 UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1564000/1564467.stm Nepal row over US support =================== Left-wing groups oppose supporting the US By Sushil Sharma in Kathmandu Nepal's government has reiterated its total support to the anti-terrorism campaign led by the US - but the move has drawn strong criticism from the country's left-wing opposition and Maoist rebels. The rebels took up arms six years ago Following the recent suicide attacks in New York and Washington, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had no hesitation in joining the US-led international coalition against terrorism. He has even offered Nepalese airspace and refuelling facilities for use by American planes in possible attacks against Afghanistan. But this is at best a symbolic gesture as the land-locked Himalayan kingdom is unlikely to be of much logistic importance for American attacks against Afghanistan. But even that was enough to create an uproar in the country's traditionally anti-American communist opposition, which has criticised the government for allegedly deviating from the country's non-aligned foreign policy. Maoist criticism The most vocal among them was the underground Maoist communist party, which has been conducting a violent campaign to topple the constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy for the past six years. A senior rebel leader has accused the Nepali Congress government of kowtowing to American imperialism. Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is the chief negotiator in the still inconclusive peace talks with the government, warned that the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks could be repeated in Nepal. Although widely dismissed as a mere rhetoric, such remarks have apparently strengthened the anti-terrorism resolve of the government. Brushing aside opposition criticism, Prime Minister Deuba reiterated in parliament that Nepal has joined the global coalition to wipe out all forms of terrorism. Terrorism campaign Analysts say Mr Deuba apparently wants to use the global anti-terrorism coalition to increase pressure on the Maoist rebels to end the insurgency, in which 1,800 people have been killed so far. In the past, American officials have said that the Maoist rebels were terrorists. And Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh said on Tuesday that the Maoists were terrorists and that India, which shares a 1,800 km border with Nepal, supported the Nepalese Government in its fight against them. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
