Bush govt. takes Nepal’s Maoists off its terrorist list

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 3 May: The Bush administration has decided to take Nepal’s Maoists off its terrorist but the decision will take time to implement because of procedural hurdles, Maoist mouthpiece Janadisha reports in its Saturday editions.
US Ambassador Nancy J. Powell conveyed this to Chairman Prachanda before leaving home Friday for consultations following Maoist victory in the 10 April constituent assembly elections.
“Ambassador Powell said the US government has decided to take Maoists off the terrorist list but the official announcement and implementation have been delayed for administrative reasons,” the newspaper quoted an unidentified source as saying.
She said the decision will be implemented soon.
Powell first held discussions with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Prachanda later before leaving for Washington.
The ice has been broken in the bitter relations between Maoists and USA with the establishment of formal public ties.
Only days before the dramatic development, Maoist military leader Raam Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ accused USA for planning, training and arming the Royal Nepal Army to ‘kill’ its combatants.
The breakthrough came the day Indian troubleshooter and communist leader Sitaram Yechuri lent support to a government that could be led by Maoists following election victory.
Yechuri asked USA and other countries to support such a government.
New Delhi and Washington coordinate their Nepal policy.
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