Can Obama reverse US loss in Nepal in Bush era to Maoists?

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 5 Nov: Can Barak Obama’s convincing and welcome election in the presidential elections Wednesday in USA reverse the loss of Nepal to Maoists in Nepal during Bush administration?
This is the question being asked by close foreign and domestic policy watchers in Nepal?
Maoist foreign affairs analyst CP Gajurel hoped the Obama administration will lift the US terrorist tag on Maoists swept to power in a 10 April constituent assembly election which Washington hoped would have been won by moderate parliamentary forces led by CPN-UML.
Gajurel, noted a Jimmy Carter, a former democratic president, has recommended lifting the terrorist tag.
Instead, Maoists won the poll proving to a headache for USA.
Washington under George W. Bush has reluctantly established only direct with Maoists without lifting a terrorist tag.
In the first Bush administration, Bush for the first time directly provided multi-million dollar financial, technical training and arms aid to Royal Nepal Army to flush Maoists out of the jungle and quash the 10-year people’s insurgency.
Instead, Maoists have captured state power after Washington helped India to topple Nepal’s 238-year-old monarch—a friendly US ally in the second administration building a strategic relationship with New Delhi.
USA lost Nepal to Maoists in the second Bush administration; Maoists are trying to forge a close relationship with China.
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Decision of special integration committee unacceptable to Congress: Deuba

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 5 Nov: Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said Wednesday any decision of a special committee for integration of Maoist PLA combatants with Nepal Army (NA) won’t be acceptable to his party the Nepali Congress complicating the peace process implementation. .
Deuba told this to reporters Wednesday in the far-West where he’s touring.
Deuba charged the special committee with Maoists, CPN-UML and MJF as members, was formed unilaterally without consulting Congress.
The committee, he said should be formed by major parties, not government.
Deputy Prime Minister Bamdeb Gautam, coordinator of the committee, Tuesday said only qualified PLA combatants could be integrated in NA and other state security agencies warning another cycle of violence without integration.
Maoists are pushing mass integration opposed by coalition partners of the CPN (Maoist).
Unwilling and disqualified among 19,000 plus combatants in 28 camps and cantonments can be rehabilitated in other sectors of choice.
Amid protests and threats of Nepali Congress, Maoists and CPN-UML have agreed to amend terms of reference of the special committee to meet main opposition demands.
CPN-UML General-Secretary Jhalanath Khanal Tuesday charged Congress and Maoists for taking what he called ‘extreme positions’ on the integration necessary, visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, to complete the peace process.
Ban, pushing integration, said only combatants integrated in a national army will be acceptable for UN peacekeeping operations.
Meanwhile, MJF Chairman and Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav assured integration will proceed only after Congress and other main political parties are inducted in a high-level committee launched jointly by CPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML.
The committee, he said, will be incomplete without representation of main political parties.
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Joint Nepali, Indian team inspects Kosi

Kathmandu, 5 Nov: A joint Indian team Wednesday inspected the damage caused by the flooded Kosi river this monsoon.
The Indian team is led by Chairman of Central Water Commission of India A.K. Bajaj while Nepali team is led by Water Resources Ministry Joint Secretary Shital Babu Rejmee.
Meanwhile, over-silting of a pilot channel to re-direct the river flow to the original course has hampered work assigned to an Indian contractor.
With the onset of winter flood victims sheltered in temporary camps have launched protests demanding help and resettlement as diseases spread with the cold.
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Britain’s Prince Harry trekking to Everest to help war injured

Kathmandu, 5 Nov: Britain’s Prince Harry is leading a group of 90 trekkers war veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan wars to Everest base camp, AFP reports from London.
They hail from the army and air force.
The trek being organized in 2009 to highlight their plight and reintegrate them in military service.
The injured servicemen will also climb Gyoko-ri and Lobuche east during he trek.
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Names of three municipalities named after former kings changed

Kathmandu, 5 Nov: The cabinet Wednesday renamed three municipalities; they were named after former kings.
Tribhuvannagar in Dang has been renamed Ghorai municipality; Prithvinagar has been renamed
Gorkha municipality and Mahendranagar in Kanchanpur has been renamed Bhim Dutta municipality.
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