Deuba secures US support

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday said that he secured a strong commitment of support for Nepal’s fight against terrorism from the United States during his meeting with President George W. Bush at White House.

"I am very glad, I am very happy, President Bush is very much supportive to our campaign against terrorism and he has assured us he will help in many ways," Deuba told reporters at White House after the meeting.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post just hours before the talks Deuba had said that he and all of Nepal is honoured by the gesture of President Bush and America. "The world’s only superpower has been at the forefront in the current fight against terrorism, building a global coalition against terrorism. We have also suffered from terror campaigns in our country."

Although, the details of the talks have not yet been available the talks most likely focused on the current situation in Nepal and how United States can support the country, as said by a State Department official earlier. He said the United States will extend assistance on both military and economic fronts, adding that employment generation and fight against poverty remain crucial in tackling the rural insurgency.

Prime Minister Deuba will also hold talks with Secretary of Sate Colin Powell, and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice.

In his visit to Kathmandu in January, Powell promised to look into Nepal’s growing requirement for military assistance to combat the six-year insurgency, which has already claimed thousands of lives.

Other than his meeting with the President, and some key officials in the Bush administration, a major highlight of the Prime Minister’s visit will be his speech tomorrow on "War on Terrorism: Nepal’s Perspective" at Widrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

The State Department official refused to be drawn into a recent controversy, which attributes US military officials as having suggested that Nepal needs to increase the strength of its army to 200,000 from its current position of 40,000.

The official said US is still awaiting an assessment report from the military team that recently made an inspection tour of Nepal, and any comments on Nepal’s military needs now would be premature.

The Specific Command Office based in Hawaii, which has been entrusted the job of assessing Nepal’s military needs, was not available for comments yesterday.

In a detailed report last month on the Maoist insurgency, Jane’s Defense Weekly, the world’s leading military magazine, said the Maoists in all probability miscalculated in attacking the army last November. The report adds that the Royal Nepal Army has been engaged in development programmes for some time now, and its ISDP efforts, which put development and security together to combat the insurgency, has been successful, a fact underscored by Maoist demands to withdraw that programme.

But the report also indicates that the army has been stretched in its fight against the guerrillas.

Asked to explain whether Washington regards Prime Minister Deuba’s current visit official, or private, he said, "The important thing is that he is meeting President Bush whatever label you put to it."

Analysts here say the very fact that the United States President wants to meet Nepal’s Prime Minister now speaks volumes about the importance the world’s only super power accords to Nepal’s current fight against the insurgents.

Since Sept 11, the fight against global terrorism has remained the most outstanding feature of the US foreign policy, a measure that has received a thumping endorsement from the American public as has been evident in a number of recent opinion polls.

Washington is not using a blanket term terrorist against Nepal’s Maoists, but regards that they have been involved in terrorist attacks, the State Department official said. "We have said, they should lay down their arms", and come to a political settlement within Nepal’s democratic constitution, he said.

Prime Minster Deuba today also meets Gabbi Visquez, Director of Peace Corps, Kenneth Pollock, president of National Democratic Institute, Mark Silzanger, former US Congressman, and business leaders.

Arjoo Deuba, Prime Minister’s wife, is scheduled to speak on issues related to women on children at Asia Foundation today.