The Beginning of the End

36 people are killed when their bus is blown up in Chitwan by those "defenders of the people" the Maoists.
(AFP photo)


Seems like our Maobadis have a real image problem now. In front of every scrutinizing agency in the world, they’ve gone and blown up a bus full of civilians. To top it off, their lack of organization and command structure was also finally on display for all to see. First comes a resounding denial for the attack, half-heartedly blaming "infiltrators" for killing the civilians; then immediate responsibility and regret is claimed by none other than Prachanda himself. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/DEL86195.htm
So, let’s see, the world is watching, you blow up a bus, and none of you knows how to handle the aftermath? No grand statements of “revolution” and party unity? Only claims of a "mistake" in targeting, regret and fingerpointing?

Blogdai has said this before and will repreat it now: THERE IS NO COMPREHENSIVE, UNIFYING PHILOSOPHY OR HEIRARCHY THAT CONTROLS MAOIST BEHAVIOR. They are no more than roving gangs of thugs acting semi-autonomously. If Nepal were as flat as Kansas, Maoists would have never gotten this far. As it stands, Nepal affords many places for violent, impoverished, ignorant little boys and girls with guns to hide. The geography is so rough, even their commanders (if there is such a thing) cannot find or control them.

This is not going well for Prachanda’s strategy of seeking an alliance with the deposed political parties. To his credit, Prachanda has succeeded in accomplishing what no one else in Nepal had been able to do. He has united the parties, the King, the people of Nepal, and the international community in a resounding chorus of condemnation against their move. Very few groups (even the most ham-fisted of western journalists) will be able to salvage a noble “people’s struggle” angle from this latest Maoist blunder.

Prachanda knows this is serious. Maoists have publicly backtracked before when one of their typically out-of-control military units has killed the wrong person, but this round of apologies from "The Fierce One" has a note of desperation and finality.

To any remaining Maoists: Very few people view you as anything more than terrorists now, so give it up Maobadis before the rest of the world arrives to take care of business. It won’t be long before even the dull-witted U.S. intelligence apparatus either finds or creates a link between you and Al-Quaeda. When that happens, you may not be able to get to India fast enough.

-=blogdai