US embassy cable - 04KATHMANDU1605

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001605 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR GREEN/DORMANDY 
LONDON FOR POL-GURNEY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, NP, U.S-Nepali Relations 
SUBJECT: NEPAL: PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE DELIVERED TO PRIME 
MINISTER 
 
REF: WHITE HOUSE 4060 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d) 
 
1. (U)  On August 13, the Ambassador delivered by hand the 
President's message  of congratulations to the Prime 
Minister.  Upon its receipt, Prime Minister Deuba exclaimed 
how he had always been an admirer of the President.  The 
Prime Minister noted that the President was making difficult 
decisions and trying to build a better world, one free from 
terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.  Deuba added that 
even when he was not in office, he was the only Nepali 
political leader to come out publicly in favor of the Iraq 
war.  He expressed his hope that the President's vision would 
prevail. 
 
NEPALESE TROOPS FOR IRAQ 
------------------------ 
 
2. (C)  The Prime Minister raised the possibility of 
providing Nepalese troops for UN troop protection in Iraq. 
He explained that although he supported such a deployment, 
his main coalition partner had not been very positive.  He 
and the Ambassador agreed they would have to continue to 
raise it again and again. 
 
THE PEACE PROCESS 
----------------- 
 
3. (C)  Prime Minister Deuba discussed the way forward on the 
peace process with Nepal's Maoists.  Deuba said the Peace 
Secretariat was taking shape, but would require one or two 
 
SIPDIS 
more weeks to gel, as membership was sorted out among the 
coalition parties.  He described a Peace Committee that would 
have an apex political body; civil society would have input 
and there would be an underbody of experts that would brief 
the apex body.  The Cabinet would then have to approve the 
Peace Committee.  Deuba mentioned there were concerns by the 
Ministers that the apex body (which would consist primarily 
of senior party officials) not be able to interfere in the 
government. 
 
THE INDIAN ROLE 
--------------- 
 
4. (C)  The Prime Minister stressed to the Ambassador that he 
was talking with his coalition partners to gain agreement 
regarding the conduct of peace talks with the Maoists.  He 
noted a number of concerns, the most difficult of which was 
figuring out how to handle India.  The Ambassador told him 
the USG believed it important to keep India on the right side 
of the process because India could play an important, 
positive role.  Deuba was also concerned about the venue, 
which needed to be kept secret, as well as the details of the 
talks.  The Prime Minister commented that creating a common 
position was a slow process that required continuous 
consultations. 
 
THREATS AGAINST U.S. FIRM 
------------------------- 
 
5. (C) The Ambassador also brought up Maoist threats against 
an American joint venture company owned by Coca-Cola.  The 
Prime Minister assured the Ambassador that Chief of Army 
Staff General Thapa had briefed him on the threat and that 
the Royal Nepal Army would provide all necessary security. 
Deuba told the Ambassador that the Government was also 
preparing for the threatened August 18 blockade, although it 
was not yet confirmed whether any blockade would actually 
occur. 
MORIARTY