State Dept: Nepal Maoists Were Never on U.S. Terror List

This from Telegraph-Nepal:

“The Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, Tom Casey, talking to journalists on Wednesday May 15, 2008, made it clear that the Nepal Maoists had never been a “foreign terrorist organization,” as designated; they were rather in the “terrorist exclusion list” that has implications on consular issues, visas and other kinds of matters.”

This is a rather startling claim after the U.S. government and its representatives have denounced the Maoists as terrorists for years. For example here is a State Department statement from just last week:

“Although the Government of Nepal no longer considers the Maoists to be terrorists, the U.S. Government’s designation of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” organization under Executive Order 13224 and its inclusion on the “Terrorist Exclusion List” pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act remain in effect. These two designations make Maoists excludable from entry into the United States and bar U.S. citizens from transactions such as contribution of funds, goods, or services to, or for the benefit of, the Maoists. “