US special forces on the ground in India, stationed in Nepal

BBC News reports that US special forces are “present” but “not stationed” in India. According to a Pentagon commander, these forces are training the Indian state in counter-terrorism measures. Though the article does not mention India’s Maoist insurgency, it can be assumed that the training provided by US special forces will be used against the CPI(Maoist) and other red militants as well.

Furthermore, the Pentagon official does confirm that US forces are not just “present,” but stationed in Nepal on a semi-permanent basis, no doubt with the intention of crushing any insurrection in Nepal. It is well-known that US forces have a close relationship with the Nepalese Army, but it is disturbing that the Pentagon is now leaking this information to international media.

The article notes that “US teams were also present in…Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives.”

We ask our readers to spread this information to as many sources as possible.

Pentagon commander says US special forces in India

US special forces are present in five South Asian countries, including India, a top Pentagon commander has revealed.

US Pacific Commander Admiral Robert Willard said the teams were deployed to help India with their counter-terrorism co-operation.

The US and India were working together to contain Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based militant group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, he said.

The US embassy in Delhi clarified that the troops were not stationed in India.

Discussion of ‘Occupy Wall Street’ in Nepal

This article is from redstarnepal.com,  which has emerged as the English language voice of the revolutionary wing of Nepal’s Maoists.

‘Occupy Wall Street’: New Trend of Global Movement

Kathmandu, 23 October: In the specific name of ‘Occupy Wall Street’, millions of people gathered together in the common places over 1,500 cities globally. Hundreds of US cities were occupied and many of the Chowks and the cross roads were liberated that day.  The slogan was made broader under ‘occupy together’. This made participation of the people broader and more effective.

As India Threatens Neighbors, U.S. Backs India

Dr. Binayak Sen -- victim of India's 'tolerant democracy'

The following excerpts are from a talk given by Robert O. Blake Jr., US Assistant Secretary of South and Central Asian affairs, on January 19, 2011.

Blake indicates that the US “strategic partnership” with India is one of the Obama administration’s top priorities in the region, second only to continuing the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Blake repeats all the usual platitudes about India: how its democracy, commitment to diversity and its knowledge-based economy make it “special”.

In reality, these  features of the Indian state only extend to a fraction of its population. Diplomats like Blake repeat these platitudes to put a human face on their brutal alliance.

Increased cooperation between the US and India means more repression for India’s poor and marginalized peoples. It means more ‘counterinsurgency’ operations against tribal people, more famine and economic instability in rural areas, more pressure to exploit the country’s natural resources and more capitalist-driven inequality.

The US wants to ensure India’s military is strong and compliant, not only to aid the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but to address the significant counter-hegemonic threats in South Asia. Though Blake doesn’t mention them, the US is extremely wary of challenges to India’s legitimacy from separatist movements in Jammu and Kashmir to the revolutionary communist CPI (Maoist). Nepal receives slight, if ominous, attention in Blake’s report.

The subtext is that the Maoist revolutions are India’s problem to solve—with U.S. political, military and financial backing.

Stop the U.S. Backing for Counterrevolution! Remove the Maoists from U.S. Terrorist Lists!

Wikileaks: Indian Minister Tells U.S. That Reintegrating Nepal Maoists Has Failed

Nepal's Peoples Liberation Army

By Mike Ely

This is about our first tantalizing tidbit — emerging from Wikileaks about the revolution in Nepal. It is only one sentence in a cable dealing with other things. We don’t want to read too much into it, or treat it (standing alone) as something authoritative.

But we can now get a sense of what we may soon learn about the thoughts and intrigues of various powers against revolutionary change in South Asia.

This first Wikileaks mention of Nepal’s Maoist revolution appears in a January 2010 cable from the U.S. embassy in India (New Delhi) to the U.S. Secretary of State in Washington D.C.

It is from U.S. ambassador Timothy J. Roemer. And it contains notes on Special Envoy Holbrooke’s discussion of Afghanistan and Pakistan with Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.

Must Study: How Feds Target International Connections

Imperialist Agent

The following originally appeared on Kasama.

Each of us needs to understand the implications and dangers of these developments.

First that we need to expose and help defeat attempts to criminalize internationalism.

Second, while important solidarity work remains legal and urgent –  such efforts should not be “coordinated with” international groups. I.e.Specific international connections and coordination are being made legally “radioactive” and internationalist work within needs to be carefully independent (in planning, conception and finances) from people outside the country — no casual communications, no back and forth flow of suggestions, no appearance of mutual consultation on plans, no exchange of seemingly innocent help (

skills, money, etc.) Any international communications by solidarity participants should be limited and careful scrutinized with these legal constraints in mind. Anyone who is approached by someone claiming to be from a proscribed group who claims to have suggestions (however innocent) should report the incident and not pursue the conversation — entrapment is a real tactic of sinister forces.

Thanks to  Ka Frank for sending this.

* * * * * *

Indian Maoists denounce Obama as “Leader of US imperialism”

Revolutionary forces in India have denounced the visit of US President Barack Obama, calling for a bandh on November 8 to coincide with his visit to their country [read more]. The following press release from the Communist Party of India (Maoist) was received via the Maoist Revolution international listserve.

Promising peace, Obama has increased the US military and expanded Bush's wars into Pakistan and other countries.

October 31, 2010

Firmly Oppose the India Visit of
Barack Obama, Gang Leader of U.S. Imperialism, the #1 Enemy of the World’s People

Raise the slogan in one voice loudly Throughout the Country!!

“OBAMA! GO BACK!!”

US President Barack Obama will be coming to our country on November 6. The comprador rulers of India are busy laying red carpet to welcome him and trying to beautify Mumbai and Delhi. This is a great insult to democracy-loving, peace-loving and patriotic people of our country. US imperialism, which has been plundering the poor countries across the world, suppressing the oppressed nationalities, pushing the notorious thugs and dictators into the power, bullying those countries who wouldn’t cooperate, looting oil, minerals and all other natural wealth and sources and for this going to any extent, is the no. 1 enemy of world people. Its leader Barack Obama is such a person whom the entire humanity must hate. As his predecessor George Bush had accumulated the hate across the globe, US imperialist masters brought Barack Obama in a plan that people could be deceived with his skin color.

Though Obama was so much rhetorical opposing the policies of Bush, after entering into the White House, all the policies and decisions taken by him till this day are nothing but continuation of the Bush administration. In fact the difference between George Bush and Barack Obama lies just in their color and in the name their representative parties. There is no difference between them in exploiting and suppressing the world people, oppressed nationalities, countries and working class of the US. It’s an irrefutable fact that this black color President was selected by the most notorious white masters of US monopolistic corporations.