Captain Haddock wrote: There is still time for King Gyanendra and Girija Prasad Koirala to make up and kiss. As repugnant as the idea may sound to some and improbable to others, I feel doing so is a better option than what could turn out to be the inevitable the kiss of death: having to play second fiddle to India or Prachanda - both the King and parties loose big in such a case. Similar sentiments from the US ambassador: Maoist victory would create humanitarian crisis in Nepal: US envoy KOL Report KATHMANDU, June 24 - US Ambassador James F. Moriarty Thursday said that a victory for Maoists in Nepal would be a humanitarian disaster of huge proportion for the Himalayan nation and a destabilizing force in India. Moriarty made the remark while speaking at a program at the East-West Center in Honolulu on the current situation in Nepal yesterday reported online news agencies on Friday. "Next year will be absolutely critical for Nepal," James F. Moriarty was quoted as saying. "Within the next 12 to 14 months, Nepal is clearly going to be going down one of two paths. One is the path of reconciliation between the palace and the parties to come up with a functioning game plan to get the country back to democracy and also to deal with the insurgency." The other path is bleaker?no reconciliation, increasingly large demonstrations in Kathmandu, and Maoist rebels destabilizing the situation with more violence, he said. . . . My reply (posted to nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com, Jun 24, 2:22 pm) So his excellency views a popular movement for democracy in Nepal as a bleak scenario and an arbitrary compromise between the parties and the palace desirable. Twin-pillar syndrome at it's best. What else ? The unity between the parties and the palace may serve certain purpose, but certainly not the fight to defeat the Maoists. The reality is: the more united, in reconciliation, in sharing terms come political parties and the palace, the more powerful get the Maoists. The reason is simple. The Maoists become, despite all what they are, the only force possessing the agenda of Loktantra. Let us not forget that until October 2002, political parties and the palace were united. That's the exact period Maoists become what they are today. Remember the first emergency ? Everybody were united against the Maoists. The only thing that can defeat Maoists is LOKTANTRA. To be exact, snatch the weapon LOKTANTRA from the Maoists and leave them disarmed and defenseless. That's the only way to fight them. Alternatively, an US intervention ala Iraqi war might do that as well. But that is very unlikely. Our water is not shippable like oil, to begin with ! Or Moriarty sahib does have some magical tarika that he is not telling us yet ?