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India 'aware' of landing of aircraft carrying US arms for Nepal

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Sept 30, IRNA -- Indian Government said Wednesday that it 
was `aware` of the supply of certain explosives and ammunition by the 
United States for use by the Nepal police in counter-insurgency 
operations in the Himalayan nation. 
While confirming a report in The Hindu, a New Delhi-based English 
daily, that a Bulgarian Vega Airlines aircraft was carrying US 
Government ammunition and explosives, Indian External Affairs Ministry
spokesman, however, claimed that the aircraft had arrived at Ahmedabad
airport in the western Indian state of Gujarat on `Wednesday morning` 
and left for Kathmandu after `mandatory` checks. 
The report said that the Vega Airlines aircraft had been sitting 
in Ahmedabad since Saturday awaiting clearance to leave for Kathmandu.
Indian Ministry spokesman said the report was `highly exaggerated`
and `over-dramatizes` a `routine` procedure. However, he did not say 
on how many occasions such `routine` procedures had been applied for 
the transit of arms through India. 
Meanwhile, a US Embassy spokesman here said that the purpose of 
the flight was to transport training equipment and ammunition to 
support an anti-terrorist training program of the US State 
Department`s Office of Diplomatic Security conducted in several parts 
of the world. 
The United States Embassy in Nepal Wednesday denied that an 
official consignment of weapons meant for `anti-terrorist` training of
the Nepal police had been detained by the Indian authorities. 
Constance Golding-Jones, a spokesperson of the embassy, said that 
a Bulgarian plane carrying the consignment arrived in India around 
7.30 a.m. on Wednesday itself and left shortly after 11 a.m. "The 
plane was not detained. This was a cleared flight and the US Embassy 
in New Delhi had informed the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in 
advance." 
The plane was only delayed in India `for a couple of hours` due to
`technical reasons`, Ms. Jones said adding that there was `nothing 
nefarious` about the cargo. 
"The United States conducts training with the Nepalese police 
under the State Department`s Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program 
and the plane was carrying equipment for that. This program runs in 
many countries and it is not specific to the Maoist issue," she said. 
Last month, All Nepal Federation of Trade Unions (ANFTU) said, "We
have, decided to close down all the MNCs in Nepal with US investment 
forever. 
"It is because the US has been providing arms and military 
training to Nepal in order to suppress the Nepali people`s `liberation
movement` and US ambassadors are giving directives to the (Royal 
Nepal) Army by visiting their divisions," the statement, signed by 
federation`s chairman, Shalik Ram Jamarkattel, said. 
Maoists have been struggling to establish a Communist style 
government in Nepal replacing the constitutional monarchy. 
More than 10,000 people have been killed in the insurgency since 
1996. 
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