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India foils Nepal's bid to get missiles

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Aug 31, IRNA
India-Nepal-Missiles
Less than four months after Nepal's new Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala pledged to put an end to violence and killings and make the restoration of peace his government's top priority, Nepal tried to obtain anti-aircraft missiles, if not other sophisticated weaponry like rifles and ammunition, from foreign makers but was foiled by India, which refused to allow the carrier aircraft passage through its air space.

The incident occurred last week, probably on Thursday, after a Russian AN-12 aircraft requested permission from the Indian aviation authorities to fly over western India and land at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the Indian newspaper Statesman reported here on Thursday.

However, when the aircraft, in compliance with norms, had to specify what it was carrying and described its cargo as a shipment of aircraft equipment and anti-aircraft missiles, a suspicious India refused permission, causing the aircraft to turn back.

With India surrounding Nepal on three sides, the only other way the consignment can reach Kathmandu is through the north, if China allows the use of its air space. However, that is unlikely since the detour would be prohibitively expensive.

Even at least a week after being turned away, probably from Ahmedabad, the aircraft has not landed in Kathmandu.

Though the crew did not say what their port of embarkation was, the consignment could be from Israel, according to Nepali weekly Jana Aastha, that broke the news on Thursday.

Though both India and Nepal tried to keep the matter under wraps, the leak probably occurred when the Indian authorities contacted Nepal's foreign ministry. The move is as unexpected as it is mysterious.

Nepal's parliament, which is supposed to be informed of all important national decisions taken by the government, and the Maoists, with whom the government signed an agreement pledging almost the same, remain in the dark about the decision to obtain fresh arms.

In fact, before tabling his budget, Nepal's Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat had said the government would cut down military expenses, which shot up during King Gyanendra's direct rule, and scrap the deals made at the cost of the state exchequer.

Jana Aastha said the agreement could have been made earlier this year when Crown Prince Paras visited Austria and France, ostensibly to hand over a pair of one-horned rhinos to a museum in Austria.

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