Washington: The US is still weighing the current political scenario in Nepal with the Maoists having basically formed a democratic government but still being designated as a terrorist organisation.

"... In any terrorist organisation or any terrorist situation, if there is a way for reconciliation, legally and lawfully, through the political system, obviously, we prefer that. And there are places where that's taking place already," said Dell Dailey, the Coordinator in the State Department's Office for Counter Terrorism said at a briefing on the Annual Terrorism Report for 2007.

"It is taking place in Nepal, although it's had some ups and downs. But we prefer a legitimate reconciliation and reintegration politically long before we go after and try and do a coordinated, integrated, with host nation military action" he added.

Senior State Department officials have not exactly spelt out the process of taking the Maoists out of their designated list except for making the point that the legal processed are under review.

Meanwhile the Human Rights Watch has said the government of Nepal should rescind orders authorising security forces to use lethal force to suppress protests associated with the Olympic torch's relay up Mount Everest.

The HRW has sent a letter to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today as the torch is scheduled to be carried to the Mount Everest summit on the Chinese side of the border in early May.

Source : PTI