Daniel Lak in 'Haiti's warning for Nepal' (#186) bemoans the actions of the US, Canada and France in Haiti. He accuses them of 'gunboat diplomacy' and forcing Aristide out of power. What riles him most is the claim of righteousness made by these western powers to justify what they are doing. But isn't that totally expected? Does he not know that it is human nature to want to have the cake and eat it, too? During his time spent in Kathmandu he probably never came across a Nepali saying "Ham pani, mam pani". If he had, he would have known that we in Nepal are no different than anyone else in wanting to have it both ways. Lak also says that what happened in Haiti should serve as a warning to Nepal. A warning for what? Should we be warned that the US and other powers who are currently backing Nepal in this fight against terrorism will withdraw their support and leave us high and dry once their interests have been served? The past is full of examples of the US first helping and later dumping people like General Pinochet of Chile, Noriega of Panama, Marcos of the Philippines and, lately, Saddam Hussein (who?) of Iraq.

'Arjun',
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