for USA imperialism, Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) are 'terrorist'

By Mike Talavera
In an annual report on “terrorism” presented to the US Congress earlier this month, the US State Department ranked the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) among the Top 10 non-state groups who threatened US imperialism’s global hegemony in 2018.

Table from US State Department report

“These terrorist threats are different in many ways, but they all seek to use violence to undermine the United States and disrupt the American way of life,” the White House’s 2018 National Strategy for Counterterrorism reads, which is cited in the report.
Even in its own documentation, the State Department cannot hide the fact that “terrorism” in today’s world necessarily means resistance to US imperialism. In a global map of the incidents, the frontlines of “terrorism” line up with the frontlines of imperialism.

Map of “terrorist” incidents from US State Report, 2018

The Taliban, once an ally to US imperialism, is now the top “perpetrator” on the list. They have been the leading force in Afghanistan fighting against US imperialism, making advances over recent years that nearly led the US to negotiate an exit from the country in September.
The CPI (Maoist) and the CPP distinguish themselves from the Taliban and the other groups in the Top 10 because they are leading People’s Wars in their countries against semicolonialism and semifeudalism, and for New Democracy, rather than simply trying to snatch the reins of the old state or carve out a piece of territory for themselves.
The Communists undermine US imperialism consciously, understanding it as the main enemy of the world’s people on the road to conquering power and leading successive revolutions until Communism. Both Parties are the main actors against US imperialism in their respective countries, demonstrating clear leadership among the anti-imperialist struggle there.

The US State Department, despite its efforts to highlight the defeats of these anti-imperialist forces rather than their successes, still acknowledges their resiliency. The report repeatedly comments how its efforts to repress these forces have often resulted in more recruits for its adversaries, another reminder that imperialism makes trouble wherever it goes.