For a man who spends much of his time holed up in rundown apartment on the outskirts of Katmandu, Biraj is supremely confident his vision of a communist Nepal will soon become reality. Emboldened by a string of setbacks to the Himalayan nation’s absolute king, Maoist rebels like Biraj are striking deep into urban areas and working with major political parties to topple the monarchy. Many, including the U.S. ambassador, see a Maoist takeover as a possibility. Biraj described himself Thursday as a low level political officer in the rebel movement, one of those responsible for recruiting followers and enforcing ideology. Full Story